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I nod my head, because in a nutshell, this is the truth and the whole truth that I know.
“These things always happen again. I’m sure the idea to do this scam or whatever it’s called wasn’t the first time. Shit, we’re in an economic crisis. People do crazy stuff when things like this happens. But in Japan. I don’t know. I just thought they were too straight-laced to do such things.”
I was there for a month, and I ventured out at least five times. I don’t know their culture enough to make anyjudgement. Both Cristina and I remain in silence as we hug each other. It said a thousand words, just getting it all off my chest. Telling someone I nearly died and now I have a chance to live again.
“There’s something about nearly dying that puts a spring back in your step. It makes you feel alive again,” I say as I break away from her.
“Exactly, which is why we need to go after your man.”
She seems to have forgotten the part where we’re not legally married.
“Don’t give me that look. Diego didn’t fly in the best doctor in the world to keep his fake wife happy. He loves you and he doesn’t know how to handle it.”
I shake my head, because she doesn’t know the man blows hot and cold more times than a hot air balloon. It’s crazy to try and keep up with him.
“You’re as stubborn as a bull too, which is why you started that fight with him. You’re scared about giving your heart away. I would do too, if Belén were my sister.”
“Don’t talk about her like that,” I say as I get up.
“She may be your twin, but we both know she has always been jealous of you.”
Cristina has said it before, but the whole idea of Belén being jealous of me sounds nuts just thinking about it and even worse voicing it out loud.
“I don’t get it. I mean, what is there to be jealous of? She’s smarter than I am.”
I can’t say prettier because we look the same, nor smaller because we are the same size now with all the weight I lost in Tokyo.
“Is that the only thing you see? Her value is better than yours because she is smart? What about kindness? Happiness? Contentment? Not being a bitch?”
She has her hands on her hips, and her red hair looks as if it’s up in flames as her dark eyes shine and narrow, waiting for a response from me. Cristina loves to change her look, which means that she’s regularly changing her hair color. Today it’s red. Who knows what it will be tomorrow?
“I’m just saying that she has nothing to be jealous about.”
“Done!” She gloats as she zips up her suitcase, and then lifts the handle up.
“You missed one thing that she must be really jealous about.”
“Oh?”
I have no idea what she’s talking about.
“The man she was supposed to marry is clearly in love with you. All those dates he went on with her and she couldn’t even get to this heart.”
She points at mine. I need a little more convincing than she does about Diego being in love with me. He’s been avoiding me ever since we came back to NY. Now, he hopped on a plane to Spain and he knew I wanted to go to the fiestas in Daganzo.
I need to stop overthinking everything and learn to relax for once in my life. Now we’re headed to Madrid. I should get rid of all my doubts and just focus on having a good time.
As I step off the plane at Madrid-Barajas Airport, the excitement courses through my veins as we navigate the bustling airport. We quickly grab our luggage and head to the transportation area.
The warm Spanish air hits me as we step into a cab, and I gaze out of the window, knowing that I’m just a few kilometers away from home. My real home.
"Can you believe we're finally in Madrid?" I say, a wide grin on my face.
“Why wouldn’t I believe it?” she responds, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “The Canopy by Hilton Madrid Castellana. Damn, I bet it’s expensive!”
This is the thing, everything Diego does is expensive, but he doesn’t seem dazed by it. I don’t need to check out the price per night to know for sure that it is expensive.
Being back in Madrid, talking Spanish and being with my people, I just feel at ease. I don’t feel tense and I just fit in like a missing piece of a jigsaw puzzle. We’ve only just arrived and already I’m thinking about never going back to New York. I belong here. This is home.
