She grabbed Luis’s face between her hands and kissed him, but said nothing more. He knew then, though, that she wasn’t angry, that now she understood why he couldn’t see her for all that time, and that his predicament had overwhelmed him.

They ate the pizza in the kitchen: it was still March, but already a little cold. Gaspar managed to choke down a slice and a half—Luis kept track obsessively—and asked a lot of questions in that direct, slightly brutal manner he sometimes adopted, and that alternated with periods of muteness.

“Are you my uncle’s girlfriend?”

“We haven’t seen each other in a while.”

“What happened? Was it my fault?”

“Nothing is your fault, Gaspar, please,” said Luis.

“It makes sense she wouldn’t want to be with you now that you’re taking care of me.”

“I didn’t really know what the story was with you,” explained Julieta, smiling. “Your uncle left me before he explained. Take it easy. Men just don’t know how to handle two crises at the same time.”

“What do you do? Do you work?”

“I’m a lawyer. But I’m not an asshole.”

“Most lawyers are assholes, right?”

“Unfortunately.”

Then Gaspar turned on the TV and stopped paying attention to them. Julieta tried to start another conversation, but now his replies were curt.

“What are you watching?”

“Nothing.”

“Do you like TV?”

“I don’t like anything.”

“Everyone likes something.”

“Not me.”

“Come on, you have to like something. Tell me or I won’t leave you alone.”

Gaspar looked at her, and Julieta thought that in a few years, if his growth spurt and adolescence didn’t deform him too much, that look was going to drive women crazy. Or men, if the kid preferred men. Whoever.

“I like to swim. And to run, play soccer.”

“Does your uncle know that?”

“I don’t know if I told him. I don’t think so.”

“So why don’t you swim, if you like it? There are several clubs with pools in this neighborhood.”

“Because I’m tired all day.”

And with that he put an end to the conversation and turned up the volume on the TV. Julieta went to help in the kitchen. That night she stayed over to sleep with Luis, who got up several times during the night to smoke on the patio. On the way back to his room, he always paused a few seconds in front of Gaspar’s door.