Chapter Twenty Four-MATEO
1438 Words
I didn’t say much during the drive home.
I was afraid that if I did, I would ruin it.
Not the evening.
The moment.
Because tonight had been…
Good.
Really good.
Better than I had expected.
Andrés had laughed.
Actually laughed.
He had talked to me.
He had asked questions about my work.
He had told me stories about his day.
He had looked at the stars.
He had worn the jacket I gave him.
And then, on the way home, he had looked at me and said,
“Thank you.”
I had spent years imagining what it would feel like to hear those words from him.
I had imagined much bigger things.
A confession.
A kiss.
A declaration.
Something dramatic.
Something impossible.
Instead, it was just two words.
Thank you.
And somehow, they meant more than I could explain.
I glanced at him.
He was sitting quietly in the passenger seat, looking through the window.
My jacket was still around his shoulders.
The diamond necklace was still around his neck.
I smiled.
I couldn’t help it.
He noticed.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You keep doing that.”
“Doing what?”
“Looking at me and smiling.”
I looked back at the road.
“You’re wearing my jacket.”
“So?”
“So I like it.”
He rolled his eyes.
“You are strange.”
“I’ve been told.”
There was a pause.
Then I heard him laugh softly.
I smiled again.
⸻
When we reached home, Andrés stepped out of the car.
He handed me my jacket.
“Thank you.”
I took it.
“You’re welcome.”
He walked toward the house.
Then stopped.
I looked at him.
“What?”
He hesitated.
“Nothing.”
He turned around again.
Then I heard him say,
“Goodnight, Mateo.”
I stood there for a second.
“Goodnight, Andrés.”
He went inside.
I followed a few seconds later.
Elena had already gone to bed.
The house was quiet.
I walked upstairs.
When I entered the bedroom, Andrés was already changing.
He looked tired.
But happy.
That mattered.
He sat on the edge of the bed.
I took off my watch.
Then my jacket.
For a few moments, neither of us said anything.
Then Andrés looked at me.
“I really liked tonight.”
My hands stopped.
I looked at him.
“You did?”
“Yes.”
He said it simply.
No hesitation.
No obligation.
Just the truth.
I nodded.
“I’m glad.”
“I liked the observatory.”
“I remembered you liked the stars.”
“I know.”
He looked down at the necklace.
“And the necklace.”
“You already told me.”
“I know.”
A small smile appeared on his face.
“I just wanted to say it again.”
Something tightened in my chest.
I looked away.
Because if I kept looking at him, he was going to see exactly how much those words meant to me.
I sat down on my side of the bed.
“Thank you.”
He looked confused.
“For what?”
“For telling me.”
He nodded.
Then reached for the blanket.
“Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
He turned off his lamp.
I did the same.
The room became dark.
I stared at the ceiling.
And smiled.
Like an i***t.
⸻
I couldn’t sleep.
Not because anything was wrong.
Quite the opposite.
Everything felt right.
Not perfect.
Not complete.
But right.
For years, I had loved Andrés from a distance.
Then I married him.
And somehow, even after marriage, there had still been a distance between us.
A wall.
One I had never tried to break down because I knew I had no right to.
He hadn’t chosen this marriage because he loved me.
He had chosen it because his family needed him to.
I had always known that.
So I couldn’t demand that he suddenly become the husband I had imagined.
I couldn’t expect him to wake up one morning and feel what I felt.
And tonight had reminded me of that.
He had enjoyed himself.
That was all.
And it was enough.
At least for tonight.
I turned my head.
He was asleep.
His breathing was slow and steady.
The moonlight from the window touched his face.
I watched him for a moment.
Then whispered,
“Thank you.”
He didn’t hear me.
Maybe that was better.
I didn’t want him to feel like he owed me anything.
⸻
The next morning, I woke before him again.
But this time, something was different.
I didn’t feel the usual heaviness in my chest.
I didn’t wake up wondering whether Andrés would ever care about me.
I didn’t wake up wondering whether I had made a mistake by loving someone who might never love me back.
I simply woke up happy.
And that was new.
I got dressed and went downstairs.
Elena was preparing breakfast.
She looked at me.
Then smiled.
“You look happy.”
“I am.”
“Did everything go well?”
I nodded.
“Very well.”
She laughed.
“Did he enjoy himself?”
I poured coffee.
“He did.”
“I told you he would.”
I looked at her.
“You didn’t tell me anything.”
“You didn’t need me to.”
I smiled.
She placed breakfast on the table.
Then she asked,
“Did he thank you?”
I looked at her.
“Yes.”
She smiled.
“And?”
I knew exactly what she was asking.
“No.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“No what?”
“He didn’t say he loves me.”
Elena’s expression softened.
“I didn’t ask that.”
“You were going to.”
She laughed.
“Maybe.”
I shook my head.
“He doesn’t have to.”
“Of course.”
“I mean it.”
She nodded.
“I know.”
I sat down.
“Andrés enjoyed the evening. That’s enough.”
Elena looked at me for a moment.
Then said quietly,
“Sometimes the smallest things are the ones that last.”
I didn’t answer.
But I thought about it.
⸻
Around eight, Andrés came downstairs.
He looked rested.
He walked into the dining room and sat across from me.
“Morning.”
“Morning.”
He started eating.
I watched him for a second.
Then asked,
“Did you sleep well?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
He ate quietly.
Then suddenly looked up.
“Mateo.”
“Yes?”
“Next weekend…”
I waited.
“Do you have plans?”
My heart nearly stopped.
I tried very hard not to show it.
“No.”
He nodded.
“Good.”
“Why?”
He shrugged.
“I was thinking we could do something.”
I stared at him.
He noticed.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You look surprised.”
“I am.”
“Why?”
“Because you asked me.”
He rolled his eyes.
“Don’t make it weird.”
I smiled.
“I’m not.”
He returned to his breakfast.
“Maybe we could go somewhere.”
“Anywhere you want.”
He looked at me.
“Not anywhere.”
“Why?”
“Because then you’ll choose something ridiculous.”
I laughed.
“That’s unfair.”
“It’s accurate.”
I laughed again.
And he smiled.
Just a little.
Then he went back to eating.
I looked down at my coffee.
I didn’t need to ask what this meant.
I didn’t need to give it a name.
I didn’t need to convince myself that Andrés was falling in love with me.
He wasn’t.
Not yet.
Maybe not ever.
But something had changed.
He was choosing to spend time with me.
Not because Héctor told him to.
Not because our families required it.
Not because we were married.
Because he wanted to.
And for a man who had spent years loving Andrés without expecting anything in return…
That was everything.
I took a sip of coffee.
And smiled.
Maybe tomorrow would be the same as yesterday.
Maybe Andrés would still answer my messages with one word.
Maybe he would still spend most of his time working.
Maybe he would still keep parts of himself far away from me.
That was okay.
Because yesterday had given me something I had never had before.
Hope.
Not the kind that demanded an ending.
Just the kind that quietly said—
Keep going.
He’s coming closer.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
But he’s coming.
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