TRUSTING IS WAITING

Alice ran back and forth while her son just looked at her sitting down on his little chair. If his mom had woken up earlier she wouldn’t be like that.

Her beautiful smile drawn on her face was brighter than ever, since that little angel was brought to her life, she was not able to see beyond that pair of brown eyes where she couldn’t help but see the vivid image of that man she loved the most one day and… maybe, whom she was still in love with. 

It had been some years since the last day her lips were kissed by a man, the only man that made blossom the miracle to make her a mother. Perhaps that was the reason she felt like she was in love with him because, before and after him, it was only him. . 

“Let’s go, honey,” Alice called to her son, while sipping her orange juice.

“Let’s go, let’s go, Mom!” The little boy of her eyes ran ahead after seeing his mom running behind him.

Hand by hand, a young mom and a little angel ran to the nearest avenue to get a taxi. It wasn’t so late, the boy insisted on the same. According to him, it was too late that he wouldn’t be able to introduce himself to his new classmates before classes.

She couldn’t have been happier to see her little son carrying that big backpack that made it seem to walk on its own. Even if one thousand worries assaulted her mind, everything was fine if she could have her son like that. Alice, after being betrayed, there was nothing else that she wanted for her son but his happiness. That little light was the reason for waking up every day with that big smile that everyone was used to seeing on her face.    

While they were on their way, Alice and Joseph continued playing and laughing while provoking a smile on the face of the taxi driver. An elderly man who clearly could imagine his daughter as the young mom that had taken the taxi, it was not necessary to ask or even, be a genius to guess the story behind her; the typical teenager who got pregnant but knew how to overcome the hardships and, of course, knew how to be a good mom despite her short age. The happiness impressed on the baby’s face spoke for itself. She was a good mother, everyone could see that.

“Are we there yet, mom?” Joseph asked, looking around since the taxi was stopping by the sidewalk of the place that was welcoming him already.

“And… we’re here!” she expressed delight.

As soon as the car stopped, the baby boy got off, running to the colorful gate while his mom stayed a little longer to pay to the taxi driver. There were some adults there kissing the cheeks of their sons and daughters.

“Joseph, wait up! Thank you, sir,” Alice got off of the car, running up to her son who was waiting outside the colorful school at the front.  

The taxi driver stayed there a little longer, smiling at the beautiful image; with no doubt that young mom may have been his daughter, a teenager who also got pregnant when she was 16, but regrettably, she died while giving birth to the precious granddaughter that stayed with him and his wife. Ten years had been since the last moment he saw his daughter. 

Alice ran to her son breathless. He was so excited to start that new day and that new life where his mom’s roots had been abandoned for some years just because she didn’t have enough straight and courage to face the father of her son, who should have known about his son as soon as she realized she was pregnant with his baby.

“Joseph!” Alice cried out.

“Mom, let’s go, let’s go!” insisted Joseph, rushing to his mother. “Let’s go, mom. It is too late.”

With no strength, feeling like she was being dragged herself to see and hug her son for the last time that morning, Alice made her way to him.  

“Wait up, it’s not so late, don’t exaggerate,” she said breathless. “Come on, my baby, give me my kiss,” Alice pointed out her cheek.

“Mom!” Joseph whined.

“Give me my kiss or we’re getting back home”

Joseph approached her, rolling up his eyes. Her mom laughed smoothly. Her baby was growing up.

“I’m sorry for loving you so much, Ms. Joseph,” her cheek was kissed by the most genuine angel that had landed on earth, on her earth.

“See you, mom!”

“See you later, my little bit of heaven!”

“Mom!” whined Joseph before running up to the gate which had been opened because of his entrance.

Finally, before the gate closed, he turned around and waved to his mom. “I love you, mom!”

No, she was wrong; her son hadn’t grown up. Her little angel was still there to cry out his love for her.

“I love you more, my little bit of heaven!” Alice waved at him with her two hands. She was ready to go against any problem that was waiting for her after that priceless moment her son had given her.

And then, the gate closed. Her son was well-received by the teachers outside. That’s all she could see before sighing peacefully.  

