Over Seven Thousand Kilometers Away

Chapter 1. Marco

It had been about an hour since the plane had taken off, and Marco still hadn't overcome the sadness and pain he was feeling. He hoped that over the next eight hours, it would start to fade, and by the time they arrived in Miami, he would feel better. Claudia's inconsolable crying hadn't helped much in getting through the moment. Marta, on the other hand, was trying to be strong and comforted her, playing the role of the older sister even though they were twins. Seeing their distraught faces, Marco had doubts about his decision, but Nieves had embraced him and whispered:

"Don't worry. They'll get over it soon. You know how dramatic they are."

His wife's words had momentarily relieved him. She always knew how to do that—it was one of her many virtues. Marco suspected, ever since he told her he was seriously considering accepting that job, that she wasn't thrilled about it. She had probably confided in her friends, but she hadn't said anything to him. She had listened carefully, asked him many questions—some so sharp that he had to find the answers because he hadn't considered them—and had even urged him to write a list of pros and cons. Without outright encouraging him to accept it, she hadn't objected either, or all she had shown him was her support. The truth was, he didn't deserve her. And he wasn't sure he would have reacted the same way.

Nieves's attitude throughout the entire process had been exceptional, without a doubt, but Marco also would have liked to discover her deepest thoughts, to know if his decision hurt her, to understand what she thought about the imminent separation that his departure implied. And although he was sure she was doing it for him, so he could feel free, so neither she nor the girls would stop him from achieving his dreams, sometimes he felt the urge to reproach her, to criticize her lack of sincerity, her dishonesty with her own feelings. But Marco also knew that Nieves was firm in her decisions, and if she believed that her role in this story, for whatever reason, was to support him, she would do so unconditionally. And that's what she had done ever since he received that email from his friend Pedro.

Marco had a very strong suspicion that Nieves thought it was a bad idea for him to accept the job. Not just bad, but very bad. He imagined her telling herself that it was crazy, that it would have been fine for someone much younger and without responsibilities, that it was the whim of someone who had everything and just wanted to keep trying new situations out of sheer entertainment. And perhaps there were other conjectures Nieves might have made. Marco suspected all this before accepting the offer, but he made a prior decision: if Nieves didn't want to share the reality of her thoughts with him, he would accept her silence and make the decision solely based on himself. That way, she could never reproach him for anything. Although Nieves was not one to make reproaches. She was introverted, not very talkative, and had a rich inner world that she only revealed when giving her opinion in a conversation. Many times, Marco had been surprised by her words. On those occasions, what Nieves said in front of others implied very well-thought-out ideas or knowledge of the topic that could only have been acquired after reading a lot about it. And it was curious that she had never mentioned anything before. She was like that, and Marco had already gotten used to her way of being. And he loved her for all those things. And for her ability to keep surprising him.

He looked out the window and marveled at the thick sea of clouds they had just passed through. He remembered how, as children, his sister and he were convinced they could walk on that white blanket. They had no doubt about it. And they were dying to give it a try. Their parents always told them that it would be impossible, so they stopped mentioning it and instead imagined together how soft and fluffy the clouds would be.

The camera showing the plane's route indicated that they were already flying over the Atlantic, and it had been a while since they left Portugal behind. He ran his hands through his hair in a gesture that showed a certain desperation. Then, he put on his headphones and played a relaxing music playlist to try to sleep for a couple of hours and stop thinking about whether what he was doing was a good idea.