For Lucía, the sea always had something to say to her, even if it did leave in leave. She knew this well. That's why she went for a walk along the shore every afternoon and smiled in a way that some mistook for joy, but which was, rather, a form of balance; she had learned that showing pain does not always alleviate it.
Lucia had ridden out difficult tides. Some had hit her hard, others had dragged her silently, slowly, until she doubted herself. But from each one she had learned that life does not always warn before changing course, that there are storms that teach more than calm days. That was why she had lost things she was not willing to reveal, and had kept secrets that no one suspected. Not because she distrusted the world, but because she understood that not all human beings know how to listen. Even so, she had a few people around her, enough, whom she trusted without the need for words. They were small but firm presences, like rocks that do not move even with the force of the most stubborn waves.
As he walked, the ocean continued its dance without stopping: the waves broke with vigor, only to return to the same point, which made him think that everything that hurts also transforms, because suffering is not always an enemy: sometimes it is just another tide on the journey.
She was sure that that immense mass of salt water understood exactly how she felt. Not because the sea was kind, but because it never complains or tires. The sea goes on and on, for its strength lies not in struggle but in persistence. "Persistence is not about avoiding suffering," thought the girl, "but about learning to live with it, just as the sea coexists with the rocks it wears away over the course of history."
Lucia knew that victory lies not in resistance but in acceptance. In the determination to move forward despite the shadows we carry within us, all those subtle obstacles that accompany us even though they are invisible to others. She understood that being strong is not about gritting your teeth but about continuing to smile, without pretending. Letting life take its course, without trying to control it.
When the sun began to set, he sat down on a rock. The water gently lapped at his ankles. For a moment, he felt that everything was calm. The sea offered no comfort, but it demanded nothing of him either. Then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Like the sea, his smile—serene and weary—remained like the sea, persistent, sincere, and unbreakable.
