THE UGLY DUCKLING Although she was not a beauty, Laura had a truly pleasant face; rather tall than of medium height with

THE UGLY DUCKLING Although she was not a beauty, Laura had a truly pleasant face; rather tall than of medium height with a couple of centimeters exceeding one meter seventy, a narrow waist plus well-developed chest and hips, but without unpleasant stridencies, she was closer than far from that ideal of feminine slenderness of 90-60-90; And if we add to this long legs, shapely as if done by a Greek Phidias or Praxiteles, on the usual pedestal of very high-heeled shoes, we must conclude that she was a girl that was more than just attractive. For his part, Emilio was a real “muscleman”. Tall, almost 1.80 meters tall and weighing just over eighty kilos at his, more-less, eighteen years; broad torso, wide shoulders, narrow waist, long, firm and strong legs, with truly muscular thighs and biceps, it would be said that he was the image, in flesh and blood, of Myron's Discobolus And since the almost perfect attracts each other like magnet and iron, no one will be surprised that Laura and Emilio were dating; more or less formal boyfriends, as corresponded to the last gasps of the 20th century-first babblings of the 21st; That is, less is better than more. Both characters were in their last year at a high school on the outskirts of Madrid, whose completion and corresponding passing would allow them to access the University. And, logically, it will not be surprising to say that both of them constituted the pole of attraction of the admiration, envy and, why not say it, the animosity of more than one and more than two of the students of the aforementioned Institute. And, as expected, they were the most popular couple at the Institute. Around them were some companions, boys and girls, who with the two of them formed the group of friends who always used to hang out together, at “botellones”, parties and other “saraos” customary among the young people of those and these years. In this group of, let's say, satellites revolving around the double planet that the stellar couple represented, was Carlos. He was another kid between seventeen and eighteen years old, but to Emilio he was like the back of the same coin; That is to say, the version of a budding man opposite to what the second represented, since Carlos, “Carolo”, as he was often called by bad name, was neither tall nor short, neither thick nor thin, nor handsome nor ugly, although yes, with less grace, less grace in his mountain body than an elephant in a china shop. Because, apparently, in the distribution of gifts, to those of the ease of speech and worldly ease he must have arrived quite late, but in that of shyness, "courtesy" in public and other antics of that kind, he must have been left with the entire existence to distribute, since the good "Carolo" was shyer than anyone, especially if it involved throwing a girl in his face, and let alone if it was Laura who, almost by mistake, directed him the word, because then you could see how he turned red to the roots of his hair and his tongue got stuck, and from time to time he even stammered a little because of how nervous the mere proximity of her made him. It was a secret to no one that the good "Carolo" loved the winds for the beautiful diva, and for her, Laura herself, least of all for anyone, who you see how she took pleasure in messing with him from time to time, making him redden to the end of his hair with outings like this Carlitos, darling, don't look at me with those little gypsy eyes of yours, you melt me, and I might rape you on the slightest day. And let's not say when the joke reached the point where Laura was the one who asked "Carlitos" to dance, as she rather used to call him, rather than "Carolo", because then, with all intents and purposes, she clung to him like a limpet, also caressing his neck and hair, until she managed to get good old Carlos to come to his attention. "tone", moment in which she used to separate from him and, laughing heartily, told him I'm not made of stone, Carlitos, and if you keep pushing “that” to me in this “close” way, I don't know what I'm doing!… You drive me crazy when you bring “that” to me! The general laughter, seeing how his pants had bulged in a certain place, was one of those that they say “From Órdago to the Grande”, and because of how out of touch good Carlos was at such moments, more than once he even left, leaving He stood up to that group of boys and girls, of whom he was not so sure that they were really his friends, because it seemed that, if they accepted him, it was because someone had to be laughed at, and he seemed to be the best “clown” they had found. That course ended and almost the entire group of friends passed the University, Carlos included, although the boy's university adventure ended soon, because when he had barely finished the first semester at the University, misfortune knocked on the door of the house, in the form of unemployment, when his father was fired from the job that, for