Just a little longer, just some more minutes there and fate was ready to act on her. Her mind was still on that baby –because for her, Joseph was always going to be her baby– that she was no longer able to see. Alice, being now a professional, being the ever dreamed mom she always wanted to be… being just her, she had come back to fix those mistakes that made her life imperfect, causing pain in his baby boy too, because it was not necessary that Joseph had to declare he would really want to know his father, it was enough to see how he stared at the fathers that played with their sons in the parks when they were out to buy an ice cream.

Without realizing it, a car in the little street was causing some traffic. The cause? She, that precious woman who was staring at the gate in front of her with a broad smile on her face. 

The person driving the car couldn’t believe who he was looking at, at that moment. His heart pumped, he hardly heard the sounds coming from the cars behind him.

Alice turned around; ready to make her way to the avenue and find that job that had to be waiting for her. The sound of the beep near her called upon her attention. So, she looked at the supposed car the beeping had to come from. Just that gaze was enough to make it an encounter. Alice stared at him in the same way; he was looking at her with the biggest smile he had given to life after maybe, seven or eight years. Of course, she had remembered him. Of course, he was never going to forget her.

Forgetting about the line that was increasing behind his car, he got out of his car and walked up to Alice. He wanted to make sure she was not a mirage.

“Alice?” he asked unsurely. He was crossing his own lines, he wasn’t dreaming it.

She smiled in disbelief. “Ian!” Finally, she confirmed and then, they hugged. But more than that, Ian embraced her.

“Alice, I knew you were going to come back, I knew it, my heart always told me that but I hadn’t ever imagined this would be the day,” Ian said in excitement.

“Ian, I can’t believe this,” they ended the hug, willing to look at each other from head to toe.  

“What has happened to you? I think motherhood has set you down very well,” he said, without knowing how to flatter her even more. When he said he had never seen a woman as beautiful as her, he wasn’t wrong. More years could go by and she was going to be that gorgeous woman he had fallen for since he was an adolescent.

“I can’t deny it, my son makes miracles,” Alice shrugged.

“But, what about the baby? You had them, didn’t you?” He asked, not knowing how to refer to her or him.

“Of course, how come you can think otherwise? What did I just say to you?” she raised her voice playfully.

“Oh, you’re right. I don’t even know what I’m saying”, Ian confessed nervously. “Anyways, what’s the baby’s name? Well, not a baby anymore, I think.”

“Joseph,” she answered proudly, “Joseph is the name of my little bit of heaven. He is already six years old.”

“I’m mesmerized, I sensed something good was about to happen to me, but that’s the problem, this is not something good, it’s eternally good! If life owed me something, I think I have been paid-off.”

“Don’t exaggerate it! But it’s indeed a pleasure to have met you again.”

“Are you going to stay here?” Ian asked gratefully because of the big surprise he had found in that mere instant. “I mean, did you come back to stay in Mexico?”

A sea of a million emotions set on her heart with those words, making her sparkly smile erase. “I don’t…I don’t know yet.” She stuttered.

“Oh,” he expressed while lowering his head. He didn’t want her to go away so soon. He had to do something and, if life had given him the opportunity to find her in his way, he would take all in. “Will you come with me?” Once again, that perfunctory smile on his face for every time he looked at her.

“Where to?” Alice smiled again.

“Come with me. You have to tell me everything about that baby of yours,” he took her hand, feeling those emotions that hadn’t woken up since the last time he took her hands.

“Well, let’s go…” she shrugged.

Ian opened the door of his car for her. He could not believe he was living that moment with her. She, the woman that had taken his breath away since the mere instant he saw her smile, was there again. She had come and now, she was being dragged by him to wherever he wanted to take her.

She looked so perfect. A vivid dream, he couldn’t let go.

It was truth he had fallen for her in an instant, it was truth he never thought a woman like her would take away his breath and it was truth that, for the first time in his life, he thanked the religion he belonged to one day for being the path that led him to her.

On their way, she couldn’t stop thinking about the reasons that had made her come back to that place where she was most hurt. Meantime, she was in her thoughts; Ian was drawing a world full of colors for her. Ian couldn’t help but start writing a story in his mind where she was his protagonist and the cause of his smile. She’d come back, she was a mother now, the most beautiful one, and he could bet it. What does it matter if the baby was not his? What does it matter if he hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting him? He already loved the baby without knowing him; he knew that baby was as beautiful as the woman who was next to him without expression on her flawless face.

