Big Dreams

Chapter 23: Decisions

- "Marta, please calm down and tell me what's going on, otherwise, I can't help you." It was as we had never stopped talking and that argument in August never happened because she was sad, she was crying and I couldn't ignore my best friend when she needed me.

- "He left me here alone, Sara." She said between sobs, which made me put the cell phone much close to my ear so I could understand everything she said. She explained to me that they had an argument and that he left saying he didn't know if he would come back; it was the only thing she fixed of the conversation.

- "What am I gonna do now, Sara? I submitted my resignation letter because I thought he wanted to leave and now I'm alone and unemployed..."

- "Oh my God... Well, we'll find a solution."

- "You can't help me, you live very far from here and what I need is not to be alone."

- "That's it! I'm sure you still have some money, right?"

- "Yes, why?" She stopped crying and sounded confused.

- "Come here, put some clothes in a bag, catch the next plane and come, we have an extra room where you can stay for as long as you need to put your ideas in order but for now, just come, you'll have me and Maria, you won't be alone."

Three days later, Marta arrived at my place and, as soon as she entered, she ran to me and started crying.

- "Come put your things in the bedroom, see Maria and then we'll sit and talk, okay?" She consented and we went to see the sleeping baby which was bigger than before for her, we made some tea and sat on the sofa.

- "Where's Miguel? And you're not working?" She asked.

- "Maria's sick so I'm gonna stay a few more days at home with her. As for Miguel..." I told her what was going on and, after a while, she seemed calmer and told me everything.

- "I thought he meant he wanted to go back to Portugal since he had lost his job, so I started preparing everything to go. Then, he said that he would go alone but when I told him what I did he said I was irresponsible and that he had only gone to Finland because of me. We argued and he left saying that he wouldn't come back there."

- "You know he only said that because he was mad. I told you, you should have talked to him, you can't just give your life up because of him, or anyone else. You need to think if you wanna go there again or maybe move to another place."

- "But Sara, I don't know anything about him, we haven't talked yet."

- "You need to think first, think about what you want, not him or your parents or anyone, you! You need to decide what you want so when you talk you both will say what you want and find a solution together."

- "You think so?"

- "Yes! But only if you do that, you cannot just go and do what he wants all the time."

Marta stayed with us for a month and, by that time, Miguel had already got back home. He understood why she was there and helped me give the best possible advice to my best friend. I noticed that sometimes she felt like a plus one in our house, but I was trying my best to make her feel at home and wanted.

One day, out of nowhere she said she needed to talk to us.

- "I've been here for some time now and, to be honest, I love it! So I'm gonna look for a job."

- "So, you're planning on staying here?" Miguel asked.

- "Miguel!" I reprimand him. "You can stay for as long as you need, Marta."