Chapter 17 – Analyse
Chapter Seventeen
ANALYSE
Maya and I arrive at Mariana and Seb’s house, and Seb quickly whisks Maya away for a tio date. If I know Seb, and I do, he’s going to use this time to spoil her rotten and bring her back to me hyped up on sugar.
Anna arrives shortly after they leave. “Hola, amigas,” she greets, dropping onto Mariana’s couch.
Mariana hands her a mug of hot chocolate, and Anna raises it in a cheers motion. Mari and I sit on the couch beside Anna, Mari placing a throw blanket over us.
“I missed you both.” Anna sighs dramatically, kicking her feet up on the ottoman. “It’s been, like, a week. I was starting to shrivel.”
“I saw you two days ago,” I point out.
“Which is practically seven in chaos years,” she fires back.
Mari laughs. “She’s not wrong. This week has been long.”
“Tell me about it,” I murmur, reaching for one of the sugar cookies on the tray between us.
Anna eyes me over the rim of her mug. “Right. Let’s get to it, Lyse. What’s going on? What was the SOS sent for?”
I inhale deeply then exhale through my nose. “I got a text last night. From Letty.”
That gets their full attention.
Mari straightens. “What did she say?”
I grab my phone from the coffee table and hand it over, the screen already pulled up to the message I’ve read at least forty times since last night. Anna takes it first. They both lean in, reading the screen in silence.
Anna’s eyebrows shoot up as she scrolls to the photo. “Oh, hell no.”
Mari lets out a groan as she peeks over her shoulder. “That’s not even subtle.”
“Girl to girl?” Anna’s voice drips with venom. “Who does she think she’s fooling with this fake sisterhood bullshit?”
“She wanted to get under your skin,” Mari says, handing my phone back. “And it worked.”
I nod, wrapping the throw blanket tighter around my waist. “I can’t stop thinking about it. The picture. I’ve looked at it over and over.”
Anna tilts her head. “Do you think something happened?”
I hesitate. “No. I mean…no. I don’t think Mateo would. He’s not like that. I don’t think he is anyway.”
Anna interrupts gently. “I hate to be the one to say this, because you know I love you, but…he is a known fuckboy.”
I groan and sink deeper into the couch. “Don’t remind me.”
Mari shoots her a look. “Anna.”
“I’m just saying,” Anna continues, raising her hands. “That was his reputation. Until, like, five minutes ago.”
“Yeah, well,” I mutter, “maybe he’s changed.”
Anna shrugs. “Maybe he has. Maybe he hasn’t. I really, really hope for your sake he has. But guys don’t transform overnight.”
Mari folds her legs under her. “But they do grow up. And I’ve seen the way Mateo is with Maya. With you.”
Anna points at me with her mug. “And you’ve changed, too. Don’t act like you haven’t. All that talk about how you guys were just feeling things out, taking it slow. Blah, blah, blah. You caught feelings. Real ones. Big time.”
I don’t say anything. I just pull the blanket tighter, desperate to shield myself from the truth.
Anna reaches over and grabs my hand. “So, ask yourself this, Lyse. Is it worth throwing this all away over a text from a girl who wants what you have?”
I blink down at my phone in my lap. “I just don’t want to be that girl,” I whisper. “The one who defends a guy who’s playing her.”
Mari squeezes my knee. “You’re not. You’re the girl who’s scared. And you have every right to be. But you also have the right to fight for something if it’s real.”
Anna exhales through her nose. “We’re not saying trust him blindly. We’re saying trust yourself. You know Mateo. Does that picture feel like him?”
I shake my head. “No. It doesn’t.”
“Then that’s your gut talking,” Mari says. “And your gut’s usually spot-on.”
There’s a long pause. The only sound is the soft clink of Mari setting her mug back down.
And then Anna says, “Okay. But also…if he did cheat, we slash his tires. Obviously.”
Mari nods solemnly. “And key his truck.”
A laugh breaks through my chest. “God, I love you both.”
“We’re here for you.” Anna grins. “Always, baby. Even when you’re spiraling.”
Mari smirks. “Especially when you’re spiraling. Anyway, what does Mateo have to say about all of this?”
“I haven’t spoken to him about it,” I admit quietly.
“Analyse Josephine Garcia! Are you kidding me?” Mariana nearly shouts, her eyes wide with disbelief.
“I know, I know.” I groan, covering my eyes with my hands.
“Lyse, how do you expect to get to the bottom of this when you haven’t even spoken to him?” Anna asks, exasperated.