“Alice” he called, making her to stop looking at the lonely streets she was looking at through the window of his car.

“Yes?” She answered coldly, not because she wanted to be rude until he let her go, but because it had become a custom due to the large number of men who were always there willing to make a move on her when she was not interested in those things anymore.

“Do you want to eat with me? Today is my day off and I was going to do some things anyway.”

“No, thank you, that’s not necessary if you need to do other things, don’t worry,” she replied.

“Come on, I didn’t mean that, what I wanted to say was I am not in a rush, so, we can go and eat something,” explained Ian.  

“If it’s so, okay, I’ll accompany you,” she slightly smiled.

“And… how long have you been here?” he asked, waiting not to be indiscreet.

“It’s my first week here. Today was the first day of my son at his new school.”

“Did you come with your sister?

“Yeah, she’s already working. Meantime, I have to look for a job but I think that’s not happening today,” she sighed, exhausted, expecting him to catch her indirect.

And being like that, Ian indeed caught her indirect. Her words made Ian regret his invitation, but knowing how to fix that, he smiled cheerfully again.   

 “Well, our encounter mustn’t have been for nothing. I have good news for you.”

“Oh, what’s that?” She looked at him curiously. The same curiosity that made her face even more precious and which he fell in love with.

“I’ll tell you there,” Ian pointed out the place in front of the car that was parked there.

They had arrived at the coffee place she liked the most. Of course, back in those days when she told him her favorite places to go, he didn’t have the opportunity to take her and now, they were there.

Alice was taken by surprise. It had been so long since the last moment she was there. The best coffees in the town were sold there. Many memories were recalled. Gabriel, the first man in her life, had taken her there countless times. It was still good to remember those days.  

Speechless, Ian and Alice went into the cafeteria. For the first time in his life, Ian was the cause of her surprise. How beautiful she looked!

But what he didn’t know was she couldn’t avoid remembering the memories created in that place with another person.

They took one of the farthest tables. A waiter approached them and took their order.

“You’re unbelievable”, she expressed, looking around. The place hadn’t changed at all.

“Why do you say that?” Ian felt important.

“You remember how much I talked about this place with you. We didn’t have the opportunity to come together.”

“So, now we’re here, we should enjoy ourselves, shouldn’t we?”

She looked into his eyes, trying to find those hidden words that, she suspected, were there. Some seconds later, she lowered her head, having in her mind the last image of him; a big smile with sparkling eyes.

Silence, everything remained silence. Ian looked at her being discreet while waiting for their order. She seemed to be away from him. The cause? He didn’t want to know it because, just maybe he could guess what was going on with her. 

Hazy memories came to her.

“Cafe latte?” asked Alice, smiling. Her eyes were still covered by the hand of Gabriel.

“No!” Gabriel answered.

How much longer were they going to stay there playing the same game she had made up minutes ago? No one knew but what everyone there could see was the fun the young couple were having.

“Once more and I’m not doing my homework!” said Gabriel.

Alice laughed, that had been the deal. If she couldn’t guess what coffee she was sipping within two opportunities, she was going to do his homework.

“I get it, I get it,” she jumped up. “It’s a Frappuccino!”

“Lier!”

Alice uncovered her eyes just to find herself being surprised by the lips of Gabriel on hers. Yes, after all, it was Frappuccino coffee and that was her reward for being such a smart girl.    

“And no­w–” Ian called her attention at seeing her smiling melancholy. “Would you…?”

“Would you please tell me what is that good news you told me about?” She spoke again, cutting him off. She didn’t want him or anyone else to cross boundaries. No one had the right to know what she was thinking about. 

“Bear with me! Okay, I’ll tell you, you said you’re not currently working, are you a nurse?”

“No, I’m not. I studied medicine. I’m a doctor,” she clarified, feeling proud of herself.

His eyes went wide. He knew she was capable of doing whatever she wanted to do but… he couldn’t help but feel surprised. In the same way as her, Ian wanted to be a doctor; they talked about that countless times in their encounters in the church.

