I felt his eyes snap to me as I turned to go, and then I heard him say, “She’s leaving?”
Avôquickly told him aboutVila do Açaí, and the daily routine we’d be following until the construction was completed.
I looked at Myles then, and as our eyes met, he slowly dragged his greys over my face. Again, the way his gaze traveled over me made me feel the opposite of uncomfortable. It made me feel…important, I think. Like I was the center of his immediate focus, but also something that made him curious.
When he blinked at me, I jerked my head upwards with a “Huh?” expression on my face. As he clearly didn’t know Sign, I thought using an obvious gesture would make my question clear to him.
“Uh.” He scratched the side of his neck. “I’m going to need your input on the library’s theme, etcetera,” he said, and then took off his gloves when the living room got toastier due to the ongoing heater next to the entrance.
There were random wet and matted-down spots on his caramel hair because of ice having melted on them, and his face was a clear shade of pink – due to the heat or the outside weather, I couldn’t tell. The tan-and-beige winter coat he had on stood out against his complexion, but complemented him perfectly.
“Maybe we can discuss things once you’re back from the shop?” he suggested, but it came across as a hesitant question.
I shifted on my feet, and again, our eyes met. God, when was the last time I’d had such an experience? I honestly couldn’t remember.
There was an unknown warmth in my chest; a tingling flush coursing through my skin. I let go of a short breath and smiled, and then gave Myles a thumbs up.
He glanced at it first, then my face, and then broke into a sudden chuckle before mirroring my gesture.
I laughed, and began stepping backwards as I waved at both him andAvô.
When I finally turned and headed for the door, I hastily opened my purse and pulled my car keys out from inside it.
Contain yourself, woman. Get a damn grip, I told myself.You’re being ridiculously weird for a twenty-seven-year-old.
I shook my head, pushed open the door, and exhaled against the chilly morning air.
Good fucking morning to you, Carina Ribeiro.
3. What Happened?
“This used to be a haven tominhanora,” Mr. Ribeiro said as we entered the kitchen. His cane made starkclickandclacknoises as he moved around the space with eased familiarity.
I followed him inside, then stood next to the well-used counter on the left. “Nora?”
Mr. Ribeiro turned, and blinked as if ridding himself of a daze before giving me a faint smile. “Minhanora, meaning my daughter-in-law,” he said with a tinge of pain on his face. “The kitchen was where you’d always find her. She never gave up a single chance of making a feast for us, and would drive my son, João, mad with her endless grocery lists.” He chuckled to himself with a slow shake of his head. “She was so enthusiastic to learn our ways and language when he’d first introduced her to me and my wife, Irene. So enthusiastic, that it sometimes drove him insane.” He pursed his lips in contemplation. “Madison was something else entirely, and was, in truth, the life of our family.” His features turned crestfallen for a moment, but then he quickly recovered before taking a seat on one of the silver stools next to the pantry shelf.
I looked around the kitchen – at the periwinkle mosaic wallpaper, white countertops, silver appliances and furniture, and then at Mr. Ribeiro, who laughed airily.
“I told you she was different,” he stated.
The rest of the house was warmly mellow – all shades of brown, yellow, and the slightest bit of red – which made the kitchen stand out quite massively.
“So, you’d like me to renovate this area to match the rest of the house?” I asked.
“Not really, no.” He placed his cane sideways between his legs. “I do want the periwinkle and silver incorporated somehow into the mix, because those were Madison’s colors, but mostly I just want everything new. Carina and I have been facing leakage and other issues for the past few months, and, as you can tell, the countertops have clearly seen better days. She likes it here, but she’s been having pest and water problems that I just won’t stand to bear.”
I inclined my head in agreement. “I can call in the pest control once I’ve cleared the space out for the makeover, and I can do ivory tiles on the walls instead of a wallpaper. Those work well, and you won’t have to worry about replacing them time and again. The flooring can be the same, or I can use a darker shade to add a contrast element.” I pointed at the white cabinets. “I can have Taron build completely new ones with a beige fiber coating on ‘em to avoid roaches.” I then patted the counter. “I can do periwinkle marble on top, with the same beige drawers as the cabinets. The appliances and furniture can have silver accents. That way, we’ll be able to balance the theme and keep the colors you want.”
Mr. Ribeiro nodded. “I like the idea, and I’m sure Carina will, too. But do discuss this with her today, if possible.”
“Of course. Um,” I scratched my jaw. “I could give you a reference catalog for the tiles.”
Mr. Ribeiro waved a dismissive hand. “I’m sure you’ll pick something appropriate. I’m too old for this sorta thing.”
I smiled. “You got it.” I then slid my gloves into the back pocket of my jeans before leaning my hip gently against the refrigerator behind me. “If you don’t mind me asking: what…what happened to Carina’s mom?”
Mr. Ribeiro looked at me, a bit startled by my question, of course, to which I quickly added, “I’m sorry if I’m overstepping. I know it’s not my place to inquire about something so sensitive.”
