Richard's query

*****

Later that night, George arrived to pick up Grandmother and Helena, leaving the house with only Richard and Ana. Ana had made up her mind to retreat to another room for the night. However, as she began to gather her belongings to leave, Richard blocked her path, questioning, "Where are you going?"

"To sleep in another room. Since there are plenty of rooms in the house, why can't we use them?" Ana retorted, her lips twisting with determination. She remained adamant about not staying in the same room with him, no matter how much he might try to persuade her otherwise.

"Are you kidding? Sleeping with me won't bother your sleep!" Richard retorted, his tone laced with a palpable sense of frustration at Ana's steadfast insistence on sleeping separately.

"No, I love having my own space; I've been living alone for many years," Ana asserted, her tone carrying a sense of fondness for the solitude she had grown accustomed to.

"It's different now because you have a husband who needs you in