I hurried down the corridor toward the hall where the lunch banquet and the show stage were. No… Rafael couldn't meet them yet. No.
But did he know? Did Veronica tell him about my kids? Was that why she asked whether I wanted to go back to the father?
The realization stopped me cold. I turned around, and Jane, who apparently followed me, bumped into my back. We grabbed each other's arms so we wouldn't fall.
"Why... why did you turn around?" she asked.
"The kids… I need to stop them from joining the mini show. I don't want them meeting Rafael yet. No… I'm not ready for that, Jane… No…"
"Hey… hey… Viona… calm down. Relax, please, hm? You need to relax so you can think clearly. Don't panic."
Jane patted my arm, guiding my breathing, and somehow it worked enough to ease the panic. Ever since I stopped breastfeeding, I rarely got panic attacks, so I guessed I could control them better now without fainting.
