June 3, 2023
Comerio, Puerto Rico

It's already been three weeks since she received the email. It's the first week of June, and Gina still hasn't told her boyfriend about the acceptance letter, she now finds herself waiting to get a response from one of the hospitals she applied to, and her mom keeps nagging her to tell him before he finds out from somebody else and he feels like she didn't want to tell him and leave him behind.

Deep down Gina knows what her mom says it's true, and it's not that she doesn't want to tell him, is just that she's afraid of how he'll react to the fact that she already made a decision, a decision that doesn't involve him because she is going to leave and follow her dreams and didn't talk it through with him first.

But as those thoughts leave wonder through her mind, without realizing she texts him and lets him know that they need to talk. Worried, he takes whatever time he can spare and calls her. As she sees his number she takes a deep breath

"Hey honey, I got your message is everything good?" He asks, Gina sits down "Yeah, I just, I need to tell you something, and I just, I need you to come straight home once you finish your shift, do you think it'll be possible?" "I mean, sure but, is everything okay? You have worried" she inhales "Everything is fine, it's just, that I've made a decision and based on that decision we need to talk, so please, come home once you're done"

He agrees and hangs up, Gina starts pacing around, her hands shaking, and she can feel her pulse rate rising "All alright, calm down, this is just for a couple of years, nothing you haven't already talked about, now it's official but manageable.

After a few hours the evening falls, Armando arrives at their house, Gina is sitting waiting for him to come inside, as he enters the house she stands to greet him "You made it, thank you" he kisses her "Come sit" he looks at her "are we good? Did I do something wrong?"

She starts laughing nervously "No, you haven't done anything wrong" he narrows his eyes as he sits on the couch "So, what is so important that you had me rushing to get home then?"

Gina sits next to him, she grabs his hands in her and takes a deep breath "You know how we've talked about going to grad school and doing our specialties, and well, you started yours" Armando interrupts her "Gina where is this going? Because we both agreed you'd help me with the finances while I did my doctorate and once I was finished I'd help you with your studies"

She looks him straight in the eyes "I know that's what we talked about at one point, but you started your studies later than expected, and" he stands from the couch "I know it was later than expected but I started it, what seems to be the problem now?"

She takes a deep breath "No one said anything, I'm just trying to tell you something, but you keep interrupting me, so, do you think you could let me finish what I'm trying to say or is that too hard for you?" Armando crosses his arms over his chest "It's not that it's hard Gina. But all of a sudden you are being all secretive, throwing in my face that I've taken longer than expected to achieve certain things as if you were the perfect example of achievement"

Gina stands from the couch and with a high and angry tone responds "NOBODY SAID ANYTHING ABOUT YOU BEING BEHIND SCHEDULE, IF THATS HOW YOU FEEL THAT IS TOTALLY ON YOU, AND I AM DONE FEELING LIKE ASPIRING FOR MY THINGS IS AN INCONVENIENCE TO YOU, BECAUSE I HAVE JUST AS MUCH OF A RIGHT TO GO FOR MY GOALS AS YOU DO" he tries to cut her off "DO NOT INTERRUPT ME AGAIN, I AM SPEAKING AND ONCE IM DONE YOU CAN SAY WHATEVER THE HELL BUT UNTIL THEN SHUT UP AND TRY TO DEAL AND PROCESS THE FACT TH I'VE BEEN ACCEPTED TO DO MY MASTERS IN THE US AND I'M LEAVING BY THE END OF THE SUMMER"

He stares at her, anger in his eyes "So you just decided that you are leaving and didn't even ask for my permission?" He continues mumbling to himself "That's just great, and here I was planning on proposing and shit"

Gina turns around and tries to compose herself but fails at it and continues shouting "ASK YOU FOR PERMISSION, HAHA, YOU GOT TO BE SCREWING WITH ME, YOU WENT ON TO DO YOUR SPECIALTY AND YOU DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING TO ME, HELL I FOUND OUT BECAUSE OF AN ENVELOPE AND YET YOU ARE OUT HERE JUDGING ME?

Armando shouts back "OH FOR FUCKS SAKE YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANT DON'T BE SUCH A DRAMA QUEEN"

Gina took a deep breath and composed herself again before continuing with a calmer tone "Look, I wanted to tell you and this is not how I wanted things to go, but here we are, so, we can talk about, or we can just let it pass us by until the day comes when I have to leave and we see what happens next from there, but whatever it is, it will happen after I take a shower and regulate my emotions, because I don't plan on fighting with you again, not tonight"

He grabbed her hands in his "You know deep down I am happy for you, it just caught me off guard, but I am here for you the same way you have been for me"

At that moment, Gina turned and headed to the bathroom, while he sat down, asking himself the same questions she had been asking herself for weeks, whether or not their relationship could last past this and the distance.

...

Gina dropped the news on Armando, and although his reaction was not as expected, will his support be sincere? Or is it just a manipulative act?

Continue reading Full Circle to find out what happens next in this lover's quarrel