I shot up from my chair in panic when I heard the chorus of my children calling "Mommy" over and over, each voice carrying a different tone as they came closer to my office.
But Rafael gripped my wrist as I passed him, heading for the door. He yanked me into his arms with a firm pull that knocked the air from my lungs. He wrapped me in a tight embrace and rested his chin on my shoulder.
"Raf… Rafael… what are you doing? The kids are about to come in. You didn't close the door." I froze, my body stiff.
He held me close, but not so tightly that I couldn't shrug him off.
I could have pushed him away instantly if I wanted to. But I stayed rigid and silent like my body was bound to him, my heart pounding because the kids would be here any second.
"It's okay to show the kids this much," he said gently. "It's good, even. It shows them how loving their parents are, at least in their eyes."
I frowned slightly. "Who told you that?"
"A psychiatrist friend."
