„It's these little things you do for us."
_-_-_-_-_
Marta is single mother of two girls, twins, Vida and Rosa. Her life is difficult but with little help it can be beautiful.
What happened when old friend come back?
"It won't be easy, you know... trying to love me... again."
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
~•~
A month had passed since Marta's last conversation with Javier in the café. Since then, things had slowly started to settle. Life with the twins had returned to normal, and Marta tried to focus on her life and what was truly important to her. She and Carlos had stayed in touch, and even though he was on the road with Formula 1, she felt his support. She knew that a break was approaching, and she secretly looked forward to it, even if she didn't want to admit it to herself.
One sunny afternoon, while the girls were at the playground with Andrea, Marta heard the doorbell ring. She tossed aside the book she had been reading and headed to the door. When she opened it, Carlos stood on the threshold with a bouquet in hand. His smile was wide, and his eyes sparkled with joy, as if his whole being wanted to say that this was the moment he had been waiting for.
"Hi," he said gently, handing her the bouquet—her favorite roses. Marta was momentarily surprised, but then her face lit up with a smile. The pink of the flowers matched the delicate blush that appeared on her cheeks.
"Hi," Marta replied, accepting the bouquet and inhaling its scent. The fragrance of the roses calmed her, and for a moment, she felt like the young girl from high school who first experienced butterflies in her stomach.
"Can I come in?" Carlos asked with a smile, and Marta just nodded, letting him inside and closing the door behind him. Carlos looked around the apartment, which he already knew so well, and sat down on the couch. Marta followed him and placed the bouquet on the table.
For a moment, there was silence between them, but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. It was a silence filled with anticipation, as if both of them knew that something important was coming, but neither knew exactly how to express it.
Carlos finally took a breath and began, "I have three weeks off from racing now. I thought we could spend that time together. I know I haven't been around much lately, but I want to change that."
Marta looked at him for a moment, her heart pounding. "Carlos," she began softly, "I..." She fell silent, gathering the courage to say what was on her mind.
Carlos took her hand and squeezed it gently. "Marta, I love you. I loved you then, and I love you now. And I want to give it a try with you. I know it won't be easy, but I'm ready."
Marta lowered her gaze, her heart full of emotions. She wanted to believe it, she really did, but she also felt that she couldn't leave everything to romantic gestures and words. She needed it to be real and stable.
"Carlos, I love you too," she said finally, her voice soft but firm. "But you need to know one thing. It won't be easy, you know... trying to love me... again." She looked up at him, her eyes full of uncertainty. "It's not just about me now. I have two daughters who are part of me. If you want to be with me, you have to be prepared to be with not just one person, but three. Me and the girls are a package deal."
