Eleanora Lozada left the villa wrapped in a long, thick white down coat, the same one Jonathan Tasis had bought her the first time she came to him, thinking she would catch a cold if she was underdressed.
There were light gusts of wind outside, but this down jacket was warm, really warm.
Eleanora Lozada climbed into the cab and turned her head to look out over the village into the snowy night, remembering the times she had spent with Jonathan Tasis, which turned out to be all sweet.
He pampers her, spoils her as if he wanted to bring the world to her.
The only person in this world who has been so good to her, other than her sister, is him.
“Where to, girl?”
Eleanora Lozada answered tersely, “Go to the passenger station.”
“Well, looking at the weather, the roads are expected to be full of snow in the morning, and the roads will be jammed.”
Eleanora Lozada curved her lip, she wouldn’t be in town tomorrow anyway.
…
Jonathan Tasis slept in until 6 a. m. He hadn’t slept for days.
He hadn’t slept for days, and with the alcohol that hadn’t worn off, he was a heavy sleeper.
But as soon as he woke up, he found his arms empty and once he went downstairs, he only saw Exaltation in the kitchen preparing breakfast.
“Sir, you’re awake, I’ve made breakfast, why don’t you tell Miss Analena to get up and have some?”
Jonathan Tasis’ eyes roamed the table and saw that the two marriage agreements were still there, and next to them, a letter.
The man walks over to the letter and opens it to reveal a farewell letter from Eleanora Lozada.
“Jonathan Tasis, I have thought about it and I think it is better that we don’t get married, it would not be fair neither for you, nor for me, nor for my sister. We met because of my sister and now we are separated because of my sister, so we have a beginning and an end.”
“I had the luxury of being with you, as Eleanora Lozada. But I found I just couldn’t do it.”
“I’m so selfish and cautious that I can’t marry a man who has another woman in his heart. Not even if that person is my sister. There is a saying that is true that you can share anything between close sisters, but not men.”
“You were once my sister’s man, then in this life, you are.”
“Jonathan Tasis, don’t come to me, separate, it’s better for both of us.”
-Eleanora Lozada.
Jonathan Tasis took the letter and sat at the table, lost in thought, staring at the two marriage agreements she had not signed, inexplicably frustrated, as if something was missing in his heart.
Exaltation froze and hesitantly asked, “Sir, shall I ask Miss Analena to come down for dinner?”
Jonathan Tasis stares “No need, she’s gone.”
…
Mountain City, Alquezar.
This is a mountainous area and Eleanora Lozada is getting used to the pace of life here after a week in the area.
The Mountain City is very underdeveloped, not even 4G network is available yet, the cell phone signal is at best 3G and many times it shows 2G, the less developed the network is, the further you are from the outside world.
Eleanora Lozada came for a mission trip and after spending time with the children, even her heart began to calm down.
Eleanora Lozada has fallen in love with this little Mountain City, where all the hustle and bustle is cut off and one can’t help but slow down and take in the people and things around them.
When it got dark, she missed some people in her heart, but that estrangement, from the initial impulse, was subsiding, and she even began to think that, given enough time, she could surely forget some people.
…
In the blink of an eye, it was New Year’s Eve.
The Adam Rouco family gathered at La familia Rouco to spend the New Year together. Lucio was two years old, stumbling and walking and calling his father, mother and sister.
Paulita follows Adam Rouco as he puts up the New Year’s photos, while Roberto Rouco writes the couplets and entertains his little grandson.
“Lucio, you can call your mom and dad and sister, how come you don’t call your grandfather?”
Lucio bumped his little mouth and looked at Roberto Rouco, his little hand reaching for one of the candies on the table.
Roberto Rouco deliberately took the candy from him and said, “If you call Grandpa, Grandpa will give it to you.”
Lucio held his breath for half a day and called out vaguely, “Grandpa, sugar.”
When Estrella Berrocal came out of the kitchen with the soup, she heard Lucio call Grandpa and smiled, “Our Lucio is now calling Grandpa?”
Roberto Rouco was overjoyed and coaxed again, “Come on, Lucio, go back to saying “abuelo”.
“… Grandfather.”
“Hey!” The old man nodded with a smile on his face, handing Lucio the candy in his hand.
Lucio was a late talker and was very eager to talk, Estrella Berrocal had to teach him a lot, but in the end, probably because he was already older, he started to talk naturally, and of course he was the one who called his sister the most because he played with her the most.
A room with warm sunshine and a beautiful day for New Year’s Eve.
When Adam Rouco and Paulita finished putting up the New Year’s photos, the old man’s couplets were written and given to Adam Rouco and Estrella Berrocal to put on the door of the chalet.
Adam Rouco leaves the house with a copla and Estrella Berrocal with a bowl of pasta.
“By the way, I heard that Dulcina and Esteban Zaragosa have returned to Ciudad de Ronda to spend New Year’s Eve and I was hoping to meet them tonight. It looks like we’ll have to watch the gala at home tonight.”
Adam Rouco raised an eyebrow and put his arm around her, “Watch the replay of tomorrow’s gala, I’ll take you somewhere after New Year’s Eve dinner tonight.”
Estrella Berrocal gave him a puzzled look and said amused, “You’re not creating some kind of fireworks or some kind of surprise, are you?”
“Am I that old-fashioned?”
Estrella Berrocal: “…”
Couldn’t be more cliche.