“…And that’s why you’re crying.”

Carmen simply looked away.

“That’s one of the things I love about you. You wear your heart on your sleeve. I know how you’re feeling.”

“How could you? You’ve never been in love!” Carmen snapped, her eyes now fixated on a piece of gum stuck to the sidewalk.

“You’re right. All I’m saying is you’ve been hurt before. I remember how you reacted. It was never this bad. Not even after we walked in on…”

“We’re not talking about this.”

“Fine.” She threw her arms up in defeat. “I just think you should think about whether all this pain is worth it.”

“Yeah. Because if I go back to her. She’s just gonna pull something like this again. I mean, first she wouldn’t even be with me, and then she cheats on me! What the fuck is that?” She paused, waiting for an answer from her friend who just shrugged. “And then she has the nerve to act hurt! Like she was manipulated or something! That’s such bullshit, Mercedes!”

“Yeah, it is.” She kneeled down in front of Carmen and grabbed her face, forcing her to look her in the eye. “But do you love her?” there was silence as Carmen tried to look away, but Mercedes was insistent and held her head firmly.

“Yeah.”

“Then you need to talk with her, and…” Carmen moved to interrupt her, but Mercedes silenced her with a finger to her lips. “Then you need to talk with her, and I mean talk. Not yell. Talk. Have a civilized conversation. You’re both adults, so I think you should be able to manage that, right?” She stood up, not waiting for an answer. “Good. I’ll see you inside.” She walked inside the restaurant, leaving Carmen alone to think. After a few moments, she got up and walked inside. The song had long since finished and Carmen silently thanked God for it.