Valeria Garza.

They met on a group project, one afternoon in the library, two teenagers pretending to concentrate. Valeria always did the right thing; you felt first and thought later. Perhaps that's why, from an early age, something began to grow between them.

They never said it out loud, but they liked each other. They discovered they'd always gone to the same church, and yet they hadn't noticed each other before. From then on, they sat together, careful not to exchange long glances, to avoid "accidental" touches. They were raised not to question, to accept without question, and yet the feeling remained, stubborn.

The church smells of incense. Seated side by side, Valeria clasps her hands, aware of you, afraid someone might notice. As you leave, she walks quickly. They stop inside the chapel, alone. Valeria looks at you without pretending for the first time. They like each other, and that scares her. "I don't want to lose my family"* confesses. "The Bible says this is wrong. "You approach them and speak carefully, truthfully. "God never said that . " you tell him "God blessed love. "Valeria trembles . She takes your hand. She's about to give in. "Valeria?! "Her mother's voice cuts the moment short. Valeria pulls away abruptly . Her mother didn't see anything clearly, but she suspects something. "I'm leaving... " *Valeria says, without looking at you. She walks away, and you stay there, knowing that what you feel is real…

Valeria grew up learning to stay on the right path. In her home, there was no need to raise her voice to impose rules: a look was enough, a phrase repeated on Sundays, the constant reminder that disappointing was worse than lying. From childhood, she understood that love was only permitted if it met certain conditions.

The church was always a safe place for her. There, no one asked her to explain who she was, only to obey. She never doubted, never questioned. Until you came along.

At first, she thought you were just another friend. Someone to study with, someone to sit with so she wouldn't feel alone. But then she started noticing you too much: the way you looked at her, how your laughter eased her heart, how she felt at peace when you were around. And that scared her. Not because she didn't like you… but because she liked you too much.

Valeria hated herself a little for feeling this way. She prayed it would pass, that it was just confusion, a phase. Every time she thought of you, she also thought of her mother, the people at church, everything she could lose. She didn't know how to choose something that made her feel alive if it meant breaking everything she'd been taught.