That day, we were pushed to the ground by older kids, and he shielded me with his own body. Ever since, he'd called me "Sis" instead of my name.
I sighed and pushed him away gently, stepping into the bedroom and locking the door.
He banged on the door loudly.
"Rebecca, what's wrong?
"Just tell me if you're upset with me.
"If I did something wrong, you need to let me know!
"You're shutting me out without giving me a chance to explain!"
His persistent knocking made my head pound. I shot off a text message, sent a lump of our earlier conversation, and hit send.
The phone confirmed the message was sent, and the knocking stopped. After a few minutes of silence, Leones' voice drifted through the door.
"So, are you planning to divorce me?"
Even though I had entertained the thought, hearing the word "divorce" made my heart ache more than I expected.
Do I really want a divorce? The thought circled in my mind.
Leones continued to apologize from the other side of the door for the next half hour while I waited in silence.
Finally, at precisely nine o'clock, the noise ceased.
I opened the door to find Leones squatting on the floor, crying softly.