almost time immemorial, he had been doing. When he was still a boy of sixteen or seventeen years old, Carlos's father entered a notary's office in Madrid as a merit, and he was still there when Carlos entered the University, but already as a notary officer. But it happened that around that time the notary retired, passing the notary office to a new notary. That was not the first time it had happened, but the previous ones the new owner had kept the old team. It was that one, the one who had just taken over the office, who decided to fire almost the entire old staff, since they came with their own. The worst thing was that Carlos's father, like most of his colleagues, were not officially on staff, since they were only linked to the notary's office by a commercial contract, as self-employed workers. That had been translating into better salaries, but in that last change of notary it was disastrous, because those who did not appear in the General Social Security Regime were put on the street and without a penny, while even though they were on a regular staff, the new notary kept them in their jobs. And so the family was left, without work or unemployment benefits, since the Special Regime for Self-Employed Workers, in exchange for very low contributions, does not include unemployment benefits. At first, his parents did not see the prospect as very bad at all, since they had savings that, for the moment at least, guaranteed them a decent life at least, so they wanted Carlos to continue studying, but the boy flatly declined, so he immediately left the University, to try to make his way in life by other means. At first Carlos tried to find work; a job that would provide him with a salary that, at a minimum, would allow him to bring some money into the house. But the labor issue, in those early nineties, was not at all clear. Without being like now, with the famous crisis, the truth is that somewhat paid jobs, of course, were not growing on the trees. And even less so for a kid who is already nineteen years old and has no work experience. So he found little, and with fatal salaries, because as a home delivery man nothing happened and I'm talking about the thirty-forty thousand pesetas of the wing, of course, well neither. And so he remained that year, more or less since May, in a bakery of a certain stature carrying orders and packages to a thousand and one houses. For Christmas, he earned a little more, since the tips became smaller, so that, when the Three Kings passed, he found himself with a small capital, three or four thousand pesetas, apart from the salary and the proportional part that corresponded to him of the extra Christmas bonus. The New Year's Eve-New Year celebrations marked the death of 1991, and the birth of 1992, the year in which Carlos's life took a resounding turn that would mark his definitive direction. Let's say that on the third, perhaps the fourth of January of the new year 1992, he received the response to a request that he presented to the Military Government of Madrid back in September. The answer was a passport to travel, at the expense of the State, on February 1st to the city of San Fernando, Cádiz, to take the access tests for Special Volunteering in the Spanish Navy, at the CIM, Seamanship Instruction Center, in Cádiz. He passed the entrance tests, with which he was directly placed in a brigade (company), immediately starting the three-month Instruction period, after which, at the beginning of May, he traveled again to Vigo, in Pontevedra, to take the UNO course, promotion to corporal and first studies of the chosen specialty, in this specific case, transmissions. After another three months in Vigo, at the ETEA, School of Transmissions and Electronics of the Navy, having already completed the course, he obtained the corporal's stripe and the diploma that certified his technical competence in radio receiver-transmitters and teletypewriters. But this end of the course and his first six months in the Navy did not mean that he could spend a season of rest with his parents, since he was only able to spend three days in Madrid, in transit to Cartagena. He was one of the few exceptions among the members of the course and promotion of corporals who did not enjoy his summer leave, the month of August, since he himself requested a position on the oceanographic ship “Hespérides”, which would set sail from Cartagena in the first days of August for the annual campaign of nine-ten consecutive months, six of them in Antarctica. Why did he choose such a destination, embarking on a hitch for at least nine months? Simple. He had gone there, to the Navy, because it is where you earn the most money, but only if you sail and not through Spanish waters, but by undertaking long voyages, of months and months, far from Spain, since “waters”, daily allowances, are charged, the higher the further you sail. And the “Hesperides”, with its voyages of at least nine months, and to Antarctica, is the “Flagship” of the diets, the “waters”… It is only surpassed by the units