“Ah, you didn’t have to get me anything.”
“I know I didn’t. Open it up.”
She opened the tiny little box.
It was a key.
“It’s the key to my place. I thought you could use somewhere to stay for a while until you know what’s happening with the farm back home,” Luísa said with a smile.
“Oh, thanks, Tía. I appreciate it.” She swallowed down the lump in her throat. “But, whether here or closer to home, I’m going to get my own place.”
She didn’t know a lot about her future, but she knew that much. “After Three Kings Day, I’m going to go home. Figure out what to do with my farm. And deal with Papá.”
“Well, if you change your mind, the offer stands.”
Carolina embraced her auntie. “Mil gracias.” They finished their coffee and pan dulces. Her aunt offered to show her around Barrio Logan, but since Julieta was such an integral part of the community, Carolina wanted to keep a low profile.
They spent the next week doing touristy stuff in San Diego. They went to the zoo; Carolina loved the hippos and the way they played ball in their pool. They saw a production ofThe Taming of the Shrewat the Old Globe in Balboa Park. And they even celebrated Three Kings Day with her aunt’s friends.
One day, they spent the day collecting seashells in Coronado. And through it all, Carolina began to smile a little more. Thinking about her family started to hurt a little less.
Tía Luísa was just so easy to be around. Maybe true family wasn’t always about those who raised you.
Maybe true family was simply based on love.
On her final night before she returned home, Carolina cuddled on the sofa with one of Tía Luísa’s dogs. Carolina loved the black mutt. His name was Siete and he had severe separation anxiety, but he always wanted to be near her.
This freedom was what she wanted. What she needed.
And she was going to get it.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Enrique drove up the coast. Just a couple of months ago, he was taking the same trip, but for a very different purpose. Back then, he was full of hope that he would be able to meet Carolina, partner with her farm, and alleviate the guilt of his company contracting with unethical farms.
Well, that had blown up in his face.
Even so, he was grateful for the experience. In the time since he’d last seen Carolina, he had stopped by each farm with which the Montez Group was contracted. After evaluating their operations, he gave them feedback and detailed reports of what they needed to improve on. Top of the list was the conditions of farmworkers. When some of the farms balked, Enrique threatened to pull their contracts. He even offered funding for health care pop-up clinics on each site. All the farms but one was in the process of complying, and he had terminated the relationship with the one farm owner who refused. Ramón even told Enrique he was proud of him. More importantly, Enrique was proud of himself.
Tiburón pointed at the exit to Santa Maria. “Sure you don’t want to stop by and see Carolina?”
Enrique shook his head. “Positive. If she wants to reach out, she will.” Tiburón had told Enrique that Carolina was still running the farm but no longer living in the house. Enrique asked him not to give him any more details about her life. The truth was, though Enrique understood why Carolina left him and cut off contact, it still hurt, and the less he knew about her life, the better.
He was grateful to have Tiburón on this trip with him.
“Blanca says Carolina is still in love with you.”
Enrique seriously doubted that, but what did he know?
“At least things are still working out in your relationship.”
Tiburón laughed. “It’s tough, man. Her dad is brutal. And long distance is a bitch. But she’s young. I don’t want her to rush into anything with me and then resent me later.”
Tiburón was still seeing Blanca a few times a month when he could drive up there. He was serious about her, and her father loved him.
“How did you get so wise?”
“I read a lot of philosophy.”
