Josefina and Omar never cease to amaze me. Tonight at dinner while eating carrot cake that I made with Fina, she told Omar:

“Hey listen, I said to Laura the other day, I said: Don’t be jealous of the students that are coming for the summer program, even though they’re going to be staying in your room. They are coming for two weeks and you’ve been here 7 months. And you will always, always have a place to stay here.”

I said, “I’m not jealous, I’m just, you know, envious.”

“That’’s true, Laura, (‘La-oorah’, he says) you’ve robbed my heart, although that might make you laugh.”

I laughed, but mostly because my eyes were accumulating water…

“See– you’re laughing. And now you’re crying!”

“There’s dust in my eye. Cinnamon dust. From the cake.”

“Yeah, cinnamon dust, same with me.” Josefina says.

First two tears of departure.