Page 116 of Until You Came Along
“I get it, Delfina, you don’t need to keep bringing it up. The difference is that I made a mistake.”
“I was going to say that the difference is that I’m not so absolute, but let’s leave it at that.” I stood up and headed for the door. “I’m asking you to leave, I need to sign some documents and then return home to finish organizing everything.”
“Delfina, my love, don’t do this.”
“It’s decided, I’m sorry.”
Hermes approached and looked at me with sadness. He lowered his face to mine and gave me a gentle kiss.
“I’m not going to stay away from you, we’ll stay in touch. Allow me to talk to you during these days.”
“I can grant you that. Goodbye, Hermes.”
“See you soon, my love. I’m sure we’ll see each other soon. Think of me.”
“Tell Julia to give you the package I left for you.”
“For me?”
“They’re the keys to your house and the necklace you gave me,” I replied.
“Both things are yours, I don’t want them. I’m sure you’ll use the keys again, and the necklace was made for you. Wear it and think of me every time you look at it, think of it as my heart that belongs completely to you and that you can do whatever you want with it. If you don’t come back, my heart will stay with you, it will always be with you, it’s yours. And remember that I’ll be waiting for you... always.”
With those words he left. He started walking, stopped in front of Julia’s desk, and I heard him thanking her for her intervention. Julia tried to give him the package with his things, but Hermes refused and didn’t take it. Then he continued on hisway. I stood there, watching his back until he disappeared from my sight.
Chapter 12
"You may be just one person to the world, but to one person you are the world"
—Gabriel García Márquez
On December 29th, we left my apartment. Before leaving, I packed up Baco’s painting and left it by the door. The rest of my things would remain stored in a rental storage unit for furniture and other belongings. When the key turned the final time, completely locking the door, I felt that something in my life was also closing—a chapter ending. I wasn’t going to return to that place, a place with so many memories, a place where I had laughed with my friends, but had also cried with some of them over heartbreaks or the loss of loved ones. The place where I had met the Darwich brothers who had changed my life so much and of whom I had great memories. I didn’t know if I would see them again, but I would always carry them in my heart, especially Hermes, my first and great love.
We arrived in Miami and the city welcomed us with pleasant weather. My brother lived in the South of Fifth neighborhood in South Beach, Miami Beach. It was a charming area with beautiful natural parks like South Pointe Park where you could do various outdoor activities, as well as beach access points, restaurants, and prestigious resorts along the coast. It wasn’t my first time at his house, and I always enjoyed being there.Unfortunately, this time sadness accompanied me. Since saying goodbye to Hermes, I couldn’t think of anything else but him. I tried to appear calm so as not to worry my brother, but inside I had a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. Hermes called me daily, several times a day. He always ended by asking me to think of him, but although I didn’t tell him, there wasn’t a minute when I didn’t—he occupied all my thoughts and I missed him terribly. Baco also called and wrote to me, but our relationship hadn’t returned to what it was before because I was still hurt by his actions. He had asked for forgiveness in every possible way and, although I had forgiven him, I noticed a certain discomfort in our conversations; he wasn’t the joking Baco I knew, and I was convinced it was due to his remorse. Before traveling, we hadn’t seen each other because Hermes had told me that Baco had traveled to Brazil representing the company since he hadn’t been able to go himself. The situation with me had overwhelmed him and he was also taking time to think, so he had asked his brother to stand in for him in all company matters. Baco tried not to mention him, but he always implied that Hermes was devastated by my departure.
The first days after what happened with my father were days of reflection. It was as if life had stopped and was asking me to listen, to take time to pay attention to everything it was telling me. During those days, I realized the pain that Hermes’ distrust had caused me. I wasn’t in his life to pay for his frustrations or to save him; I was in life to live it, to love, to be happy, and to leave a mark—that’s what my mother always told me, and I wanted to embrace that phrase and honor it. I didn’t want to feel that for our relationship to work, I had to give up things I enjoyed; we shouldn’t have to make sacrifices or always live with impositions. If it worked that way, it was completely wrong.
December 31st was a strange day, both for Tom and for me. Although we tried to make the best of it by buying a nicedinner and celebrating, it was obvious that we were both going through an emotionally unstable time, but the good thing was that we had each other. Besides, Tom was acting strange; I saw him nervous, anxious, but I didn’t know why because no matter how much I asked, he always told me that the situation we’d experienced was still keeping him on alert.
At eleven o’clock at night my phone rang; it was Hermes. In Montevideo, the new year was already arriving because time-wise, Montevideo was one hour ahead of Miami.
“Hermes,” I said, answering.
“Happy New Year, my love,” he greeted, with a subdued voice.
“Thank you, same to you.”
“I wish with all my heart that this year finds us together.”
“I wish it to be a good year for everyone.”
“Mine will only be good if I have you by my side. When are you coming back?”
“I still don’t know,” I replied.
“I miss you, Delfina. You can’t imagine how much I miss you and what I would give to have you in my arms,” he confessed, and that single phrase sent an electric current through my entire body.
“I miss you too, but before returning I need to clarify many things.”
