"Samantha"

Heitor pulled me into the house, and I couldn't believe my eyes. It was a beautiful, enormous house, but what took me by surprise was what was inside. There was no furniture, but there was a multitude of red roses, candle-shaped lights, and heart-shaped balloons on the ceiling.

In the center of the room were light-colored shag rugs and many colorful pillows in vibrant hues and varying sizes, and a table with strawberries, chocolates, and wine on ice. Heitor repeated the gesture he'd made on one of our best nights. He was exaggerated, cliché, and dramatic, but this time he'd taken things to a whole new level.

"Whose house is this?" I turned to him, still stunned by everything.

"It's our house." Heitor came closer.

"I don't think I understood." I was completely perplexed by what I was seeing, so much so that my brain felt inert. "Sam, I bought this house about five years ago, before Alessandro's parents died. My friends lived here, and I thought about staying close. But I nev