When Will You Talk to Mom

Jose.

I have a good woman by my side — the mother of my children, the woman of my youth. We were very young when we decided to be together. I was working at the Diaz Hacienda, and she was the daughter of the head housekeeper. I was a new employee, barely three months in, when I saw that beautiful girl storming past with a stack of plates. My heart pounded like crazy. I was twenty years old. I offered to help her, and her lovely amber eyes captivated me. She was so delicate — she looked more like the young lady of the house than the housekeeper's daughter.

After that day I saw her again, but this time she was at the river. I loved her gorgeous body — her fair skin and beautiful hair made her look like a forest nymph. In that moment, she was a goddess made flesh. My throat went dry. I was so mesmerized that I didn't notice a snake crawling up my arm. Luckily it wasn't venomous. I tried to swallow my scream so she wouldn't hear me, but it was no use — she had sharp ears and caught my groan.

When I stood in her presence, I couldn't catch my breath and started stammering. I told her a snake had startled me. She put me at ease, and from that day our friendship grew. She told me she was the housekeeper's daughter and that very few employees knew her because she studied in the city of Guayaquil and lived with a relative. That relieved me — I'd been afraid she might be the young lady of the estate.

After a few weeks I asked her out. The canton of Milagros is very small, and I didn't know it well either, since I'm from the city of Babahoyo in another province. I asked her to be my girlfriend and she said yes. I was so excited that I kissed her in front of everyone. Her fair skin turned pink like a shrimp, which only made her more attractive. My tan skin against her pale complexion — people said we made a beautiful couple. To avoid problems and gossip at the hacienda, we kept our relationship a secret.

Until one day she kissed me. We didn't notice the estate owner standing there. Aurora's lovely rosy face went pale, as if she might faint. She bolted from the barn and I was fired. The owner had the foreman pay me well — I received severance for my six months of work. That afternoon I said goodbye to everyone and headed for the bus to go back home. Just as I was about to board, a moto-taxi pulled up. My heart started pounding. It was her. She had a suitcase, and she came with me.

She left her mother for me. I was overjoyed. I didn't have a nice house — I was still living with my parents. I was just a kid who didn't know much about life, only a bit of auto mechanics I'd learned from my godfather. Now that I had someone to provide for, I went back to ask him for work. He helped me, and I became one of his best mechanics. The pay wasn't great, but I learned. Aurora got pregnant quickly, and our first child was born. My beautiful wife made me the happiest man by giving me my firstborn son, and I understood that I needed to build something of my own. So we saved every last cent.

Even though my first attempt at a business failed, she was right there beside me, smiling and encouraging me. She had an antique jewelry set that was worth a lot of money because it was complete. I didn't want to accept it, but she gave it to me without hesitation. That money funded our first workshop. This time I bought real equipment — it was a nearly complete shop. People started believing in me, recommending me, and over time my workshop earned a reputation. Within a year I had enough money to buy a house near the shop. She kept saving every cent, which helped me grow even faster. The house wasn't very big, but it was cozy. Aurora got pregnant again, and before giving birth she discovered that her mother had died and was already buried. She fell into a deep depression, and the baby came early.

It took her a long time to get over that death. And last came my Nancy. We were a complete family now, and we were very happy. On weekends we'd spend time together watching TV or going out for walks — until the kids grew up. As my children grew, so did Aurora's need for control, and the arguments became a daily occurrence. It drained me, killed my appetite. My son moved to the capital — not because Aurora was controlling him, but because he wanted to spread his wings, so we supported him. But my daughters and Aurora fought constantly. I don't know when she changed. Routine had taken over the house.

Every time I came home, I'd find my wife sweaty and exhausted. She stopped taking care of her appearance. The house could be spotless and a delicious meal on the table, but she looked worn out — dark circles under her eyes, her hair thrown up in a messy bun all day. My daughters started criticizing her. They didn't want her showing up at school — they were embarrassed by her. At first I scolded them, but honestly, they weren't wrong. I started to get annoyed by her presence too. I stopped going out with her and only went out with my daughters. They even suggested they wanted a new mother. I told them off — they had no business asking me for that when they already had a mom.

Then, on one of those outings with my girls, I met Lucia Sanchez, the mother of Jamilec, Nancy's best friend. Lucia is a beautiful woman — full of life, elegant, a single mother. She worked at Banco Pacifico as an assistant to the branch manager. Our eyes met, and her dark gaze pulled me in like a magnet. God, I felt like I'd been transported back to when I was a young man. Our encounters — I don't know if they were coincidence or not — but I ran into her everywhere. One day we went for coffee, and suddenly we were holding hands. Our daughters loved it.

They accepted the relationship. I was happy. We've been together two years now. I don't love the idea of living a double life, but I don't want to hurt Aurora either. I know Lucia wants more. My daughters are pushing for stability — they want me to marry Lucia as soon as possible because they say she understands them. But I promised Aurora a wedding. I owe her that wedding.

It hurts me to see how my daughters treat her. Even I show indifference. I want her to stop loving me so she'll give up on her own. Maybe she has a relative she could go live with, or maybe a new love will come along for her. I want to be happy too, because our happy chapter is over. Now I want to be with Lucia. My daughters are on board — though I'm sure my son will despise me for what I'm doing to his mother.

"Dad, when are you going to leave Mom?" Nancy asked.

"I can't stand her anymore. It's time for Mom to go," Juliana said.

"It's not that easy — she's your mother. Why would you want that? You're the first daughters in history to ask their father to leave their mom," Jose said.

"Dad, don't feel bad for her. She's an adult — she'll understand. Here's what we can do: we'll help you. When we get back from the beach, we can talk to her," Nancy said.