A Trip II

As Raul's words hung in the air, a heavy silence descended upon the car. The engine hummed softly, the only sound breaking the stillness that enveloped them. Olivera still sat on Raul’s thighs, but her hands were gripping the edge of the seat, having left Raul’s shoulders after the drop of his bombshell. She stared out the window, unseeing, trying to process the thunderclap he had just dropped; her fiery hormones dying out just as quickly.

Her mind raced, trying to make sense of what Raul had said. His father, whom everyone believed to be dead? It seemed unfathomable, surreal even. She glanced at Raul, searching his face for any hint of a joke or deception, but his expression was serious, his eyes focused on her, as if he was trying to bore holes into her head.

Emotions churned within Olivera. Confusion, anger, disbelief, and a strange flicker of fear mingled together. If Raul's father was indeed alive, what did that mean? Would Raul come under his influence again? Why had he kept thi