The first name that came to mind was Sheila Black. From there, the reasons fell like drops in a waterfall, and Marina blinked away tears.
CHAPTER 26
River should have gone homeright after the ambulance left. She definitely should have gone home after she’d wandered the vibrant neighborhood and snapped pics of the many, many murals decorating the community. But she simply couldn’t bring herself to until Marina’s plans were definite. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Marina needed her, though Marina would probably say she didn’t needanyone.
She’d found a little bookshop with a big, comfy chair in the back, and she’d lost herself in a lesbian romance novel about a group of ex-soldiers who’d started their own body shop. She’d gone and bought the next two in the series as well and then taken her haul to a nondescript brick coffee place with seats in the window. The two owners, Mirta and Marta, greeted her like an old friend, and Mirta said she sensed a kindred spirit. They talked about tarot and spirits, and Marta teased them about being crazy.
It was a beautiful experience, and she promised to come back soon after she’d received Marina’s text about dinner. The community here was tighter, smaller than her own, but it had a similar vibe. As she walked to the restaurant, she againwondered how Marina had moved so far away, mentally and emotionally, from her roots.
But then…she knew at least a little about it. The photo in Marina’s house had told her far more than Marina had yet, and she wasn’t sure what to do with the information she’d gathered just from sitting in their living room.
The restaurant was small and warm and smelled divine, and she asked for a table for four, since no one else was there yet. They gave her one right in the middle, and she took out her phone. She’d told Audrey what was going on, and she’d received only an eye roll emoji in response. But she’d need to talk through what she’d found out with Audrey before she broached it with Marina.
The door opened before she could send Audrey a text asking for a chat, and Marina looked around as her father and sister came in after her. River stood and held open her arms, and Marina stepped right into them. She hadn’t planned it, but the moment Marina’s eyes had met hers, she’d known it was exactly what she needed.
Marina pulled back and didn’t meet River’s eyes. “Thank you,” she said softly, then turned. “River, this is my dad, Ramón, and my sister, Kayla.”
Ramón shook her hand, and she didn’t miss the questions in his eyes.
“Nice to meet you. Thank you for giving Marina a ride to the house.”
“Of course. My pleasure.” River turned to the sister. “Hi there.”
At the sister’s touch, River was swamped with emotion. Frustration, anger, disappointment, grief, rage. It was a tangled mess encapsulated in a tightly knit ball of twine frayed at the edges. She held on a little longer than necessary, and then whispered, “You have to let it all out.”
Kayla blinked and jerked back a little, tears instantly filling her eyes. She sat down and picked up a menu without saying anything.
River took her seat next to Marina, and they sat in tense silence before the waiter came and took their order.
Ramón took a sip of his beer and then looked at River. “So how do you know our Marina?”
There were several answers to that, which would no doubt provoke conversation, but she felt Marina stiffen beside her and guessed which ones were off the table. “We met at an art exhibition. My business partner’s daughter is really talented, and Marina even bought one of her pieces.”
Marina nodded, smiling faintly. “I did. I haven’t had time to unwrap it and hang it yet though.”
“It isn’t going anywhere.” River shrugged, figuring Marina didn’t need any more guilt on her plate.
“And what is your business?” Ramón asked, clearly trying to keep some semblance of conversation going.
Marina tensed again, but River couldn’t help her. She’d sworn never to hide who she was. “I run Echoes and Insights over in South Shore.”
At that, Kayla suddenly looked up from her phone. “The psychic place?”
River nodded, surprised. “You’ve heard of it?”
Kayla set her phone down and looked between River and Marina. “Our mom has always been into spiritual stuff, and I’ve picked up some things from her. Marina didn’t tell you?”
Now, that was interesting. Marina’s reactions had suggested she was anything but familiar with what River did. “No, she didn’t mention it.”
Kayla snorted dismissively. “No surprise there. She wouldn’t want anyone to know where she came from or that her family isn’t white and boring as?—”
“That’s not true,” Marina said, and her knuckles were white on the glass. “I don’t talk about my personal life with anyone, that’s all. It’s mine.”
“Not even with your hot friends, apparently.” Kayla smirked.
“We haven’t known each other that long,” River said, feeling the need to defend Marina even though what Kayla said was true.
“She’s always been private,” Ramón said, nodding thanks to the waiter who set down the chips and salsa. “Even when they were kids, she didn’t like people knowing our business. That’s not easy when you live in a tight community like this one.” He laughed and smiled at Marina fondly. “Isabella was your opposite. She told everybody everything whenever they’d listen.”
