EPILOGUE
"I can't do this, I just can't."
"Teresa, don't do what I did. This is your chance to be happy, seize it."
"You are asking me to marry a man I don't love."
"No, I am telling you that this man loves you more than anything and that he wants to marry you."
"What about the way I feel, mama?"
"Teresa, the day your father disappeared, I was shattered. I never looked at an other man, but I had your and your siblings to take care of. I had you to keep me going. What has he left you?"
"He left me the promise that he will come back and this."
She lifted her hand and her mother looked at her finger.
"Where is your engagement ring?"
"I took it off and put my promise ring instead."
"It has been five years. He is dead, Teresa."
"No, he isn't. I will believe it the day I get a real proof."
"His plane crashed. No one could have survived."
"No, mama. They found the bodies of the people who were on the jet, but they didn't find him. I have to believe that he is still out there, somewhere."
Someone peeked inside the room.
"Teresa, the groom is ready."
"Is he still in the other room?"
"Yes, he is."
She lifted her dress slightly and walked out of the bridal room.
"Teresa, don't do this. You will break his heart."
"Better now than in five years. Mama, I can't even bring myself to let him touch me. I don't love him and he has the right to know that. I can never love him. If I marry him, I will be cheating him out of true happiness. I don't want to do this to him."
Pilar followed her daughter as she walked to the groom's room. She knocked at the door
"Who is it?"
"It's me, Teresa."
"Teresa, please...you have to reconsider this. There are people in the church waiting for you to be married."
"No, mama. I have to follow my heart. I just can't do this. You can't guilt me into marrying someone I will never be in love with."
The door opened.
"What's wrong, you know we can't see each other before the wedding. It's bad luck." He looked at her and was stunned by her beauty. She looked like a dream in her wedding dress. "You are beautiful."
"Thank you. I'm here because we have to talk."
"This sounds serious."
"I'm afraid it is. I can't marry you."
"What? Why?"
"Because you're not the one I love. Because I will never belong to you."
"I can't believe I'm hearing this. He is dead, had been for 5 years."
"I know in my heart that he is somewhere out there."
She took his hand and put her engagement ring in the palm of his hand.
"I don't want it, it's yours."
"No, it should be on the finger of someone who can return your feelings."
"But you're the one I want."
"That's right, you want a dead man."
"I am so sorry. I wish I could take those feelings away, but I can't turn them off just like that." She approached him and kissed him on the cheek.
"I wish you the best."
She walked out of the room and he watched her leave.
"I couldn't compete with him when he was alive and I can't compete with him when he is dead. I couldn't have her when he was around and I can't have now that he is dead."
******************************
She sat outside of the church and looked at the sky.
"I have to find him, even if takes me my entire life. I will find him."
"I can't do this, I just can't."
"Teresa, don't do what I did. This is your chance to be happy, seize it."
"You are asking me to marry a man I don't love."
"No, I am telling you that this man loves you more than anything and that he wants to marry you."
"What about the way I feel, mama?"
"Teresa, the day your father disappeared, I was shattered. I never looked at an other man, but I had your and your siblings to take care of. I had you to keep me going. What has he left you?"
"He left me the promise that he will come back and this."
She lifted her hand and her mother looked at her finger.
"Where is your engagement ring?"
"I took it off and put my promise ring instead."
"It has been five years. He is dead, Teresa."
"No, he isn't. I will believe it the day I get a real proof."
"His plane crashed. No one could have survived."
"No, mama. They found the bodies of the people who were on the jet, but they didn't find him. I have to believe that he is still out there, somewhere."
Someone peeked inside the room.
"Teresa, the groom is ready."
"Is he still in the other room?"
"Yes, he is."
She lifted her dress slightly and walked out of the bridal room.
"Teresa, don't do this. You will break his heart."
"Better now than in five years. Mama, I can't even bring myself to let him touch me. I don't love him and he has the right to know that. I can never love him. If I marry him, I will be cheating him out of true happiness. I don't want to do this to him."
Pilar followed her daughter as she walked to the groom's room. She knocked at the door
"Who is it?"
"It's me, Teresa."
"Teresa, please...you have to reconsider this. There are people in the church waiting for you to be married."
"No, mama. I have to follow my heart. I just can't do this. You can't guilt me into marrying someone I will never be in love with."
The door opened.
"What's wrong, you know we can't see each other before the wedding. It's bad luck." He looked at her and was stunned by her beauty. She looked like a dream in her wedding dress. "You are beautiful."
"Thank you. I'm here because we have to talk."
"This sounds serious."
"I'm afraid it is. I can't marry you."
"What? Why?"
"Because you're not the one I love. Because I will never belong to you."
"I can't believe I'm hearing this. He is dead, had been for 5 years."
"I know in my heart that he is somewhere out there."
She took his hand and put her engagement ring in the palm of his hand.
"I don't want it, it's yours."
"No, it should be on the finger of someone who can return your feelings."
"But you're the one I want."
"That's right, you want a dead man."
"I am so sorry. I wish I could take those feelings away, but I can't turn them off just like that." She approached him and kissed him on the cheek.
"I wish you the best."
She walked out of the room and he watched her leave.
"I couldn't compete with him when he was alive and I can't compete with him when he is dead. I couldn't have her when he was around and I can't have now that he is dead."
******************************
She sat outside of the church and looked at the sky.
"I have to find him, even if takes me my entire life. I will find him."