***

Elvira's arrival was quite an anticipated event; Pedro loved his mother, and although he didn't show it often, her opinion was very valuable to him. Upon entering the house, the first thing Elvira dared to say was that the sauce Rosa was making was burning. After a long hug from Rosa, she dashed into the kitchen to try to reverse the feeling of failure that her mother-in-law had sown. Regardless of her constant monitoring of the lunch, Elvira's passing comment alone made Rosa sink into a sea of insecurities and disdain.

Alan, who had just finished changing after his shower, could hear from his room the hurried steps of his mother heading to the kitchen. He looked around as if searching for something, took a deep breath, and went down to join the rest of the family.

His grandmother was sitting at the head of the table. Upon seeing him, she opened her arms and, without getting up, waited for Alan to come and greet her. After the hug and pinches on his cheeks, Alan sat beside her and waited for his mother to finish preparing the food. Attempting to alleviate the boredom, he helped his mother set the table. First, he placed the plates with the metal rim along with the cutlery, then he placed the glasses with the golden rim they used for special occasions.

Rosa served the plates one by one, starting with Elvira, then Pedro, third was Alan, and lastly, herself.

Throughout lunch, they discussed a myriad of meaningless and insignificant topics. Only almost at the end, Elvira asked Alan what he planned to do next year since he was in his last year of high school and needed to enroll in a university if he wanted to continue his studies.

Alan still hadn't planned anything; just the thought of his future made his stomach twist. Although he was very good at studying, he couldn't find anything specific that interested him enough to continue studying and pursue a career. At some point, he had thought about studying architecture; that idea had emerged after various workshops he had attended in recent years at his technical school. On the other hand, he was also interested in law. He believed it could be very useful in Ushuaia since there weren't many lawyers in the area. Both professions could significantly contribute to the development that had been brewing there for several years.

After remaining paralyzed and thinking for a few seconds, he replied, "I haven't decided yet, the enrollment for university freshmen starts in October. I still have time to keep evaluating options."

"Time flies, you know; in a week, June ends, and after the winter holidays, it'll be just a matter of days," Elvira responded with a decisive tone.

Rosa tried to intervene, saying they didn't want to pressure him into making any hasty decisions he might regret in the future, and before she could finish, Elvira sealed the act with just one comment, "That's the problem with the new generations of parents; they've lost the authority to demand things from their children."

An uncomfortable silence fell over the house; only the sound of cutlery could be heard as if they were a mass production machine working inside a factory.

After a few moments, and as the conversation resumed towards other topics, Alan mentioned that next Thursday, he had plans with Ani to go for a snack at a new café opening that week in the center. Ani was Alan's best friend. They had known each other since elementary school when she and her family had moved to Ushuaia after her father accepted a job there.

Upon hearing Alan, his grandmother asked about his relationship with the girl, hinting that there might be something more than friendship between them. To which Alan replied that they were just best friends. Unsatisfied, she continued, "Tell me, son, do you have a girlfriend out there? I'm sure the girls don't leave you alone; you probably have several. I don't blame you; it's normal for someone your age."

Alan, who had never been in a relationship, shrugged and replied with a nervous laugh, "It could be, I'd rather not talk about it."

Pedro added, "Probably more than one," with a mischievous look and smile on his face.

Rosa began to clear the plates from the table and brought out the moist vanilla dessert she had prepared the night before.

Alan, feeling somewhat disturbed and with a bitter taste in his mouth, got up, saying he didn't feel like dessert, and after a goodbye, he retired to his room. Upon entering, he closed the curtains of his window and fell asleep until his mother would wake him up for dinner.