destined for dangerous waters, war zones and such. (1) Eight or nine years have passed since Carlos enlisted in the Navy, and he is still there, but he is no longer a corporal. In the first three years he took courses ONE and TWO, with which he was able to wear the stripes of corporal and corporal 1st; At the end of the third year, he managed to pass the exams to follow the TRES course, at the Navy Non-Commissioned Officers School, in San Fernando, so after five years of service he wore the stripes of sergeant. By then, wielding his high school degree, he applied for admission to the Naval Military School, in Marín, Pontevedra, near Vigo, where officers of the Spanish Navy are trained, something he achieved between the sixth and seventh year of service, which is not clear, so by then, the eighth or ninth year, he had just left the Academy with the "coca" of frigate second lieutenant, simply a second lieutenant in the Army. On that occasion he was able to spend a vacation at his home, in Madrid, because in addition to arriving home at the end of June with the end of July on vacation, he also came as available, at the discretion of the Admiral Chief of Personnel, which means that he had no determined destination yet, waiting for a free place to arise for a frigate second lieutenant on a ship. Needless to say, since he left the University, almost ten years ago, he had not heard anything from that small group of boys and girls who were his classmates during his student years, so he got the biggest surprise of his life when he bumped into her. He had left home for some matters that he had to resolve at the ISFAS offices; When he finished what had taken him there, already on Alcalá Street, when he was heading towards the subway, he met her in front of him. Yes, it was Laura. They instantly recognized each other but, for the moment, they stood still, both surprised, because meeting each other was the last thing they both could expect. It was Carlos who first recovered from the momentary stupor. Laura! My God, it's you! How long, Lord, how long! I'm glad, Laura; I'm very glad to see you again. Confident, Carlos approached the woman, giving her two kisses on the cheeks, one on each cheek. Laura, half coming out of her shock at seeing him, reciprocated her old friend's attention, returning the two kisses. Yes, Carlos; How long since we haven't seen each other? Ten years almost exactly. But how good you are, girl! You look impressive, really. You were pretty, but now you are much prettier than then; more, much more attractive. Then he realized that the girl was not alone, because more than at her side, almost behind her and holding her hand, there was a girl of about six or seven years old, who looked at him intrigued and at the same time a little suspicious. Come on, what a pretty girl I see here! He squatted down in front of the baby with the intention of paying her some affection, but the girl moved away from him, clinging to Laura's skirts with her pout while half hiding behind the woman. Your daughter, right? You just have to see it; She is very pretty, like her mother... Blessed be the branch that comes out of the trunk! She is very shy with those she doesn't know. He immediately hides behind my skirts. Children's things! Yes; kid stuff. Don't worry, it doesn't matter. Carlos had gotten up from the ground, but was still looking at the creature. He turned to his mother saying How pretty the girl is; a chrome, a creature's sun... So you got married. With Emilio, of course...If a bug bites Laura, she doesn't stay so stiff and stiff. He raised his head more with arrogance than with pride, and with flaming eyes and a tone of voice sharper than the edge of a barber's razor, he snapped at Carlos. Yes, she is my daughter, but I am not married. I'm single; a single mother and my daughter is a single mother with an unknown father. What do you think? That I'm a slut, of course; a bad female who “opens her legs” with anyone, isn't that it? So what, you're also thinking about trying your luck, right? And why not. I am single and have a daughter; a daughter without a husband, then I am one of those who “swallow”… Don't worry, you wouldn't be the first of those “friends” who thinks like that, who tries to “get wet” with Laura's “whore”… But you're wrong; You are all wrong!... Yes, I have a daughter and I am single, but I am not a "whore"... Nor an "easy girl"... I was wrong once... But I won't be wrong again... Carlos was more than pale, almost livid. Laura's words had hurt him a lot. But he did not burst into a storm of anger, but responded to such unreasonable things calmly, without stridency, without bad manners or loud voices. In a cold, measured manner, he responded to the woman's diatribes. You have no right to talk to me like that, Laura. When have I offended you? When have I behaved badly with you, when have I disrespected you?... If I remember correctly, it was you who did it to me from time to time... I repeat, Laura; I'm glad to have seen you again, but sorry, I'm in a bit of a