Being an Adult

Paquita laughed out loud while Gabriel narrated for the seventh time his old anecdotes about the day he was almost kidnapped by a cartel in Mexico. At first, his stories had left her amazed and in shock, but now those tales simply provided her with a lot of fun.

A little farther away, Pedro, a friend of both, was sitting on a rock, staring into the horizon, as if wanting to escape reality.

—Mamacita... —said Gabriel in a loud voice, imitating the Mexican accent and looking at Paquita with a flirty air. —You’re stunning tonight, mamacita. Will you marry me?

—Yes, papacito, I looooove you... —Paquita responded in the same playful tone, not taking it seriously. They were just having fun saying Mexican phrases to each other.

Pedro turned his head and watched them both with a bitter smile. His words would interrupt the cheerful atmosphere of the moment.

—I no longer believe in love before marriage —he said sincerely and sadly—. Women are more emotional than logical; at the first disappointment, the first disillusionment or mistake, they leave and look for someone else. I will only believe in love after I get married.

Paquita looked at him with pity. The light of the campfire illuminated part of her face, highlighting her melancholy in the midst of all that nighttime darkness. To her, he seemed bewilderingly handsome but also like a distant shore.

Gabriel yawned, stood up, and approached Pedro, giving him a strong pat on the back.

—Let’s talk about bad girls, bro —he exclaimed, smiling. —Imagine what we’d do if we had one right in front of us right now.

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