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“None that I know of.”
Nana may have more pearls from her history hidden away that she hadn’t told Gabi about yet. But if she had any distant relatives in Spain, Gabi wouldn’t have the first idea where to start looking for them. Plus, since she wouldn’t know them from Adam or Eve, she had no urge to start looking either.
“And your mama?”
“I was three when she died.”
Aisha took Gabi’s hand. “I’m sorry.”
Gabi stared at Aisha’s hand around hers. The warmth nudged at the loss and loosened it a little. “They discovered she had breast cancer when she was pregnant with me. She refused treatment until after I was born. It was too late for her by then.”
“She was very brave.”
Gabi watched the tears well in Aisha’s eyes. She was relieved the despair that had surprised her earlier didn’t reappear, just a hollow emptiness and a little heartache. “Yes, she was. I don’t remember her at all, but I still miss her. Does that make sense?”
“A mama is important. I can’t imagine being without mine. I think you are brave too.”
Gabi shook her head. “How can I miss something I didn’t have?”
Aisha narrowed her gaze. “Love, of course.”
“What do you mean?”
“We know what love is. It’s in our heart. A mama’s love should be there, and if it’s not, we know it’s missing.” Aisha hugged Gabi. “I’m sorry for you.”
Gabi inhaled vanilla and closed her eyes. She didn’t want their time to come to an end, but it would have to. And it did, and it was all too soon, because she could have cried for longer and felt comforted, and it would have been better than going back to the hotel. She eased out of the hug and glanced up the hill to avoid Aisha’s gaze that would set the tears rolling again. “What about your family?”
“There’s Conchita, of course.” Aisha rolled her eyes. “Mama, Papa, Abuela, nine cousins, and too many aunts and uncles to keep track of, though we do, of course. We live close to each other. Our neighbours are also like family.”
“It must be nice having a big family.”
Gabi considered herself sociable by nature, but she wasn’t used to a crowd, especially when it came to family gatherings. It had been her dad and Nana for as long as she could remember, and even then, her dad’s positive contribution to their family dynamic was questionable. She hadn’t enjoyed the sense of loneliness that she’d experienced at the cemetery knowing it was really just her and Nana left. With a big family, there would always be someone to turn to, someone to feel close to, someone there to hug you when you needed it.
Aisha’s lips twitched at the corners, and her smile faded on a deep sigh. “My family mean everything to me,” she said.
“Let me guess. Everyone gets under each other’s feet, they’re into each other’s business, there’s big drunken parties, and lots of blazing arguments.”
Aisha laughed. “Exactly like that.”
“Sounds fun.”
The birds chirped in on their silence.
“Would you like to see the Alhambra palaces at some time?” Aisha asked.
The offer had the effect of the music, lighting up every cell in Gabi’s body. “I was going to see it with Nana,” she said.
“Why don’t you let me be your guide? Maybe on Monday morning. I have school in the afternoon.”
“School?”
“Some of the younger children in our village. I help them. It’s not a proper school. Maybe you could come and show them how to make jewellery sometime. They would like that.”
Gabi frowned. She didn’t have the skills to teach kids anything.
“Simple string and bead bracelets,” Aisha said. “They are aged between five and eight.”
Okay, she could do that. She held out her hand. “Deal,” she said, and when Aisha took it, she didn’t let go until the bus came into view.
She took a seat at the back so she could watch Aisha walking back up the hill. She couldn’t wait until the morning when they would to go to the bookshop. When the bus took the next bend, her stomach churned, and she stared out of the window to steady it. God, how she hated public transport, but she would take the bus anytime if Aisha was sitting next to her.
