Chapter Text
June
Juliana steps out of the car and looks up at the sign for Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de México, surrounded by the sounds of air crafts flying over her head. Taking a deep breath she got her suitcase and placed it on the pavement, turning to face Lupita, her mother who was now crying having to say goodbye to her only child for the next 3 months. In all honesty, Juliana could burst into tears herself. The thought of leaving her mother for the first time, she can't remember a time she had ever spent more than a few hours away from her, never mind a whole summer. A turbulent relationship at times, but she had an unbreakable bond with Lupita.
“Ma, will you stop crying. It’ll fly by, I promise” she said while wiping her mother’s tears.
“We’ve never spent a day apart, Juli. I love you so much” Lupita cried while pulling her daughter in for a deep hug. Retracting from the hug Lupita still drying her tears “You be safe, ok. Call me when you’re there and at least every other day”. Juliana nodded and Lupita responded by kissing the end of her nose. A simple gesture she had shared with her daughter since she was a little girl.
“I promise. I love you too." Juliana smiled. Panchito, you look after her until I get back ok?” Pulling Juliana in for a hug, Panchito chuckled “of course, now you have fun ok?”
“I will”. one final wave to her mother and Panchito and Juliana headed into the crowded airport and heads to the check in desk.
It was June so the airport was soon to be filled with families going on their holidays but right now mostly university students going on their party holidays too in which Juliana would be getting on the plane with them. Although she was on her way to Cancun to work, not to party. She had gotten a job in a hotel that would be filled with 18-24 year olds who had zero inhibitions and only goals were to get blind drunk, dodgy tan lines and to sleep with anything with a pulse. Both right now sounded horrendous to Juliana, who didn’t really like the taste of alcohol and was mending a broken heart. That’s why she was going, to get away from any reminder of Valentina Carvajal. That was one of the reasons she was also a little nervous about being in the airport, she knew Valentina was due to be going to Oxaca for her summer break with her friends. The thought of running into her made Juliana’s heart pound, she would have no idea what to say or do. She just hoped she could maybe could maybe get a small tan of her own on her days off. Cancun was known for some of it’s incredible beaches somewhere Juliana had never quite made it to. The ocean was foreign to her, and it was something her and Valentina had on their bucket list to do together; but it looked like she would be ticking this one off on her own.
Life for Juliana has never been an easy ride. She had an unpredictable mother, a useless father and had called a new place ‘home’ every year for as long as she could remember. There never seemed much point making new friends because she wasn’t round long enough for them to remember her name anyway. That was until she got to Mexico City. Life changed for the better when they got to Mexico City. Lupita had gotten a job where she wasn’t making bad money, it wasn’t loads but it was enough to pay bills and keep a roof over her Juliana’s heads and she had finally found herself a decent, honest man in Panchito. With moving around so much Juliana never got to finish school, although she would have loved to and would have excelled if she had gotten the chance. She was a bright girl who loved to read but her real talents were fashion design. If she wasn't working, she was drawing or sewing. It wasn't as often as she would have liked to though, she worked at a restaurant owned by a lovely older lady named Perlita. She was terribly kind and had taken Juliana under her wing as a granddaughter really. She saw how much Juliana wanted to help her mother out but also save for her future. Juliana would work all the hours under the sun so she could help pay her way, sometimes she had to be reminded to take a day off. She would protest she didn't need one when Perlita could see she was running on empty, but she was stubborn and always had been.
The customers loved Juliana, nothing was ever too much trouble for her and she would always greet them with nothing but a smile. It was that smile that caught the eye of Juliana's now best friend, Alejandro. He thought she was absolutely beautiful in every way, so much so, he came back to Perlita's every day until she agreed to go a date with him. Juliana was against it initially but the more she got to know him the more she saw what an incredibly kind person he was. Alejandro was good looking but he also adored Juliana. As they got to know each other they became more fond of each other and eventually it developed into them making it official. However it didn't quite work out as planned. Their relationship lasted a mere few months before they both realised they were better as friends. That’s what surprised Juliana the most, how normal they were with each other after their breakup, especially since Alejandro had been so persistent, she thought that was going to be the end of their friendship. People always say after breakups that they'll still be friends but it never really happens. This was the complete opposite for the young pair. They remained best friends and Juliana even got Alejandro a job in Perlita's restaurant as a bartender; someone else the customers also loved. They made into a competition, who could get the most tips and annoyingly he usually won.
Alejandro was definitely Juliana's best friend. He had seen her through good times and her worst which she still was going through. He had been her rock since things ended with Valentina. The moment he told her he was leaving Mexico City broke her heart:
April
Juliana was scrubbing the tables clean after the lunchtime rush. She had nearly finished until she felt some tickle her sides from behind making her jump. “Alejandro don’t do that!” she shrieked throwing her cloth at him. Alejandro laughed and dodged the wet material and pulled out a chair sitting down in front of Juliana. “I need to talk to you, can you sit?” he said gesturing to the chair opposite him. Raising an eyebrow, Juliana cautiously sat down. Alejandro never really wanted to talk about serious things.
