During the following four days, just like it had happened with Diego and Zafira after she had kissed him, the young officer and the widow Correna avoided each other. He spent most of his time training the men, and she busied herself cooking and helping Victoria with Diego, while trying to adjust to the idea of seeing them together.

When they were alone at night, however, just before falling asleep, they each started wondering if there might be a future for the two of them and how would that future look like.

ZZZ

The day before the one set for the small army's departure towards Monterey, Juan decided to talk to the young widow. She was in the kitchen and was startled when he came through the door, right after seeing the two servants normally working there leaving to take their siestas.

"Lieutenant Ortiz… is there something you need?" She asked coldly.

"No. I only came to offer you my apologies." He answered, head held high. "My behavior was dishonorable, and rude. I could invent excuses, and tell you alcohol had gotten the best of me, but I'd be lying. The simple truth is I was having a bad day, and took advantage of you."

"Why did you do it?" She wondered. "If it wasn't the alcohol, then what was it?"

Juan looked lost for a full minute as he was trying to find the answer to her question. "I was hurt. I was feeling broken inside, and… I guess I wanted someone else to feel as hurt and broken as I was feeling." He eventually confessed. "Perhaps I thought I might find some consolation in the certainty that I wasn't truly as utterly alone as I've been feeling lately."

Zafira looked him in the eyes, then lowered her head and nodded, thus ending their conversation. She knew exactly what he meant for she had also been feeling the same for quite some time already.

Juan exited the kitchen and made his way towards the hacienda, where the attack plans were being finalized.

They were to leave early the following morning, taking the less circulated roads and heading straight for Monterey. About ten miles before reaching the Presidio, they were to split into small groups of ten, all heading in a different direction, due to only reunite at their destination, which they were due to infiltrate and attack from the inside just after nightfall.

The day passed rapidly as they finished organizing themselves and neither Juan nor Zafira saw each other until that evening.

After mostly everyone had gone to bed, Zafira went to sit by Juan, who was again drinking, even if only some wine this time. He looked questioningly at her and offered her his cup, which she accepted.

"I've been feeling broken since my brother died." She confessed as she took a sip, then returned him his drink. "Diego and I were supposed to marry the day I found out he had been injured. Instead of marrying the man I loved, I ended up married to a cause, sharing my bed with a man I respected, but for whom I never felt what a wife should feel for her husband. I many times wondered what my life would have been like had I made it to that church in Colmenares where Diego was waiting for me. Perhaps we'd both be happily married with several children to raise and brighten our days. But it's useless to wonder, isn't it? The past cannot change, the future doesn't yet exist, and all we truly have is the here and now."

Juan didn't answer, just looked at her, and saw the truth of her words. She was just as broken as him, destined to never be with the person she loved, yet still able and willing to do everything in her power to make sure he was safe and, if fate allowed, happy.

He stood up without a word, gathered the blanket on which he was sitting, and held out his hand to her. Zafira hesitated for a few moments but eventually followed him towards the ravine, where they both knew nobody was around to hear them.

He guided her through the darkness, their path only lit by the moon coming out of the clouds now and then. For almost fifteen minutes they walked until he was content with his destination. There, he lay the blanket down beside an old oak tree and looked at the beautiful woman with him.

The last place Juan Ortiz imagined he might find a kindred spirit was in the midst of the rebels fighting for independence. Yet there she was: a young widow of the most famous rebel leader in California, a man his Sergeant had shot, a woman he had helped escape before she would have faced the noose. For a moment the thought crossed his mind that, if Victoria was an inappropriate wife for him because she was the daughter of rebels, Zafira was an even worse match for she was a rebel herself. On the other hand, in all fairness, his intentions towards the young widow had nothing to do with marriage at that point.

Without a word, he started to undress, and she followed his example.

ZZZ

When Juan woke up at dawn, the entire world seemed different to him. Looking at the woman asleep in his arms, tears just started falling from his eyes without him even understanding why. Never in his life had he felt what he was feeling right then, as if a hole in his soul had suddenly disappeared and he was finally complete.

The realization that, should he just take Zafira and go far away with her, he might still have a chance to love and be loved, just brought him pain. If what was in his heart at that very moment was any indication, the two of them could be good for each other. They could lead a happy life together, somewhere peaceful, where they could watch their children grow and never worry about injustice and rebellions. But, alas, he knew that was but a beautiful dream for he didn't have the strength to abandon Victoria, despite his feelings for the young widow.

Realizing he was crying, embarrassed, he wiped away his tears, the movement causing Zafira to wake up and look inquiringly at him, for a few moments unable to remember how she had gotten there.

Juan said nothing, just stared at her for a while, as one of his hands caressed her soft skin. Hungrily, he then descended on her lips, kissing her while his hands explored her body in an attempt to ready her for him one last time.