Woso imagines

Alexia < meeting a friend

The day had started out perfectly. You and Alexia had decided to spend the afternoon wandering around the city, your hands entwined as you strolled through the bustling streets. The air was filled with laughter, the clinking of glasses from nearby cafes, and the occasional hum of street musicians. Alexia was beside you, her smile wide as she pointed out little things along the way, asking you their English names. It was endearing, watching her so focused, taking in every word as if she were memorizing them for some important test.

But then you bumped into one of your old friends, who greeted you with a warm smile. Instinctively, you fell into conversation, the words coming quickly as you both caught up, laughing and trading stories. You were excited, happy to see them after such a long time, but as you glanced over at Alexia, you noticed the spark in her eyes had dimmed. She was nodding politely, offering a small smile every now and then, but she seemed...lost.

You tried to include her, reaching out to touch her arm and explaining bits of the conversation, but the pace was too fast, the words too quick. After a while, she simply stood beside you, hands clasped tightly in front of her as her shoulders began to hunch, her gaze falling to the ground. She'd become a silent shadow in the conversation, shrinking a little more with each passing minute.

You noticed the sadness in her eyes, and a pang of guilt stabbed at you. You gave her hand a gentle squeeze, hoping to reassure her, and eventually excused yourself from the conversation, feeling a sense of relief as you and Alexia walked away together. But the lightness of earlier was gone. Alexia stayed quiet as you made your way home, her only responses to your questions soft, distant hums. She seemed so far away, retreating into herself as if she were building a wall you couldn't reach past.

When you got back to the apartment, you watched as Alexia slipped off her shoes, barely looking up at you before disappearing into your shared bedroom. You lingered in the hallway, wondering if she just needed some time to herself. But as minutes passed, your worry grew, and you found yourself pacing, the ache in your chest becoming too much to ignore.

You couldn't stand the idea of her struggling alone, so eventually, you went to check on her. When you opened the door, your heart sank at the sight in front of you. Alexia was sitting cross-legged on the bed, surrounded by a mess of papers and a Spanish-English dictionary open in her lap. Her brow was deeply furrowed, her hands tangled in her hair as she tried to focus on the words scattered around her.

She muttered softly to herself in Spanish, words of frustration slipping out as she glared down at the paper. Her cheeks were flushed, and there was a wet glint in her eyes that made your heart clench.

"Ale?" you called softly, slipping into the room.

She glanced up at you, quickly wiping at her eyes, a small sniff escaping her before she tried to put on a brave face. But you could see the frustration, the lingering sadness. You walked over, sitting on the edge of the bed and reaching out to place a gentle hand on her arm.

"Qué pasa, amor?" you asked, using the Spanish you'd been practicing, hoping it would make her feel more comfortable.

At that, her face crumpled, and she looked down at the papers, her voice barely a whisper as she spoke. "Me siento estúpida," she admitted tearfully. "I try so hard to learn, to understand, but it's... it's too hard. Even the simple words..." Her voice broke, and she hid her face in her hands, the weight of her frustration pouring out.

You felt a pang of sympathy as you moved closer, gently taking her hands in yours and pulling her into a hug. She leaned into you, her shoulders shaking slightly as you pressed soft kisses to her hair, rubbing soothing circles on her back.

"Shh, it's okay," you murmured, keeping your voice gentle. "Ale, listen to me. English is so hard to learn, especially when everything sounds and means the same thing. It's not your fault."