A Quг‰ Volver. Marгќa Dolores Pradera -

To return is often an attempt to find a version of ourselves that no longer exists. Elena closed her eyes, hummed a low, velvet melody, and finally let the past sleep.

A young boy kicked a ball past her. "Looking for someone, señora?" "A ghost, perhaps," she whispered. A QUГ‰ VOLVER. MARГЌA DOLORES PRADERA

She stood in the center of the plaza, the lyrics of her favorite song echoing in her mind: "A qué volver, si ya no queda nada..." To return is often an attempt to find

Elena didn't go to the house mentioned in the letter. She didn't seek out old friends. She turned back toward the station. As the train pulled away, she looked out the window at the receding silhouette of the church tower. She felt a strange lightness in her chest. "Looking for someone, señora

Elena walked the narrow streets, her heels clicking a rhythm that felt like a heartbeat. She passed the tavern where they used to dance. It was closed now, the wood rotting and the windows covered in grime. She walked toward the old fountain, expecting to see the man who had promised to wait forever.

She realized then that Julián wasn't waiting at the fountain; he had likely moved on, just as the town had. The San Lorenzo she loved lived only in her memory, and by returning, she was only staining that memory with the reality of decay.