She moved out of the way so the others could congratulate the couple. It was wonderful to see her two sisters so happy. They deserved it.
Thinking about happiness reminded her she was supposed to talk to Carly about getting help at Casa Flanagan. Her stomach clenched, but now was as good a time as any. She moved over to her oldest sister. “Carly, can I have a private word with you later?” she asked. “We could maybe go for a walk in the garden.”
“Sure.” Her sister looked surprised.
They settled back at the table to discuss the two weddings. There was so much to talk about. Zita wasn’t sure she could be bothered with all the fuss, but Bridget and Carly were excited about it.
After they finished eating they moved into the living room.
“I’ll go pick the girls some vegetables to take home,” Zita told her mother.
“Let me help,” Carly said and together they went outside. Carly sighed. “I love this place. Mama’s garden is always so gorgeous.”
Zita couldn’t see it the way her sisters did, couldn’t appreciate the lush plantings, the plump vegetables hanging from the plants and the beautiful shade trees. All she noticed were jobs to be done: paths to be swept, branches to be pruned and fruit and vegetables to be picked before they rotted.
She walked to the broccoli and cauliflower bed and began to harvest.
“What did you want to talk to me about?” Carly asked.
Zita’s stomach was in knots. How would her sister react? Was she being selfish?
“ZZ, what’s wrong?”
She let out a sigh. “It’s about Casa Flanagan.”
When she didn’t say anything else, Carly said, “Go on.”
She braced herself. “Can the charity afford to hire another caregiver?” There, she’d said it, though she didn’t dare look at her sister.
“Is there too much work for you and Mama?”
Zita shook her head. She had to be honest. Just get it all out. She took a deep breath. “I’ve been thinking of going to college.”
“Really?” The surprise in Carly’s voice was clear and Zita cringed. “What do you want to study?”
Perhaps she was a foolish dreamer. Perhaps she wasn’t cut out for college. Zita put the vegetable heads in the basket and picked out a few weeds. “Immigration law.”
Carly placed a hand on Zita’s arm, and said, “Look at me, ZZ.”
She raised her eyes. Her sister was frowning.
“How long have you wanted to do immigration law?”
Zita swallowed. “For a few years now.”
“Whydidn’t you say something?”
“Because Mama needs me. She can’t do it by herself. She needs someone to take the girls to their meetings and teach the girls at home. She can’t be in two places at once and the girls need someone they can trust.”
“Of course we can find someone to help Mama. I thought this is what you wanted to do.”
“I did... I do. It’s just that I believe I could help them better in the courtroom.”
“I’ll talk to Mama about it. I’m sure she’ll know someone in the refugee community who is able to help.”
“No!” At Carly’s surprise, she added, “Don’t tell Mama yet. I need to find out more about the law degree. I might not qualify. There’s no point getting her upset over nothing.”
“Why would she be upset?”
