Just before getting into the car, Lucas had a flashback.

It must have been around 7 in the evening, and Lucas was putting away a board game they had just finished playing. He looked up while placing the last bills in their respective slots and smiled at the person in front of him, who returned the smile with a very provocative expression. Lucas remarked:

• "I win again."

• "You always say the same thing; you’re getting a bit repetitive," they sighed, stood up, put on their coat, and left without saying anything else.

Upon hearing the door close, Lucas leaned back in his chair and stretched. There were situations he would never fully understand.

He came back from his unexpected memory and found himself driving. A few minutes later, he stopped the car, the door opened, and Sandra got in. She looked at him and said:

• "Late as always. Good thing I know you’re going to take forever, so I wait a bit before coming down, or else..." Sandra commented in a rather sarcastic tone without even saying hello.

• "Good afternoon to you too, gorgeous," he retorted, and the two friends burst out laughing as the car started moving.

A few minutes later, they arrived at their destination, a shopping mall. It was Saturday, and that was evident from the number of cars vying for parking spots and the scarcity of available spaces. The drivers seemed like hunters searching for good prey. This time, Lucas was quite lucky and parked on the first try—a rare occurrence for him—and quite close to the entrance, something both of them appreciated since it meant they didn’t have to walk far.

Once inside, what they had seen outside became a reality: a crowd of people filled the central hallways of the mall, entering and exiting every store. None were spared, from food courts and fashion boutiques to electronics stores. As mentioned earlier, it was clearly Saturday. However, it also seemed like people were mostly window-shopping rather than making purchases. It was the middle of the month, and that was evident; it wasn’t the time to splurge, which usually happened at the beginning of the month.

The two friends walked through the hallways and headed to the food court. Along the way, they discussed various topics—current events, personal matters, a bit of everything. When they arrived, it was as crowded as the other areas. They had to wait for a table and eventually sat at one that was as isolated as possible, given the day. After sitting down and deciding what to order, they called the waiter. Once their order was placed, they began to talk:

• "Did you think it over and consider what I told you? It would be a good idea," Sandra said.

• "Yeah, I think it would be a good idea too, all things considered," Lucas replied, finishing with a long sigh.