“In your eyes the emerald green…that gushes from the sea” Palmeras, Javier Solis 

The song Palmeras could be heard as Maria walked back home from church with her husband Humberto as they passed the fruit stand playing the song. Past the church, the roundabout, and then the fruit stand was the path they had to take to go back home. Humberto had begun building their home, all the way back when they were both just teenagers in the 60s in their hometown of Victoria, Tamaulipas 

1964 Victoria, Tamaulipas 

Humberto was a man whose color resembled caramel, though strangely enough…he smelled like vanilla to Maria. Ever since she could remember him, he smelled like vanilla. “Señor, why do you always smell like vanilla?” Maria asked… Why did he smell like vanilla? What a strange question, Humberto thought. He gave her a sharp smile and answered“Mujercita, don't go around the street saying I smell like vanilla because people like to talk…and then they’ll think you know about the moles between my legs" 

Marias eyes widened and she suddenly stood up “Whats wrong with you, even! I'm a respectable lady!” 

Maria went down the hill and Humberto was after her as he was shouting “It was a joke Señorita! Come back! Your nanny will scold me if you arrive without me!” down the hill Maria was shaking off some of the grass and little things that tell on you. She decided to wait for Humberto, because it was true, that if either of them got back home without the other they would be scolded anyway. 

He got back down and placed his hat on her head, “Perdoneme señorita. Let me take you back home.” They walked side by side for a while without saying anything to each other, maria didn't know why at the time but she felt a certain uneasiness without properly finishing their conversation. She thought about it on her way back home, how did he feel about her? Was it because of his ties to her family or was it because he truly cared for her as a person, as a woman? 

“Mujercita, your ribbons are falling out” 

Maria stopped under a tree and undid her braids, she took out the ribbon and combed her hair with her fingers. Humberto looked at her as she rebraided her hair without the ribbons and sighed.

 “Maria you can't be with me like this forever” 

She finished her braid and turned around to look at him 

“It's just that sometimes I feel embarrassed when you play with me like this, I don't know, I feel weird.”

“If you feel uncomfortable I can…” 

Maria stopped him halfway. 

“No, it's not that, I like being with you but sometimes I feel...I don't know!”

Maria hid her face behind her hands and said “I didn't mean to make you feel bad, I didn't.”

Humberto smiled and let out a sigh of relief as he felt the worry in his heart disappear, “It's okay little woman, don't worry, let's take you back home”

They both walked back to her house talking and laughing along the way with just a small distance between them.

 Maria and Humberto were well aware of the different worlds they came from, the true distance that separated them. Still, in that moment their worlds intertwined without anything to worry about. 

Humberto knew it and thought of it constantly, he knew that their worlds as well as the people they both loved sooner or later would become a worry and challenge.e

It was easy to say that they didn't care about the el que diran but if and when the time came they would either have to decide between each other or the people they cared about. Humberto looked over at Maria and wondered if she also thought about that, despite his worries, he couldn't help but admire her. Her bright light brown eyes, long wavy hair, and flushed cheeks brought a wave of breath air to Humberto's life. Night after night he fantasized about them, growing old together, and sharing a life with her whether good or bad.