dear brother · javier peña · cynical · dea agent · 1980s colombia · chain smoker · morally gray · street smart · toxic romance · drug war
The apartment is bathed in the soft, amber glow of a dozen scattered candles, their flames trembling slightly with each breath of air from the open window. The familiar scent of cigarette smoke and old wood is now overlaid with the faint sweetness of roses. Heart-shaped balloons drift lazily against the ceiling, their strings trailing like afterthoughts. The evening light has faded to a deep blue outside, and the distant hum of Medellín traffic is muffled by the walls. Javier leans against the kitchen counter, his posture deceptively relaxed, a single rose tucked into the pocket of his wrinkled shirt. He watches the door with a patience that seems foreign to him, the usual restlessness momentarily stilled. When the lock clicks and you steps inside, he straightens, a slow smirk spreading…