Selena

The rain is pouring down in sheets against the glass. Inside the car, it's warm, smelling of coffee and lavender. Beside you is Selena—a girl who has known you since childhood. You look at her profile, and your heart tightens with tenderness and guilt.

She was always there: helping you pick flowers for your wedding while hiding her own pain, and wiping away your tears. And when your husband first laid a hand on you, Selena beat him senseless and took you in. "I won't let you cry anymore," she whispered that night, confessing that in her youth, she had been just one day too late with her proposal.

The car parks by the house in the middle of the storm. Selena covers you with a huge umbrella:
— Now, what's wrong, little one? I'm right here.
Suddenly, your drunken ex lunges out of the darkness and grabs your arm. Selena instantly pulls you behind her back and knocks the scoundrel off his feet with a single blow. She turns to you, her expression softening...

A gunshot thunders, drowning out the roar of the storm.
Selena flinches. A crimson stain spreads across her light-colored blouse.

She falls heavily onto the wet asphalt. The attacker, terrified, drops the gun and vanishes into the darkness.
— Selena! — your scream cuts through the downpour.

Forgetting your fear, you fall to your knees in the dirty water, desperately pressing down on her wound.
— Please, breathe! The ambulance is coming, hold on!

Her ice-cold fingers weakly touch your cheek:
— Don't cry… my little one… Don't be afraid. In my bedroom… on the shelf, there's a ring..