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“Do you need anything? I could run out.”
“You are sweet. I have my children and my neighbors who make sure I have what I need. I wish I could find my courage though. My oldest daughter has just had my first grandson.” She pulled out her cell phone and proudly showed Sofia a slew of baby pictures. “She had a C-section and the baby has colic, and I wish I could help her. But every time I try to walk out that door…I can’t.”
Sofia didn’t know what to say to that. She couldn’t imagine never leaving her apartment again. Living in the same dark rooms day after day didn’t seem comforting at all. The open longing on the older woman’s face as she gazed at her phone was breaking Sofia’s heart. She had to do something to help. “Mrs. Villanueva…”
“Graciela, please.”
“Graciela, do you like your living room?”
“¿Perdóname?”
“You said you spend most of your time in there, but I can’t help but notice how dark it is. That can’t be good for your reading.” An idea was taking shape in Sofia’s mind.
“Oh, it is fine. Adrian is so busy. I don’t want to bother him with small things like painting.”
True, he was busy. So busy that he was working even on his days off, not to mention the overtime for the show. But she didn’t have to involve him, right? The things she was thinking of changing she could handle herself. She was mentally swapping out curtains for shades and painting walls. It would be so easy…
“But if you could have it redone, would you like that?”
“Maybe a new bookcase or two. A new sofa so friends who visit can be comfortable. Those things are ancient.”
She heard the hope in Graciela’s voice, and her decision was made.
“I tell you what. If you get up the courage to visit your daughter, I will come and make over your living room while you’re gone.”
“Why would you do this for me?”
“Because you are my friend’s mother, and it hurts my heart to see good space not making people happy. That room could be so much nicer for you and still maintain your privacy.”
“I will think about it.”
“Let’s take a walk through it right now.” Sofia picked up her coffee and moved away from the cookies, re-energized. “Think out loud while we stroll. Then if you decide yes, I will know what you want done.”
* * *
Adrian had resistedthe urge to call Sofia all day. He wanted to know how the reveal went, but he was holding on to his mad. She didn’t need him, and he didn’t need her either.
Just because they’d been in each other’s pocket for the show didn’t mean that needed to continue now that the project was done. He didn’t need to talk to her every day. A little distance was probably for the best. He’d gotten all caught up in her, and she clearly did not feel the same. Besides, he’d probably catch her mid-shoot and screw up a scene or something.
No, he’d see her tomorrow at the office. That would be soon enough. After all, she’d made it abundantly clear she didn’t want him checking up on her, or taking care of her, or doing any damn thing for her.
Not to mention the fact that he was covered in dirt and grass clippings, and all he wanted to do was collapse in his shower. He didn’t want to talk to anyone until he felt vaguely human again.
So when he pulled up to his house and saw her car parked in front, he sat in his running truck in the middle of his narrow street, mind spinning with questions.What the hell?A honk from behind him cleared his head enough to pull into his driveway. He climbed out of the truck, dusted off the dirt as best he could, and went in the front door.
“And these curtains, well, they came with the house— Adrian! You’re home.”
“Hola,Mamá. Sofia, what are you doing here?”
“That’s no way to welcome a guest, Adrian. Sofia came by to see you, but was kind enough to keep me company until you got home. We were just talking about redoing the living room.”
“What? What’s wrong with the living room?”
“Nothing. It’s fine.” Graciela stepped back from the annoyance in Adrian’s voice, but Sofia wasn’t going to let his bad mood spoil his mother’s joy.
“It’s fine, but it’s not great. It’s dark and outdated. I was just talking to your mom about easy ways we could fix that.”
Adrian felt his cheeks heat and his shoulders crept toward his ears. He only hit this level of embarrassment when Mamá chewed him out in front of his sisters. That Sofia could elicit it with a simple critique of his living room was not good. And didn’t that just piss him off even more.