hurry. See you Laura. May you be happy and find peace of mind I wish you. Goodbye, my dear friend... He bowed slightly and, with his head held high, he walked up Alcalá Street, towards the Goya metro. Laura watched him walk away, aware that she had made a mistake again, because she had just been completely unfair to that man. He wanted to go after him, at least call him; tell him not to leave, to forgive her because she had been rude and unfair to him, but he couldn't. She stayed there, motionless, still, with the girl at her side. Then she sat down, really discouraged, on a bench on the street next to her. He felt bad, not only because of the injustice committed, but also, and in a very particular way, because he sensed that, most likely, he had just scared away, perhaps, the only true friend he had left. She felt so bad that even tears struggled to run down her cheeks. The girl approached him somewhat disoriented, because she perfectly perceived that her mother was sad, and she could not explain the reason for that. What's wrong mom? Is that man bad? Laura looked at her daughter; He held out his hand and pulled her towards him, until he took her in his lap, sitting her on his thighs. Not daughter; The Lord is not bad. He's very good and loves mom a lot... But mom has been mean to him... He,... She's made him a lot of jokes. Well, I haven't seen you hit him. The baby's departure put a slight smile on his lips. Not daughter; I haven't hit him. But do you know?... We adults are sometimes very stupid, and we hurt, damn, whoever loves us, for no reason or reason. The old passion, the love that Laura awakened years ago in Carlos, lately was very diluted, almost forgotten in the past; The activity carried out by him throughout those ten years had erased the memory of that first love. But upon finding her again, seeing her, so beautiful, so splendid, he rekindled what a distant day was. So, he returned home upset; firstly, because of the way she treated him, without reason or motive; but also because it recalled the “itch” in the soul of other times. And, let's not fool ourselves, Laura was there for that and much more. Thus, in a willing and unwilling manner, the days passed; four, five six, maybe eight, when one morning, around eleven, eleven thirty, maybe twelve in the afternoon, his mother, very mysterious, came into his room to tell him that she had a phone call. I think it's Laura, that girl, your high school classmate, that you liked so much. Carlos was stunned when he heard her but, nevertheless, he jumped from where he was, as if propelled by a spring. Yes, it was Laura, who was calling him to apologize for her attitude the other day. Carlos reassured her, telling her not to worry, as he knew there was no ill will in his action. What he was saying wasn't very exact, but he wanted to smooth things over with the girl. His strategy paid off when she thanked him, with many hints of truth, for his understanding of her. Then he decided to do what never occurred to him: Propose to meet her one day, just for a moment, of course, to have a drink and remember the old days. Then Laura remained silent for a moment, as if thinking about the proposal, to say after a minute Aren't you married... or whatever? Carlos laughed heartily at the girl's scruples. Not Laura; I'm not married, or anything like that. Single and without commitment, girl, what am I going to do. Don't you remember? I'm Carlos, Carolo, the one who didn't “eat a single bagel”… And I continue like this daughter, what do you want me to do to him. It's my fate!...Now the one who laughed heartily was her, Laura, although it would be better to say that it was the two of them who laughed heartily. And yes, they met a couple of days later at a cafeteria on Goya Street, around six in the afternoon. About six/seven minutes early, Carlos arrived and found that Laura must have just arrived too, since he saw her sitting at a table at that moment. She raised her head a second later and saw him too, standing up immediately to signal to him, in case he hadn't seen her. The two of them sat together, after the usual kisses, one on each cheek, and ordered two coffees with milk plus two pancakes with cream for her, and some churritos for him. They were in the cafeteria for a couple of hours, maybe a little more, and then they walked around the area until just after ten at night. They talked a lot, although much more about what had happened to both of them since Carlos left school than about what they had experienced when they shared a class at school. Thus, Carlos knew how almost the entire old group of friends accessed the university, the Complutense University exactly; and how, shortly after starting the third year of Architecture, Laura informed Emilio that she was pregnant with him, about two months, seven or eight weeks, and how then the boyfriend left her in the lurch when she flatly refused to have an abortion, just as Emilio demanded. Laura gave birth to her daughter, but this did not prevent her from finishing her degree, a