The coffee shop was busy at that time of the day, this was the first thing she noticed as she walked in, stopping for a moment to mask her uneasiness before she headed to the table where he’d be waiting. Five, Six, Seven…
‘It’s okay, there are many people around, that’s why I chose this place.’
Just in case. One could never be too careful.
“Valeria, you’re quite early.” Mateo stood up to greet her, dressed in a formal suit but looking every bit the same person he was seven years ago. Who used a suit in this type of weather?
She did not think this was a situation where anyone could smile (she certainly couldn’t) but he did. “Nice to see you again.”
“Hello.” She took a seat, ignoring how he’d leaned on her as if he wanted to greet her with a kiss on the cheek.
“So… you’ve been doing well. I’m glad you decided to me
They were utterly silent during most of the drive until his father decided to mention the reason everyone had long faces for the last hour or so.“Was there really a need for you to say that?”In retrospect, it was a big bomb to drop before dinner. Daniel had spent far too much time without visiting his grandparents to remember that some things, like him saying in a passing comment that he was thinking about moving to Cartagena, would not be taken in the best way.“I know. I know.”“Besides, what’s this about moving abroad-”“He didn’t say anything wrong.” Her mother intervened in the chastising that would continue on and on. “So what if he wants to move to Cartagena? He’ll be close to family, isn&rsq
“But dad says mom and dads have to be together. Mom, why don’t you like dad?” Manu asked as they crossed the gates of his school.She should have known that Mateo would try to twist things in the moments they were far enough for her to see them but not hear what they talked about.“Not all moms and dads are together.”“So he can’t live with us?”“All this time we were living well with grandma, right? Why are you suddenly saying this?”“If we live together, I’ll see dad more often.”“You can just ask him to visit you more.”However, Valeria d
Thinking about love… she didn’t really know much about love. Mateo had clearly been not the right choice, and therefore a failed attempt with terrible consequences. She loved her mother, and she loved her son, the two were the only family she had.And she loved Daniel. So persistently, for so very long, that Valeria thought her feelings would finally be reciprocated in some way when he started seeing her the way she saw him. If he felt for her at least half of what she felt, then he could wait a bit too, while she sorted out her most important problem: making sure her son would always be hers.“Mom, look! I can go really fast!”“I see you can go fast, but slow down Manu. Be careful!”“He really resembles you.”
This was so not what he planned his arrival to be like.Then again, Emilia seemed to have it all planned out by the time she asked if he could tour her around Cartagena for a couple of days, as part of her so much-needed vacations. She felt inspired by Joy’s sudden travels, she said.“That’s… great for you. But I’m really going to be busy this time, and I have a wedding to attend, so maybe I won’t be a good guide.”Still, he’d agreed to take the same plane, and for her to stay the first day at his home before checking into a hotel. Daniel couldn’t bring himself to say no, seeing how much of Emilia’s confidence was gone after the recent events in her life and how this was her attempt, in a way, to take it back.
People in love had a certain light around them at the beginning.Emilia could understand it now. At times during the past month, she fancied herself having rekindled old feelings of love, but it was mostly because she no longer knew how to be alone, and Daniel was such a good friend. Someone she knew. Someone safe.Above all, people in love had a certain something of bliss and good spirits about them that made others want to get some of that too. Now she guessed she must have felt that, too.“Emilia, this is my girlfriend, Valeria.”“Nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”Emilia hadn’t heard about her, which was weird, but who was she to question things?
Luckily, Mateo left when he realized the threat to call the police was serious, and before Daniel punched him in the face, which he later confessed he wanted to do.“I still think you should have called the police to set a record for this. He is dangerous.”Even if he didn’t say it, Valeria already knew, but an hour ago she only wanted that madman gone from her house, and that night she was content having Daniel lying on the right side of her bed, softly caressing her head.“It’s going to be fine.” Her words were more to convince herself than to convince him.“Okay.”“I’m just glad you’re here now.”It f
At some point, he’d got to look at himself in the mirror, and all of their interactions in the last ten years, and realize just how he’d remained oblivious only because he wanted to.“I think I started liking you when I was… fourteen, maybe? If I didn’t say a word about it, how could you know?”That’s what she said.However, they had been friends for so long, shouldn’t he have seen it?Daniel thought of Leah, and the last discussion they had before breaking up (was it just around two years ago? It felt like a lifetime had passed after that very short-lived relationship).“Why are you making it so complicated? I’m just saying we should wait a coupl
Ignoring Rosa’s words, Valeria was actually grateful that Manu could stay with the Garcías that night. It was only six in the evening but she really wanted to sleep, and ten minutes later when they got home, she crashed on the couch.“I know you’re tired, but at least go to sleep in your bed, Vale.”She shook her head. “I can’t get up anymore. Would you bring me a pillow?”He sighed, and she heard his steps around the room but then, very abruptly, she was being lifted in his arms.“What are you doing?!” Valeria’s eyes were wide open, and she held onto his shoulders tightly, afraid of falling.“I’m taking you to bed, and then I’m leaving
