Morning
She muttered something under her breath.
“How can he do this to me? How can he say these things? How can’t I say anything back? It’s like all of a sudden all my beliefs and wittiness disappear. Everything I had practiced to tell him, I can’t even say it. I transform into this weak person when I’m in his presence”.
This realization wasn’t always in her mind. It’s been a while since she has been thinking about her “relationship”, if that’s what you can call what this is. She woke up with a sudden urge to express her feelings. But, he’s not there, next to her. The light coming to the bedroom and the empty space next to her, woke her up. She can see what a beautiful day it is because not even the blinds can stop the sunbeams from entering the room. She hears someone coming up the stairs. Then, opening the french window. “How can we have some privacy in this room with these doors? If it weren’t for the blinds, everyone could see them. At least we are on the rooftop” she thought. She has this habit of talking to herself in her mind. After she shyly made a comment about this to a friend, who is also a psychologist, and saw her face quickly swapping a smile for a WTF expression, she thought this was a weird thing to do. But then, she felt reassured when she saw on social media a post on how according to a study, 96% of adults said they have an internal dialogue. “That’s a relief!” she immediately thought, “if it’s on social media, it is somewhat true. That’s all I need”.
When he opened the bedroom door, she immediately hid under the covers, pretending she was still asleep. “Perhaps he can wake me up with kisses. Pechiche” she thought. Instead, he simply lay down next to her, trying not to wake her up, perhaps trying to avoid awkward conversations in the morning. He was just there, almost corpse-like. If she would see him like this, he would say he’s doing shavasana, trying to relax and get his thoughts together. But he’s just staring at the ceiling.
When she realizes he’s not really interested in waking her up anytime soon, she acts as if she is just waking up from a deep and rejuvenating sleep. He doesn’t really acknowledge her presence. It’s been like this for a while, she can’t really pinpoint the moment everything started to change. “Where were you? You didn’t wake me up” she says. He stares at her, as if surprised to see her, like he had forgotten she was even there. “I didn’t want to wake you up” it’s all he says. He was having his morning coffee, a lungo because he was too cool for expressos.
After that moment, that interaction, they just get ready to go downstairs to have breakfast. She’s feeling uncomfortable, she knows later today more people will join them in the house. “Rich people are so intimidating,” she admits to herself. Her mother-in-law greets her joyfully, she really likes her. “I will miss her” she thinks, but not knowing why exactly or if she’s going somewhere.
“Good morning my dear. We got some buñuelos and fresh juice from the corner shop, would you like some? I know he doesn’t, you know how he says he never has breakfast. That’s why he’s so thin” she says while hugging her precious only son. As usual, he gets weird with these demonstrations of affections, his upper core turns into a rigid board. Even with her he does the same thing, especially when they are in public. “When we are alone together in his bedroom he just turns into a needy puppy. Or is it more like a cat? That could suit his personality. If he wants affection he will ask you to do it, but then he will just retreat” she thinks. “Well, at least that’s what he used to do. Now, he never wants to be touched or caressed or kissed”.
His mother has always been nice to her. Even though she only met her after they had been together for two years. She remembers having tea with her on several occasions in their drawing room while she was waiting for him to get ready to go out. She would really listen to her. On her birthday last year, she took her for lunch and then shopping. She reminded her of her own grandmother, Tita.
“I will miss her if we ever break up. And I will miss this house” she thinks. “Thanks Juani. These buñuelos look great, I’m starving”.
“Kike and the kids will arrive from Barranquilla today. They’ll be here really soon. I want you to meet them all. You know how Kike and Lucy are always utterly kind and thoughtful when we are with them in Miami. I told them about you last time I was there with them. I cannot wait for you to meet their kids, they are adorable. Let’s not forget they are also gorgeous, monitos ojos azules.” Juani said to her.
“I think you might want to get ready and get dressed before they come here. After that, we can stay in the pool for a while before we leave” his dad said. He had always been kind to her too, but you could see how his son resembled him, especially in their particular way of treating women.
“Ay ya! It’s not like they are royalty, don’t be so annoying. We’ll take our time” he said to his parents.
