What's a Soulmate?

Eva Carvajal had learned a lot during her time in prison. She'd become more compassionate, she wasn't so full of herself anymore, she understood that she couldn't be in control of everything and that people always deserve a second chance.

However, even after the years she spent in jail, even after all that she lived, she was still doubtful of one thing. Juliana Valdés' love for her baby sister. 

Don't get her wrong, she understood that Valentina loved Juliana with all her heart, she proved it time and time again – she even went on national television to proclaim her love for the younger girl – but she didn't see the same amount of love coming from Juliana, and that left her doubting if the brunette girl really loved her sister to the same extent as Valentina loved her.

That single thought didn't allow her to have a very friendly relationship with Juliana since she got out of jail. She didn't expect to actually spend much time with Juliana besides family gatherings seeing as the girl had to spend some periods of time away due to her fashion shows and that eased her mind a bit. However, what she didn't expect was that her daughter, having spent all her early years between her parents' house and the Carvajal mansion, was completely smitten with Juliana – tía Juli as young Isabella called her – and that did become a problem, because every single time Juliana was back in town, Isabella just had to spend time with her aunts.

That was why Eva was now at the door of her sister's new house, located right halfway between the Carvajal mansion and her own home. She pressed the doorbell and waited to hear her daughter's footsteps running towards the door as usual but that didn't happen. Instead, Valentina opened the door, greeting her with a smile and mentioning for her to not make any sound. She hugged her sister, confused at her request but did as she was told.

'They're sleeping', Valentina whispered, trying to explain to her sister the need to be quiet, 'Juls and Bella, I mean'. Eva nodded and walked behind her sister towards the living room, only to find voices coming from inside, which made both her and Valentina frown, 'I could've sworn they were still asleep', was all that Valentina said as they quietly entered the living room.

'Okay, but can I ask another question, tía Juli?', from Eva's point of view, she saw the back of Isabella's head and she could tell she was being cuddled by Juliana. Both her and Valentina kept quiet, wondering what the little girl's question would be.

'Of course you can mi niña. Ask away', Juliana answered, softly boop-ing Isabella on the nose making her crinkle her nose and laugh as the two other women in the room smiled softly. Eva couldn't deny that Juliana treated her daughter very well and in a very loving way.

'What's a soulmate?' the simple question left the three woman in shock. The little girl was only seven years old, so they didn't expect her to even know the word soulmate existed.

Isabella's curious eyes looked up at her aunt, who had a look in her face of someone who had been struck by something. She quickly recovered, and looked down, softly smiling, knowing very well that her niece was accompanying her every move.

She took a deep breath. 'Well, Bella... It's kind of hard to explain to be honest, but I'll try okay?' The little girl nodded opened her big blue eyes even more, anxiously waiting for her aunt's answer.

'A soulmate is a funny thing. A lot of people don't believe in soulmates did you know that?' the youngest Carvajal nodded her head, 'Yes, one time I heard mamá and papa talking and papa asked mamá if she believed in soulmates now.'

'Mamá said no?' Isabella nodded.

'Of course she did,' Juliana sadly smiled, Eva was never one to believe in this sort of thing, 'But let's continue...' 

The three older women in the room took a deep breath at the same time, Valentina and Eva still standing at the door, not moving and not making a sound for fear that they would stop the conversation happening before their eyes.

'A soulmate is someone you are meant to meet in life. That no matter what happens - or what doesn't happen -, you're bound to meet them, they're bound to be part of your life. A soulmate is like a best friend but more. It's someone that knows you better than anyone else in the world, even more than yourself. It's someone who inspires you to be the best person you can be, because they believe in you, they know what you're capable of and you want to prove to them that they are right. But they don't expect the best from you, they expect you to be you, they accept you and love you for who you are, and will always believe in you. Even if no one else does, not even yourself. They make you the happiest you've ever been and the happiest you'll ever be.'

Isabella's eyes shined with wonder, if tía Juli was right, a lot of things made sense in her life. She kept listening further.

'A soulmate is a part of you, someone who will always be with you and someone you can't live without because there will always be something missing, a part of you that's not there'.

'Then You and tía Val are soulmates, sí?' the little girl asked, but the certainty in her voice told the three women that she was sure about that.

'Why do you say that?' Juliana asked, wanting to know the reasoning behind her niece's question. Eva and Valentina were also paying close attention, waiting for the girl's answer.

'Well, you make each other happy. You are always smiling around each other and even when you're mad you always kiss and make up really fast. You give her really tight hugs when you need to leave. And your eyes are always shining when you look at her, even when she's not looking at you. You always hold hands or touch each other when you're near each other and you both miss each other a lot when you're travelling, like you can't live without the other, right?'

Eva's mouth was hanging open whereas Juliana and Valentina were smiling as hard as physically possible. Their seven-year-old niece understood them better than most people in their lives.

'Yes, I like to think that your tía and I are soulmates. I miss her every second I'm not with her, like I'm missing a part of me, mainly my heart. I love her with every fiber of my being and I think she loves me just as much.' Juliana tried to justify.

'She does.' Valentina couldn't keep quiet any longer. Happy tears streamed down her face as she made them aware of her presence – and Eva's, of course.

'Mamá!' Isabella got out of her aunt's embrace and ran towards her mother, being instantly picked up by Eva, who hugged her tight.

Meanwhile, Juliana and Valentina had their eyes locked on each other, both lost in their little world, both wanting to run towards each other but too in their feelings to even move, to even break their eye contact.

It was then that Eva knew. That Eva finally knew and finally saw what her daughter so effortless saw so long ago.

Eva never really gave Juliana a second chance. She barely acknowledged her and didn't even allow herself to take some time and actually see the way Juliana looked at her sister. But in that moment, holding her daughter tight and looking at her sister and her wife, everything was crystal clear. 

Right there, she knew she had to give Juliana a second chance. Because if Valentina wanted nothing shorter of presenting Juliana with a galaxy, Juliana looked at her sister as if she were her own personal galaxy. And knowing her sister was loved to that extent was more than enough for Eva.