Chapter 12
The next day, while Walker was with Grammy Wilson, Fernando lounged on a towel as the afternoon sun warmed his skin. The lake was smooth as glass, and light slid across the water, turning it silver. His youngest sister, Valentina, lay beside him, head pressed to his as she read a book.
Gabriela kicked her shoes off and let her feet dangle over the edge of the pontoon boat. “It’s a little too cold for me,” she announced, nose wrinkling, as she pulled her feet out of the water.
Eddie sat beside her, shoulder to shoulder. He grinned and slid off the boat, pulling Gabriela with him. She screeched as she hit the water, then started laughing as she immediately tried to dunk the man’s head under the water.
Behind them, Mateo unpacked snacks with ceremonial seriousness, lining everything up as if this were a mission rather than a day off. “I have sandwiches, potato chips, and bottled water. Abel sent a few beers too. It’s a new recipe, and he wants us to try it. It’s infused with raspberries.”
Fernando made grabby hands, and Mateo handed him one. He took a long sip and sighed happily. It was tart with a hint of sweetness. “Delicious.”
They drifted through the water, boat dipping in slow, uneven rhythms. Gabriela and Eddie swam beside them, laughing harder each time Gabs managed to dunk Eddie.
Fernando studied Valentina. She appeared to be reading, but he recognized that brooding expression all too well. He sometimes saw it in the mirror.
“You’re brooding,” he said, trying for a smile.
Valentina looked at him, then sat up, folding her legs beneath her. For a moment, neither of them spoke. The gentle rhythm of the lake and the sound of laughter were all they heard.
“I’m not brooding,” she said finally, looking grumpy.
“Yes, you are.” Fernando shrugged. “You get this face. Like you’re trying to solve a math problem that doesn’t have numbers.”
Valentina laughed reluctantly. “You’re so annoying.”
Fernando rolled over onto his stomach, resting his chin in his hands. “So, what’s the problem?”
She hesitated for a moment, then sighed. “I don’t know how you all do it. You love people like it’s easy. Like it doesn’t scare you.”
Mateo snorted a laugh and sat beside them. “It may seem like that, but love isn’t always easy.”
Fernando’s smile softened. “Personally, it scares me all the time. The more I give to Walker, the more he can hurt me.”
“Then why keep doing it?” Valentina asked with a huff.
He thought for a moment. “Because being scared isn’t the worst thing. Being closed off is.”
She looked away, jaw tightening. “Love makes you stupid. You give someone all the sharp edges they need to hurt you.”
“Yeah,” he said quietly. “But it also gives them the chance to see every bit of you and accept you.”
She sighed. “What if they leave? Or die like Mom and Dad? I know they didn’t want to go, but they’re still gone, and it hurts.”
Fernando closed his eyes for a moment, then shared a look with Mateo. They all missed their parents, but Valentina had missed out on the most.
“I just know that when I love someone, even if it ends badly, I’m still glad I tried. Those moments that I spent with them mattered. They don’t disappear just because things change.”
“Imagine if you never got to do anything with Mom,” Mateo said, grinning. “Remember how she haggled with the butcher each time she bought meat? She went from quiet, well-behaved housewife to raging tiger. That was the absolute best.”
“It was so embarrassing,” Valentina said, laughing. “I think they both enjoyed it way too much.” She smiled. “Remember how she always made us dress up for Christmas day in matching pajamas?”
“Talk about embarrassing,” Fernando said, chuckling. “I still have that last pair.”
“I miss Dad too,” Mateo said, sighing. “He and I had issues, but there were good moments too.”
“I remember one time,” Valentina said softly, “Dad took me fishing. He said it wasn’t something a lady should do, but that it would be our little secret.”
Fernando whistled. “He never took me fishing. Was it fun?”
