Miguel is a divorced father that is just trying to make life for his daughter Alba better. His ex-wife doesn't always make it easy for him and his work can be difficult but his daughter reminds him that he is doing okay, money isn't everything.
"Te quiero Papá." hearing her say "I love you" was what made his 10 hour shifts bearable.
"Me too, I always will. Go and eat some breakfast." luckily it was Friday, the end of his 9 p.m to 7 a.m shift for that week. He only had to do weekend shifts once month, so it wasn't too bad.
"Wait, Papa, tell Ana I say hello." smiling he replied, "I will, talk to you later." He had been divorced since she was 5 years old.
Opening his fridge to have breakfast before to sleep for a few hours he just grabbed some milk and Nesquik powder and called it a "night."
The sound of kids laughing outside woke him up, it was an instinct being a father. He forgot to put the blinds completely down the flat was already warm from midday. Rubbing his eyes he looked at his phone, 1:43 p.m, if he got usually six hours of sleep he was good. He decided to get a coffee at his usual bar.
"You look like shit." a familiar voice said. It was Daniel, his daughters teacher at school.
"Yo también te quiero, tonto." Coming over, Daniel gave him a pat on the back. "I know you love me too, no need to tell me, late shift I am guessing." Yawning he then nodded, "At least next week I work 7 a.m to 4 p.m. These next few weeks Claudia will have Alba."
"Speaking of which, remember, you and her have to come and get the books for next year on Monday. You have time, the school doesn't close until 6:00 p.m." Daniel reminded him.
"Shit, that's right. Well, Claudia is taking Alba shopping that day but we can meet up after I finish my shift. It's my turn to pay for the books." Keeping that in mind, he sent her a whatsapp.
Daniel then suggested, "Hey, it's Friday. Why don't we meet up later for some drinks? I have a staff meeting this afternoon but I can swing by and get you this evening." Agreeing to the idea, they finished their cafes con leches and paid.
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His phone rang, it was Ana so he just ignored it. Later he would send her a WhatsApp saying he didn't feel well. It was a lie, but he just wasn't feeling up to meeting her recently.
There was a knock at the door and he went to open it, it was Daniel.
"You're not dressed yet? What are you waiting for?" Letting him in Miguel grabbed a light green polo, his signature look and some dark blue trousers. While buttoning his shirt Miguel asked Daniel, "How did you get in before?" to which Daniel replied, "The door to the building was left open."
"Dos Barcardis con coca-cola, por favor." They both sat near a table where they could have more privacy.
"Miguel, where's Ana?" he asked moving his chair closer to the table as he took a sip of his drink. Sitting there, Miguel picked up the menu.
"Why do you ask that? Let's order some food, I'm hungry." he said while trying to avoid the question. It was no use hiding it; he wasn't ready for another long time relationship. Not yet at least.
"She just, wants things to be more serious between her and I. Not just friends with benefits, you get what I'm saying?"
"Ohhh, yeah, that makes sense. But have you told her?" he looked up from the menu and in a sarcastic voice, replied, "Really Dani? Of course, why wouldn't I have?" he scoffed, Daniel knew that was bull shit but let it slide.
"Hey, you want to just order a hamburger or something?"
"With fries, always with fries." Miguel said winking.
The food was just enough; not too much that it would upset their stomachs but also not too little that they end up eating more junk food.
"So, are you ready for this new year to start?"
"Actually I am, everything has changed since the pandemic but I'm super proud of my kids still being careful about things. They weren't too young to remember and they are the new generation." He had been only teaching at his current school for the last 3 years but it was the first school he could call "home."
"If I were in your shoes, I'd want to tell them so much. Like, enjoy being a kid. There will be time to grow up, that's what I tell mine."
"You're doing a good job with Alba, don't be so hard on yourself." Although he didn't have kids, Daniel knew from observing other parents that being an older one had its own challenges. Finishing up they had one more cubalibre and headed out.
"Thank you Dani, for dinner and for being there. These past few years have been hard as you know and it still hurts I guess."
"Nada, that's what friends are for. Get some sleep." Dropping him back at home he yelled out the window, "Be careful with going up the stairs, at your age, you never know." Sticking up his middle finger Miguel replied.
