Page 37 of Sin and Redemption

“Someone told me that you do pottery and that this is your favorite artist, so I asked her to spend a whole day with you and teach you.”

“She agreed?” I asked, aghast.

“I didn’t threaten her, if that’s what you’re worried about,” he said firmly. “But money can buy almost anything.”

I hadn’t done any pottery since I’d lost the baby, and even before then, after the capture, I’d only tried it twice and given up both times, practically fleeing the pottery wheel. When I’d done pottery in the past, I’d allowed my thoughts to roam free as my fingers formed the soft clay. I had daydreamed and run through imaginary scenarios of my future. Letting my thoughts run free now seemed hazardous and foolish.

Maximus regarded me silently.

“Thank you,” I said with a smile. It was a great gift, one the old Sara would have been ecstatic about, and hopefully future Sara would one day be too, but current Sara was terrified.

Maybe this could be my way of reclaiming the old Sara?

Maximus and I were invited over to his parents to celebrate the next day. I hadn’t seen them since the small funeral, nor had I visited their home or the old oak tree.

Snow covered the ground as we pulled up in the driveway. Barks rang out as dogs gathered at the fences, some of them jumping against the mesh. Their hot breath created clouds of fog around their wide-open maws. I lost count of how many dogs there were. The last time I’d been here, I hadn’t even noticed them. Everything had been deadly quiet.

Maximus opened the door for me and helped me climb out. He always did, but usually immediately released me once I was safely on the ground. This time, he held my hand and squeezed.

“Are you afraid of dogs?”

“I’m not afraid, but I have a healthy dose of respect, especially of dogs like this.” Most of them were huge and muscly beasts, with sharp teeth and scarred faces. They had been in dog fights, a fact that made me even warier of them.

“Most of them have a brutal past. It takes lots of work to help them overcome their fears and aggressions.”

“I admire you for it. Have there been dogs you couldn’t help and had to put down?”

“I personally haven’t have to do it yet. But Mom had to kill two dogs when I was seven and Primo was five. He was playing with me on our playground when two dogs managed to break through the old fence. I was up on the monkey bars when they both pushed him to the ground. I jumped down to help him just when Mom came running out of the house. One pushed me down and sank its teeth into my shoulder. Primo and I tried to protect our faces and throat because that’s where they can do the most damage. Mom had a gun but because the dogs were on top of us, she couldn’t shoot them. To this day, I don’t know how she summoned the power but she wrangled the dog who was on top of Primo to the ground and slit its throat before she stabbed the dog who was on top of my back several times.”

I stared at Maximus in horror. I hadn’t noticed a scar on his shoulder, but I had never seen him naked.

“She didn’t hesitate. Both dogs could have easily turned on her and killed her.”

“I would have gladly died if it meant saving you and your brother,” Cara said. She stood on the porch behind us, rubbing her arms against the cold. She wore a beautiful teal colored cashmere set, long flowy pants and a long-sleeved shirt.

“That’s what mothers do,” I said with a small smile, even though the words rekindled the deep ache I felt.

Cara came down the three steps and loosely wrapped her arm around my shoulders. “Come in. It’s cold. Dinners ready.” She steered me inside and I was glad that she’d taken the incentive and bridged the distance between us. I’d worried things would be awkward because of the past.

Primo sat at the table but got up to greet me with a brief hug. I gave him a grateful smile for not walking on eggshells around me. The table was loaded with bowls and small serving plates filled with tortilla wraps, pickled onions, roasted corn, salsas, guacamole, queso fresco and many more things.

“We always do tacos on the second,” Cara said as she motioned for us to sit down. Growl gave me a nod in greeting. Then he took a dutch oven with steaming meat out of the oven.

“Dad always prepares the Carne Asada.”

“He’s always been a perfectionist when it comes to his taco beef,” Primo said with a smirk.

Maximus chuckled.

“It’s perfect,” Growl said as he put the beef on the table. It smelled delicious.

“Let us be the judge,” Maximus said.

This was so different from how we celebrated at home that I didn’t feel homesick, which was great. I took a bite from my taco and smiled. “It’s really good.”

I wasn’t a huge meat eater, but this was comfort food at its best.

“This is the only thing Ryan can cook, but it’s utter perfection,” Cara said. I always stumbled over the name Ryan when Cara used it. Everyone else called him Growl because his voice was like a growl due to an injury to his vocals cords, which was still marked by the scar at his throat.

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