Valentina laughs. “I can’t wait to see you fall face-first into the water.”
“I will not. You will. When I push you in.” I laugh at the thought.
“Oh, is that so?”
“Yeah, it is. You better watch yourself, Garcia. I’m coming for you.”
“One can only hope,” she says, winking.
I ignore her innuendo because I refuse to give her the pleasure of knowing that it made me blush. Valentina is not into me. She’s in love with Sofia. I just need to keep that mantra in my head whenever she’s giving me even a morsel of extra attention.
“You really like it here, don’t you?”
I nod.
“Have you been living yourParent Trapdreams to your full satisfaction?”
“Not yet. Our days have been filled with so many wedding activities it hasn’t even felt like a camp. That’s why I’m so excited about the bach—all the activities! It’s what I’ve dreamed about. Also, I still need to get some Oreos to recreate the scene with the peanut butter. It’s a mind-blowing combination, and I’m determined to have it again before I leave.”
She laughs. “That sounds… .disgusting.”
“You are such a grouch, you know that?”
“I am aware,” she replies, amused.
I take a breath, remembering my conversation with Abuelita. I still can’t believe it, that she actually thought my dad was with someone else before my mom. I glance at Valentina, wondering if it’s worth bringing up. But something about this quiet, surreal moment at the lake makes me want to spill a bit more. Maybe she’d understand. “You know, Abuelita told me yesterday that she thought my dad had someone else in his life before he started dating my mother. Someone he was serious about.”
Valentina raises an eyebrow, turning to face me fully. “Wow. That’s…unexpected. Do you think it has anything to do with what you’ve been finding in his journal?”
I shrug, hugging my knees to my chest. “I don’t know, but I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s like every time I uncover something, I find out I knew even less about him than I thought. It’s scary. And it makes me wonder if I’ll ever really get the full picture. But I feel like I have to try.”
Valentina nods, her expression softening.
“It must be hard, not knowing. But it sounds like you’re starting to piece things together, right? Maybe this whole thing, as weird as it is, will help you finally understand who he was.”
“Maybe,” I say, smiling faintly. “It’s just…there’s so much I didn’t know about him. And now I have to figure it all out while I’m here, pretending I’ve got everything together.”
“You’re not pretending with me,” Valentina says quietly, almost to herself. For a second, I feel exposed but also comforted.
I nod, grateful for the moment but also ready to move on, the weight of the conversation still lingering. “Enough about me,” I say, forcing a small grin. “So, what’s your next step?”
“What do you mean?”
“To sabotage Sofia’s wedding. So far, your plan has failed hilariously. I mean, insulting him at the first dinner didn’t work. No one knew you had even stolen the tents at brunch. I’m curious about what else you have up your sleeve.”
She laughs at that last part. Then, she stays quiet for a moment. As if she’s thinking of what to say. Or if she’s considering telling me something secretive. I hold my breath.
“All right, there is something.”
“Okay, tell me,” I say, trying not to appear too eager.
“How about I show you?”
Valentina reaches into her pocket and pulls out two gold rings.
“My precious,” she says in a hiss.
“Uh, are those what I think they are?” I look at her, eyes wide.
