"You know I've traveled the world, right?" Hugo sounds like he is finished with his sister's sass. "I've made friends you've never heard of. I have a gold medal."
"Pfft." Vivi scoffs so vehemently, I hear it clearly through the phone. "I'll bet it's made out of chocolate and wrapped in gold foil."
"Bite it and find out."
Their sibling banter incites a hollow feeling in my stomach. I don't have siblings, and when my mother goes, it'll just be me and my dad. I'll have Vivi, of course, but it's not exactly the same.
And Duke.
Shit. Right. I really need to stop doing that. Note to self: the man is going to be my husband in about a month.
"De la Vega siblings," I bark, using a tone I've heard from my mother over the years. "Pay attention to the subject at hand."
"Right," Vivi responds.
"Sorry," Hugo adds, sounding like he's talking through his teeth. Either he's fed up with his sister, or he's moving something heavy. He must take me off speaker, because all of a sudden his voice is coming through the phone, loud and clear.
"I met him at a K9 dog show in San Diego. I went out there to meet with a guy I was hoping would coach me for the Olympics, and I wandered into a dog show. He was there with some of his SEAL buddies."
"And you struck up a conversation and became best friends forever?"
"I—" Hugo starts, but I cut in.
"Here's the thing, Hugo. Peter Bravo does not strike me as the kind of guy who makes friends with perfect strangers. He's standoffish. There is literally nothing about him that advertises he is open to small talk with somebody he doesn't know, let alone enough conversation to become the basis of a friendship."
Hugo sighs. "Daisy, what do you want me to say? You asked me a question and I answered it."
It's very unlike Hugo to sound this annoyed, thisexhaustedwith me. We've known each other a very long time, and well enough that I know these questions shouldn't get a response like this from him. If Vivi and I belting Kelis'Milkshakeat the top of our lungs while dancing around the kitchen table where Hugo did homework never prompted an eye roll or sigh, pretty much nothing else should. This, in and of itself, is an additional tally on the side of reasons I have to be suspicious.
"Hugo Alexander De la Vega," I say in a warning tone.
In the background, Vivi crows, "Your ass just got middle-named by the sweetest person in town."
Now I'm happy I decided not to FaceTime, because there's no way I'd be able to hide the smile my best friend's verbal antics have put on my face.
Hugo ignores his sister. "Daisy, I promise you, I met him there. He was with his friends."
The line goes quiet. I think Hugo is waiting for the natural follow-up question, and as much as it hurts to talk about the boy who left me without a backwards glance, I dig down deep, put on my big girl panties, and ask the question we both know I want to ask. The real question I've been dancing around. The name I’ve been dancing around, but not daring to speak, for years. Peter was hired to come here and handle the house.By who?Only one answer makes sense.
"Was Penn one of the friends he was with? I mean, that must be how you met Peter, right? Through Penn?" And then, the question that's plaguing me. "Did you see him?"
"Yes. To all your questions." Relief breaks through in Hugo's tone. Almost like he's been dying to tell me. "You should know that I'm sorry, ok?" Across the connection comes the sound ofa door closing, then water gurgling. It's the fountain in front of Dama Oliva, the weird one Vivi bought secondhand.
"What are you sorry for? Not telling me?"
A long silence, and then, "I suppose."
"I'm not upset with you. It's not like we had an agreement where you were supposed to tell me if you saw him, or heard from him." It would've been nice though, to know Penn is doing well. "Is he happy?"
I think this whole time I've been worrying that he wouldn't grow up happy, that his mother's problems would irrevocably alter him.
"Happy?" Hugo repeats, voice lifting on the second syllable like he hadn't considered this before. "I'm not sure if I would say he's happy."
The possibility saddens me. We haven't talked in more than a decade, but I still want to see Penn win. He deserves it, after the childhood he had.
"Look, Daisy," Hugo starts, and it's almost as if I can see him doing that thing he does when he gets frustrated where he runs the side of his finger over his eyebrow. "Penn might be happy. I'm not sure. He doesn't say one way or the other. But you are, right? You're planning a wedding to someone you've been friends with your entire life. The whole town wants to be in your bridal party. The only time you'll make people happier than they are now is when you and Duke announce you're having a baby, should you decide to."
A baby. I can't even begin to think about a child. Not because I don't want children, because I actually do. Hugo's comment is making me realize Duke and I need to have a conversation ASAP.
