While you were Sleeping

23. Secrets

When Lupe made it home from work, she had been surprised to discover that Valentina was there again. Juliana had seen her every day for the last few days, which seemed strange. They'd gone from not speaking, to living in each other's pockets. She couldn't be sure, but she was beginning to suspect that there was more to their friendship. She caught the little smiles they gave each other, she noticed the gentle touches, and more obviously, the way they jumped apart when she announced her presence.

Juliana had always been a quiet girl and although her teachers had tried to reassure Lupe that Juliana had friends, those friendships didn't extend beyond school. When Juliana was little, she was frequently invited to parties and Lupe had tried her best to facilitate and encourage her to attend but as she got older, and Lupe's working hours changed, she stopped pushing Juliana to meet friends or go to birthday parties.

Losing Macario, Juliana's father, had been difficult, Lupe had relied heavily on her own parents for help with Juliana and they had been great. She honestly didn't know where they would have ended up without their support. But when they became ill, things were difficult again. Juliana had reached high school by then and was the perfect daughter, she often made dinners, changed beds and sorted washing, all while keeping an eye on her grandparents and doing her homework.

When Lupe asked her about going out with her friends, she always maintained she had too much homework, or more often, she just didn't want to go out. So, Lupe stopped asking. She hated that Juliana was so alone, only surrounded by adults rather than kids her own age but Juliana never complained. When Lupe asked about boys or pointed out attractive young men, Juliana would roll her eyes telling her she wasn't interested. Leaving Lupe to wonder if it was just the usual teenage answer and eye roll or if there was more to it.

As a young adult Juliana had worked a few part-time jobs to help with the bills, but again, she never talked about colleagues or socialised with anyone outside school or work. So, when they moved to Mexico, Lupe had noticed a few changes in her daughter.

The first was when she got the job at the café. Juliana had been nervous through the workshop and interview process, but from her first shift, it was obvious she enjoyed her job. Lupe had been thrilled when Juliana opened up about her colleagues, sharing little pieces of information she'd learned. She couldn't remember the last time she'd talked so animatedly about anyone.

The second was after the robbery, when Valentina entered her life. She knew the whole misunderstanding surrounding Guille had weighed heavily on Juliana but when Valentina was around, she seemed much lighter. Lupe had seen first-hand how her daughter smiled and blushed around the other girl. Her entire face lit up every time she spoke of her.

The third and more concerning change was when Valentina had discovered the truth. Juliana had become more withdrawn again and Lupe suspected she was avoiding her. It was obvious Juliana hadn't been sleeping and she suspected she wasn't eating well either. But as was their usual relationship, she didn't push, she allowed Juliana time to process and make her own decisions. She tried to reassure her that Valentina wouldn't let the misunderstanding end their friendship and thankfully, it hadn't.

But the changes she had witnessed in the last two days were what surprised her the most. This Juliana, the one standing in her kitchen, laughing, and joking with her friend as they wiped down the cupboards and worktop, removing speckles of sauce, she was glowing. Lupe was transfixed by her daughter's radiant smile, the twinkle in her eyes and sound of her laugh. If she was honest with herself, she knew it was all because of the other young lady standing beside her. Watching them together, she could see the adoration on both faces, an unspoken conversation taking place every time one caught the others gaze.

Lupe had always considered herself to be quite liberal. She had been raised a catholic and although she went to mass occasionally, she had adopted the philosophy of live and let live. She had lived most of her life in America, had worked in many places, and met a variety of people. Finding out someone she worked with was gay had never been an issue, it was none of her business. Would that be different if it was Juliana? Well yes because it was Lupe's job to protect her.