year late, yes, but she managed to graduate in Architecture, completing her university degree with a post-graduate Master's degree, which gave her a solid job in one of the most prestigious construction companies in Madrid, with the consequent wealth that she had at her disposal by then. And, logically, Laura also learned about Carlos's future past, being shocked when she found out about his adventures through those seas of God, and even more so when he told her that he had just obtained the "coca" of a Navy officer, a frigate second lieutenant. She couldn't believe that that rather shy and even timid boy that she once knew, became that kind of adventurer, a sailor of the wild seas, who even sailed to Antarctica. He replied that he had not stopped being shy and more or less timid, but that that life, always sailing, and when not studying in the military schools of the Spanish Navy, had captivated him. In addition to the fact that, as I told him, he was only shy and almost timid when dealing with girls, especially, outside of service, because on board a ship and with the uniform and the insignia of command on him, there was nothing at all of that, since he neither hesitated nor hesitated when obeying and having the precise orders obeyed. This response provoked an almost fit of laughter in Laura, making her say Don't tell me that you've turned out to be a big-time sergeant, Carlitos, (again the happy diminutive, Carlos said to himself when he heard it), I can't believe it, Ha, ha, ha!...And of course, Carlos's face twisted a bit as he said, much more as a joke than anything else. You're still just as cruel to me, Laura... But... What a bad opinion you have of me! Come on, come on, Carlitos, (and come on, Carlos said to himself again), don't sulk with me because you already know that doesn't suit you... When they separated, Carlos didn't reveal himself as brave, but rather heroic, as he even dared to suggest to the girl that they see each other again from time to time, to which she jovially responded. I don't see why not. Wait until I give you my cell phone number. Not many days passed until Carlos called Laura, suggesting that she go out to eat the following Saturday; but she replied that it couldn't be, because her parents would be out of Madrid that weekend to see her brother and sister-in-law, who had recently become parents for the third time, and the grandparents were " homesick " for their new grandson, as well as for his siblings, even more so than for their own son. But once again Carlos revealed himself as a resourceful person, when he responded And why don't you bring it. We could go to eat at the Casa de Campo, at one of the restaurants or "chiringuitos" at the Zoo or the Amusement Park... I'm sure the girl would enjoy it a lot... By the way, what's her name? Well, I think what I asked is stupid, because what else is her name but Laura, Laurita, right? Well, you "lost", gentleman, your name is Amalia, like my mother. She insisted on calling me Laura in honor of her mother-in-law, my paternal grandmother, and as a deference to her husband, so I named my daughter Mom... And regarding what you're telling me, well, I don't know... It doesn't seem right to me that you carry the girl all Saturday afternoon. But what are you saying! Yes, I love children!... In case you don't know, I'm an inveterate kid!... Nothing, nothing, you bring it on... You'll see how much fun they're going to have; How much fun the three of us are going to have...Laura was left disarmed, without arguments in front of that Carlitos so different from the one she once knew... And of course, they agreed to meet next Saturday, to eat the three of them together. When Laura hung up the phone, she stayed next to him, sitting in a chair next to him, while a smile appeared on her lips. The truth is that she had been very pleased that Carlos insisted that she take his daughter with her, because that clearly showed her that there was no duplicity in his interest in her, there was nothing ignoble in that interest. Because Laura had no doubt that the boy was more than interested in her. From the first moment, the first day she knew: Carlos, Carlitos, was still as crazy about her as he had once been... Without meaning to, she said to herself: “What a good person he is”… And immediately, she remembered the rudeness, the mockery that then, ten years ago, he had given her... And again she said to herself: “What a fool, what an idiot I was”… “And what a bad person too”… Then, thinking about Carlos, she even said to herself that: “Looking at it, well, It wasn't that bad either... That following Saturday they went to eat at the Amusement Park, and they spent almost the entire afternoon there. For Amalia, Laura's daughter, that afternoon was a joy because she barely stopped riding the attractions. Laura was very self-conscious, but also a little angry, because Carlos did not stop indulging the girl's whims, even inducing her to ask for more and more things. It was clear that the man was enjoying himself like a dwarf