On paper, Pete and Valentina are perfect for each other. Their friends used 'soulmates' when describing them and at one point they were. As they reflect on the last five years of their relationship, they try to understand the complexity of their lov...
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Five years ago
The scent of coffee and pizza from the nearby restaurants floods Valentina's senses as she stepped out of the yoga studio. The sounds of car horns honking, people talking too loudly, and sirens were like music to her ears.
Valentina always found the city entrancing to her, it might be because she lived in the suburbs most of her life.
Entering the apartment, Valentina hangs her yoga bag on the coat hook behind the front door. The sound of Big Pun told her that Mateo must already be awake and getting ready. Rapping along to the song, Valentina walked to her room and jumps onto her bed. Her muscles were happy that they have found a soft surface to relax on. For some reason, this morning's session was challenging however it didn't bother her. She only took the yoga class to wake her muscles for the day.
As much as she wanted to stay in bed, she turned her head to see the clock perched on her nightstand.
8:30am.
If she wanted to catch the subway in time so she can stretch out her muscles before class started, she had to get ready now. Letting out a big sigh, Val rolled off her bed and put on her usual uniform of leotard, tights, baggy shorts, and tennis shoes.
Val was just finishing putting her hair up when her belly rumbled. "Matty!" she called out, "Did you eat breakfast yet?"
"I haven't. I thought we could grab something on the way?" Mateo replies as he entered her room. He had on a green t-shirt paired with tan cargo shorts and a pencil perched on his right ear, "How about that place on Park and Twentieth?"
"Sounds great! Also, Big Pun this early in the morning?" Val laughs. "I don't think my brain can handle this much noise."
"I thought of the piano hook the other day and how great it could be in a song. I couldn't get it out of my head. So, I started to sample it and found a way to weave it into the melody," Mateo explained as he leaned onto the door frame, "Hey, could you come with me to the Pyramid? If we were to leave right after work, we can make it for a quick recording session before they close. I just finished the song a couple of minutes ago, and I need you to demo it with me."
Ever since they were kids, Mateo aspired to be a lyricist and at one point, Valentina dreamed to be a singer. They would put on performances for their friends and family, complete with a cardboard stage that their dads made for them so they could feel more professional.
Then Val took her first ballet class at eleven and everything changed. She fell in love with the elegance and gracefulness the art form displayed. She spent all her time going over what she learned in class, attempting to perfect each move.
All that practice paid off now that she's a dancer for the American Ballet Theatre. They became interested of her during her time at their summer workshops. They invited her to be a member when she turned fifteen making her the youngest member ever to be invited by the prestigious dance company. Impulsively, she moved to New York to begin her dream career.
