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“Poor Mahalia. She’s never done well on little sleep. Remember high school?”
“Trying to get that girl out of bed…”
“Do you want to go up there for a couple of days to help out?”
“No.”
No explanation, just no. Same as every other time he asked if she wanted to get out of the house. When his dad had been taken, she’d stopped seeing friends, afraid of who she could trust. She’d let her driver’s license lapse, and had gradually stopped doing the daily errands that had filled her day with familiar faces and routine. While his sisters had lived in the house, there had been more than enough hands to get the job done. But since his baby sister was living on campus, it was all falling on his shoulders, unless one of the older girls dropped in to help. He would keep trying to encourage his mother to get out more, but if the lure of her first-born grandchild wasn’t enough, he doubted he’d succeed. When was the last time his mother had used the front door?
“Marielena picked up our groceries while she was out today, so you don’t need to stop tomorrow.”
Adrian cringed. Marielena was a good friend to his mother and often included her in her daily errands, but he hated imposing.
“I told you I’d do it, Mamá.”
“Don’t fuss at me. She offered, and I’m making myarroz con lechebefore her mother-in-law comes next week. It’s fine. How was your day?”
“Ugh. This show is going to kill me. Demolition took twice as long as it should have, and Sofia showed up with changes to the plan. So we had to film all of that as well. I had to explain why we tore up the floor five times!”
“Sofia?”
“She’s done the interior design and remodel plans for this one.”
“I thought she just did the paperwork.”
“She does, but she does designs, too. I don’t know how well it’s working out. She seems to be in over her head, and the budget is spiraling.”
“She’s a good girl, that Sofia.”
“Mamá, don’t start. You’ve never even met her. What makes you think she’s so good?”
Even though the Valentis had extended invitations to his entire family for summer company picnics and winter holiday parties, attending would require his mother to leave the house, so he’d always gone with his sisters. While his mother knew everyone he worked with by name and reputation, she’d never met them face-to-face.
“She drives you nuts. She must be smart and strong to stand up to you and get what she wants.”
“She’s also the boss’s daughter.”
“Bah! Love is love. When I met your father—”
“You married him in three weeks despite Abuela warning you not to. I know, but I just talked to Dom about buying into his company. I don’t want to do anything to rock the boat.” That was part of why he hadn’t pushed for more of her time outside filming. He was going slow, because he knew it could all blow up in his face. They’d managed a few flirtatious private conversations, but it seemed like her private time was increasingly scarce.
“Boats always rock, especially if you’re enjoying yourself.”
“Mamá!” Adrian covered his ears and laughed. He couldn’t deny that it was getting harder and harder not to think of that aspect of things with Sofia. The woman turned him on by breathing. Before his mind could travel down that well-worn path, he was pulled back to the present by his mother’s voice.
“Well, I’m glad you finally talked to Dom. You deserve to own part of that business.”
“Thanks, Mamá. We’ll see what he says.”
“He will say yes. And then you can date this Sofia.”
“Enough meddling! I’m going to watch the game upstairs.” He rose and put his now empty plate in the sink. “Do you need anything before I go up?”
“No,mijo.Go relax.Te amo.”
“Te amo tambien, Mamá. Good night.”
He trudged up the wooden stairs to the second floor addition he’d added to the bungalow five years ago. His mother would check the locks, pick her books to read in bed with a cup of tea, and be in for the night. This had been her routine for as long as he could remember. He’d go down later and double-check the locks before he fell asleep, just to reassure her, but other than that and meal times the main floor was all hers.
