If he wasn't going to be mine, at least, I'd hold him until I had no choice but to let him go. That was what I thought that afternoon when he offered me his arms sitting on my bed with that tender smile; I did not expect that that same embrace would become the bed on which we would spend our first night together.

When I woke up, I almost knocked him dry, but I had neither time nor head for apologies; I couldn't believe what I was living. His body was under mine, tense and firm, but wary at the same time. Then I looked up and saw them: those huge green eyes. They weren't vibrant, they weren't flashy, but they were full of beautiful hues that I wanted to be the only one to know about. The dark circles under his eyes hadn't disappeared, but they were less deep than normal, and his nose… his huge and endearing nose almost touched mine. Then I saw his lips; they seemed frozen in place waiting for someone to come and bring them back to life and warmth.

His hair was disheveled, a little more than normal, I mean, and the closeness between us allowed me to appreciate the attractive touch that short, scruffy beard gave to his jaw. I noticed the path down his neck and his marked Adam's apple… Whoa… was he really fifty years old? I was afraid of losing myself.

But Casita made sure I didn't get the chance by shaking the bed until we got down.

"Alright, alright. I'll get ready," I told Casita, finally regaining my composure while Bruno stood there as if lost in an infinite labyrinth with no idea where to go. "Have you slept well?" I asked with a slightly mocking smirk.

"In fact, I… I did!"

Bruno looked at his hands and then looked at me, practically moved.

"I've slept well… I… I don't remember having slept well… ever."

"Ever?!"

"Have you slept well?" he asked with a genuine interest in my rest right after he blurted that out like it was nothing to worry about.

"I've slept well, but… you… don't you sleep well even now that you've returned to Casita?"

It had been a while now that the tone of his skin had been becoming more alive and healthy; he no longer seemed constantly ill. Receiving the sun's rays directly on his skin was making a big difference. Seeing him improve so quickly, I couldn't really expect that his nights weren't being restful.

"Ah… no… I'm not used to that bed and… Wait, we're wandering from the point."

"The point?" I asked more curious than really hopeful.

"I… I don't want anyone to think badly of you, you know? I have to get out of here before everyone is up."

"Don't worry, we haven't done anything wrong, or have we?"

"No, I guess not, but… people…"

"Don't worry about people. Anyway, I'm the one who wakes them up every day."

He nodded as if wanting to believe that I was right, shook his ruana trying in vain to hide the wrinkles, and went to the door.

"Good morning, Mirabel."

"Such a good one, Bruno. Good morning."

I smiled from ear to ear, still unable to believe that he had tucked me in that way and trying not to listen to the voice that told me that he had only done it because I am his niece and that it meant nothing to him. Then, I overtook him, opened the door, and went out to Isabela's door, ready to wait a few seconds to give Bruno time to get to his own door. It was ridiculous, but hiding it like this, together, had something exciting about it that made me really feel like we'd done more than just sleep. However, the excitement soon turned to panic when, after taking no more than five steps toward my goal, I heard my mother's voice behind me.

"Bruno?"

I turned in horror and saw how Bruno, still walking out my door, was getting even paler than when he lived in the walls. What should I do? What was I supposed to say? I couldn't leave him alone…

My mother looked at me as if trying to unravel some mystery, but she didn't ask any questions, she just took one of the arepas that she had on the plate that, apparently, she was taking to my room and offered it to Bruno.

"Here, hermano, eat."

Bruno took the arepa without saying a word and nodded again and my mother smiled at him pleased and went back the way she had come. What had just happened?

Bruno and I looked bewildered at each other for a few seconds until we heard my mother's voice again from the patio of the house.

"Time to wake everyone up, mi vida."

"Sí, mamá!"

I knocked as she told me on Isabela's door and saw out of the corner of my eye how Bruno carefully closed mine and left taking a bite of that arepa.

"Okay, Mirabel, focus. Time to start the day!"

That day, Bruno sat far from me at the table again at breakfast and, with Felix in the middle, I couldn't even see him, but I could feel everyone's eyes focused on him. Would they have found out? Would have my mother told them? Impossible, she wouldn't do something like that.

When breakfast was over, I went over to my mother, not really knowing how to talk to her.

"Mamá, can we talk for a moment?"

"Of course, mi vida. What do you need?"

"Uh… privately?" I said rather whispering.

"You've noticed it, right? What do you think?"

"Notice what, mamá?"

Why did she suddenly seem excited? What did she think I wanted to talk to her about?

"What? Haven't you noticed? I thought everyone had except him."

"What? Who?"

"Wait, let me show you. Just don't say anything, okay?"

"Okay…"

"Bruno, could you bring me that jug before you go, please?" my mother shouted, startling Bruno for obvious reasons.

"He… here you go. Do you need something else?"

"No, that was it. Thank you."

Bruno looked at me shyly for a few seconds and then he walked away with his usual slightly uncertain walk and probably wondering if we had talked about that night, but I no longer cared at all what my mother might say to me: I already couldn't think of anything else but what I had just seen.

"What did happen to Bruno?!"