with the baby, who in no time was crazy about him, loving him by her soul. Laura told her friend that he was spoiling her, because children should not be spoiled so much, and he told her not to worry, because one day was just that, one day. Laura protested how condescending Carlos was towards his daughter, but deep down, she really liked his attitude towards his daughter... That afternoon was repeated throughout the days, the weeks of that month of July, since the three of us going out to eat together became a daily occurrence every Saturday and every Sunday from that first onwards, but the thing is that the outings of the three of us, or just the two of us, Carlos and Laura, began to become more frequent to the point of repeating themselves every other day and the next as well. The Casa de Campo, with its Amusement Park, its Zoo, its lake, its paths, walks and wooded areas, sometimes, the least, covered with soft and fluffy grass, other times, the most, by bushes or simple weeds, without discounting its bare clearings, filled only with more or less compacted earth, became its usual "area of operations", although alternating it on many days with some cafeteria or another, where the girl, Amalia, would sit “abode” of ice cream and other sweets. July passed, and after July came August; On the afternoon of one of their Sundays, coinciding perhaps with the eighth day of the month, perhaps with the ninth, the three of them were in one of those rare areas where the grove is planted on a small sea of grass, with the girl Amalia running, jumping, rolling and, in short, playing, and the two of them, Laura and Carlos, lying face up on the grass, but without losing sight of the little girl. After a while they both remained silent, Laura said Forgive me, Carlos, who had his eyes fixed on the blue of a sky without even a cloud, turned it intrigued towards her, who was also looking at him then, while his face reflected the surprise that her statement caused him. Forgive you... For what?... Why? For how badly I once treated you Ah!... I have nothing to forgive you for... nothing, nothing at allYes Carlos, yes. I was mean, very mean to you... I made fun of you a lot... Now I know and I regret it... Forgive me Carlos, please, please... No Laura; There is nothing to forgive... I don't even remember that anymore... Well, no; that's not true. I think I remember the "hugs" that you sometimes gave me back then!... They were delicious... The best of my memories... Having you so close to me; so “close” to me, feeling the heat, the intoxicating fragrance of your body… Ha, ha, ha… And how you got me on!… Truly “in tune”!… And don't you see the pain in my scrotum that came on me afterwards!… Carlitos, you are a bastard for remembering that!… God and what a shame!… They both laughed once more and then remained silent, looking intensely at each other. A few moments passed like this, as if the two of them, Carlos and Laura, Laura and Carlos had been trapped in some kind of magic circle. The spell was half broken when the man's voice was heard I love you Laura…I know… You know? Life is sometimes very unfair. I wish to love you; love you the same as you love me, but I can't... I'm sorry; I'm really sorry, but I'm only attracted to you as a friend, not as a man... Carlos remained silent for a few minutes, looking at the sky; then he turned to her, who had not stopped looking at him in all those moments. He took her by the hand and told her Laura is not in charge of feelings. They are spontaneous and do not submit to worthwhile reasoning... One, one, falls in love just because, because that's how it happens, and not because one, one, proposes... Carlos half sat up, turning towards Laura and brought one of his hands to her face, caressing it. Then he brought his own face close to hers, and kissed her on the cheek. Don't worry Laura, everything is fine. At least, I think that, as friends, you love me a little... Maybe even a lot. Thank you Carlos... You are a great person... And yes; As a friend, I love you very much... It is said that in this life everything ends up coming, and Carlos's destiny assignment also arrived. It was a telegram from the Navy Headquarters, Personnel Command, which arrived the following Tuesday, assigning him to the frigate F 103, “Blas de Lezo”, which he was to join the following Monday at the latest. So on the night of the following Sunday they were at the North Station, to say goodbye to Carlos, both his parents and Laura. The previous week had passed as usual, with the two of them together, at least, almost every afternoon; with the girl Amalia from Tuesday to Friday, just the two of them on Saturday and Sunday. From eleven in the morning until past midnight on Saturday and from eleven in the morning to that time, from ten and well into the night, on Sunday. Above all, that Sunday they spoke little and looked at each other a lot. Yes, they looked at each other a lot, but Carlos caressed Laura even more; The cleanest caresses, without a hint of eroticism in them, but full of