Crossing your fingers is a gesture for wishing good luck

Setting: A cozy café in Seville, Spain. It’s a sunny afternoon. Lucía and Marcos, two lifelong friends, are sipping cortados at an outdoor table.

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Lucía:
(crosses her fingers under the table while watching a text notification pop up)
Okay, I just messaged Javier. Fingers crossed he replies with “yes” to the concert tonight!

Marcos:
(laughs)
Lucía, again with the fingers? I swear, one day your hands are going to get stuck in a pretzel.

Lucía:
Oh, shut up. It works! Last week I crossed my fingers before my driving test, and guess what? I passed!

Marcos:
You also studied for two months and took four mock exams. I’d say that had a bit more to do with it than finger gymnastics.

Lucía:
Coincidence! I failed the last time because I forgot to cross my fingers. I’m telling you, there’s something to it. My abuela swore by it too — and she lived to be 94.

Marcos:
She also refused to eat fish on Tuesdays because of a dream she had in 1972. Not exactly peer-reviewed evidence, Lucía.

Lucía:
But traditions exist for a reason! People have crossed their fingers for centuries. There’s gotta be some ancient wisdom in it.

Marcos:
True, it started during the early days of Christianity. People believed crossing fingers could form a symbol of the cross to ward off evil. But that’s history, not evidence. It’s like saying we should still bleed people with leeches because it was once common.

Lucía:
Okay, Mr. Scientist. But don’t you ever wish on a shooting star or knock on wood?

Marcos:
Nope. If something good happens, I thank hard work and probability. If something bad happens, I analyze what went wrong. I don’t blame the universe because I forgot to carry a lucky keychain.

Lucía:
So, you never feel that tiny spark of comfort when you do a ritual — even a silly one?

Marcos:
Well… I did once wear my lucky boxers during an exam.

Lucía:
Ha! Gotcha! See? You’re not as rational as you pretend to be!

Marcos:
Okay, okay. But the difference is, I knew they weren’t actually influencing my grade. They just made me feel confident. There’s a psychological effect — like a placebo. If crossing your fingers calms your nerves, that’s fine. Just don’t confuse the ritual with the result.

Lucía:
So… it’s not magic, but maybe mental?

Marcos:
Exactly. Believing something helps can sometimes actually help, just through your mindset. But if you start thinking Javier won’t text back just because your fingers weren’t crossed, that’s when superstition controls you.

Lucía:
Hmm. I see your point. But… I’m still crossing them. Just in case. [she crosses her fingers again]

Marcos:
Fine. Cross your toes too while you’re at it. I’ll be over here calculating the odds based on his texting habits.

Lucía:
Deal. But if he says yes, you owe my fingers an apology.

Marcos:
And if he says no, we’re doing a dramatic reading of “Lucía’s Letters to Superstition” at the open mic night.

Lucía:
Oh no… that’s worse than bad luck!

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The friends laugh, sipping their coffee as the breeze rustles the orange blossoms. Whether guided by logic or luck, their bond remains perfectly crossed — in all the best ways.