Love Is Just Around the Corner

else than facing her feelings. There was nothing like looking at the stars, observing them in all their greatness, studying their magical characteristics to escape the mundane problems, whether they existed in reality or just in their imagination.

  In fact, she had so much immersed herself in her research that she had even neglected her friends a little, as if trying to protect herself from anything that might disappoint her. Lisa called her incessantly to try to convince her to go out with her around the weekends to meet people or tell her the plans they had all made together, that is, those of her group of friends. However, over and over again, Sophia decided she did not feel like it, that she was tired or that she had things to do with work.

  Lisa was beginning to worry because she knew that, in the background, Sophia was hiding something from her. She also knew how inscrutable she was and probably was not going to tell it. Even so, she did not stop at trying to get her out of that vicious circle she seemed to have gotten herself into. In addition, she knew perfectly the facet of work addict that Sophia had and she should be able to break it in one way or another.

  However, it was not immediate. It was still several weeks before she decided to leave the ostracism in which she had voluntarily been detained. So much her friend had insisted that, in the end, she yielded to her requests. And little by little, the routine, this time yes, reinstalled as if nothing could alter it.

  - Now that you're back to being yourself, are you going to explain to me what has happened to you? - Lisa asked once.

  - I don’t know what you mean.

  - Don’t give me those, Sophia. I could hardly remember the last time we'd seen each other outside of college. I was about to give up.

  - Lisa, you don’t have to worry about me. I'm old enough. And you know there are seasons when I have to spend many hours. It's nothing personal, you know.

  - No, I don’t know. You never tell me anything. When Michael left you, I had to find out several days after it happened. Sometimes I think you don’t trust me.

  - Don’t be silly. You know that I do. There are simply things I don’t like to talk about.

  - And what subject don’t you want to talk about this time? Have you been dating someone and you haven’t told me?

  - Not at all! This time there’ss nothing to tell, you can believe me.

  - Okay, well, I believe you. I have no choice but to do so.

  Everything seemed to have returned to normality. Her social life seemed once again the typical of a woman in her thirties who has no family responsibilities. She had a good job, good friends and reasons to be happy. Nevertheless, it is not good to cling to unreal calm. Life, whether we like it or not, is full of ups and downs, emotional roller coasters that make us travel at speeds of vertigo in many moments. So it is much better to prepare to surf the waves because the sea, sometimes such a good friend that rocks and cradles you between its waters, unexpectedly becomes a fierce animal that throws you ruthlessly to the shore when it does not decide to swallow you in its depths.

  So, at last, she had become accustomed again to her comfortable life without any trouble. Her heart had resigned itself to the fact that things were as they were and, if you are not going to make a decision that prompts you to do something that changes the state of the situation, it is better not to suffer. What was the use of continuing to think about all this? Absolutely nothing, except generating anxiety and restlessness. Adrian belonged to a remote past and had invaded a parenthesis of her present. End of story.

  And for a while, it seemed that everything was as it should, that life continued as she had left just before traveling to Geneva, exactly as she liked it: under control and without leaving the established script. All planned, all with a schedule, all prepared and anticipated well in advance. In her life, there used to be no place for surprises.

  However, in spite of all that false sense of control, one fine day, everything went back up again. How could she even imagine it? Without warning, without the slightest intuition that alerted that something would happen, she met Adrian at Caltech. What was he doing there? How could he have traveled to California without even telling her?

  CAPÍTULO 8: ANNOYANCE

  How would you define the contrariety? Or maybe is annoyance? Is a sensation? Is a feeling? Is it an emotion? Maybe it is a thought? It is intangible, that is for sure. We can try to define what you, humans, experience when you feel upset. It is not nice, of course. It implies a certain confusion and inner agitation. Sometimes it can cause sadness or helplessness. It can also generate anger and acrimony. Bewilderment? Yes, possibly too. In any case, it is not a deliberately sought sensation.

