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“No business talk,” Miss Ruby said. “Holly, you’re here to enjoy yourself and not in a professional sense.”
“Thank you.” I darted my eyes around the kitchen. I’d never had this in any capacity.
“Honey, have some black-eyed peas.” Miss Jacobs’s mom spooned some into a bowl and set them in front of me. “For luck.”
As long as I could remember, I’d been the one making sure everyone was taken care of. It was odd not to be an afterthought or to really be a thought at all.
“I’m thrilled you and Gabriel decided on Saint Pius for his schooling.” Muriella offered me a glass of tea, which I took and gulped down.
I didn’t know her well, but she was family to Miss Jacobs. Although my instincts weren’t always the best, they told me I could trust her. I felt better knowing there’d be a familiar face close by if Gabriel needed anything during the school day.
“I like that it’s small, and Gabriel loved the building.” He’d looked wide-eyed around the old church with curiosity. Every question he’d asked, Father Jude had answered patiently.
“It’s a wonderful environment. He’ll thrive,” Muriella said kindly.
“I appreciate your offer to keep him after school.” With a move this huge, everything seemed to be falling into place. We had an apartment nicer than anything I’d ever imagined living in. Gabriel’s schooling was sorted out, and I didn’t feel like I’d settled on the first thing that came along. We seemed to have support close by. People we could potentially depend on.
I wasn’t used to any of that. And it scared me a little how perfectly things seemed to be going.
“I’m looking forward to it.” Everything about her said she genuinely meant that.
I worried I was an imposition thrown on her, but if that was the case, she hid it well. It was hard to accept this level of genuine help when I’d gotten so used to shouldering everything on my own since I’d had Gabriel. Although, when I really thought about it, I’d been on my own for all my adult life. The kindness offered to me here was unexpected—terrifying—yet it was a relief at the same time.
“It’s going to be fun having the little dude around,” Vivian said. She was Muriella’s best friend, and though her beauty was intimidating, she was completely down to earth.
“You don’t even like kids,” Muriella pointed out.
“I like Gabriel.” Vivian shrugged and grinned at me. “Don’t worry. He won’t be unsupervised with me since I don’t know anything about the tiny ones. He’ll be in the best hands with M.”
The laughter that escaped me sounded frightened, which I was a little. Muriella looked apologetic.
“We shouldn’t have joked about that,” she said. “Vivian is unexperienced, but she’s better with children than she realizes.” Her expression softened.
“She’s going to have to get good. We want more grandbabies around here,” Miss Ruby said.
I furrowed my brow. Was Vivian or Daniel, her husband, related to the Jacobs in a way I didn’t know?
Vivian slung her arm around the older lady’s shoulders. “You may get what you wish for, and then we’re dumping them off at your house.”
“The fresh Texas air will be good for them.” Miss Ruby harrumphed.
“When they’re all wild as hell, you can’t go claiming they’re not technically your grandchildren so you don’t have to deal with them,” Vivian warned.
“They’re ours.” She squeezed Vivian’s waist. “You’re family now whether you like it or not.”
A twinge of jealousy wound its way through me. I wanted to give this to Gabriel, but it was impossible. We were the only family we’d ever have, and I’d do best to remember that before I started wanting things out of our reach.
Miss Ruby held out a glass of iced tea and nudged me. “I bet he’s thirsty.” I stared at her a moment, frozen in place. She elbowed me harder. “Go on. A little fun never hurt nobody.”
Chapter Six
Carlos
Gabriel hada seat in the living room, leaving a space big enough for me beside him.
“Mr. Carlos,” he called, nearly dropping the tablet when he waved me over. Daniel caught it before the device fell to the floor.
“Nice catch,” I said, sitting. “Would you like some?” I offered Gabriel the plate of chips and dip. He shook his head, and I shrugged and shoveled warm dip onto a tortilla chip.
