“So where are you now?” He wiped his brow with the back of his hand, leaving a faint smudge of grease behind.
I closed my eyes, remembering the warmth of his smile, the tenderness in his touch. “It’s complicated.”
“Life’s complicated, Marc. Doesn’t mean you give up on it.”
Easier said than done. “He said he wants me to stay in Blanco Springs,” I admitted, my voice dropping to a whisper despite the empty room. “But trust? I don’t know if I can give him that, not after everything that’s happened.”
Alonso nodded, his expression thoughtful. “I get it, Marc. Trust is a fragile thing, and once it’s broken, it’s hard to put back together. But let me ask you this: do you believe that Ken cares about you and Mia?”
I thought back to all the moments Ken and I had shared, the way he looked at me like I was the only person in the world, the way he treated Mia with such kindness and patience. “Yeah. I do.”
“Then maybe it’s worth giving him a chance to earn that trust back,” Alonso suggested, his tone gentle. “A little forgiveness goes a long way. It’s not about forgetting what happened, but about choosing to move forward despite it.”
“I’m not sure,hermano,” I confessed, a sigh escaping my lips. “I can’t get him out of my mind. There’s this… connection between us. But it’s not just me. What if Mia grows to care for him and then… it all falls apart?” The fear gnawed at my words, leaving them unfinished.
Alonso set down his wrench and looked me straight in the eye, his expression softening. “Marc, all I can tell you is that feelings are complicated sometimes. But life’s too short to hold back, especially when it comes to love.”
“Love?” I whispered, allowing the word to hang in the air.
Was that what this was?
I let out a long breath as the weight of Alonso’s words settled over me. Could I find it in my heart to forgive Ken? To give him another chance? I wasn’t sure, but I owed it to myself, and to Mia, to at least try to find some happiness. “Thanks, Alonso,” I said. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Hey, hey.” Alonso pulled me into a hug, his brawny arms enveloping me. “You deserve to be happy, little brother. And if Ken makes you happy, then go for it.” He planted a kiss on the side of my head before returned to the task at hand. “Now, let’s get this transmission fixed before Mrs. Chen comes knocking down our door.”
A couple hours later, the shop door chimed, announcing the arrival of the car’s owner. I smiled, instantly recognizing Natalie Chen, the school nurse, who entered with her husband by her side.
Mia, seeing them, bounded over to greet them with a hug. “Hi, Mrs. Chen!” she exclaimed, her face lighting up.
“Hello, sweetie!” Natalie replied warmly, patting Mia’s head. “We miss you at school.”
While they spoke, her husband approached and shook Alonso’s hand. “Thanks again for looking at this on short notice. We owe you, Alonso.”
“No problem. Marc, this is Natalie’s husband, David,” Alonso said, gesturing towards the man.
David extended his hand to me with a warm smile. “Nice to meet you, Marc. Natalie’s told me a lot of good things about you and your daughter.”
I shook his hand firmly. “Oh, really? That’s very kind of her.” I flushed at the compliment, and glanced over at Mia, who was still chatting with Natalie. “Thank you, that means a lot. Mia is very fond of your wife too.”
As David and Alonso began discussing car repairs, I found myself lost in thought. Could it be that everyone was right? That this scandal would eventually blow over, and life would return to the way it was before?
I watched as Natalie laughed at something Mia said, her face full of genuine affection for my little girl. The scene was a gentle reminder: amid the waves of gossip, there were still anchors of kindness in this town.
As I finished up the repairs on Natalie’s car, she turned to me with a friendly smile. “Hey, guys, are you all going to the big carnival at the fairgrounds this weekend?” she asked, her eyes lit up with excitement. “I think I remember reading that Mia’s seizures aren’t triggered by flashing lights, right? It should be okay for her?”
Alonso chimed in, wiping his hands on a rag. “Oh, yeah, the carnival! My wife and kids are dragging me out there tonight. She’s been talking about those funnel cakes for weeks now.” He chuckled, shaking his head.
I hesitated, glancing over at Mia. “Yeah, I’ve taken her to theme parks before. She likes the small rides. But—” I rubbed the back of my neck. “We weren’t planning on going.”
Natalie’s smile widened. “Oh, you should definitely come! It’s so much fun, and there’s something for everyone. The school’s PTA runs a few booths as a fundraiser, so some of her teachers might be there too.”
At the mention of the teachers, my heart skipped a beat. Would Ken be there?
After our last conversation, he’d given me the space that I asked for, and now I wasn’t sure where we stood. Part of me longed to see him, to talk to him, to try to work things out. But another part of me was scared, scared of getting hurt again, scared of what people might say.
Mia’s ears perked up at the mention of the carnival and ran over to me, tugging at my hand, her eyes wide. “Daddy, can we go? Please? I want to ride the Ferris wheel and eat cotton candy!”
I hesitated for a moment, weighing my options. The thought of seeing Ken again stirred butterflies in my stomach. but I wasn’t sure if I was ready to face him in such a public setting.
