I bite my lip. “I did…but I think it might’ve been too late. I rushed to finish it, but honestly, I’m not even sure how good it was. And with everything else? It’s hard to imagine it making a difference.”
Maria nods, concern etched on her face.
“What about the restaurant? What’s going to happen with La Mariposa?”
“I’m not sure,” I say, shrugging. “We’ll just have to take it one day at a time. If you still want to stick around, that is.”
“Until the very end,” Maria promises.
We head out of the cabin, and I lock the door behind me, as instructed by Daniel. This is it. The wedding is officially over. I can’t believe I feel sad about it. This must be precisely how the kids feel on the last day of summer camp when their parents are coming by to pick them up. They’ve just made all these new friends, probably from different parts of the country. So many memories were created. Laughs were had. Adventures were taken. To have it all end so abruptly and have to go back to the real world is a lot for an adult. I can only imagine how kids feel. I, too, would cry and throw a temper tantrum. In fact, I feel like throwing one now. Maybe we can stay a week longer. The season is over. Valentina and I can sneak in and live in one of the cabins. We will put on our best lumberjack outfits to gather firewood, and the others will hunt squirrels for food. It’ll be cozy and romantic. We’ll have to draw straws to see who has to do the murdering-of-little-critters part, but it sure as hell won’t be me.
As we head back toward the cars, I see Sofia and Luciano packing their luggage in the trunk of their car. This is the moment.
“Hey! Leaving first, I see. Are you heading straight to your honeymoon?”
“You know it!” Sofia shouts. “Three weeks traveling through Greece, Italy, and France. It’s going to be amazing. I’ll send you all the pics, of course. You’ll get sick of me sooner than you think.”
I laugh. “Doubtful.”
The idea of having constant contact with my sister makes all of this so worth it. I’ll finally have someone I can turn to that isn’t just a cousin. Someone who shares something with me. Something deep. We’re connected. I can’t wait to share my secrets, dreams, and rants with Sofia.
“Hey, Isa. Can I talk to you in private quick?” Luciano pulls me aside.
“Yeah, of course. What’s going on?” I say.
“I just want you to know that hearing the truth about the restaurant was a big shock last night. It’s not what I expected for my first investment.”
“I know, Luc. I’m so sorry for lying to you. I was desperate and scared.”
“I’m not saying what you did was okay, but I want you to know I get it.”
“You do?”
“Of course I do. Like I told you, I didn’t come from money. I know what it’s like to struggle. To feel desperate.”
I nod slowly.
“I’m very impressed with you, Isabella.”
“Me? Why?”
“You may have lied. A lot. But it also takes a lot of bravery and growth to admit to not only yourself but those around you what the truth is. It speaks volumes about who you are as a person. I just wanted you to know that. You would be a great business partner.”
“Well, thanks, Luc. That’s kind of you to say.”
“That’s why I want to invest in La Mariposa.”
“Excuse me?” I look at him, incredulous.
“You heard me. I want to invest in your business.”
“Luciano, you don’t have to do that. I lied to you. La Mariposa is in debt. There’s no way we’d even be remotely ready to expand—I can barely keep this one location open. I appreciate you doing that, but you don’t have to just because we’re family now.”
“I know, but I want to. We’re family. And not just any family. We’re Latinos, Isa. We look out for each other.”
He hands me a check totaling the amount of the overdue rent.
“What is this?” I blink rapidly, trying to comprehend what is going on.
