Green Flag / Red Flag · by Cian Kelly · 2026-10-30

He ghosted me for 2 weeks then showed up at 1am with a mariachi

Guadalajara. Dated this guy for about two months, then he just went silent. Seen on WhatsApp, no reply, for 15 days. I cried, I deleted our photos, I moved on (sort of).

Last Saturday at 1am I wake up to a full mariachi under my window playing "Si Nos Dejan". Seven guys with trumpets. My whole street woke up. My neighbour Doña Lupe came out in her robe. He's standing there with roses and says he was "going through something" and that he's ready now.

My mom thinks it's the most romantic thing she's ever seen and let him in for coffee. My sister says a serenata doesn't cancel 15 days of ghosting. I haven't answered him yet. He's texted every day since

39 sparks · 16 comments

Comments

Huy Le · 12 likes

how much does a mariachi cost at 1am, asking for my own bad decisions

Priya Nair · 0 likes

in GDL like 4 or 5 mil pesos for a few songs, more at that hour

Achieng Njeri · 9 likes

"going through something" with no details? ask what. if he can't tell you, red

Priya Nair · 0 likes

OP here, he said his dad got sick and he shut down. I believe him but I don't know if that's an excuse

Jiho Lee · 1 likes

my dad got sick too and I still texted my girlfriend "I need a few days". it takes 10 seconds

Ngozi Bello · 0 likes

if that's true it's a pretty human reaction tbh. bad, but human

Midnight Marauder · 9 likes

Brazilian here, we call this sumir e voltar com fogos. classic. he'll disappear again

Brave River · 8 likes

Doña Lupe in a robe is the real main character

Grace Parker · 6 likes

a serenata doesn't cancel 15 days of ghosting. your sister wins

Ananya Rao · 8 likes

Mexican here, as dramatic as it is, the serenata is a big public apology. he embarrassed himself in front of your whole street. that counts for something

Valeria López · 0 likes

he embarrassed YOU in front of your street at 1am, let's be real

Ngozi Bello · 3 likes

the mariachi is green, the ghosting is red. it's a green flag wrapped around a red flag

Paolo Garcia · 3 likes

red. romance as a way to skip the actual conversation

Cedar Orbit · 0 likes

a 7 piece band doesn't communicate better than one text message

Tiny Lantern · 0 likes

your mom let him in for coffee. he's not dating you anymore, he's dating your mom

Paper Atlas · 0 likes

ok I'm a hopeless romantic and I'd at least have the coffee. people do dumb things when a parent is sick