Page 44 of My Spanish Love Affair

“Well, you’d better invite me to the wedding. I’ll be Maid of Honour, of course.”

I shake my head at that. “Don’t get your hopes up just yet. I don’t really know how this will work… You know,logistically.”

“What do you mean?” Laura asks, her brows furrowing.

“Well, Santi’s pretty committed to a life here. And as much as I really do love Spain, I don’t want to stay here forever.”

“I don’t think you need to worry about that just yet,” she says, taking on a much more serious tone. “You just need to lean back and enjoy this. It sounds like he’s super into you - don’t sweat the rest of it just yet.”

“Yeah. I guess so,” I nod. “Anyway - tell me all about you. I’m not having it that you’re not seeing anyone.”

“Well, there might be someone…” Laura smiles, and I squeal in delight.

As we keep chatting, I realise how grateful I am for her endless support. As much as I like the people here and have made friends with some of my co-workers, nothing is quite the same as my friendship with Laura, where we’d hit it off immediately and been practically inseparable ever since.

Not only that, but I’m so grateful for technology, and for the chance to share this new chapter of my life with my best friend - even if she’s hundreds of miles away.

∞∞∞

Like most Thursday afternoons, my classroom hums with the low murmur of conversation and the occasional burst of laughter. The Spanish sun streams through the tall windows, casting golden patches across the desks where my fifteen-year-old students are scattered in small groups, deep in discussion.

“Okay, everyone,” I say, clapping my hands lightly to get their attention. “Remember, the goal is to practice speaking as much as possible. This is your chance to impress me with your English.”

A few murmurs of complaint ripple through the room, but most of the students smile and nod in understanding.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve learned that keeping the tone light helps them relax, and adopting Sarah’s method of speaking in English as much as possible has really been paying off.

Total immersion might be challenging, but it works.

“Your task is to discuss your heroes,” I continue, pacing between the desks. “It can be anyone. A family member, a historical figure, a celebrity. But by the end of the session, I want you to be able to explain why they’re your hero, and tell us all at least one interesting fact about them. Got it?”

A sea of nodding heads greets me, and the students dive into the task with surprising enthusiasm. I move around the room, listening to snippets of conversations and offering encouragement when needed.

Although most of the kids are speaking in English, I recognise a few wild Spanish phrases being tossed around here and there.

“Remember everyone,” I call out, interrupting their flow. “English only. No Spanish cheat codes!”

There’s a collective groan, but I catch a few smirks.

“Miss, sometimes it’s too hard!” a boy named Diego protests, dragging out the wordhardin a dramatic whine.

“You can do it,” I reply. “Think of it as practice for the real world. Now, back to your heroes!”

In reality, I’m beyond impressed by all of their work ethic, focus and dedication. Most of my students have been learning English since they were tiny, so their language skills are already at a superb level. I’m only pushing them because I believe in them all and want them to succeed in their end-of-year exams.

As I make my way around the room, I pause by a group of boys who are gesturing animatedly. Their enthusiasm catches my attention, so I linger just out of view, curious to see where their conversation is heading.

“Messi’s the greatest, no contest,” one boy says confidently, his English accented but clear.

“Pfft,” another counters, “Cristiano is better. He’s faster and scores more goals.”

“You’re both wrong,” a third interjects. “Have you seen Santiago Ortiz? He’s the best rugby player in Spain!”

My heart skips a beat at Santi’s name being mentioned.

“Rugby?” one of the others scoffs. “No. We’re talking football here, Javier.”

“But rugby’s cooler,” Javier insists. “Ortiz is like... super strong. I saw a video of him tackling a guy twice his size. And he’s got a bunch of trophies too.”

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