My mother appears in the kitchen doorway, and I feel my stomach drop to my shoes.Isabella Lopez is a small woman—barely five feet tall—but she commands a room like a general.Her graying hair is pulled back in a neat bun, and she’s wearing her best dress, the navy blue one she saves for important occasions.
She takes one look at my face and gasps, pressing her hand to her chest.
“Dios mío, Eve!What happened to you?”
“It’s nothing, Mamá.Just?—”
“Nothing?”Her voice rises an octave.“You look like you were attacked by wild animals!”
“It wasn’t that bad?—”
“This wouldn’t have happened if Luis was still taking care of you,” she says, and there it is.The manipulation I’ve been dreading.“A man protects his woman.He would never have let this happen.”
Daniel clocks his tongue.“Maybe we should be asking if Luis did this.”
The kitchen goes dead silent.
“What did you say?”Marco’s voice is dangerous.
“I’m just saying,” Daniel shrugs, “Eve breaks up with the guy, and suddenly she’s getting attacked?Seems convenient.”
“It wasn’t Luis!”I frown.“I haven’t seen him since we broke up two months ago!”
“Well, you’ll be seeing him tonight,” my mother says with satisfaction.“I invited him for dinner.He’s coming so you can apologize for whatever foolishness made you break up with him.”
The blood drains from my face.“You did what?”
“He’s a good man, Eve.He loves you.And after seeing your face like this, I know you need to make things right with him.”
“There’s nothing to make right!”I hiss, enraged.“We’re over!Finished!Done!”
Gabriella chooses that moment to waddle in from the living room, her pregnant belly leading the way.She takes one look at the tension and sighs.
“What’s happening now?”
“Your sister is being dramatic about Luis,” my mother informs her.“I’m trying to help her see reason.”
“Luis has a stable job, Eve,” Gabriella says, settling heavily into a chair.“He makes good money, and he will give you a good life.What more do you want?”
“I want more than that!”I explode.“I have a better job than Luis!I make more money than Luis, so don’t dangle his job in front of me.And I don’t need to be ‘taken care of’ by anyone.”
My mother’s face hardens.“That job.That damned job is what gave you this ego in the first place.It’s time you quit and focused on what really matters.”
“Are you insane?”I stare at her in disbelief.“Quit my job?The job I worked my ass off for?”
I whirl on Marco.“Did you know?Did you call me here knowing this ambush was waiting?”
“No,” he says firmly, shooting our mother a sharp look.“Mamá, you promised you wouldn’t bring Luis up.”
“I know what’s best for my daughter,” she fires back.“You need to stay out of this, Marco.”
“Mamá—”
“Enough!”My mother’s voice cracks like a whip.She marches over to where I dropped my purse and snatches my car keys.“You will not disrespect me in my own home, Eve.It’s time you got your act together and quit that job that’s filled your head with foolish ideas.”
“Give me my keys,” I say quietly, my voice shaking with rage.
“No.You’re going to sit down, wait for Luis, and apologize to him for your behavior.”
