“One day, you’re going to fall in love”
Alma recalls her mother telling her that one day she will fall in love. However, Alma is skeptical about her mother's sentiments because she is unsure of her mother's predictions. What Alma knows is that her mother is feeling lonely after the death of her father. Alma's mother's memories of her husband's love are still fresh, and she wishes her daughter all the best when she grows up. Alma feels sorry that her mother became a widow at a young age, and she hopes that her father could still be alive.
“Twenty-five percent of my heart muscle died.”
The reader can conclude from Leo's statement that he is a lonely and heartbroken man after learning that his love is away and married to another man. Leo and Alma kept their love secret, and no one knew about it. Even after Alma's departure to the USA, her pregnancy was a big secret. Leo promised Alma that he would stay single because he can never be able to love another woman. Unfortunately, Alma does not make a similar promise, and that is why she gets remarried to a factory owner in the United States.
“I love you so much, I always wanted to say, but never said: Love me less.”
According to Alma, love is fragile, and there is no need to commit yourself fully and give your heart entirely to someone. On the contrary, Leo loves Alma fully with all his heart, and losing her can break his heart. When Alma leaves for the USA, Leo's heart is heartbroken, and he tries to get in touch with her but in vain. On the other hand, Alma gets married to another man, and she gets pregnant for him. The reader concludes that love can be unfair because the person you love most is the one who hurts you the most.
