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“He is a good man,” Darla agreed. “But not as good as Austin.”
Sofi shook her head, raising her hands in front of her. “No apologies for sneaking in and listening to an obviously private conversation?” she asked, her eyes wide with indignation.
“Bash saw us and winked. It isn’t our fault you were too into your conversation to notice us,” Tía Rosa said with a shrug and a very unapologetic grin.
“Wait, and why are you all of a sudden Team Austin?” Sofi asked the question she’d been wondering ever since the Tías’ change of heart. “I believe there were threats of doing something that would affect his child-bearing abilities just a few short weeks ago,” Sofi said pointedly to Tía Melinda, since she’d made the comment.
Tía Melinda shrugged as Tía Rosa cackled. “That would have been fun. But that was last month. Now we love him again.”
“Why?” Sofi asked as she stood. Had the Tías come to the same conclusion she had but much sooner? She doubted it, because it wasn’t like the Tías to keep anything to themselves. If they’d come to the conclusion that Austin hadn’t really done anything so wrong and should be forgiven, they wouldn’t have given up until Sofi felt the same way. Unless they were hiding something.
“Mom . . . ” Sofi turned to the weakest link. At least when it came to giving her what she wanted.
“Darla,” Sofi’s tías said in unison.
Sofi’s mother glared at her sisters-in-law before turning to Sofi. “We thought about it and decided what Austin had done wasn’t so wrong. The same way you and Bash just did,” Darla said before turning and shooting a triumphant smirk at Rosa and Melinda.
“So why didn’t you come to me?” Sofi put a hand on her hip, her attention still on her mom.
“Because—” Tía Rosa tried to start.
Sofi raised her hand and shushed her aunt, causing Tía Rosa’s eyes to go wide as Tía Melinda gasped.
“I was speaking to my mother,” Sofi stated firmly, wondering how much longer her luck would hold. If the conversation was about anyone other than Austin, she would have already received a tongue-lashing on how to treat one’s elders. It was only because they’d seen her heartache that they were giving her this leeway, and Sofi was going to take it. Hopefully it would lead her to some answers.
Darla glanced from Sofi to the Tías and back again. Sofi saw out of the corner of her eye that Tía Melinda was mouthing something so Sofi took her mom’s chin gingerly and directed her gaze right at Sofi.
“We wanted you to—” Darla began.
Tía Melinda tried to move into Sofi’s mom’s line of sight.
Sofi turned, pulling her mom’s face with her.
“I don’t know what you’re trying to mouth at me!” Darla declared, pulling away from Sofi to glare at Melinda.
“We wanted her to figure it out on her own. Love is hard, and when too many people get involved it can get messier. We didn’t want to add to her mess,” Tía Melinda said, as if the answer were the most obvious thing in the world. And as if they’d ever avoided getting involved before.
“Yes, that.” Darla pointed to Tía Melinda.
“Too late,” Sofi declared. “I know the three of you are hiding something.” Sofi put her other hand on a hip as well and raised a stern eyebrow, a stance she’d learned from the Tías.
“Are we?” Darla said as the other two replied, “We aren’t.”
Glares slid back and forth among the trio and then Darla’s eyes fell. Sofi didn’t need to hear a word; their looks said it all.
“Out with it, Mom.” Sofi turned to her mother once more.
“This one I can’t. We made a promise,” Darla said.
Tía Melinda sighed as Tía Rosa shook her head in defeat.
“What? I didn’t tell her who I made the promise to,” Darla said to her disappointed sisters-in-law.
“Austin,” Sofi said. It had to be. He’d gone to the Tías, and that was why they’d forgiven him. But he’d kept it a secret. Because he’d promised Sofi space and that would have been encroaching on it? But now she didn’t want space . . . suddenly she remembered the texts and it all made sense.
“You guys are teaching him Spanish,” Sofi said, her eyes lighting with joy. They weren’t just phrases he’d googled. He was learning the language of her heart. Something he’d said he’d never be able to do. Yet he was doing it. For her.
If she hadn’t already forgiven him, she would have in that moment. She knew languages weren’t in Austin’s wheelhouse. For him to go so far outside of his comfort zone, just to prove to her he really cared?
