Night slowly fell over Dubai, tinging the sky with shades of gold and purple. The luxury suite felt colder than the air conditioning could justify. Thor stood on the balcony, a new bottle of whiskey on the table. He could still taste the bitterness of his argument with Celina, the conversation he had overheard between her and Gabriel, and that thing he refused to name: pain.

When his cell phone vibrated on the sideboard, he took a deep breath. He was ready to ignore it again, but when he saw his mother's name on the screen, he hesitated.

"Mom."

He answered, clearing his throat and trying to sound less devastated than he was.

"Hi, Mom."

Thor took the tray from the hotel employee, muttered a thank you, and carried it to the dining table. Celina said nothing more. She simply went into the room, sat down, and began to arrange the plates and cutlery in silence.

Thor disappeared upstairs for a few minutes and when he returned, he was carrying a bottle of whiskey and a glass with ice in