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“What about him?” The tension in my daughter’s voice instantly changed the mood between us. Why couldn’t I have just kept my mouth shut? I seriously needed to let this go.
I looked into my coffee cup for answers. “I was just wondering if he knows you’re pregnant and if you’re going to tell him about having twins.”
Lia sighed. “He knows I’m pregnant.”
“And?”
Her grip tightened around her spoon. “He’s not interested in helping, so I’ll just have to raise the babies on my own.”
“He’s not interested in helping?” My blood boiled. Who cared if he was interested or not? Lia hadn’t created those babies alone. Regardless of this man’s feelings, he needed to step up and take responsibility.
“He doesn’t think the baby... The babies are his,” Lia said. “He thinks I’m lying about him being the father.”
“What?”
She nodded. “He said the baby couldn’t possibly be his, and he has no idea why I would lie about something like that.”
“Oh, honey.”
She tore off a piece of bread and dipped it into her soup. “It’s no big deal.”
I wrapped my hands around my coffee cup. “It’s a huge deal. I’m sure Troy could help you find a lawyer who could arrange child support for you.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to do that. At least, not right now. Just let me enjoy the good news that I’m having two healthy baby girls, okay?”
Reluctantly, I nodded. “Okay.”
* * *
After taking Lia home,I debated whether or not to call my principal. In the end, I decided that whether I talked to her tonight or tomorrow, she wasn’t going to be happy with me. In fact, she wasn’t going to be happy until I secured a new author, so I might as well wait until tomorrow.
Not paying attention, I took the wrong turn and ended up driving past the restaurant. Seeing the Hermosa’s sign flooded me with so many memories, both good and bad.
Before becoming a school librarian, I’d worked alongside Salvador and his grandmother for years. My decision to quit the restaurant business and get my degree had been met with opposition. Salvador and I didn’t have any money back then, and Abuela simply couldn’t understand why I didn’t want to keep working at the restaurant.
In the end, however, they both supported me, making sacrifices that enabled me to pursue my dream. And, without me, Hermosa’shad gone on to become one of the most popular restaurants in Edmonds.
Afraid Salvador or his mother might see me, I kept my gaze forward and thought about my sweet granddaughters. Two little girls. It wouldn’t be long now. Just a few more months.
