Page 64 of Sweet Heart

“Hm-mmm.” She nods.

“Well, I like that she was so approachable, for starters.”

Cat nods. Devina had been warm and friendly when Tessa introduced us. She was already well into her sixties, about a decade older than I had expected, and her silver hair had framed a soft, round face. She just oozed comfort and a certain maternal familiarity that my body instantly recognized even if my mind had zero memories to match it.

“Sí, she was muy amable, but you already liked her before we went.”

Oh. She isn’t just asking about today. I shrug sheepishly at her and nod, a soft blush creeping onto my cheeks.

“Well, when I first came to the States, I didn’t know many people,” I offer her softly, my stomach constricting slightly at the memory. “But there was an older woman, Suzanne, who took me in. I rented a room from her, but she seriously undercharged me. I think she needed the company as much as I did. Or at the very least, she enjoyed it.”

Cat nods softly, her expression softening as she listens to my story.

“She was a retired psychologist and had a knack for reading people.”

I chuckle fondly, and Cat’s lips curl up. She gives me a small nod as if she wants to tell me to continue.

“She knew I loved reading. I told her that. So when she gave me Devina’s book A Sun Child Doesn’t Cry, I was elated…”

I trail off for a moment, and Cat instantly catches it. Her fingers brush against the inside of my wrist, and she moves her head slightly closer to mine to look me in the eye.

“What happened?”

“She didn’t just give me the book. She… she left me a message in it.”

“Oh?” Cat slightly tilts her head, gazing at me with curiosity. “What did it say?”

My throat bobs as I recall the words, and what they have meant to me over the years. I’ve never told this story to anyone. Nobody seemed to care. Nobody ever asked. But Cat is here, listening intently, and suddenly I feel a surge run through me. An overpowering want to share this part of me with her.

“My dearest Mary,” I quote. “A path that starts out in the neck of the woods can seem wild, overgrown, and daunting at first. But it will lead those who are willing to stay on it to the most beautiful places. Places only the blessed will see.”

I pause and look at Cat, whose eyes are still on me. She waits, so I continue.

“Don’t let those walking a concrete road tell you how to navigate your track. Use your inner compass to guide you. It has brought you to this moment, after all.” I huff softly as I add the final note with a smile. “I hope this book rekindles your love for writing, so that the fire inside you may burn bright yet again.”

Cat goes quiet for a while, but I see how she takes in the words. Their meaning. A small frown appears, and she blinks, her eyes suddenly present and sharp again.

“You told her you were a writer.”

I shake my head and smile.

“Nope, but Suzanne knew.”

Cat nods, almost satisfied with that answer.

“Sí. That tracks. She looked at you to see you, querida.”

I blush and drop my gaze, but Cat won’t have it. She lifts my chin with her index finger and smiles at me.

“Please, let me see you.”

My belly flutters, and my chest expands. I nod slowly, because yes. I want her to see all of me, even if that thought should terrify me, because for some reason… it doesn’t.

Chapter 24

Cat

My hand darts out to silence the phone the moment it starts buzzing. Mary stirs beside me, her golden hair spilled over her shoulders, but doesn’t wake. Everything in me screams to ignore the call and curl myself around her. But I can’t. I have sworn an oath, and I can’t just abandon who I am because I am in love. That’s not healthy. I slip out of bed, shiver as my feet hit the cold floor, and pad as quietly as I can into the living room.