Emma smiled through the tears, and she nodded. Maria had always used the affectionate term for her since she was a little girl. She had no idea how much she had missed her and her home till the moment she saw Maria in the crowd, cheering for her the loudest when she was called to accept her degree “Si, Maria.”
“That is amazing!” Maria squealed in delight, and she hugged Emma.
The others laughed and once again, the cheer returned to the table.
As they headed out of the restaurant hours later, Maria said, “I booked a hotel near the airport. Why don’t we have breakfast before I go tomorrow?”
“No, that’s not fair, Maria. You should come home with me,” Emma said firmly. She turned to Johnny and cautiously said, “Will you please be okay spending the night with Brad?”
“Sure, darling. You and Maria have a lot to discuss, it’s been a while you saw each other. How about I join you two for that breakfast tomorrow?”
“Sure, we’ll see you tomorrow morning,” Maria said with another one of her tight smiles. She waved at him as he left.
Helen said to them, “I came with Carrie, mom and dad came separately so I can drop you both at home.”
“Thanks Helen, we’ll really appreciate that.”
“Come on.”
The next morning as they sat down to breakfast at a little cafe near the airport, Emma could feel Maria’s eyes on her every movement.
“So, you’re sure you don’t want Johnny here?” Emma asked quietly. She dreaded what was to come later in the day when he found out that they had not bothered to meet up with him for breakfast.
“No, mi corazoncito. I want to spend as much time with you as I can. I don’t even know when I’ll be seeing you again. Are you returning to Texas soon?”
Emma sighed and she set her glass of juice down. “Do I really have anything to go back to, Maria? Gramps doesn’t want me back, so I have to create a life for myself here, for myself and my kids.”
“I am sure in time your grandfather will forgive you. You made a mistake but you’re working to better your life. You are not your mother, Emma. He should know that.”
Emma shook her head and she said, “I have no plans of being like her. I’m going to be the best parent I can be for my child, with or without Gramps.”
Maria washed down her pancakes with coffee before she said, “And John? Does he treat you well? Is he a good man?”
Emma’s hand froze and she quickly set her fork down. She set her hands on her thighs to cover up her trembling. “Uh huh, he takes care of me, yes he is a good man.”
Maria watched her intently as she said, “He never did say what he does for a living or is he still in college?”
“He never finished college and right now, he’s between jobs.”
“So, in other words, he doesn’t have a job right now,” Maria interpreted. She placed a hand over Emma, and she said, “Mi corazoncito, tell me the truth. Are you sure you are, okay?”
“Uh huh. Go on and eat, Maria. I don’t want you to miss your flight.”
“I am proud of you, you know that. And so is your abuelo even if he does not say it.”
“I know, Maria. I know. And thank you for coming. It really means a lot to me that you could make it. I bet Gramps was not too pleased.”
“I will keep talking to the old man. He is stubborn but he misses you and he is bound to come around.”
“He doesn’t even have to accept me back in the ranch or in his life. He should just forgive me and talk to me at least,” Emma said as tears filled up her eyes.
“Nothing is impossible, mi corazoncito, nothing.”
As she trod into her apartment after seeing Maria off at the airport, Emma thought of her discussion with Maria. She settled onto the couch and broke into tears. She was so very tired and as warm as the hug she had gotten from Maria had been, she missed her grandfather and she yearned to hear his voice telling her that everything was going to be okay.
*
“I know that she is not okay, Mr. Price. She claims she is and she says this boy is good but he does not fool me. He seems like a gold-digger even.”
