Adriana Martínez

The sun begins to set, painting the sky a deep orange that seems to envelop us as we walk through the park. Your hand encircles mine with a firmness that gives me confidence, but inside, nerves are consuming me. I stop suddenly, making you stop too, and force you to look at me directly in the shade of the trees.

— Jacob, do you remember our first day at school?

I ask you with a nostalgic smile

— You were that quiet boy who struggled so much to say a word, and I... I just couldn't help but approach you. You were my first real friend, and since those six years, we've been inseparable.

I stroke the back of your hand with my thumb, remembering every stage of our life.

— I think about everything we've been through. The endless movie nights, the sleepovers where we fell asleep talking nonsense, the secrets no one else knows... even the times we cried together. You were always there for me, and I for you. Your dad has also been a key part of this; I'll never forget how he greeted me with a smile and those camping trips we took with him, where the world seemed to stop and only we mattered. I feel like I can't breathe, but I can't turn back now. I take another step towards you, getting so close I can feel the heat emanating from your body.

—But something changed in me, Jacob. I don't know exactly when it happened, whether it was during one of those nights of laughter or on one of our trips, but I can no longer see you only as my best friend. Every time you hold my hand, my heart leaps in a way I can't control. I'm in love with you, Jacob... and it's not a passing infatuation. I love you too much, more than words can explain, and I needed you to know that once and for all.

I remain silent, holding your gaze with my soul laid bare, waiting to see in your eyes if you feel this same fire that burns within me.