KEREM

It smells delicious. Once I throw the mushrooms into the pan with the cream, I have to make an effort so that it doesn't stick to the surface by looking for some tips on the internet. The fridge was practically empty, there was only cheap alcohol that I prefer to believe belonged to Juliet's friend and not Juliet herself.

Once the beef strips are done cooking, I remove them from the oven and serve them while the mushroom sauce cooks. I let the strips rest on a platter because they are so hot and then I check the mashed potatoes, season it and decide it's done. I stir the sauce and wait a few more seconds to make sure the mushrooms have cooked through, taste it and decide it's about time.

However, in the process, something interrupts me...

"Don't take him away!"

What the hell?

I hear a groan from Juliet, one of pain, as if she had suddenly hit herself. It worries me and I exalt immediately. I put out the kitchen fire and I run to the room while I perceive that her complaints increase. Did something happen to her while I was taking care of her?

"N-nooo! Nooooo!"

"Juls? Juliet? Are you okay?"

I turn on the light in the room and draw the curtains while I watch her in the middle of a nightmare that has her restless, tossing in bed and worried. The light isn't enough to wake her up so I sit up next to her on the bed, precisely where I slept last night and shake her awake.

"Juliet, for God's sake!" I insist, worried. "Wake up!"

She finally shakes in terror and opens her eyes to look in all directions as if she has to defend herself against something.

I put an arm around her neck and hold her close, trying to pull her out of this horrible nightmare that seems to have been holding her roughly.

"Calm down, you're fine," I assure her, while I try to see if she composes herself. Indeed, at first she seems to adjust to reality and then she accepts my hug and lets me cradle her against my chest.

I have to admit that at first it makes me feel a bit strange. What am I doing hugging another woman? What kind of illusions or ideas can this generate for both of us? I try to rule it out, but not before detaching myself from the option that involves what happened to myself earlier today...

"Are you feeling okay?" I ask her, in an effort to shake off the ideas that are beginning to appear in my head.

"Y-yes."

"I don't believe it. Tell me what happened."

"Just a nightmare, nothing more."

"Tell me, Juls," I insist, stroking her back and trying to make her feel warm and comfortable so she can tell me what it is that has kept her so terrified.

She turns her gaze to me and watches me, narrowing her eyes.

"So?"

"So what?"

"Juls."

"When did I go from being Judith to Juls?"

"If you want, I'll call you Judith Mendes again."

"You did it on purpose."

"Of course. Now tell me."

She sighs and laughs. I like the sound of her laughter, it's reassuring.

"Well...it wasn't pretty."

"That's clear."

"Hey, whatever it is you're cooking smells delicious."

"You're trying to change the subject, but yes, I tried. I prepared a recipe that my parents' housekeeper used to make and it was one of my favorite dishes."

"You know how to cook?"

"You underestimate me too much, Judith.

"I prefer Juls."

"You underestimate me, Juls."

"Well, I'm dying to have lunch for breakfast."

"Well said, it's already noon, but it's true that you badly needed a long rest. Now get up, wander around and come eat."

"Heyeeee," she tells me in a claiming tone. "Even though my stomach growls, I don't think I even had dinner last night. The last solid food late must have been a pancake in the afternoon."

"Lucky. Of course, my plate will not do justice to the food they made at my parents' house, but if there is an appetite, it will surely taste better."

"Okay, then make room for a shower."

"No showers."

"Why? The one last night didn't help too much..." she assures and I know what she means. "Could you get some sleep?"

"Absolutely Nothing. I woke up with the sun up, did my exercise routine, meditated, shopped, and cooked."

"What time is it?"

"After twelve."

"My goodness..."

"I'll wait for you in the kitchen," I assure her, resting a kiss on her forehead and then going to serve the food.

I don't want it to get cold.

She goes through the bathroom and appears with her pajamas on in the kitchen-dining room-living room-office-study room or simply the multifunction shoe box where she lives. I place the dishes, serve some juice, clean the table and... damn, I never thought I was doing this. I don't even do it in my own house.

She shows up and helps me put things on the table while the beef strips with mushrooms and mashed potatoes are served.

"Damn, this smells like real home cooking."

-\"It is. Did you suspect that I bought it?"

"If it wasn't for the frying pan and the dirty stuff, I'd say yes. I congratulate you."

"Thank you," I assure her. "Sit."

She sits down and we both eat.

"Damn, this is delicious," she says with her mouth full and wipes herself with a napkin.

"I warned you that I have talents you don't know about. Likewise, my menu is extremely limited."

"I must admit that I don't cook even a fifth of this. I was never much into cooking."

"There will be time... By the way, you ran away from my question just now. What did you dream about? I will torture you with questions until you tell me."

"I... I don't know." Her face darkens. I no longer remember."

"Don't even think I'm going to believe that, Jana."

"Yesterday?"

"Or Jasmine, what was your name?"

She makes a ball out of the napkin and throws it at me.

"Oh, Juls. I already remembered."

"Well... But you're not going to like it."

"Just tell me."

"I dreamed ... of Ali."

"Ali? My son?"

"Yes."

"And what else?"

"..."

"Come on, Juliet."

"..."

"You know dreams don't come true unless we give you a superpower and we'll get rich."

"You're already rich."

"Even more."

"Well..." she sighs and lets go. "I dreamed that Ian was Ali's father... And not only that but he was also friends with Jordan and they both appeared to attack me. And the baby was torn from my arms."

Silence.

My chewing suddenly stops and I have to force myself to swallow the food as if it were a kilo of lead.

I wipe my lips and blurt out "Why not? It's a possibility. Although I don't know if there is something between Ian and Jordan."

"Kerem, you know I didn't mean that."

"I'm not a hypocrite and neither are you."

"It was only a dream."

"But the reality is even worse."

"Because of what I said?"

I didn't want to ruin our meal for both of us, but if I don't confess it myself, I think I'm going to explode sooner or later.

"Kerem" she insists.

"Today, in the morning, something very strange happened. But it is not compared to what has been happening in recent times.

"What are you talking about?"

"My wife..."

"Oh."

I know that referring to her as my wife is a bad choice of words, but I have no other choice.

"What happened? Any news on the flight?"

"Not precisely. I got a message from her. A text message."

Her eyes go wide.

"What?!"

"I know, I was surprised too, but I think I expected it."

"Damn, Kerem. Could it be that someone is playing with her phone?

"That's impossible. It's supposed to be lost on the flight. That phone should be ashes, but she sent me a message."

"And what did she say?"

"Nothing. Or everything, I don't know."

"Nothing?"

"It was an empty message. But from her. I swear it was a message from her. A plane crashed and blew up everything on it. Suddenly there are survivors, signs that my wife might still be alive and I get a text from her, Juliet. You'll say I'm crazy, I know."

"Kerem, tell me what you think."

—I don't think I'm going crazy. A part of me is more and more certain that Zara didn't die on that plane."