AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh no, were you one of those kids who always wanted to run away from home?” I’m trying to keep it light, but she laughs, mirthlessly.
“That’s pretty accurate.”
“I’m sorry.” I’m not sure what to say. She sounds so down. I slow the buggy a little so I can look at her; make sure she’s okay. She catches my eye and gives me a small smile.
“When my mom was married to her second husband, I wanted to run away. I dreamed of my mom, my sister, and me all going, leaving him behind.” The muscles in her jaw work. “He was shit to my sister, and I,” her voice breaks, and her hands are fisted, the knuckles going white. “I used to want to disappear, you know?”
“He was bad to you and your sister?” My chest roars.
“Not me. I wasn’t… um… the right age for him.” Anna barely gets the words out, her face going bright red.
“What a fucking garbage human!” Unfortunately, I know what she’s implying.
She lets out a shaky laugh. “He was. I wish I could have protected my sister somehow. Or if I’d have realized sooner…”
“So, the RV daydream was about her? About keeping your sister safe?”
“Yeah, it started that way.” She’s quiet now, hard to hear over the wind outside the dune buggy. “As an adult, the RV trip became an actual dream of mine. Doing it with my own family, planning out where I’d want to go, and how old I’d want my kids to be so they get the most out of the trip, stuff like that.”
I can tell how hard she’s working to steer herself back to the light stuff.
“I bet you’ll make a family that’s super different from your own childhood. So much better.”
She gives me a funny look.
“You’ve thought about this too, huh?”
I nod. She puts a hand on my wrist and squeezes. My skin lights up under her touch. Luckily for me, and my frazzled brain, our destination isn’t far ahead. I can see the signs from here.
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
ZOEY
Sebastian has takenus to the rustic Mayan Cacao Center, complete with thatched roof, mud walls, and dirt floor, to learn to make hot chocolate from scratch. As in, from fresh cacao pods. My theory is now confirmed: Sebastian is a secret romantic. Only this isn’t a date, because he thinks I’m married. So, I must be wrong. Today is platonic. I can’t keep forgetting that.
“The earliest evidence of cacao consumption dates to fifteen-hundred before Christ,” says our “cacao experience guide,” Miguelito. “Traces of stimulants from chocolate have been found in pots from the ancient southern Mexican Olmec civilization. They passed their knowledge to the Mayans, who populate the Yucatan peninsula, across that water.” He points out the open-air window towards the horizon. “Of course, the Maya have also been prominent here on Cozumel for thousands of years.”
Sebastian raises his eyebrows at me, as if to check he picked an activity I like. I nod back at him with a smile and he breaks into a relieved grin. It’s shocking how much I’ve come to trust him these last few days. We just met, and I already feel I know who he is at heart.
“Now, chocolate candies are considered an aphrodisiac,” Miguelito says. “But few know preparing the cacao beans ourselves increases our pleasure. We can make the cacao as the Maya did, with minimal processing. Because of this, it keeps all the good stuff.” He waggles his eyebrows. “You all want maximum pleasure today, yes?” Miguelito looks around the room with a deadpan expression, and a few of the other participants titter. He smacks his hands on the table. “You do! But, great irony. Our cacao will be bitter. For with great bitterness comes great pleasure.”
“If we want to sweeten it, is there any sugar?” asks a woman at the back. Miguelito hisses.
“Cacao is not some American confection.” He tuts. “Properly enjoyed, Cacao is a bitter cup that will leave you invigorated. We call it Xocolatl, or bitter water.” He pivots around the room, giving everyone a careful once over. “You!” He points at Sebastian.
“Me?” Sebastian asks.
“You and you.” Now he’s pointing to me too. “You are lovers?”
“No.” Sebastian shakes his head.
“Ah,maridos. Marrieds.” Miguelito strides over and lifts my left hand, where I’m wearing Anna’s wedding band. I suddenly regret choosing a table at the front of the room. “Then cacao is for you. Turningmaridosinto lovers once again. Yes? Good?” He spins around, giving everyone in the room a quick head nod and strong eye contact. A few people shift back and forth. A couple at the back of the room, who are wearing wrist bands from our ship, clasp hands.
I avoid Sebastian’s gaze. Luckily, Miguelito is now holding up a red and orange fruit, shaped like a small football, giving us all something to look at. He cracks it open, exposing a white goop inside.
“The cacao pod holds thesemillas- the seeds. It’s like a man.Fuerte!” Miguelito mimes a grab at his crotch. “But unlike a man, after we collect the seeds, we must ferment them for a week.” Several people laugh at this. Then Miguelito places the opened pod into a dish and breaks dark cacao seeds out of the white flesh inside. He passes the bowl around so we can all look closer.
“Lucky for you, I already have some seeds fermented.” He pulls out a dish from a small cabinet. “Now, you might think these will smell bad, but take a sniff. They are sweet, like flowers.” He hands around the second bowl.
