AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“They aren’t targets. They are the foundation of my reputation. And no, I don’t trust you yet. You’re just getting started.” His voice began to rise.
She raised hers to meet it. “Because I’ve been tied to this desk for three years! Meena starts Wednesday.”
“I am not adding expenses right now.”
“You’ve had free labor for over thirty years, first from Mom, and then essentially from me. You’re going to have to pay for someone to handle this like a real business does, because I’m done.”
Without another word, she strode out the door. Sofia sucked in a shaky breath. She’d done it. She’d stood up to her father and taken the first step to freedom. She would let him get used to the idea of outside help before she told him she was actually leaving. It also would give her some time to work out the details. This was just what she’d planned. So why did this victory feel so hollow? Where was the elation she’d expected to feel? She pushed aside the lingering churning in her gut and headed to her car. She still had a lot to do to prove herself, and she wouldn’t get there wallowing in self-doubt.
* * *
“Mamá, are you sure about this?”Adrian asked for what felt like the fiftieth time that morning. Instead of his usual lazy Saturday morning routine, he was up early without nearly enough caffeine. His brain couldn’t quite believe that his mother was actually ready to go through with this plan to visit her daughter and the baby.
“Are you trying to talk me out of it?” She brushed her hair with shaky hands, smoothing the already shiny and tangle-free locks over and over.
“No. Not at all. I just want to make sure you are ready.”
“I am. I want to see the baby and help Mahalia. I spoke with Dr. Williams, and he gave me that prescription you picked up yesterday for when I start to panic. Besides, Sofia said it would be better for us to be out of the house while she works.” She smoothed a scarf over her head that hadn’t seen the sun in ten years, and tied it firmly beneath her chin.
“I still don’t understand that whole business. If you wanted something fixed, why didn’t you ask me?”
“Because nothing is broken,mijo. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be better. I like the picture Sofia put in my head. Do you trust her?”
A month ago that would have been an easy answer. He’d opened up his home and his heart to her because he’d trusted her, which made her betrayal even harder to bear. He’d trusted too quickly and gotten burned. But his mother didn’t need to hear that right now. As far as she knew, things had just cooled down between him and Sofia because the show had ramped up.
He hadn’t had the heart to tell his mother that the girl she’d welcomed at her table wasn’t as wonderful as she appeared. He didn’t know what that would do to her fears of letting people in, so he held his peace when Graciela sang Sofia’s praises. He didn’t have enough of his heart left intact to handle breaking hers, too. At least Sofia had been gracious enough to keep her promise when Graciela had finally gathered her courage.
“With the living room, maybe. But she takes everything too far. I don’t want you to be disappointed. She is probably just doing this as publicity for the show.”
“That is unkind, and no she’s not. She told me specifically there wouldn’t be any cameras.”
“I want you to be happy, Mamá. If this makes you happy, I’ll let her try.”
“I’m sure it will be lovely. She’s a sensible girl. She had good ideas when she interviewed me for the plans.”
“Yeah, it all seems sensible until she wants to start knocking down walls and reversing floor plans.” Who was she roping in to help with this? He’d checked with all of his guys, and no one knew anything about it. He’d have felt better about leaving if it was his crew working on it. They’d keep her in line. But she was probably going to make Seth or Frankie do most of the labor. Damn it, then he’d owe them big time.
“You are not helping.” She set down the brush carefully and checked her purse for the twentieth time. “Medicine, phone, wallet, ID, keys, lipstick… You have my bag, yes?”
Adrian lifted his hands in surrender. “I already put it in the truck. It has clothes for three days, and all of the baby things you told me to pack.” He dropped his hands to her shoulders. Her nerves were making them vibrate beneath his light touch. “Are you ready to go?”
Graciela closed her eyes and drew in an unsteady breath. “You are sure no one will see me?”
“Yes. You can sit in the back of the cab, and the windows are tinted.”
“And you promise, you will not stop, no matter what I say, until we get to Mahalia’s house?” She picked up her large, brand-new sunglasses from the counter and put them on, covering any lingering insecurities.
“I promise, and I filled up the gas tank yesterday.”
“Okay.” She inhaled deeply one more time before stepping toward the door. “Let’s go.”
In the end, it took about five tries for her to actually make it out the door. Adrian half carried her down the steps because her anxiety buckled her knees. He handed her up into the extended cab of his truck and tucked her purse in next to her. “All good?” he asked one last time. When his mother mustered a tight nod, he smiled. “There’s water and snacks in the cooler at your feet. I’m so proud of you, Mamá.” He kissed her hand and climbed into the front seat. Pulling slowly out of the driveway, he watched his mother crouch down in the back seat like a criminal avoiding the news crews after an arrest.
It broke his heart that she felt so afraid. Had he failed her? Had he enabled this to the point that she was terrified of life? Had he missed the signs that she’d needed more from him? Guilt chased hard on his heels as he sped up the highway toward Oakland. Even once they hit the open road, she didn’t relax her grip on her purse or her active scanning of the surrounding traffic. He tried to break into her fixation with a task. If he could keep her focused here in the car, maybe she wouldn’t be so tense about the world flying past outside the windows.
“Mamá, why don’t you send Sofia a text and let her know that we are out of the house. I left her a key upstairs under my mat.”
“Okay,mijo. I can do that.” She pulled her phone from her purse and gripped it like a lifeline, her hands shaking like she was much older than her fifty-two years.
