Today was perhaps the best day that I have ever experienced. This is a statement that I did not think that I would be making on this journey. Today is Christmas Eve, and the village held a celebration. The celebration is said to run until tomorrow. They all gathered in the village center in a small gathering space like a plaza. There isn't much there other than some chairs and a stage. They began playing some music on the stage that I am afraid I can't place.

  "Do you like the music?" Maria asked me. People had begun dancing to it. It was quite nice, seeing all of the elderly couples look so very happy as they did this. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Yuri dancing with a girl. Who is here for girls now?

  "Yes. It's quite nice. Do you?" I inquired. She nodded.

  "Do you want to dance?" she requested, her voice as low as a whisper. I told her that I wouldn't mind and we began to dance.

  I had to admit something, "I haven't gone dancing for quite a while, so I might be a bit rusty."

  "That's fine. Me too," she responded.

  A moment of silence fell upon us before I said, "I think that now might be the time for you to tell me the truth about yesterday. What were you two arguing about?"

  "I... we... we were arguing about you," Maira told me.

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  I sighed, "Well, I do know that. I was told that. Why were you two arguing. I know that it has something to dow with me, but what specifically?"

  She looked into my eyes and muttered, "She said that I need to stay away from you. She said that you were her's."

  "That's not true," I told her, "I don't even like her."

  "On whose word?" she questioned. It was in that moment I realized that I had been backed into a corner of my own making.

  "Yours"

  Maria smiled a little as I admitted it, "Felix, do you like me?"

  "Like you? Of course I like you," I said.

  "You know what I mean," was all she responded with. I was forced to admit what I wanted to desperately hide.

  Another sigh came from me and I could help but whisper, "Yes, Maria. I do."

  "Would you mind being my boyfriend?" she questioned.

  I closed my eyes and looked to the sky, "No, I wouldn't mind at all."

  "Good," she told me, "I wouldn't mind being your girlfriend."

  "Will you be my girlfriend? Even if it is just for a little while until we get our journey back on its rails?" I asked.

  Maria smiled, "Of course."

  She wrapped tighter around me and gently kissed my cheek. I didn't mind this. It was quite nice. When it was time for all of us to go to sleep, I said my goodnight to her and Lawrence caught up with me, taunting me a little.

  "Don't worry, you weren't the only one," he told me, "Did you see Yuri and Angelo dancing with their girls?"

  "Angelo?" I inquired.

  "Yeah. Your girl's little sister. That house must be full of joy today," he remarked. I rolled my eyes at him and went to bed, clutching the fur jacket Maria had given to me earlier. There was no point in stopping Lawrence from running his mouth. I am just shocked at how quickly the whole situation escalated. Maybe there was a part to it that I wasn't seeing. Despite this, I'm quite glad that this has happened. Even if it is only for a short while.