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“There’s my two favorite people,” came a familiar voice.
I perked up instantly. That was Lena, and she brought with her one of those fold-out tables for serving big orders. She rested the tray right on top of it and swiftly went to passing out our plates like she never stopped waitressing for a day of her life. Goodness, she was quick, and she was professional too, keeping her fingers away from our food while serving us.
When she was done, I smiled. “Lena, hi.” I stood up and hugged her. “This is a nice surprise. Andres didn’t tell me you owned the place.”
“You ever been here before?”
But we both knew the answer to that question, which was never. She was just being polite.
I shook my head. “First time.”
“I hope you enjoy it. I have something else for you too.” She reached into her apron and procured a plastic box. Inside was a blue corsage. She handed it to me with a sheepish grin. “I’m sure people are sending you all sorts of things, but…”
“Mom,” Andres whined with a loving tone.
She set the box in front of me. “I know it’s early. You haven’t set a date yet. But you know, it’s something borrowed. That was from my prom back in the day.”
“I…I can’t…” I lifted the box like it was made of glass. “Wow.”
That seemed to be the word of the day around here.
Lena beamed. “It’s just to borrow.”
“You’re too kind.”
“You’re about to be my daughter-in-law. I want you to feel like…” She took a shaky breath like she was trying to avoid crying. “I just want you to feel like family is all.”
Tears stung my eyes. My appetite went right out the window as cotton crowded up my throat. This woman hardly knew me, attended only one event with me, and yet was treating me with the sweetness of an aunt who had watched me grow from infancy. It was such a touching gesture that ripped me up inside with what I knew was really going on.
I managed to thank her and watched as she collected the fold-out table and tray. I kept the box in my lap as I turned to my dinner, tears flooding my face and turning my taste buds to ash. Nothing would taste right. And nothingshouldtaste right. I didn’t deserve kindness like this, not when I was lying.
Anger filled me up and burned me alive. I watched with frustration as Andres happily dug into his food. I studied his natural movements, suddenly agitated with myself for thinking he had set this up on purpose so we would be seen in public. I was so mad that I could have let the whole thing crumble if I just tore him a new one out loud. Right here, right in the middle of this restaurant, I could bring the whole thing to an end.
But I couldn’t do that. I wouldn’t dare. Lena was sweet as ever, and Andres appeared genuinely surprised by her gift. Restaurants like this one deserved to be a place of joy and comfort. I didn’t want to ruin that.
All those reasons were enough to make me hold my tongue. And I did my best to ignore the one reason I couldn’t say. Because if I said it, then that meant this whole thing was truly real. Love was that missing ingredient.
I hoped that I could keep it out of the dish as long as possible.
Chapter 14 - Andres
Flowers bent away from the wind as I walked with Sadie’s hand in mine. Two weeks ago, my life had changed, and I had the woman next to me to thank for that. She reached out her free hand to the sunflowers bowing over us. They were getting to be big with the magic of the community.
She loved gardens. I wanted to make one just for her in the backyard. Somehow, that notion didn’t feel empty or performative. It just felt right. And nothing had ever felt right the way Sadie felt. With her fingers entwining mine and her palm warming my hand, it was like we’d never spent a day apart.
Weird how time made things more…real.
“We should drop by the community center and get some ice cream,” she suggested. “I hear Raven installed a machine.”
I chuckled. “Ice cream it is.”
“We have to turn around.”
But she made no move to change our pace or path. Neither did I. Walking with her felt good, and I didn’t want to stop the walk for anything. We’d get there when we got there.
Leisure had never been a thing for me. But most of my time had been spent traveling, rushing from one place to another, sprinting toward another goal. No one had ever inspired me to slow down and drink in my surroundings. Sadie accomplished that without trying.
I wasn’t sure how she did it, and I wasn’t complaining. Just when I had thought things were going to blow up in my face, they got better. This deal was getting sweeter by the minute. I was engulfed by the relationship, in tune with the woman who assisted me with the things that made it easier for me to focus on my craft, andonlymy craft.
