I place a hand on her shoulder. “Mom, slow down. This is new. Aubrey is…” I pause, thinking. What is Aubrey? Hesitant? Guarded? Defensive? Yes, yes, and yes. “This is a lot for her. She’s been on her own with Claire. She’s already been accommodating. I don’t want to push her toohard.”
I think my words bring my mom back down to reality. “How are you handling this? Wait, how did you find out aboutClaire?”
I open my mouth to answer, but she cuts me off with anotherquestion.
“Are you going to file for custody? Shared, I’msure.”
It would be a lie to say I haven’t thought a lot about it, but Aubrey’s been flexible so far, and I don’t want to burn anybridges.
“Not immediately. Eventually, we’ll have to get the legal aspect figured out. But right now, I’m only interested in learning aboutClaire.”
“What aboutAubrey?”
“What about her?” I know what my mom’s getting at, and it pulls up Jenna’s words from my memory.The way you looked at her. You’ve never looked at me likethat.
Aubrey’s beautiful and strong. The moment I saw her again I felt that same pull in my chest as I had five years ago. Like there’s a tether tying me to her. Pulling back that curtain and finding those blue eyes staring back at me, it was as if my heart was reaching out to hers. And then I’d managed to look past her, to the tiny patient in the big bed, and my heart hadfaltered.
“Think about it, Isaac. You and Aubrey have a one-night stand without enough information to find each other later, and then she shows up out ofnowhere—”
“Not nowhere. At the hospital.” I interject. “Claire broke her arm playing soccer, and yours truly was hersurgeon.”
She gasps, but then the sound keeps going so I’m not really sure what to call it. “Isaac, it’s meant to be. Fated. Written in the stars.” Her eyes are big, excited. It’s all I can do not to rollmine.
“Mom, this isn’t one of your telanovelas. It’s real life.” I point to my chest. “Mylife.”
“Come on.” She’s not one to keep her eye rolls on the inside. “Maybe she’s your person.El que tu corazondesea.”
I cross my arms, like maybe it will keep her words from affecting me any more than they alreadyhave.
“Jenna and I just broke up,Mom.”
“You look devastated.” Her tone is flat.Sarcastic.
“I am.” It’s a lie. I’m not. And the fact that I’m not says more about my feelings for Jenna than words ever could. Four days have passed since the dinner and she hasn't come to mind nearly as much as I would've thought. I’m defending my relationship with her because… well, isn’t it what I’m supposed to do? Honestly, what I feel more than anything is guilt. Which only makes me feelguiltier.
My mom throws up her hands. “Fine. Whatever you say. Let’s talk about Claire. When do I get to meet this grandbaby of mine?” She purses her lips and claps her hands quietly. Her excitement is back. She’s somewhere up in the stars again, dreaming of running through meadows of wildflowers with Claire by herside.
“Lucia?” My dad yells from the livingroom.
My mom hurries from the room, yelling “Paul,” as shegoes.
I walk after her, my pace slow. I’m not in a hurry to drop another bomb on someone today. If I even get to. My mom’s probably too excited to wait forme.
I knew she’d be happy. She hasn’t made it a secret she wishes for grandchildren. Or that she wants me to find the right woman. Who she obviously believed wasn’tJenna.
I’m thirty-five, and I still wish my mom weren’t right all the time. And if she really is right all time, I have much biggerproblems.
El que tu corazon desea.The one your heartdesires.
Is thatAubrey?
* * *
Adark apartmentis just what I need following an afternoon spent inundated by questions and thoughts and opinions, punctuated by my mom’s random hand-tossing when her elation bubbled over. My sister arrived too, called in by my mother, and I knew I was in forit.
Lauren delighted in my news in a strange, competitive sibling way. She’d excused herself to the bathroom, and then my phone dinged with amessage.
Lauren: Oh, how the mighty havefallen.
