A young 27-year-old Eliana was arguing with her boyfriend, Antoni Medellín, in a small apartment lit by the warm afternoon light streaming through the window. He was sexist and egocentric, and she could no longer bear the relationship.
— I can't go on like this, Antoni. It's over — Eliana said firmly, as the wind moved the curtains and accentuated the tension in the room.
— Bah, you're always dramatizing — he replied indifferently, arms crossed and eyes cold.
Eliana ran out, tears streaming down her face, until she ended up alone in a park, where the scent of wet grass and freshly turned earth seemed to embrace her in silence. She collapsed onto a bench, too weak even to cry, while fallen leaves rustled under the soft wind.
A few minutes later, someone approached with soft steps over the gravel path.
— Excuse me… I don't want to bother you, but… I think this might help — said a calm voice, extending a handkerchief.
Eliana looked up and met serene, attentive eyes, reflecting the light of the sunset.
— Thank you… I'm Eliana — she murmured, taking the handkerchief with trembling hands.
— Sumaq — he replied, with a slight smile that lit up his face —. Nice to meet you.
The silence that followed was strange but comfortable, like a breath both souls needed. The sun slowly sank, tinting the park in golden and orange hues, seemingly wrapping them in a suspended moment in time.
— I think I've seen you before… aren't you the guy who rescues cats from the street? — she asked, trying to smile as the fresh air tousled her hair.
Sumaq looked down, blushing slightly.
— Yes… they don't ask for help. Someone has to notice them — he said softly, as a breeze stirred the leaves around them.
Eliana let out a short laugh, and for a moment, the air felt lighter, almost as if the park itself shared in her relief.
— Are you a priest too? — she asked, surprised.
— Yes — he replied calmly.
When Sumaq accompanied Eliana back to her house, the closeness between them grew naturally. The deserted streets of the afternoon gave them a sense of intimacy and calm, as if the entire world had stopped just for them.
— Thank you for coming with me — she said, a little shy.
— You're welcome — he replied, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Impulsed by gratitude and the emotion of the moment, Eliana gently kissed his cheek. Sumaq blushed, and the scent of wet earth and flowers from the park seemed to follow them all the way to her door.
Over time, they shared meals, confidences, and long conversations. What began as friendship transformed into a deep, though forbidden, love.
Eliana lived with an authoritarian father, Michael, who despised the relationship. One day, he tried to hit her. Sumaq intervened without hesitation:
— Get away from her! — he shouted furiously, his voice echoing in the room like thunder.
Afterward, he took her to his house. Rosita, his mother, tended to Eliana's wounds while she looked at Sumaq with eyes full of gratitude. The warm lamp light softly illuminated their faces, making the scene feel like a refuge in the middle of a storm.
— I'm sorry… I couldn't let them hurt you — he said.
— Sumaq… you're a priest, this… — she stammered nervously —… shouldn't…
— I love you, Eliana — he whispered, as the night breeze entered through the open window.
— I love you too… you're the best thing that's ever happened to me — she said, hugging him.
They kissed shyly, and in the days that followed, their love grew in secret.
On June 17, 2006, they married in secret, in a small chapel lit by candles that cast dancing shadows on the walls. The news enraged the community: Sumaq was expelled from the priesthood, and both were labeled as blasphemers.
They moved to Lima with Rosita, buying a small house full of natural light and the aromas of freshly baked bread and flowers in the garden.
— It's not a mansion, but we're together — said Sumaq, opening the window to let in the afternoon breeze.
— That's enough — replied Eliana, smiling —. I just want to be with you.
They kissed passionately. Shortly after, a doctor confirmed that Eliana was pregnant.
— I'm going to be a father! — Sumaq shouted, excited.
— Yes… this baby will be the fruit of our love — she said, kissing him —. We'll name him Kutichay, "the one who always returns."
Happy months followed, until tragedy struck: on March 14, 2007, during childbirth, Eliana and the baby passed away. The house fell into absolute silence, with a dim light that seemed to weep with Sumaq.
Eliana woke in a beautiful place, surrounded by golden doors glowing with soft, warm light, like an eternal sunrise. By her side was her sleeping son, and a young angel with golden hair approached, floating over a clouded floor that shimmered with a pearly glow.
— Name, please — he asked gently.
— Eliana… and he is Kutichay — she replied, holding the baby, while the scent of celestial flowers and distant music filled the air.
The angel checked his book and allowed them to pass. As they walked, a young seraph named Emily flew toward them, leaving a trail of golden light behind.
— Hello! You're new here, right? — he said enthusiastically, his wings softly illuminating the scene.
— Yes… I'm still a little confused — Eliana replied, relieved, as the feeling of peace enveloped her like a warm embrace.
Emily gently carried Kutichay to the senior seraph, Sera, whose smile radiated calm and infinite love.
— We will take care of your son — Sera said with a warm smile.
Eliana looked at her, tears of gratitude in her eyes, holding her baby while beginning to understand that, although her life ended in tragedy, she had arrived in a place of love and peace.