Page 42 of To Have and To Hold

Taking a deep breath, I struggled with telling him I hadn’t heard a word he said. I reached for the mouse. “Let me try.”

It was about three o’clock when Em received a phone call. He took it out into the hall. When he returned, his smile was present, but his eyes weren’t glistening.

“Is everything all right?”

“I have to go.” He jutted his chin toward the computer screens. “Are you good? You can do this. You have been doing it by yourself for the last hour.”

“Honestly, I’m nervous.” I scoffed. “I have been all day, so what’s new?”

“If you want me to take you back toel Patr?n’s, I can now. Otherwise, Horace will need to do it.”

Em would take me. Why? Yet the thought of being alone with him in a car made my body react. I shifted my shoulders. “No. I’ll stay here until at least five.”

“Okay. You have my number if you have a question.”

“I hardly think that if you’re in a life-and-death battle, you want me to call about a spreadsheet.”

“If I don’t answer, I’ll call back.”

“Good, don’t get hurt out there.”

“Would you really care if I did?”

His question caught me off guard. “A few months ago, probably not.” I lifted my cheeks in a smile. “Now I care.”

He nodded and walked away.

Letting out a breath, I leaned against the chair, wondering how I could have been so wrong about not only him but so many things. In Mia’s program, she has information on each tenant. When I saw names I recognized, I pictured the woman’s face.

Julia, the one who was excited about being accepted to community college passed her GED less than two months ago. Luz, the one who cooked the delicious tostadas, told Mia she wanted to be a chef. The two ladies in the front office were younger than I realized. Reina was twenty-three and Celeste was nineteen. The list went on and on.

A world of misconceptions.

As the clock neared five, Horace came back, knocking on the doorframe. “SeñoritaLuciano.”

“Izzy.”

“Miss Izzy, are you ready to go home?”

I assessed the work I’d accomplished. If tomorrow went as well as this afternoon, I’d have Mia’s program up-to-date by the end of the day. “Yes.” I pushed the chair back.

“Have you decided where you want to stay,el Patr?n’sorSeñorita Liliana’s?”

I’d forgotten I had a choice.

“I’d like to talk to Mia about it. So, I’ll stay there tonight if she won’t mind me being there.”

Liliana appeared beside Horace. “You’re tired of me already?”

“No.” I stood and turned to Horace. “I’ll be ready in a few minutes.”

As he walked back toward the front of the offices, Liliana leaned against the doorframe. “I’m tired too. I’ll get my purse.”

When we were in the car with José and Horace, I asked Liliana, “Tell me what your day usually consists of when you’re not giving tours or inputting information.”

“Since Mia’s been gone, I’ve been busier with the residents. This afternoon I spent nearly an hour in one of the apartments trying to deescalate a misunderstanding between roommates.”

“Did you do it?”

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