“This better be something actually important, and not more of your ‘women issues’, I’ve told you taking all your dates to the same place would never end well” Juliana joked to try and lighten the situation as she could sense Alejandro’s mood shifting. Readjusting his position, Alejandro was struggling to start his sentence. Getting more and more frustrated, Juliana begged him to just say what he needed to say. Serious talks like this just reminded her over every time her mother would tell her they were moving to somewhere new. “I’m leaving the city, Juls”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Juliana could feel the lump rising in her throat. “What do you mean you’re leaving the city. You can’t leave” she tried.
“My uncle is the manager of a hotel in Cancun. There’s a full time bartender job available and he asked if I wanted it. So i’m taking a chance Juls, it’s right by the beach and it’s a chance to meet you new people. I can finally get out of this city.” Juliana didn’t want to cry but she couldn’t help it, she felt like everything around her was falling apart recently and there was nothing she could do to stop it, she knew it sounded selfish and would never say it aloud, but why was everyone who she loved leaving her.
Leaning over and taking Juliana’s hand in his own, “don’t cry Juls, you didn’t cry this much when we broke up” he laughed which caused the black-haired girl to do the same, “I know it isn’t great timing with everything that’s happened with Valentina but i’m leaving sooner than I thought and I had to tell you” he continued.
Not really wanting to know the answer Juliana asked him when he would be leaving to which Alejandro responded at the beginning of May, which was just over a week away. They needed Alejandro to go over as soon as possible to get to know the bar and the hotel before the busy summer season started. As much as Juliana did not want to see him go she knew it would make Alejandro and that’s what she wanted for her friend. She told him she was proud of him for being so brave and that he had to promise to call every week which he scoffed at joking that he doesn’t even call his own mother that much.
The next week flew by and the pair spent as much time as they could together until it was time to say goodbye. Juliana was crying before Alejandro could open his mouth. He opened his arms and pulled Juliana in for a deep embrace which she tightly reciprocated. Leaning his head on top of the shorter girl, “no more crying Juls. You’ve done enough of that recently over your break up. This isn’t goodbye forever ok? I’ll be flying you out there in a month, you have my word”.
Juliana pulled back wiping her tears away, “don’t you waste your money on me.”
“It’ll do you good to get out of the city and away from anything that reminds you of Valentina. Being in here everyday can’t help” Juliana winced at hearing her name of her ex. She was in no way over their breakup and the four walls of Perlita’s restaurant was a daily reminder of the time they had spent together. Alejandro had been her only distraction from the breakup.
One final hug and Juliana making Alejandro promise to be safe and get no girls pregnant, the paid said their goodbyes and Juliana was left one pavement watching Alejandro's car drive off to the airport.
May
The month that followed was bleak for Juliana and was working every hour she could. She was still saving every penny she could and any peso’s she did have for herself, she didn’t have anyone to go out to spend them with. She did have one thing to look forward to, surprisingly Alejandro had stuck to his word and called Juliana every Thursday on his day off. Every Thursday at 4pm her would call in between Juliana’s double shift. Right on cue, Juliana felt her phone vibrate in her apron pocket “Hello stranger” Juliana smiled “Stranger? I text you yesterday” he replied. “I know but it’s not the same as having you bothering me here”. Alejandro chuckled down the phone in response, “how’s your week been? Still busy?”.
Alejandro had been telling Juliana how much busier the hotel had been getting. He had been working much longer hours but making a lot more in tips. “Yeah it’s filling up now, we’ve had a load of last minute bookings so my uncle is on a recruiting spree, we need more staff and ASAP. Still don’t fancy a job for the summer do you?”.
Alejandro had spoken with Juliana a hundred times about getting a job out there, he had said they would have the best time but Juliana always said she wouldn’t leave her mother so he stopped asking. Recently she had been thinking about what if he had asked again. Really, what did she have here to stay for? Lupita was starting her new life with Panchito, she no longer had a girlfriend to stay for and as much as she loved Perlita and she would feel bad for leaving her job after the older woman had been so kind to Juliana; she would easily find another waitress.
“Ok. When should I book a flight?” Juliana said as a matter of fact.
“Yeah right”
“I’m serious. You were right Alejandro, there’s nothing here for me anymore” she sighed. The only reason she did have broke her heart and Juliana was tired of moping around. Alejandro was ecstatic He loved his new life but did miss his best friend too. He spoke with his uncle and he took his nephews word that Juliana was reliable and told her to get the next flight out she could. So she went home and did exactly that. She told her mother who did not take the news well but she booked her flight for June 1st. It was her time now.
Present Day
Hearing the final call for her flight to Cancun, Juliana joined the queue of rowdy students on their way to Cancun. Handing her boarding card to the smiling attendant, they pointed to the direction of her seat. Sitting down and buckling up her seat belt, Juliana took out her phone and text Alejandro saying she would be taking off shortly, turning it off and then placing it in her jacket pocket. She took a deep breath and looked out of the window letting her mind wander to what the summer might have in store.