The sun was burning my skin and mom had muddied my whole face with sunscreen so I could go play with Sofia; she was beautiful, mom always took me to her house to play, but most of the time she just wanted to make me look like a prince in her absurd castle and dragon games, but even those didn't allow me to be.

-Diego, honey, go with Sofia and get some snails. -I heard Mommy screaming from the palm trees.

Whatever you say, woman.

If we compare, Mom was beautiful, but not as beautiful as Sofia, her beauty was so peculiar that I had to look up the word in the dictionary to know its meaning; it defined her perfectly: Strange, amazing and rare.

I remember that the first time I saw her I thought she was an angel, I almost tore off Mommy's dress asking her to pinch me for having Sofia in front of me and not believing it, it was really a dream.

She looked like a statue watching her walk back and forth in my house and I didn't know what the hell to say to her, but I really wanted to talk to her.

I tiptoed across the sand and approached Sofia slowly to scare her, but that girl was too smart, before she could do it she realized.

-I know what you're trying to do, Diego, and believe me, it won't work.

Sometimes I was shocked by that girl's vocabulary and attitude, she was like an adult in the body of a pretty-eyed brat.

Mom wants us to look for snails, or they just want to have a grown-up conversation over there.

-It's a good idea, I need snails for my castle. -I'll get them.

-What castle? -I threw myself on the sand next to her to annoy her, I knew perfectly well she hated anyone meddling if she was in her "Inspirational Moment".

-You're sitting on it, you fool! -she shouted angrily, pushing me into the sand.

-I'm sorry, I didn't know.

I did know.

-Of course not, now you'll have to make me a new one. -He crossed his arms and kicked the sand.

Oops, tantrum.

It was funny, I knew that even if we were kids I should take care of her. Sofia had no one else, and neither did I, but it was amazing to see how her ears and nose turned red with anger, she always ended up forgiving me, of course, as long as I got down on my knees and gave her any candy she wanted, but she has the gift of forgiveness.

-I'll give you any castle you want. I'll declare to calm his anger.

-We are children, you don't have the money to give me a castle, if it costs you even to play with me.

See? She's tough, I love her.

-Well, I can give you any castle I want if you give me something in return. -I exclaimed so confidently that they could carve it into a stone if necessary.

-In exchange for what? -I don't know. -His evil brow came out to shine.

-That I will be king of the castle and in return, you will be my queen. -I smiled broadly without taking my eyes off hers, I am a boy, I did not understand such things as a girl, but even if it was only games, I loved her.

She turned her face to hide her smile, but she could not help herself. -You say a lot of silly things, like you.

-I'm three years older than you, that makes me smarter.

-There's no age for sand castles. -I'm not.

What's that for?

-Well, I want to be king of something, and if I can't be king of the sand castle, I'll be king of the end of the world.

-Why the end of the world? There's no logic to that.

-Shut up, you don't even know the meaning of that word, and in answer to your question: Because it's something no one has ever thought of achieving, and you'll be my queen.

-Yes, dream on.

With you, every day.

We walk the narrow beach looking for snails. Money or not, I owed Sofia a castle and I had to at least replace the one I crushed. I enjoyed watching her run and act like a princess, which in fact, for me she was.

Mom had taken a lot of pictures of us playing on the shore and in the sand, she said we looked very pretty together and it was true.

-I'll start the castle, you get some grape leaves for the tower flags.

-All right, please don't sit on my castle again.