Page 23 of We Shouldn’t Do This Again

My father furrows his brow and puts his hands on his hips.

“What’s going on, sweetheart?”

“What, what’s going on!?” I exclaim angrily. “When were you planning to tell me you invited Barbara to the wedding!? Huh!?”

Surprise clouds his eyes as a shy, innocent smile spreads across his lips.

“You’re right, I should’ve told you sooner, but… I didn’t know how to do it,” he confesses, sounding a bit flustered. “You know she’s like a daughter to me, and I wanted her to be there for such a special moment.”

“Well, that special moment for you has turned into a Pandora’s box for me,” I add, my heart pounding against my ribs. “She arrived last night. She’s at the restaurant having breakfast, in case you want to say hi. I’m going to take a walk on the beach.”

“But…”

And just when I think I’m going to drown in my own rage, my phone vibrates in the palm of my hand, and a video call from Alex saves me from continuing the conversation.

“We’ll talk later,” I tell my father, letting him go while I focus on answering the video call and putting on my best face.

“Good morning, walking disaster!” she exclaims as soon as she appears, with that huge smile that always takes over her whole face.

The image wobbles a little, and then Jota pokes his head in. Through the phone, his head looks huge, and his eyes shine with pure doggy happiness.

“Jotita!” I squeal, and for the first time all morning, I feel something warm and genuine wash over me.

“Look who’s here asking for cuddles,” Alex says, moving the camera closer to the dog. “He says he misses you so much…”

“I’m not surprised,” I reply, and a smile escapes me without permission. “I’m his mom, and I miss him too. Much more than I miss you, don’t doubt it.”

“Hey, excuse me, okay?” She pretends to be offended, putting a hand to her chest. “I’m a top-notch caregiver. I don’t think he’s ever been pampered this much in his life.”

“I just hope you’re letting him sleep, because once you get going… you don’t stop talking long enough to breathe.”

“Well, someone’s got to spice up his life, sweetheart.”

I laugh for real, one of those laughs that come naturally and loosen the knot in my stomach. Alex narrows her eyes, studying me.

“Okay…” she says slowly, changing her tone. “Seriously now. Are you okay? You look like you spent the night wrestling with your pillow.”

“There’s her radar, infallible as always.” I sigh, lean on the worn wooden railing nearby, and gaze at the horizon where the sea meets the sky.

“It’s just that…” I hesitate for a moment, but there’s no point hiding anything from her. “I ran into Barbara.”

“Damn.” She pauses for a long time and then blurts out, “That explains the look like you want to set the whole world on fire.”

“She’s staying in the bungalow next door,” I continue, ignoring her comment. “She came for the wedding and my dad didn’t even mention it to me. Can you believe it!?”

“I didn’t expect Pablo to turn into fate’s right hand. But he could’ve been a little smarter about it, I don’t know.”

“Exactly.” I take an angry bite out of the apple. “And as soon as I saw her… I don’t know, Alex. It’s like everything I buried came rushing back all at once. Everything. And I feel like… I don’t know… breathing fire like an angry dragon.”

A soft laugh escapes her.

“I love that image. It’s so you.”

“It’s not funny.”

“It is a little.”

“Alex…”