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The robin flew away, and somehow, I knew she’d sent it. I thanked Mamá for teaching me to love so fiercely by her example.
36
Amy’s shuddering sobs tore at my insides. I hated to see her cry. I reminded myself these were good tears. Tears of resolution. It didn’t suppress the raging monster inside me that wanted to kill someone to make them stop. I scratched the edges of the film on my new tattoo, feeling useless.
We’d been in a bubble of bliss since the wedding a week ago, but I knew this visit would shift that mood.
Amy reached out a shaky hand and smoothed her fingers over the hummingbird at the top of the marble stone. I wasn’t sure I made the right decision choosing a headstone for her mother’s grave without asking her, but she’d fallen to her knees when we got here and wept, clutching me and gibbering thank yous.
“She said she called me hummingbird because I was the light in her life, like the depictions of the Aztec sun god. All she wanted for me was the freedom she didn’t have. That’s why she loved the idea of me becoming a dentist. She loved hearing about what I learned at school because she dropped out early to help support Abuela.” Her voice grew stronger, and the tears lessened.
“That was how she ended up dancing. She said she never wanted that for me but taught me to dance because she knew I loved it. I used to play on the poles in the clubs when they were closed. I watched the women there and thought they were so beautiful. Mamá wanted me to get a job using my brain, not my body. She wanted big things for me, and I wanted her there when I achieved them.” A sob stole the words from her throat.
I tucked her back under my arm, hating not being able to take her pain. It was a part of life, but it didn’t make it easy. I grieved my ma, and she was still alive.
“I think she’ll love it here.” Amy glanced around at the leafy cemetery adorned with flower beds and trees. “Thank you for bringing her back to me. It’s been hard all these years not having a place to come and see her.”
“You never need to thank me, a chuisle. If it is important to you, it is important to me.”
It was true. My priorities had shifted in a brief space of time.
We spent another ten minutes in silence until Amy’s tears finally dried, and she stood with my help.
“Goodbye, Mamá. I’ll see you soon. Next time, I’ll bring some flowers.” She pressed her fingers to her lips and then to the headstone.
I pulled her against my good side. My damn shoulder was still twinging.
She smoothed a hand over my chest, smiling. I’d got a huge rose tattooed over my heart to symbolise her old name. She decided she wanted to keep Amy, and I’d already changed her second name to O’Sullivan, so I was happy.
“Do you fancy a drink?” I asked.
“I’d love a milkshake,” Amy said sheepishly. “I know a great place near town.”
“I can’t say I’ve ever gone out for a milkshake, but let’s go.”
“Old man.” She poked my ribs.
“You weren’t calling me that last night.”
She giggled, and it was a welcome relief from her tears.
My phone rang, and Loch’s number flashed up.
“Yes?”
“We’ve got a situation,” Loch said, and I could hear Rada’s crying in the background.
I tensed. “Tell me.”
“It’s Viktor.”
“What about him?”
They’d gone to see him in their endless quest to track down Rada’s sister. Viktor said they could search through Boyan’s main paper files. Our solid new alliance was still in place. We’d hammered out product supply chains that were becoming lucrative for both organisations. Viktor had shut down all the trafficking.
“He got a call while we were with him. Rada thought she recognised her sister’s voice. She followed him and saw her on the video. Viktor claims she was wrong, but she’s convinced.”
I blew out a breath. Rada’s obsession with finding her sister could cloud her thoughts.