“I know I have to speak to him about it. But I’m scared.”
“Sweetie, what are you scared of?” Mari asks gently, her voice softer now.
I stare down at my mug, watching the steam curl into the air.
“I think…” I pause, trying to find the right words.
“I think I’m scared that maybe I’m wrong about him.
That I let myself fall for someone who isn’t who I thought he was.
And if that’s true, then…” My throat tightens.
“Then I have to admit that I let my guards down for someone that wasn’t worth it. ”
Anna reaches over and places a warm hand on my knee. “That doesn’t make you foolish, Lyse. That makes you human.”
“But it still hurts,” I whisper. “Even the idea of it hurts.”
Mari sighs, leaning her head against mine. “Then let’s find out the truth—so you’re not sitting here letting fear make the story up for you.”
I nod slowly, my heart pounding. “Yeah. I’ll talk to him.”
There’s a pause. Not long, but long enough for the air to shift, for the heaviness of the topic to settle in. I can feel my brain starting to spiral again, and I don’t want to go there. Not yet. Not tonight.
I inhale deeply. “Okay. Enough about me. Banana, how about you?”
Anna blinks. “What about me?”
I tilt my head at her. “First of all, how have you been feeling since your mom left?”
Mari nods, chiming in, “Yeah, you’ve been quiet about that. And you never shut up.”
Anna lets out a short laugh, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes.
“I’ll be honest. It’s been hard. I’m so used to having my parents here.
I mean, they’re only in Colombia, not gone forever.
But it’s so weird not being able to just walk over to their house, or do Monday night dinners.
I didn’t realize how much those little things grounded me until they were gone. ”
“Oh, Anna…” I reach for her hand and squeeze. “You have us. I know it’s not the same as your parents. But we’re here for you. Always. No matter what.”
“I know, and I love you guys for that…” Her eyes glisten a little, but she doesn’t let them fall. “But you both also have your person. Mari has Seb, you have Mateo. It just feels like I’m never going to have that.”
Mari leans forward, her voice soft but firm. “Banana, you are the catch. Any guy would be lucky to have you.”
Anna laughs through her nose. “That’s cute, Mari. But the last guy I dated was planning our future, the five kids I would be a stay at home mom to, and the room where his mom would sleep in before our third date was even over.”
Mari’s eyes go wide. “Wait—what?”
I nearly choke on my hot chocolate. “He brought up five kids and a live-in mother before dessert?”
Anna lifts a brow, deadpan. “Before entrees.”
“Oh no,” I whisper. “That man had a blueprint.”
“A blueprint, a family tree, and probably a Pinterest board,” Anna mutters, taking a dramatic sip of her drink. “And I’m just sitting there, trying to eat my damn mozzarella sticks in peace.”
Mari clutches her chest. “That’s unhinged behavior.”
“I panicked and told him I was allergic to commitment and dairy.”
I laugh so hard I nearly spill my mug. “And yet here you are, surviving both.”
“Barely,” Anna groans, sinking deeper into the couch. “Dating is a minefield. Every time I think I’ve met a normal guy, he ends up being a grown man who says ‘nom nom’ when he eats.”
We all gag in unison.
“That’s grounds for exile,” Mari says. “From Earth.”
“Right?” Anna says, shaking her head. “I just want someone who doesn’t have mommy issues, weird eating sounds, or a criminal record. Someone who actually knows what it means to show up. I’m so tired of the guys who think commitment is a scary word.”
Mari offers a warm smile. “You’ll find him. Maybe he’s already around.”
Anna rolls her eyes. “Unless he’s hiding in a firehouse or something, I doubt it.”
I glance at her, but she doesn’t notice. She’s busy picking at the corner of the throw blanket, lost in thought.
“Maybe he is hiding in a firehouse,” I say lightly, nudging her with my elbow.
Anna snorts. “Please. The only thing hiding in that firehouse is Nathan’s stash of chili cheese Fritos.”
Mariana chuckles. “You have to admit, though…there are worse places to stumble into love.”
Anna raises a skeptical brow. “Please. Like someone like that actually exists—emotionally available, dependable, and hot? That’s fantasy novel material.”
Mariana laughs. “You do realize you’re sitting on a couch with two women dating real-life firefighters, right?”
Anna points a finger. “Exactly. You two already snagged the good ones. The rest? Unavailable, uninterested, or unwilling to commit to someone.” She exhales slowly, her gaze drifting toward the window.
