The expectation of being able to do something wonderful in our lives fills us with so much excitement that it is difficult to maintain our normal body functions. The night before Nora had stayed awake until dawn. Then tiredness overcame her, forcing her to fall asleep involuntarily with the image of Eduardo’s face in her mind. The next day, Nora was still sleeping in her bed, breathing peacefully, while the sound of the wind was heard hitting the roof of the house, the raindrops gradually falling to the ground. Thus, with the sound of rain little by little Nora woke up that morning.
Her body was brimming with energy, adrenaline overflowing from every pore of her skin. Her conviction of knowing that she was not crazy gave her the necessary security in herself to be able to go out and conquer the ethereal and unattainable chimera that oppressed her chest, keeping her heart trapped in love for a man she didn’t know. “Eduardo”, she repeated between whispers that escaped between her sensual lips.
Quickly Nora got ready to go to the University and left without having breakfast. Not caring that there were still two hours to go until she started her first class. When she got to the campus she headed towards the infirmary. Opening the door of the room where Eduardo had stayed, she felt a cold blow paralyze her movements when she saw the empty bed.
She surprisingly felt hands sliding over her arms, giving her a gentle caress with his fingers. Her heart raced when she felt Eduardo’s breath on her right ear saying, “Good morning”. Slowly Nora turned around till her face was in front of Eduardo’s face. Then, Nora’s eyes met Eduardo’s deep and melancholy gaze. Their breath hitched as Eduardo kissed Nora’s tremulous lips for the first time.
Ecstatic by the magical moment he was experiencing, Eduardo let his tears run down his cheeks as he opened his eyes, to say softly and sweetly, “I love you ANA”.
Nora couldn’t contain the emotions in her body, her lips were trembling, her skin was covered goosebumps, her heart was beating fast, and her eyes were overflowing with love. Upon hearing Eduardo’s words, she responded with a smile on her lips, “I’m not Ana, my name is Nora. And I want to know what you would answer me if I told you that I LOVE you.”
“I would marry you without hesitation,” Eduardo answered as he wrapped her in his arms.
Eduardo listened to Nora, observing her movements. But his brain and his heart only perceived Ana’s unmistakable face. However, overcoming the illogical situation he was experiencing, he held Nora’s hands and told her, “I love you too Nora, I fell in love with you from the first moment my eyes met yours. I love you so much that I could no longer separate myself from you.”
From that day on, Eduardo and Nora became inseparable. They supported each other in completing university tasks. They frequently went out for walks. They ate together almost every afternoon before Nora returned to her house.
One afternoon while the sun was on the horizon with the colors of autumn in spring, the memory of Ana prompted Eduardo to feel the need to call his twins and talk to Susana. That was the first time that Eduardo had called them since he had moved to another city. When Susana answered and heard Eduardo’s voice, she remained silent, “Hello Susana, I know I haven’t called in a long time, but you know that I love my children with all my heart, and I want to talk to them.” Without thinking about the consequences of his words, Eduardo continued, “I’m planning to visit all of you on my next vacation. I also want you to know that I have a girlfriend and I have fallen in love again.”
The security with which Eduardo spoke and the cheerful intonation of his voice irritated Susana’s senses, so she hung up the phone without saying a word. Susana’s attitude disconcerted Eduardo, who began to wander among many thoughts. It could be that Susana had been angry when she heard that he had fallen in love again. Or she maybe was mad because he let too much time pass before calling them. Eduardo called again and this time April answered the phone, she was happy to hear her father’s voice.
From that day on, Eduardo began to call his twins frequently and when Susana answered the phone, she simply called April or John so they could talk to their father. Nora’s courtship with Eduardo grew stronger every day, as did the confusion in Eduardo’s brain when he confused reality with Ana’s memory. However, Eduardo let himself be captivated by Nora’s attractive personality. And although he constantly silently compared her to Ana, he also learned to love her for being different in many ways from the former love of his life.
As the days passed, Nora grew impatient waiting for the moment when Eduardo would ask her to marry him. So, she decided to push him to commit to her in a more solid way, inviting him to meet her mother and ask her mom formal permission to continue dating her. Eduardo accepted and one Thursday night he arrived at Nora’s house.
When Nora invited him into her house, her mother was waiting for them in the living room. As Eduardo advanced, his legs began to shake, in a way that made Eduardo felt that by formally committing himself to Nora he was betraying the love he still felt for Ana.
“Mother, this is Eduardo, the man I love with all my heart.” Nora said with a visible happiness that was openly expressed with each of her gestures and words.
When Eduardo saw Nora’s mother, he felt a stupor run through his entire body, his brain confused, preventing him from acting correctly. Then with big surprise and loud voice he said, “Alicia! Are you Nora’s mother?
Alicia stood up, approached Eduardo, took his hand and said, “Nice to meet you, Eduardo. Before approving your courtship with my daughter, I need to speak with you in private.”
TO BE CONTINUE…
EMOTIONS AND PAPER STRIPS 
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