Page 43 of To Have and To Hold

She nodded. “I think it is resolved.”

“They really trust you.”

“I feel like I’m helping even if it is just letting each side voice their viewpoint.”

Chapter

Seventeen

Isabella

José dropped Horace and me off at Mia’s. As soon as Viviana answered the door, Mia was there with Jorge in her arms.

“You never called. How did your day go?”

“Other than a minor issue of going into shock, it improved.” I grinned. “I should have your program up-to-date by the end of the day tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? Wow, you’re fantastic.”

We walked together pastel Patr?n’sclosed office door, past the kitchen where Viviana was creating magical aromas, and finally out onto the pool deck. Mia placed Jorge in a colorful small fenced-in area with soft rubber flooring and enough toys for a toy store. Once he was content, she stood straight. “I’m worried about Liliana. What did you think?”

“I think she’s amazing,” I answered honestly.

Mia’s eyes opened wide. “Tell me more.”

“She knows every woman’s name. They talk to her, confide in her, and go to her for help. And when she’s there, she’s a different person. She knows so much.” I lay back against the lounge chair, stretching out my legs, and stared up at the bright blue sky. “Something did bother me.”

“What?”

“At one point today, Liliana was explaining the classes you offer.” I turned to my cousin. “She was incredibly knowledgeable. I asked if she’d ever considered becoming a teacher. Her response was that she wasn’t smart enough for something like that.” My volume rose. “She is.”

Mia nodded. “Without going into what is Liliana’s to share, her self-confidence has taken a hit. I’m thrilled to hear your assessment of her at the apartments. It sounds like she’s doing better than I realized.”

“I think the only reason the program is behind on her input is because she’s not sitting in her office, or standing,” I added with a grin. “She’s physically out among the women. My guess is she’s doing what you were.”

“Now, tell me about the minor case of shock.”

I shook my head. “I’d rather not talk about it.”

“Okay. Just know if you want to talk about it, I’m here.”

Placing my feet back on the travertine pavers, I stared at Mia as tears burned the back of my eyes. “Did you always know what your father did, what your brothers do?”

Mia’s eyes opened wide, and she licked her lips. “I’m sure I didn’t know at some point. Once you learn, it’s impossible to forget.”

“Celeste who works in the front office is only a year older than me.”

Mia nodded.

“I want to call Noemi and talk to her, but I feel like I can’t.”

“She’s your sister. I’m sure she’d like to talk to you.”

With my elbows on my knees, I supported my head. “I don’t want to be the one who bursts her bubble.”

Mia reached out and placed her hand on my knee. “I’m sorry. If I’d have known your lack of understanding, I would have prepared you better. May I ask how you learned…what you learned?”

Inhaling, I sat straighter. “Liliana and I wanted to go to a café for lunch. Em arrived at that same time and told us that we were on lockdown. Isla had mentioned earlier in the day that she had trouble getting to sleep after what happened at the club last night.” Suddenly, it occurred to me that Mia may not know. Ifel Patr?ndidn’t want her to know, I didn’t want to be the one to tell her.

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