People tended to use the expression "happiest moment in their lives" too easily until another came to top that mark. When it came to the milestones in this relationship, Daniel first thought the happiest moment was realizing he was in love with Valeria, that he’d been in love with her long before he knew it, and she loved him too.Later the happiest moment changed to the second she said yes to his proposal. Again, he wasn’t aware of how much he actually wanted to have that kind of thing he’d seen his parents have until the idea of Valeria as his wife took root and would not leave his mind.She was just something that happened to him.Naturally, others would ask him after the ceremony was over and he’d been sure he would answer that their wedding day was the happiest moment in his life up to t
The day Valeria visited her mother to show off her engagement ring was perhaps one occasion she’d been waiting for a long time, because what Maria did seconds after congratulating her daughter was to go to the shelf of albums on the wall and pick one photo that wasn’t glued to the book.“Look, I just found this yesterday when I was going through the old pictures.”The photo was taken the summer Valeria and Daniel first met. Her grandfather had bought a bike for her, and don Ricardo had tasked the boy to teach her how to ride, taking that picture just before sending them off to go around the neighborhood.“He wasn’t very happy to be here, I remember.” It was written all over his face at that moment captured by the camera.“T
The fact that he didn’t know Long Wei was marrying until a week before the ceremony could be blamed on his friend not knowing that he’d moved abroad. Only when his mother remembered to tell him about the invitation that arrived to his house did Daniel learn about it.By that time, the only thing he could do was to send a gift and call his friend to complain, of course.“You didn’t even tell me that you proposed?”“Ah, that’s because she did.”Long Wei’s future wife was formidable.It was really despicable that he would be ignored this much, when he’d played a great role the days he took care of Aaron and even Danny sometimes, just so that Long Wei could stop agonizin
“A lot of things have changed recently here, haven’t they? I’m sorry for not talking to you sooner, and not seeing how you could be upset. I thought that since you’re already used to Daniel and we all get along well, it was going to be fine.”“I like uncle Daniel.” Manu was grabbing the edges of the blanket and ready to sleep, but his eyes were wide open as he looked at her. “But are you going to marry him?”“Maybe.” She hoped that one day they’d be there. “That is nothing you should worry about. If we marry, then isn’t it like just making him an official member of our family?”“Mom, I love you the most.”Valeria caressed his chubby cheeks, wishing he’d alway
“I was shopping with some friends, and I found him in front of a store. We went to your house, but you weren’t there, and the kid was crying, so I figured out it’d be better to bring him with me until he calmed down a bit.”It felt as if the dark clouds over her head cleared out, the moment Camila called to say she’d found Manu and that he was okay.What were the chances of that happening? And she’d never imagined Camila would call her first, if she knew that her cousin was in charge of Manu that day. Maybe she didn’t know. Either this had been a horrible act from Mateo’s side, which she doubted since the bastard called the police after all, or it was a miracle and she was lucky enough to get her son back in one piece.Valeria barely waited for Daniel to
“What? When? An hour ago? Why didn’t you tell me immediately?” Valeria hated herself for not picking the phone at the first ring, although one minute wouldn’t change or solve the problem at hand. She knew there was a reason for her to feel uncomfortable with letting Manu go with that man. “You are an idiot. And where are all your ‘men’ protecting my son when he’s with you?!” She hopped into the car, and Daniel put a hand on her shoulder to remind “Ask him where they were when Manu disappeared.” Her eyes were red and her lips were trembling after she ended the call, in part because of her anger, but mostly because of fear. “In the Plaza Mall. But they have looked there
After waiting for a lifetime to confess, and then the person you loved was the one to say those words first, it was like suddenly reaching the very top on the stairway to heaven.He loved her.And yet, that day, and even until now, Valeria found herself not being able to say it back.“Look who’s there waiting for you.” Luz elbowed her when they were walking to the parking lot after the staff meeting ended.Daniel waved his hand at them.“And that’s a really nice car that he got. “Her friend seemed to be especially enthusiastic with the story of Daniel moving to the city and celebrated it as a sign that Valeria would soon be joining the club of
Ignoring Rosa’s words, Valeria was actually grateful that Manu could stay with the Garcías that night. It was only six in the evening but she really wanted to sleep, and ten minutes later when they got home, she crashed on the couch.“I know you’re tired, but at least go to sleep in your bed, Vale.”She shook her head. “I can’t get up anymore. Would you bring me a pillow?”He sighed, and she heard his steps around the room but then, very abruptly, she was being lifted in his arms.“What are you doing?!” Valeria’s eyes were wide open, and she held onto his shoulders tightly, afraid of falling.“I’m taking you to bed, and then I’m leaving
At some point, he’d got to look at himself in the mirror, and all of their interactions in the last ten years, and realize just how he’d remained oblivious only because he wanted to.“I think I started liking you when I was… fourteen, maybe? If I didn’t say a word about it, how could you know?”That’s what she said.However, they had been friends for so long, shouldn’t he have seen it?Daniel thought of Leah, and the last discussion they had before breaking up (was it just around two years ago? It felt like a lifetime had passed after that very short-lived relationship).“Why are you making it so complicated? I’m just saying we should wait a coupl