Bea nodded. “She’s sleeping.”
She would have to wake up to feed Xaviera. Zita headed upstairs and knocked on Elena’s door. When there was no answer, she pushed it open and found her sprawled across her bed asleep.
“Elena, wake up. Xaviera needs feeding.”
As if to punctuate the point, Xaviera started wailing.
Elena sat up slowly, brushing her hair out of her face. “Give her here,” she said with a scowl.
Zita handed the baby over and Elena fed her. Perhaps it would be better if they switched Xaviera over to formula. Then any of them could feed her, but it may also keep Elena from bonding with the girl. Zita wasn’t sure what to do. She couldn’t blame Elena for not wanting the child. She was so young, and she’d been raped.
When the baby was fed Zita took her and Elena turned over to go back to sleep. Zita sighed, gathered a new diaper and some clothes for Xaviera, and left the room. She’d use Alejandra’s room to wash the baby and get her ready for the day.
By the time she was done, David was due to arrive. She gave Xaviera to Carmen and packed a day pack for herself. As she was finishing, Bess and Saint started barking. She grabbed her things and headed for the front door. “I’m off, Mama. Call me if you need anything.”
“Have fun.”
She opened the door as David was about to knock. He was carrying his own backpack and dressed in jeans, blue T-shirt and tennis shoes.
“Hi,” she said and kissed him quickly. “Let’s go. If you come in, we won’t get out again for at least half an hour.”
He grinned and followed her to her SUV, opening the back so the dogs could get in.
“Where are we going?” David asked as she drove out of the yard.
“There’s a place not too far from here that’s nice and the dogs can roam off the leash.”
“Sounds good. So is Casa Flanagan the madhouse that it was last weekend?”
“Not yet. Most of the girls aren’t up.”
“So why the rush?”
His question made her think. She’d been in a hurry to get out of the house, wanting to escape. “It’s Elena.”
David waited for her to continue.
“She’s not handling motherhood very well. I know it’s only been two weeks, but she wants as little to do with Xaviera as possible.”
“How come?”
“It could be many reasons.” She shrugged. “Fourteen is so young to be having a baby.” She was hardly more than a child herself.
Zita pulled into the parking lot and turned off the engine. After letting the dogs out and grabbing her backpack, she joined David on the path.
“Let’s go this way.” She pointed, whistled for her dogs to come, and started down the path.
David took hold of her hand and the simple gesture comforted her.
“It must be hard for her,” he said. “New country, new baby, not sure whether she’ll be allowed to stay. I imagine her emotions are all over the place.”
“She’s arguing with everyone, even Beatriz. They had such a fight when Bea was allowed to stay in the country.”
“Why?”
“Elena’s scared she’ll be sent back. It’s an odd issue, because Xaviera is a US citizen. That might work in Elena’s favor, but there have been cases where a parent has been deported even if their child is a citizen. We’ve not been able to get much proof of her abuse.”
“Except Xaviera.”
