Longing discovered

Lying in bed, waiting for the sun to rise, Marcia contemplates the shadows of the street that enter through her window and are projected in whimsical shapes in the dim lighting of the room.

She knows that those silhouettes walking deformed on her walls are being made by the streetlight from the opposite pavement on the figures crossing the street. Hurrying men and women, a woman holding a child by the hand, an elderly man with his grandson....

Marcia looks at them and imagines the lives of the passers-by with a feeling of inexplicable nostalgia. She thinks piously that it is too early for the children to have to leave their beds to go to school.

As the streetlights fade, and the space fills with the beginnings of a frenzy of city noises, Marcia gets up and closes the window. A long, deep sigh precedes her exit from the room. "You have to face life as it comes," she says in a very low voice, responding to a vague demand of her own mind.

"Good morning, darling," she says as she passes the second bedroom of the small flat she lives in with her husband.

Good morning, my love! Ariel's hoarse voice reaches him when she is already in front of the teapot.

"How many hours did you sleep?" she asks as she reaches for her favourite cup.

"Four hours. I've already finished the project for the school building they asked me to do. It will look beautiful." Ariel has come closer, talking into her ear as he hugs her.

Marcia sighs again; this time in a quiet, delicate way.

"The children in the area will be very happy." The woman says, with an involuntary tone of sadness.

Ariel stands in front of her, interrupting the tea preparation. He lifts his index finger to her jaw and looks straight at her. He sees in her eyes the unmistakable glint of a repressed tear.

"Today the sigh at the beginning of the day sounded so loud, my love. When am I going to know what your sighs mean?"

Marcia lowers her gaze. Her husband's voice resonates with her as if from deep within her soul. She is acknowledging to herself, embracing her husband, the deep sadness that grips her.

He lifts his face again. He sees the thick drops coming down uncontrollably. Ariel is a brave man. He does not shy away from the experience and keeps looking at her. Marcia finds herself in the mirror of Ariel's eyes. She feels the happy and grateful sensation of being accompanied, but she continues to cry. She looks into her husband's eyes and understands how he himself is becoming infected, how the brightness that precedes the crying appears and how her own source of crying appears.

Without separating, they walk back to bed. Embraced and in silence they both cry, lying down, for a while.

"Let's work it out, Honey." Ariel sits on the edge of the bed. Now it is he who sighs.

Neither of them has explained in words how they feel, but they both know, for sure.

"Forgive me for leaving this burden to you alone for so long. I think I've been very selfish."

It is now the woman who comes up to him and embraces him.

"You are a fantastic husband and a very creative architect, always busy, always imagining schools, cultural centres, libraries, playgrounds... Don't feel guilty. I should have recognised this longing earlier."

"We've been working for this desire forever, darling. I fell in love with you instantly, that afternoon when I heard you reading your children's characters. How could I not see your maternal instincts in the way you celebrated the release of your children's books? Until now, I didn't know myself that I longed for it so much!"

Marcia and Ariel hold hands, walk to the window and watch people pass by.

A couple crosses the street, driving a pram between them.
They look at each other and smile. Ariel takes the floor.

"Now we know clearly what we're looking for and we're going to get it.

"This flat is looking very small to me now." Marcia says in reply.