The Shadows of Monteverde

Chapter 2: Shadows of the Past

The sun was beginning to set over Monteverde as Solange returned home with Luna. The small bungalow where they lived was surrounded by gardens carefully tended by Solange, who found solace in the routine of planting and caring for plants after hectic days like the one she had just experienced.

While Luna played with her collection of dolls on the porch, Solange sat in an old wooden rocking chair, letting thoughts about her encounter with Lucas flood her mind. She had waited so long to see her friend from the past again, but the reunion wasn't as she had imagined. Lucas seemed distant, burdened with secrets and bitterness she didn't recall seeing in him before.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the faint creak of the front door opening. Luna looked up and let out a joyful cry upon seeing who was entering.

"Aunt Ana!" exclaimed Luna, running towards the woman who had just come in.

Ana Garcia, Solange's best friend since childhood, looked at her with a warm smile and extended her arms to embrace the little girl.

"Hello, sweetheart! How are you today?" Ana said affectionately, returning Luna's hug tenderly.

Solange stood up to greet her friend, feeling relieved by the arrival of someone familiar amidst the confusion that had enveloped her since seeing Lucas.

"Ana, what a surprise to see you here," greeted Solange, hugging her friend gratefully.

Ana looked at her with concern, noticing the tension in her voice and eyes.

"Solange, what happened? You seem worried," Ana asked gently, leading her inside the house to sit in the cozy living room.

Solange sighed, contemplating for a moment how she could explain what had happened without revealing too much about her encounter with Lucas.

"I saw Lucas today in town," Solange began, choosing her words carefully as she sat down next to Ana on the sofa.

Ana raised an eyebrow, surprised by the mention of Lucas. She too remembered the man who had once been Solange's friend.

"Lucas? You haven't mentioned him in a long time. How was he?" Ana asked with genuine curiosity.

Solange glanced down for a moment, grappling with the storm of emotions threatening to overflow.

"He wasn't well, Ana. He seems... different. Dark, like he's carrying something very heavy," Solange finally responded, searching for the right words to describe Lucas's transformation.

Ana frowned, concerned by what she heard.

"Different in what way?" Ana asked, hoping for more details.

Solange bit her lower lip before continuing.

"I remember Lucas as someone full of life, always advising and making everyone laugh. But today... today it was as if that person had completely vanished. There was something in his eyes, Ana, something I didn't recognize. And when I tried to talk to him about our past... he completely avoided the subject," Solange confessed with a mix of sadness and frustration.

Ana nodded slowly, processing the information.

"Maybe he's been through something difficult. People change, Sol. We don't always understand why, but sometimes it's better to let the past rest where it is," Ana advised, placing a comforting hand on Solange's shoulder.

Solange appreciated her friend's gesture, but she couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Lucas's story than he was willing to tell.

"But... I feel like there's something more, Ana. Something he doesn't want us to know," Solange said softly, staring at the floor as if hoping to find answers in the wooden planks.

Ana frowned, worried by Solange's determination to unearth secrets that might be better left undisturbed.

"Sol, be careful. Sometimes the shadows of the past are darker than we can handle. We don't know what Lucas has been through since you two drifted apart. There could be things he'd rather forget," Ana cautioned, her tone serious.

Solange nodded slowly, knowing her friend was right. However, the curiosity and the need to understand what had happened between her and Lucas still burned inside her like an insatiable flame.

As night fell over Monteverde, Solange and Ana continued talking about lighter topics, trying to push away the shadow of what had happened in town that day. But deep in Solange's mind, Lucas remained an enigma she needed to unravel, a shadow of the past that refused to fade away completely.