The Simplest Of Glows

The fresh afternoon breeze surrounds Luriana and Vicente as they sit on the grass in the field. The sun is already starting to set, painting the sky in shades of orange and gold. For long minutes, neither of them speaks. They just listen to the wind and feel the calmness of the moment.

"I like this silence," Vicente says suddenly.

Luriana turns to him, surprised.

"Silence? But the field is full of sounds. The wind, the birds, the leaves in the trees…"

He smiles and shakes his head.

"I'm not talking about that silence. I mean this one…" He gestures toward the space between them. "The peace of being by your side without needing to fill the time with words."

Luriana feels an unexpected warmth in her chest. Vicente has this strange effect on her. He makes the simplest things feel special. And now, he makes the silence between them seem more meaningful than any conversation.

The sun sinks a little lower on the horizon, and the golden light touches Vicente's face. Luriana glances at him, not wanting him to notice. There is something about him that intrigues her. It's not just his easy smile or the way he speaks with such honesty. It's his eyes. There is something deep in them, as if he holds stories he has not told anyone yet.

"Why did you come to this village?" she asks, trying to hide her curiosity.

Vicente sighs and looks at the sky, as if searching for the answer in the clouds.

"Sometimes, we need to step away from what we know to find what really matters."

She doesn't completely understand, but she knows not to push. Everyone has secrets, and maybe, one day, Vicente will tell her his.

But at that moment, Luriana realizes something more important.

She feels good beside him. Safe. Calm.

And that scares her a little.

Suddenly, a stronger gust of wind sweeps across the field. Luriana's hair flies in all directions, and a few loose leaves dance around them. She laughs, trying to brush away the strands covering her eyes.

Vicente watches her and, without a word, reaches out to gently move a lock of hair that got caught on her face.

His touch is soft, almost hesitant.

His fingers linger a second longer than necessary, and when their eyes meet, Luriana feels her heart beat faster.

"You have a special glow when you smile," Vicente says softly.

Luriana feels her face warm. She is not used to hearing words like that. No one has ever told her something so simple and, at the same time, so overwhelming.

"I…" she tries to reply, but the words won't come out.

Vicente keeps looking at her, and for a moment, it feels like the world around them disappears. The wind, the leaves, the sun setting on the horizon… None of it matters. Only this moment between them.

He leans in slightly, as if he wants to say something more.

But before the silence turns into something greater, a distant bell rings in the village, breaking the magic of the moment.

Luriana quickly looks away, feeling her heart pounding in her chest. Vicente moves back slightly, as if that small sound had brought them both back to reality.

"I think it's getting late…" she says, standing up quickly.

Vicente doesn't respond right away. He just smiles, as if he knows something has changed between them.

And Luriana feels it too.

But she is not ready to accept it yet.