WHEN I WAS 7 YEARS OLD, I CRIED AND SAID I WAS GOING TO MARRY MY NEIGHBOR. I WENT TO A JOB INTERVIEW 15 YEARS LATER — THE GENERAL MANAGER LOOKED AT ME AND SMILED: ‘THE GENERAL MANAGER… DID YOU APPLY TO BE HIS WIFE?

“Emre…” I whispered without realizing it.

The selection committee gave puzzled looks.

Emre raised his hand slightly.

“Can you give us a few minutes, please?”

Committee members left the room one by one. The door closed softly. The silence became even heavier.

I was still sitting upright. I didn’t know whether I should laugh, cry or run away.

He was the first to speak.

“You’ve grown up a lot, Lucía.”

Hearing my name from his lips made something tremble in me.

“You too…” I was able to say, my voice was weaker than I expected.

He took a step towards the table.

“I recognized you as soon as you walked in. I tried to keep my seriousness… But I guess I didn’t have much success.”

I smiled.

“You were not good at hiding your feelings.”

He laughed lightly.

“You too, especially when you were seven years old… You were quite truthful.”

My cheeks turned red.

“You still can’t remember this…”

“Of course I remember. The whole neighborhood remembers. A girl with braided hair is crying and pointing at me, as if signing a contract.”