“Oh! You’re amazing, Alice. Good for you, dear doctor. I remember the night we talked about our dreams. You made it and I can’t be happier for you,” he expressed sincerely.

“My son has credit here too. He gave the strength I lost when…” her words were cut off by her inner voice which told her to stop right away. “Anyways, what’s that big surprise of yours? I’m dying to know.”

Ian’s smile was erased. He knew she was hiding something but he was not going to ask more than she wanted to say. He was going to respect her silence.

“I recommend you go to the hospital where I work at. I know Director Zeller very well and I think he can pay me one of all the favors he owes me.”

Alice felt how a heavy wall fell onto her. The situation was complicated and not exactly for Ian, but because of those emotions she could see in his eyes. She didn’t like him despite being such a handsome man or despite being such a gentleman who any woman would fall for. It wasn’t that she couldn’t be attracted to him either, but she was afraid of all the things he might feel for her. In the end, Alice may still be in love with the only man that had crossed the lines in her heart.

“I remind you, you left me stood up six years ago and turned down my invitation to take you out to eat. The price has increased,” insisted Ian.

“Let me think it over.” Once again, Alice led the cup of coffee to her lips.

“Just a man like me will give you time to think about it.” They laughed.

Time went by; they talked about everything but at the same time, they talked about nothing. Some smooth laughs were heard at that table, glazes of love by him to her, lovely feelings involved him without Alice being aware. The reward of six years without her was there, in front of him. Now, as he had said, the price had increased, he was willing to say everything he couldn’t before. She was his motivation; she was becoming that once again. Trusting was waiting and he had realized that in that mere instant he felt over the moon just seeing her smile and knowing her, the cause of that.         

“You see, I’ll bet you. You’re going to end up taking my word. That job is already yours,” Ian insisted confidently.

“Is that a challenge?” Alice asked him without looking away.

That mere gesture represented how tough she was to go against anything. She had changed, and he liked that. He couldn’t be more in love with her; he was impregnated by her perfume, the sound of her voice and all of hers.

“It is a challenge!” He affirmed, as happy as ever.

Hours went by; people came in and came out of that cafeteria. They didn’t stop exchanging those experiences that six years had given them until Alice decided to look at her wristwatch.

“Oh, my son. It’s too late! I can’t believe how time flies,” she expressed, getting up from the seat, such in a hurry.

“What’s going on?” Ian also got up at seeing her so stressful.

“I can’t believe, time flies,” she insisted. “My son will be out in 30 minutes. I’m so sorry but I have to go, Ian.”

“No, Alice. Let’s go, let me take you there.”

Alice did have no more options than his, so she saw him taking out a bill from his wallet and put it on the table without having the time to wait for someone to receive it.

While they were on their way, Alice started thinking about what made her feel so restless until she figured it out. Her son would have false hopes when seeing his mother arriving with a man and thinking of him as his father. He was a smart boy, that would be the first thing he would think at seeing his mother with him.

Meanwhile, Ian smiled at just imagining the instant where he would find himself in front of that baby boy. What will his first impression be? How would he explain to him who he is?

Ian drove as fast as he was allowed, 25 minutes were enough to get there. Alice put her nervousness aside and got out of the car. Alice had no word to him; in her mind was only her son.

When Ian thought twice about what he had to do after not having received a word from her, he drew a conclusion and carefully, not wanting to be too pushy, he took enough courage to run behind her and then, ready to introduce himself to the most important person in her world. The world of the woman she had never loved less since the moment he met her.

“My baby, time went by quickly. I’m sorry, my baby,” she said, running to her son who was already waiting with two more classmates at the gate.

Joseph had been there for over 5 minutes after he had finished his day in his new school.

“Don’t worry, mom. I have to tell you many things,” said the boy, showing her a sheet with a turtle that had been colored with watercolors.

“In a moment you will tell me everything you want. I’m dying to know what happened to my son today, but before that, I want to tell you something. I want to introduce you to…”

“Hello, sweet pie!” A third voice called upon their attention.

Alice closed her eyes. There was nothing to do. Now, his son was staring at her like he was asking for an explanation or, at least, that was what Alice saw in his cute eyes.