Up until recently, the decision Marina was struggling to make wouldn’t even have made her think twice. The youngest in a large Cuban family, Marina had always been a Daddy’s girl. He’d call her over - “Mija, ven aqui” - and she’d sprint towards him, arms wide open, brown hair flying out behind her, a smile spreading across her face. But now, things had changed. Papa was no longer the only man in her life, and though even a year ago she couldn’t imagine living anywhere but with Mama and Papa, now she was torn between them and Jorge. And having to decide was ripping her apart.

Marina and Jorge had sat next to each other in the back of their Econ 101 class at Miami Dade Community College, both having rushed in late, trying to avoid being noticed, the first day of class. Those quickly became their seats, and though reserved around one another, they shared confused looks when their professor attempted to explain supply and demand, or some other economics term that they were supposed to be able to comprehend. And then one day, “Coffee?” Jorge asked. Their friendship slowly turned to romance, and they fell for one another.

But of course, life happened. Jorge could no longer afford to attend school, and had to drop out. This didn’t stop them from seeing each other, or from falling deeper and deeper in love. “Some day” Marina sighed, “We’ll own our own farm, with chickens and a giant vegetable garden.”  They imagined their little farm, chickens running everywhere, clucking nonstop. Three niños laughed as they chased them, sending feathers flying. But in all of this, Marina had never taken Jorge to meet her family. It wasn’t that she was ashamed of him, he was after all, her cariño, her sweetheart. But her parents were of a different breed. To them, if you weren’t in the same class as they were, they wanted nothing to do with you, and especially didn’t want you near their beloved daughter.

But, Marina and Jorge had decided, finally, it was time for everyone to meet. And two days ago, Jorge had met Mama and Papa. Marina could still feel the coldness and the icy stares. “Buenos dias” Papa snarled, sizing Jorge up as he moved aside to allow him in for coffee. Long pauses followed Jorge’s awkward attempts at conversation as everyone in the room fidgeted and shifted in their seats. “So, how did you meet my daughter?” Papa finally asked. After listening to his response, he leaned forward, looking Jorge in the eyes. “I can see that you care for her, and so I’m sure you’ll understand why I’m about to say what I’m going to say. You may not date my daughter. And that’s the end of the discussion. Se acabó. It’s over.”

And so now Marina now faced the decision of whether to follow her parents or her heart, in deciding where she wanted her life to go. “Hurry up, hurry up” she thought as she threw clothes into her bag. “They’re going to find you and stop you if you don’t hurry up. And there’s no way you’ll be able to leave then.” Taking one last glance around her room, the room where she had hidden from her brothers and sisters throughout her childhood, where Mama and Papa had read her stories and tucked her in every night, she sighed and shut the window behind her.