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“But you said that you were divorced.”
“So you think within a week I’m ready to get involved with you? Besides, I’m not really divorced.”
I spin around, thinking I don’t owe him an explanation. My heart is with Diego, and what happened with Alberto was years ago and truly out of my system.
“¿Qué?”
¡Mierda!
I nearly trip on a rock, because I’m walking as fast as I can to get away from him as he’s trying to catch up to me.
“Careful!” He rescues me as I do it again, but this time I do trip. I don’t even fight him as he wraps his arms around me, but I hold him tight. In a moment of sadness, having the last person I want to be around right now give me comfort feels irrelevant. I find myself crying and holding on to him.
“There, let it all out,” he repeats over and over again as I sob into his arms and I don’t let go. I’m heartbroken right now. Nothing can fix it. I don’t even know if I want it fixed. I just want one thing right now, mi abuela, and I know I can’t have her.
1 I didn’t see her.
2 Call an ambulance.
44
Diego
Iland and as soon as I arrive at the airport, mi abuela is waiting for me in the car. I expect her to complain about something, which she usually does whenever she meets me at the airport. It’s as if she can’t wait for me to get from the flight to her house or wherever to see me, which means that it’s bad news.
“Buenas noches1.” I smile, but then I can see my smile isn’t returned as I slip into the car.
It’s nearly ten at night, and she’s wearing sunglasses. The sun is still high, but it’s weird that not only is she here, but I know when mi abuela is angry, and this isn’t an anger temperament, this is a different type. One I’m not used to.
“Did something happen to Leticia?” I ask as I sit closer towards her.
She’s speechless as she shakes her head.
“No. It’s worse than that. Adriana is dead.”
It’s as if she chokes out the last word, and then she starts crying. Poor Adriana. I have so many questions, but I know the answers don’t matter.
“Lo siento2,” I say as mi abuela cries in my arms. I didn’t expect her to be like this, I’ve never seen her this way. Only oncewhen Abuelo had a stroke and then he died, but before I thought of her as the iron lady. We all joke and call her that, the one that holds us all together, but seeing her like this, just wearing a matching sweatpants and shirt in this heat. I know she’s human like the rest of us. She cries and hurts like she’s doing now.
“She was my best friend.”
“I know, Abuela. I know.”
I can’t imagine how Leticia must be feeling, so I break our hug. I need to be with her too. She’ll think that I don’t care. She was hurting before her abuela died, she must feel even worse now.
“Let’s go to the house. I want to see how Leticia is doing.”
She shakes her head. “No. Leticia has her whole family there to help with her grief. I have no one.”
I suck in a deep breath. I know she’s right, but it has been weeks since I’ve held Leticia in my arms and I was craving her body next to mine. Now, knowing her heart is broken, all I want to do is fix it.
My phone chimes, and I think back to when I told Leticia I was coming and on my way. She read that message, I sent her a couple more and wondered why she hadn’t replied, but then a message comes with a photo. I look at it and there’s Leticia with some man, just holding on to him.
I don’t recognize the number, but it’s clear what Abuela said. Leticia does have her family, but then as one picture comes after another, I wonder if it is just her family that’s comforting her.
I forward the picture to my associate with a message.
Who is he?
