As I explained the situation to the dispatcher, they assured me that officers were on their way and advised me to stay calm and avoid confronting anyone. I retreated to the living room, my mind spinning with worst-case scenarios. Was someone threatening Daniela? Was she in danger? Or worse, could there be a threat to my son? Minutes stretched like hours as I paced nervously, my eyes flicking repeatedly toward the bathroom door. Finally, the doorbell rang. I rushed to let the officers in and quickly filled them in. Their expressions turned serious as they approached the bathroom, knocking firmly.
Seconds passed in tense anticipation before the lock clicked. Daniela appeared, wrapped in a towel, her eyes wide with surprise. The officers swept the room for any sign of danger but found nothing unusual—just the ordinary bathroom setup.
“Ma’am, we received a call about suspicious activity here,” one officer explained gently. “Can you clarify what’s happening?”
Daniela looked confused, glancing at me. “I… I don’t understand,” she said. “Nothing’s going on.”
I stepped forward, my voice shaky. “I thought I heard a man’s voice… and there was a scent… it wasn’t yours.”
Her eyes softened as she sighed. “I should have explained earlier,” she admitted. “It’s my brother, Marco. He’s going through a rough patch and had nowhere else to go. I let him use the bathroom to freshen up while we talked through the door.”
The officers exchanged glances before turning to me. “It appears this was a misunderstanding,” one said. “There’s no threat.”
Relief washed over me, but embarrassment lingered. I opened my mouth to apologize—but before I could, Daniela added something that made my heart skip a beat…
