The afternoon sun was warm on their faces as they strolled through the Chiado district. Lívia was a different person here—not the tentative woman from the mountain, but a confident professional in her element. She pointed out architectural details with an expert eye, her passion infectious.
"I want you to meet someone," Lívia said, her tone shifting slightly. "One of the other residents. Her work is... incredible. I think you'd like her."
The statement was innocent enough, but a flicker of an old, unwelcome feeling stirred in Camila's gut. She pushed it down, reminding herself that she was here to be part of Lívia's new life, not just a visitor from her old one.
"Of course," Camila said, her voice carefully neutral.
Lívia led her to a small, independent gallery tucked away on a side street. The space was bright and modern, filled with architectural models and conceptual drawings. A woman with sharp, intelligent features and dark, slicked-back hair was standing before a large-scale model of a futuristic cityscape, her brow furrowed in concentration.
"Ana," Lívia called out. "I hope I'm not interrupting."
Ana looked up, and her face broke into a smile that was both professional and genuinely warm. "Lívia! Not at all. Just trying to figure out if this utopia is structurally sound." Her gaze shifted to Camila, and her expression sharpened with interest. "You must be the infamous Camila."
"Infamous?" Camila raised an eyebrow, offering a handshake. "Camila. Just Camila."
"Ana Varela," she replied, her grip firm. "Lívia talks about you constantly. It's a pleasure to finally put a face to the stories."
"The pleasure is all mine," Camila replied, though she felt a subtle, almost competitive energy emanating from the other woman. It wasn't hostility, but the sharp, focused vibe of two apex predators recognizing one another.
"Lívia's perspective on urban density has been... transformative," Ana continued, her eyes flicking between them. "She brings a humanism to the technical that's quite rare. You must be proud."
"I am," Camila said, her arm wrapping possessively around Lívia's waist. "She has a rare gift."
As they talked, Camila couldn't help but observe the easy shorthand between the two architects. They finished each other's sentences, debated design theory with a fierce passion, and shared a language of creativity and ambition that was completely foreign to Camila's world of legal precedents and corporate strategy. She was an outsider here, and for the first time, she felt the full weight of the six thousand kilometers between São Paulo and Lisbon.
Later, as they walked away from the gallery, Lívia was buzzing with energy. "See? I told you you'd like her. She's brilliant."
"She is," Camila agreed, her tone a little too even.
Lívia stopped, sensing the shift. "What is it?"
"Nothing," Camila said, but Lívia's knowing look made her sigh. "Okay. It's just... easy. Between you two. You have this whole world that I'm not a part of."
"That's not fair," Lívia said, her voice tightening. "You have your own world that I'm not a part of. The law, your firm... I don't understand half of what you talk about."
"It's different," Camila insisted. "This is... creative. Passionate. It's what you were meant to do."
"And what does that have to do with us?" Lívia demanded. "Are you jealous of Ana?"
"No," Camila said, too quickly. "Yes. I don't know. It's not about her specifically. It's about the ease. The way you two just... connect."
Lívia stepped closer, her eyes searching Camila's face. "I connect with you on a level I'll never connect with her or anyone else. This—" she gestured back toward the gallery "—is my work. You are my life. Don't you dare confuse the two."
The conviction in her voice was a balm to Camila's insecurity. "Okay," she whispered.
"Okay," Lívia repeated, leaning in to kiss her, a soft, reassuring press of lips that was a promise in itself. "Now, take me back to that ridiculously expensive hotel room and remind me what my life is supposed to feel like."