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Mama looks between me and my sisters with a stern expression. “There’s much work to be done, girls.”

“Yes, Mama,” Lily says sweetly.

My mother gives us one more speculative glance before walking out of the kitchen toward the main restaurant area. Papa smiles at us then follows her.

I can hardly remember a time when Mama looked happy, like she was actually enjoying life instead of working all the time. She’s always so serious, I wonder what she’d be like if she let my sisters, or even Papa, take on more responsibility around here.

Chapter twenty-three

Isabella

Sunday morning my sisters and I wake up and get ready for Mass together. They spent the night at my place so we could catch up. On Sundays we always go to Mass together as a family, another tradition. I haven’t made it to Mass in two weeks, which is just one more strike against me.

Once we’re all dressed and ready in our Sunday best, we walk outside to my car. Trying to be discreet, I sneak a glance at David’s house and see him walking down the solid wooden steps of his front porch. His movements are precise, calculated even. He bends at the waist to retrieve his Sunday morning paper, his slim fingers reaching for the paper with the elegance of a historian handling a rare artifact. He’s not wearing a robe or pajamas, but is ready for the day in a grey and navy plaid button up and tan slacks. He spots me watching him and grins, using the paper in his hand to wave at me. My sisters giggle behind me.

“Good morning, David!” Lily says in a high-pitched voice, like she’s trying to sound like me.

Rosa wiggles her fingers at him in a silly wave, adding a wink for extra drama.

David quirks a brow, looking a little confused at their antics. “Um, good morning.”

“Are we still on for the barbecue tonight?” I ask, ignoring my sister’s tittering in the background.

“It’s not too late to back out if you want to.” He brings his palm to his forehead and chokes out a cough. “Actually, I think I might be coming down with something.”

“Not a chance. I’m dying to get to know the woman who stalks her adult children through an app.”

He groans. “Alright. At least I can relish the fact that I can bring a date and Brooks can’t.”

I rub my hands together and do my best evil laugh. “Ooh this will be fun. Should I hang all over you and shower you with compliments?”

“I’d expect nothing less,” he says in his dry tone that I’m starting to love more and more.

I turn and see my sisters are now in the car waiting for me. “We better head out. Mama will have our heads if we’re late to Mass.”

“See you tonight.” His eyes soften, no longer cold and dry with his strange humor. “You look beautiful.”

I smile at him and wave as I duck inside my car, wishing I was spending the day with David.

My sisters and I walk into St. Andrew’s Church and find our parents easily since they’ve sat in the same spot in the second row for as long as I can remember. We shuffle our way into the pew next to them and my mother smiles at me. The smile I remember from when I was a little girl and she wasn’t constantly pressuring me to take over Abuela’s. Back when we were just mother and daughter, not owner and hopeful-future-owner.

Her hair is down today. She wears it shorter than she did when she was younger. It now comes to her clavicle instead of streaming halfway down her back. Mama is a beautiful woman, but I can see how stress has aged her. Her tanned skin that used to glow like the sun now looks pale from lack of being outside. She has small grooves in the skin around her eyes and instead of smile lines, she has frown lines.

My heart tightens as I smile back at her and take my seat. Realizing that Mama probably wants me to take over the restaurant so she can finally have a break.

But still, why does it have to be me just because I’m the oldest? Rosa was meant to be a manager, not me. I know Lily is too young to run Abuela’s, being that she’s only twenty. But Rosa is just a few years younger than myself.

Papa is elated on the other side of Mama, he leans over her and gives me a pat on the knee. “Good to see all my girls together.” He winks.

Rosa clears her throat from my opposite side and I turn to look at her. She jerks her head to the side like she’s motioning for me to look at something. I’m too distracted by how ridiculous she looks to notice what she’s trying to convey.

Finally, Lily leans over and whispers, “It’s Fabio.”

My eyes shoot up to see the man who came to the restaurant over a week ago. He smiles at me, obviously not surprised to see me here. Then he shuffles into our row, past my two sisters and squeezes between myself and Rosa.

I gape at him, not knowing what to say and wondering how someone could be so presumptuous that I’d want to sit by him.

Mama leans over and smiles at him. “Fabio, so glad you could join us today!”