The Wall of Winnipeg and Me

by Mariana Zapata

When life gives you lemons, you get to choose what you make out of them; it doesn’t always have to be lemonade.

“I wished you had respected me enough to appreciate me back when it would have meant something. I liked you. I admired you, and in the course of a few days, you killed all that.”

“She’s my wife, and all she’s ever done was watch out for me. Don’t go there, Trevor. You don’t want to go there, understand me?”

“The only people in the world who can hurt you are those you let have that ability, Van.

“You like waffles, root beer, and Dr. Pepper. You only drink light beer. You put cinnamon in your coffee. You eat too much cheese. Your left knee always aches. You have three sisters I hope I never meet and one brother. You were born in El Paso. You’re obsessed with your work. You start picking at the corner of your eye when you feel uncomfortable or fool around with your glasses. You can’t see things up close, and you’re terrified of the dark.” He raised those thick eyebrows. “Anything else?”

“Touch my wife again, and I’ll break every bone in your goddamn body.”

“I’m starting to understand that you can always make time for the things that matter.”

In that moment, I don’t think I had ever loved anything half as much as I loved Aiden.

“Home is where you are. I would go anywhere for you if you wanted me to be there.”

“I don’t know anything about relationships, Van, but I know I love you. I know I’ve waited my entire life to love you, and I’ll do whatever I have to, to make this work.”