In a beautiful ranch, surronded by mountains and clear rivers, there was a Little boy living there called Efraín. The ranch was full of fruit trees, flowers of every color and animals running freely. Efrain lived there with his parents, his siblings, and a very special girl called maría.

María was not his sister, but for efrain, she was part of his family. She arrived at the ranch when she was very Young, and from then on, she became efrain's best friend. María had long, dark hair and big shiny eyes that reflected the sunlight. She was a sweet and loving girl who liked nature just as much as efrain.

Every day, after his studies, Efrain and María ran through the fields, explored the nearby forests, and played by the river. María loved sitting under the trees and listening to Efrain tell stories of adventures from his imagination. Even though she did not say a word, their company was enough to make them happy.

In the ranch’s garden, there was a very special corner for María. There, she took care of her favorite flowers, some tiny and delicate white flowers that she planted by herself with some guidance from Efrain’s mother. 

She always took care of them and watered them appropriately, taking into account Efrain’s mother’s advice. Each time a flower bloomed, she ran toward Efrain to show it to him.

-Look, Efrain!” she said with a radiant smile. “This one is the prettiest!

Efrain was always amazed by María’s happiness when she was around flowers, and he could not help but compare her to one of those beautiful flowers.

For his 10th birthday, his parents decided that he should study in a better city. Even though Efrain did not want to leave the ranch or María, he knew that it was the best option for him. Before his departure, he promised María that he was going to come back and that he would never forget all the beautiful days they spent together.

“I’m going to come back before you realize,” Efrain said with a smile on his face, but deep inside, he was feeling sad for leaving her there.

María, with a calm and serene expression, although sad deep inside, hugged him and told him.

“I’m going to be waiting here, Efrain. And when you come back, the garden is going to be filled with new flowers for you to look at.”

The trip was long. Although he learnt many new things in the city, he was always thinking about the ranch, the lands, the mountains, and his friend, María. Sometimes, at night, when everything was quiet, Efrain remembered the walks he and María used to take together, the games they played, and the sound of their laughter. He wished time would pass quickly so he could return home.

Finally, after some years, the day he was going back to the ranch arrived. He was excited to be with his family again, but especially happy to see María. He wanted to tell her everything he had experienced there and see how her garden was; it was probably going to be as beautiful as always.

When Efrain arrived at the ranch, his family welcomed him with joy. However, he noticed something different: María did not come running toward him to greet him as he had expected. Worried, Efrain asked his mother about María, and she explained to him that María had been a little bit sick, but she was waiting for him in her room.

Efrain immediately went to look for her. When he found her room, he saw María resting on the bed, a little bit thinner than he remembered but with the same sweet smile on her face. She looked at him with shiny eyes and told him.

“I knew you were going to come back, Efrain. I have been waiting for this moment.” 

She said with her beautiful voice, soft and peaceful, but with a pang of tiredness.

Efrain got closer and sat down beside her. Even though María was weak, she still had that special adolescent shine in her eyes. During the next few days, Efrain visited her every day and told her stories about his trip. María listened to him attentively, enjoying every word he said.

The days at the ranch passed by, and Efrain received some very bad news: his parents wanted him to go to Spain and study medicine. Efrain was sad, but he did not show it in front of the sweet and lovely girl, María. He wanted those months beside her to be the best and to be able to remember them even if he was not there by her side.