Capítulo 1
ALBA
In the greenhouse on the outskirts of the city, Alba worked as usual. She was the boss of the place; her life revolved around plants and the customers who came looking for flowers. Usually, the customers were merchants, but that day no one had arrived — or so she thought.
Then Alba saw a woman. She was different from any customer she had ever had before. She entered with quiet confidence, wearing elegant, expensive clothes. Alba thought she looked like a rich woman — not the kind of person who would buy a plant by herself.
“Excuse me… I’m looking for something to decorate my apartment. Can you help me, please?” the woman asked confidently — unusual for someone with her appearance.
“Of course. What kind of plants are you looking for?” Alba replied with curiosity.
“I’m not sure,” the woman hesitated.
“Do you need something for sun or shade? Maybe something that doesn’t require much care?”
“I’m not sure. I don’t really know much about that.”
Alba looked at her for a moment before asking, “What’s your apartment like?”
“That’s the problem,” the woman sighed. “I recently got divorced. I decided to redecorate my apartment… I just need to distract myself a little.”
Alba didn’t reply immediately. She didn’t understand why someone would mention their divorce so easily. The woman quickly realized her mistake.
“I’m so sorry. I’m a bit distracted.”
“Don’t worry,” Alba said. “Well, you want to decorate your apartment, right?”
“Yes.”
“I suppose you’ll need more than just plants. Come with me.”
Alba guided her to an area of the greenhouse filled with plants of different sizes and colors.
“What kind of style do you like?”
“Simple. Nothing extravagant.”
Patiently, Alba showed her several options. In the end, the woman bought pots, a few plants, fertilizer, and other supplies for their care.
“Could you deliver them to my apartment? I live alone, and I can’t carry all of this,” the woman asked.
“Sure, but the delivery would have to be on the weekend.”
“That’s fine. That way, we’ll have time to prepare the space.”
“Well, I’ll need your name and address.”
“Gloria Dorantes,” she said with a small smile.
That weekend, Alba loaded the truck with everything Gloria had bought and drove to her building. Upon arriving, she called to be let in.
“I guess I bought a lot,” Gloria said when she saw the truck almost full.
“Which floor do you live on?”
“The top one. Luckily, there’s an elevator.”
Alba carried several boxes and followed her upstairs. When she entered the apartment, she was impressed by the spaciousness, the large windows, and the sober tones of the decor.
“Where do you want to put them?”
“On the terrace.”
Alba stepped outside and looked around. The terrace was huge.
“It’s perfect. I don’t know why you only want a few plants — you could have a whole garden here.”
“I know,” Gloria smiled, “but I need to start with something.”
They spent the afternoon organizing the space, placing the plants and decorations. By the time they finished, the sky had already darkened with clouds.
“Please, let me reward you,” Gloria said as the first drops began to fall.
“It’s not necessary. I should head back.”
“Come on, it’s just coffee. You’ve done so much for me.”
Alba hesitated but eventually accepted. Gloria returned with two cups. The rain began to fall heavily over the city.
“I don’t think you can go back in this weather,” Gloria said.
Caught in the storm, they talked about their lives. Gloria spoke of her divorce, her ex-husband, how she had lost almost everything, and how she had managed to buy the apartment.
“What about you?” Gloria asked. “Do you have family? Friends?”
“I have the greenhouse,” Alba said softly. “And I prefer to be alone.”
Gloria looked at her in silence for a moment, then said, “You know, I could work with you.”
“With me?”
“I don’t know much about plants, but I can learn.”
Alba looked at her curiously. “Fine. You start on Monday.”
The days passed, and little by little, Gloria learned about the plants and flowers. But something else began to grow between them — a quiet affection, a bond that became impossible to ignore.
One rainy afternoon, Gloria finally said, “Alba, I need to tell you something. My divorce… it happened because I was unfaithful to my husband. With a woman.”
“I imagined,” Alba replied calmly.
Gloria was surprised. “How did you know?”
“I don’t think it was a coincidence that you asked me to come to your apartment and invited me for coffee,” Alba said with a faint smile.
On weekends, Alba and Gloria would go out for walks around the city or stay in the luxurious apartment, enjoying movie nights. On one of those nights, someone knocked at the door. Gloria got up to answer — to her surprise, it was her ex-husband.
“Well, look who I found,” he said bitterly. “I’m sure you’re with…”
“With my girlfriend,” Gloria interrupted firmly.
Her ex-husband began to rant, full of reproaches and resentment, not even noticing Alba’s presence.
“What’s happening, Gloria? Is everything okay?” Alba asked.
“No, Alba. He wants to… take everything from me.”
Alba took her hand. “Come on, let’s go.”
A few days later, one afternoon, Gloria and Alba returned home after a long day at the greenhouse. A moving truck was parked in front of the building. Gloria’s ex-husband was there, supervising as the furniture was taken out.
“What are you doing? Why are you taking my things?” Gloria shouted.
“Me? You’re the one who ruined our marriage!” he yelled back.
The argument escalated until Alba saw the man raise his hand, ready to strike. Without hesitation, she stepped between them.
“If you want to take everything from her, fine,” she said firmly. “But don’t touch her.”
“You don’t know what she did to me!” he shouted.
“Come on,” Alba said softly, taking Gloria’s hand. “Let’s go.”
The ex-husband stood there, speechless, as they walked away.
From that day on, Alba and Gloria began living together. Though their relationship had its ups and downs, they overcame every obstacle together, strengthening their bond with each challenge.
Among plants and rain, they became part of each other’s lives. And one day, in the middle of a downpour, Gloria took a ring out of her pocket.
“Alba,” she said, her voice trembling, “will you marry me?”
Alba looked at her — the rain glimmering in her eyes — and smiled. “Yes,” she whispered.
