He had fallen in love with her.
The realization frightened him.
He knew exactly how other people would react.
He knew they would see the numbers before they saw the people.
They would see a sixteen-year-old boy and a sixty-one-year-old woman.
They would see a 45-year age difference.
They would ask questions.
They would judge.
They would assume they understood the relationship without knowing what existed between them.
But Adrián eventually decided that keeping his feelings hidden was becoming impossible.
He told Delia that he had fallen in love with her.
For Delia, the confession changed everything.
What had started as an unusual friendship suddenly had another meaning.
Still, they did not immediately announce their relationship to the world.
For about a year, they kept their romantic feelings private.
They met discreetly and spent time together in simple ways. They played cards. They shared drinks. They talked about art and writing. They enjoyed the kind of ordinary moments that meant very little to outsiders but meant everything to them.
Their religious beliefs also created limitations.
As Jehovah’s Witnesses, they followed rules concerning how they could spend time together, particularly when they were alone in private spaces.
Their relationship therefore developed carefully.