Outside, the late afternoon light filters through the trees, casting soft shadows across the living room floor. The mood settles, the laughter fading into quiet. A long beat passes.
Anna clears her throat. “Can I say something kind of heavy?”
I nod immediately. “Always.”
Mariana reaches for her hand, already sensing the shift in her tone.
“I want to be a mom,” Anna says softly. “I know we laugh and make fun of all the bad dates, but it’s not just about that. I’m in my thirties. I don’t have anyone. And some days, it feels like that dream—the one where I have a family—is slipping further and further away.”
She swallows, blinking rapidly. “And I know we’re supposed to be all modern and empowered, and I am, but also…I want that life. I want a home, a kid, someone who chooses me back. And I don’t want to be the only one still hoping for it while everyone else moves on.”
“You won’t be,” Mariana says. “He’s out there, Banana.”
“If he is, he better hurry up,” Anna mutters, half-laughing, half-heartbroken. “Unless he’s been hiding in plain sight, I don’t think I’m going to find him anytime soon.”
I watch her carefully. Anna’s the strong one, the sharp-tongued one, the friend who always has the comeback ready and the tissue box waiting if someone else starts crying.
But now? She just looks…tired. A little worn around the edges.
And I can’t help but wonder how long she has been holding all this in.
“You know,” I say, reaching for another sugar cookie even though I don’t really want it, “there’s nothing wrong with wanting it. All of it. Love, family, the works.”
Anna snorts softly. “Tell that to the guy who ghosted me after I said I wasn’t interested in a situationship.”
“Was that the podcast bro?” Mari asks, grimacing.
“No. That one tried to pitch me his NFT startup. This was the guy who claimed he wanted something real and then disappeared the minute I mentioned wanting kids someday.”
Mari raises her eyebrows. “They really just start running?”
“Like I pulled out a chainsaw,” Anna says. “It’s not like I said I wanted to elope tomorrow and start IVF next week. We’d been dating for a few months, and I just wanted to be honest about what I want in the future.”
I nod, understanding more than I want to admit. “You deserve someone who doesn’t see that as terrifying. Who sees it as a gift.”
“Exactly.” Anna pulls the blanket up to her chin and sighs. “I know it sounds dramatic, but some days I feel like I’m watching this little train—my dream, I guess—pull away from the station. And I’m still standing on the platform, trying to pretend I’m okay waving goodbye.”
Silence falls between us.
Mariana shifts beside her. “Maybe he’s not on the train at all. Maybe he’s already at the destination, just waiting for you to get there.”
“Wow,” Anna murmurs, glancing sideways at her. “That was either very deep or totally nonsensical.”
“Both,” Mari says proudly. “You’re welcome.”
Anna laughs, a real one this time, but her eyes are still soft. Still holding that glint of sadness I know too well.
I reach for her hand. “You’re not the only one who’s ever felt like that. I’ve felt it. Mari’s felt it. Everyone’s just pretending they haven’t. But you—” I squeeze her fingers. “You’re going to get there. And when you do? It’s going to be so worth it.”
“I hope so,” she whispers.
Mari tilts her head, studying her. “What if you already know him?”
Anna rolls her eyes. “If this turns into some cheesy Hallmark plot twist, I swear I’ll throw this blanket.”
“I’m serious,” Mari says, grinning. “You’ve lived here most of your life. Maybe he’s been here the whole time, and neither of you realized it.”
Anna hums like she’s about to dismiss the idea, but she doesn’t. Instead, she glances toward the window and says, “Maybe.”
Anna clears her throat and nudges me with her foot. “Alright, enough about my impending spinsterhood. What are you going to do next? About Mateo?”
I groan and flop backward onto the couch. “I was hoping you’d all forget.”
“Not a chance,” Mari says, sitting cross-legged. “We love you too much to let you spiral without at least sending you into the storm with snacks and a plan.”
“Snacks, I have,” I say, pointing at the now half-empty tray. “A plan, I do not.”
Anna clicks her tongue. “Then let’s make one. Step one: talk to him.”
“Do I have to?”
They both shoot me a look.
“Okay, fine,” I grumble. “But I’m not doing it today. Today is for hot chocolate and bad TV and pretending I’m not a total emotional mess.”
“Then we support your delusion,” Mari declares, grabbing the remote.
“I’ll allow one episode,” Anna says, lifting her mug. “Then we text him.”
I grumble but don’t argue. Deep down, I know they’re right.