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Ipark my truck beside Rafa’s beat-up one and hop out. Unlike me, my cousin doesn’t live on the lake. Instead, after his divorce, he chose to purchase land at the top of the farthest hill away from town, where he could have a fresh start away from any prying eyes.
My mom used to say people do weird things once they make a lot of money, and I never understood what she meant until Rafa started fostering unwanted farm animals and being one with the land after Hillary left.
I swear, the man is one step away from signing up for one of those competitive wilderness shows.
“Fina told me you took Dahlia to the hospital yesterday.” Rafa cuts to the chase as soon as I walk through his front door.
“Did you invite me over here to hang out or for an interrogation?”
“A mix of both.” He tucks his hands in his front pockets.
“At least you’re honest.”
He shoots me a look before walking away.
The style of his house is completely different from mine—it feels warm and lived-in, with its oak floors and Nico’s artwork hanging on every wall. The paint colors were chosen by Nico, with each room matching a different pair of my godson’s glasses.
Not my cousin’s smartest design choice, but one made out of love nonetheless.
I follow behind him, only to take a detour toward the classical music playing from the conservatory. Nico sits at the piano with his nanny and music teacher, Ellie. They play in tandem, perfectly in sync as their fingers fly across the keys.
Ellie’s body sways to the music, making her blonde hair shift with the melody.
“Did you get lost on your way to the kitchen?” Rafa says.
Ellie hits the keys all wrong, making the most horrific noise.
“I wanted to say hi to Nico.”
“Tío!” Nico slides off the bench and runs toward me. His coordination is a bit off because of his eye condition, but he jumps into my arms with all the momentum he can muster.
“Hey, you.” I ruffle his hair before tipping my chin toward Ellie. “Nice to see you again.”
She rises from her seat. “Likewise.”
“Is Rafa making you work on Saturdays now?”
“Not usually, but heinconvenientlyforgot to tell me he needed my help today.” She doesn’t bother hiding herannoyance.
Ellie never gets flustered. I’ve watched her be thrown up on by a sick Nico, get kicked in the stomach by one of Rafa’s goats, and twist her ankle during a hike, but I’ve never seen her look like this.
I spare my cousin a glance, only to find him glaring at Ellie. I’m not sure what’s wrong with him, but he needs to figure his shit out and get himself under control before he scares her away like he did all previous nannies. Whether by playing instruments together or learning to read braille, Ellie stands apart from the others with how she goes out of her way to help Nico and support him with his retinitis pigmentosa diagnosis.
Nico still values his independence like every normal eight-year-old kid, but sadly, it is only a matter of time before he completely loses his sight, a reality that has been stressing Rafa out as my godson’s vision worsens.
“Sorry you had to cancel your date.” Rafa’s face might be blank, but his eyes remind me of two burning coals.
Ellie smiles. “No worries. We rescheduled for tomorrow.” My cousin makes the most inhuman noise.
Her hazel eyes narrow. “Still struggling with that sore throat of yours?”
“You’re sick?” I ask my cousin.
“Sick of Eleanor’s bullshit is more like it,” he mutters under his breath before turning back toward the hall.
I fight a laugh. “Eleanor?”
“Don’t you dare call me that.” She points a finger at me.