tenderness and affection, since everything was stroking her cheeks, her hair, with his hands, and, passing his arm around her waist, he pulled her close to him, hugging her against his shoulder, with which Laura let her head rest between Carlos's shoulder blade and chest. And the distress that afflicted the woman was more than evident But what's wrong with you Laura... It's not that big of a deal, woman... Come on, don't be a stupid woman, and brighten up that face... It's just that I've gotten used to being with you; Really, Carlos, I would give something big if you didn't have to leave…Come on, come on, girl! Anyone would think that your boyfriend is going to war! Laura then let out a nervous giggle and her face turned red like that of a schoolgirl who was caught kissing her first boyfriend. No, at this rate I'm almost going to believe that you're falling in love with me!...And here the fiery red of Laura's face, almost, almost, changes to vermilion red. At the station the time finally arrived when the train was about to start, with which came the last kisses and hugs between travelers and nearby people. Then, in those last moments, with Carlos already perched on the car, on the access platform and next to the open door, Laura told him, almost begging Will you write to me?...Every day Laura; daily. And make that face happy, you'll see; I will soon be here again. Definitely next weekend. You'll see; On Friday I will call you as soon as I am in Madrid so we can meet… The train finally started; with slow movement, slow, at first, to, almost immediately, pick up more and more speed. Laura, as soon as the convoy started moving, ran down the platform behind the door where, still open, Carlos waved his hand goodbye, while shouting at her as he ran. I love you Carlos! I love you! I love you!...Carlos thought he heard that “I love you”, but he didn't pay much attention to it… Yes, he knew it; I knew that I loved him and I also knew that I loved him very much... But as a friend... The following Friday, Carlos could not go to Madrid, as Laura had been told, because that same Friday the frigate “Blas de Lezo” set sail from Ferrol towards the North Atlantic to join a NATO naval group and participate in a series of anti-submarine and air defense maneuvers that kept it away from Spain until December 12, when it finally returned to Ferrol. Come on, the four days until his return that Carlos promised Laura, in the end turned into four months. Things to be a Navy professional; or the sea in general, and if not, tell the wives and mothers of deep-sea fishermen, large factory ships, etc, etc, etc... From Portsmouth, in the south of England, in the English Channel, the last port they touched, already on their return trip to Ferrol, Carlos called Laura to tell her that in three or four days, five at most, he would be back in Ferrol, and his surprise was immense when, going down the ship's ladder, he saw her among the crowd gathered at the foot of the dock. He couldn't believe his eyes: She there, in Ferrol, waiting for him If he ran to meet her, Laura did not stay behind flying but rather running towards the one who was already, without a doubt, also her lover. But since for Carlos that “detail” was still quite obscure, when she, upon arriving next to him, jumped more or less literally on his neck, giving him one of those epoch-making “screws,” he was left not knowing if he was living it or dreaming it; Although, it was said, maybe I have died, I have gone to heaven, and I, without the slightest idea of all this. Anyway, for the moment at least, he had a silly face, so why rush? but yes, yes, fool, don't you see how the “little fool” woke up as soon as he “figured out” what that was about, because he grabbed Laura, who tells me, by the waist, and… La “mare de Deu”!, as a Catalan would say, how he responded to the “mocking” of which he was the object; with “morreo” and a half, let's say. That same afternoon they took the bus to Madrid in La Coruña, taking, upon arrival, a room in a hotel where, for the first time, they slept together. As Laura jokingly said, that was their “Wedding Night”, although the ceremony, canonical and civil, did not take place until a month or so later. And when it had not been even eight months since the wedding, Laura gave birth to Carlos's first child, whom the father, not to change, was not able to meet until the child was already more than three months old, since at that great moment in his life he was at sea, in the Eastern Mediterranean exactly. (2) END OF THE STORYNOTES TO THE TEXTEverything I say about the military career of the protagonist is, almost, almost, that, point by point, the career of the eldest of my children, including his time on the frigate F-103, “Blas de Lezo”, then I know what I am talking about. This was also not alien to my son, who met his first child, my only male grandson, "Antonioi Pinar IVº", when he was almost five months old, since he had to set sail with the "Blas de Lezo" almost just a month before the birth of the little one.