Both Sides Now

Part 4. 'It's love's illusions I recall'

When a very talkative Mateo appeared at her apartment the following morning, Juliana assumed the man had already consumed four cups of coffee. After pushing past her in the doorway he continued to talk as he marched through her apartment to the small dining room where he dropped an envelope on to the table.

Her mother's birthday was just around the corner and like every year, she planned a short trip to San Antonio to celebrate with her. Juliana assumed her agent had come to deliver her plane tickets.

"Okay, here are your tickets," he announced with a big smile on his face.

Juliana chewed on her cereal as checked the papers in front of her.

"Mateo," she began, "there's two tickets here. Did you print my return ticket too?"

"No, no... the agency's contact in Texas will send the return tickets to your mom's house tomorrow," he explained.

"Uh... okay... so?" she asked, lifting another spoonful of fruit loops to her mouth.

"Well, the other ticket is for Valentina."

Juliana choked. Her cereal now stuck in her windpipe. As she coughed to clear the blockage, her agent ran to the kitchen for a glass of water to help ease her spluttering.

"Who?" she wheezed.

"Valentina. You've been dating her for almost six months, meeting her mother-in-law seems like the next natural step," he explained.

Juliana was sure it sounded logical in Mateo's head.

"What are you talking about? You want me to drag my mother into this farce? This has already gone too far!"

"But..."

"No, Mateo! This is crazy! Think about what you just said, it's been almost six months! Our deal is about to end! Why would I involve more people? Especially my mother. She's been asking me to bring a girlfriend home for years, I'm not going to introduce her to one who isn't real!"

"But that's even better! If you take Valentina, then you'll have an even better excuse when your relationship ends. Lupita won't expect you to bring home another woman for a long time."

"No! That is a terrible idea! Do you seriously not see that?"

"No, I don't see it... as I explained, I think it's a perfect solution to your situation. What's wrong with Valentina meeting your mom?"

"Everything, Mateo! All of it! The moment Valentina enters my house and my mom's eyes meet hers, Lupe is going to fall in love with her warmth, her beautiful smile, the way she talks with her entire body. My mother will love Valentina and she'll want her to be a part of my life forever. I know it, Mateo! And I know that because it's exactly how I feel!"

Juliana collapsed back into her chair, hiding her face in her hands. It was the first time she had openly admitted to the feelings that had been growing for weeks.

"Juli..."

"Tell me, Mateo," she interrupted, "How am I supposed to take the woman I'm in love with to meet my mother? Then in two weeks announce to the world, including my mother, that my girlfriend... is no longer mine?"

"Juliana..." Mateo began, carefully. "You're... how did you... you fell in love with Valentina?"

The brunette sat up to answer his question with a sad smile. "Isn't it obvious?" she said, shrugging her shoulders.

Mateo let out a long sigh and rested his weight on the back of the chair. "Well... I thought something was going on when I heard you used your race car to teach her how to drive. Hearing the car referred to as 'Musti' by the whole team, confirmed it."