  Sophia jumped into him in the hallway as she returned from the University cafeteria after breakfast with Lisa. It had been a day like any other. Nothing anticipated that something different could happen. There were no warning signs. Nothing.

  Specifically, it was a Monday, which are often reputed to be boring, for what starts the week, that Friday is still far away and that the entire workload of the week comes over you. First annoyance. They had been talking about what they had done on Saturday and Sunday. Although not very common, a few friends had approached to the National Park Secuoya and had camped there. They had had a great time, although they were more tired than usual, since they were not used to doing too much sport. In fact, it is not that they do not like physical activity, especially in the open air, since it has an undeniable charm even for the staunchest defenders of the sofa. They simply did not have time for it, a recurring excuse for everything

  Sophia thought she was having a hallucination. Adrian was talking to the rector, who seemed to be teaching him the facilities. And she was absolutely paralyzed by the scene before her. With no reaction at all, as if a thunderbolt had struck her from head to toe, she could only stand and stare at them until they became aware of his presence.

  - Doctor Abadia, I'm glad to see you. I would like to introduce Dr. Carranzo, from the prestigious German University of Heidelberg.

  - Adrian, what are you doing here? - She asked visibly annoyed.

  - Are not you glad to see me? I've crossed half the world to see you and you receive me so. I was expecting something more affectionate.

  - Do you know each other? - The Rector asked perplexed.

  - Of course - said Adrian. - We're friends from childhood. If you don’t mind, since we met earlier than I had planned, I'd like to talk to her for a while. I’ll look for you in your office later, all right?

  - Of course! I'm at your disposal. You know where to find me. In addition, we had little else to visit and surely Dr. Abadia can accompany you.

  Sophia was not surprised. What was happening? Was it some kind of joke? It had been almost two months since their last contact through social networks and she had not heard from him again. In fact, she had deliberately tried to get him out of her head and fit him back into her memories of childhood without alteration. As if nothing had happened. However, all her efforts lost their effect at a stroke and she attended stunned to an event she had not even imagined as likely. Adrian at Caltech? Simply, impossible.

  Whereas a hurricane of thoughts struck her head, she could barely think what to say. She did not know how to feel, either. Cheerful? Betrayed? Confused? Seeing her face, Adrian began to laugh.

  - Looks like you saw a ghost.

  - What are you doing here? - the astronomer said visibly upset.

  - Sophia, seriously, are not you glad to see me? Not a kiss, not a hug. I don’t recognize you - he said softly, trying to soften his friend.

  - I asked you a question.

  - I know, and I won’t answer until you tell me why you are so angry.

  - Why am I so angry? You come here, at my place of work, and it has not even occurred to you to send me a message or to call me.

  - I wanted to surprise you, but not in this way. I had planned to come into your office with a bottle of champagne and invite you to dinner.

  - I have not heard from you in months.

 
- Neither do I. And it's been about two months. In any case, I don’t think we should start blaming ourselves. That doesn’t get us anywhere. I'm here and that's what counts.

  - Well, I'm sorry, I do not have time for you right now.

  - What's wrong? Seriously, I thought you'd be glad to see me and I only see hostility in you. I have many things to tell you and I assure you that it took me a lot to keep the secret so you didn’t find out I was coming.

  - Well, I guess that's what happens when someone does things on their own without anyone else.

  - Sophia, really. You're behaving like a baby - he said, as he approached her and tried to grab her hand without success.

  - Why? Why are not things like you expected? Sorry, Mister important. This is who I am now.

  - Listen to me please. If it suits you, we can meet later and talk calmly and I’ll tell you the reasons that have brought me here. Really, you don’t know what hurts me that you treat me like that. You are and have always been my best friend. I don’t remember ever being angry with you and I can not bear you to do it. Tell me what I have to do to fix it and I will.

  After hearing him saying something like that, Sophia realized that she had lost control. In fact, he was not obliged to tell her anything. There were no commitments of any kind between them, no ties, no obligations. Therefore, there were no justified reasons for her anger and for that out-of-place