Lucas observed how time had passed—each person he had known, each person he had forgotten. The point wasn’t to blame anyone or to erase memories just to avoid facing them again. No, it was necessary to close a door Lucas had left open for far too long. And what better way to do it than by telling the story? After all, he had only scratched the surface. There were still so many things that only Lucas knew—luckily in some cases, but mostly unluckily because he had been the one to witness them.

After a brief interruption, the waiter placed the check on the table. Lucas, undeterred, continued talking to Sandra, who listened attentively to every word he spoke. He had just finished recounting the Carnival story when Sandra chimed in:

“–The starting point of the story, the one that marked a before and after. Finally, it’s getting interesting,” she said enthusiastically.

“–It wasn’t before?” Lucas asked, surprised.

“–I know the beginning by heart, you melon. Remember, I was there too,” Sandra said with a playful grin.

“–Well, I had to tell it properly, or it wouldn’t have been the same. And judging by your reaction, I think it’s a solid starting point—a foundation that makes it easier to explain everything,” Lucas replied.

“–Then let’s not waste any more time—get to it, Lucas,” Sandra said, leaning forward in anticipation.

And so Lucas resumed the story from where he had left off.

Carnival had come and gone, and from there, the story jumped straight to the holidays. As mentioned before, the group wasn’t exactly flush with cash. When summer arrived, they made occasional trips to the pool, but most of their plans revolved around cheap thrills: frozen popsicles, sunflower seeds, and, if they pooled their money together, the occasional slushie shared among the five of them. They always sought out the most economical ways to pass the time.

Of course, there were the famous walks through town, which, thankfully, were free. Those walks became their signature activity—a way to fill the endless hours of summer. They didn’t need much; just being together, sharing jokes and dreams under the scorching sun or the cool evening breeze, was enough to keep them going.

Their lives may not have been glamorous, but in those simple moments, the group found something that money couldn’t buy: connection, laughter, and memories that would stay with them, even as time marched on.