Page 24 of The Spring in My Heart

Maybe I was too quick to make this decision. I should talk this out with her. I reach for the handle, but my gaze lands on the clock, and the next thing I know, I am putting my truck in reverse.

Our gazes meet again. The shock in hers is palpable. She storms forward, and I hit the brake, hoping to salvage this.

We can work through this.

Then, she reaches the window and rears her arm back, and her hand crashes against my cheek. “Fuck you and go straight to hell.”

My cheek stings, but I keep both hands on the wheel, gripping it hard. “You don’t have to tell me twice. Goodbye, Lyssa.”

I back out of the spot, and in the next minute, I’m back on the main road. The sting of her hand keeps my cheek tingling.

I don’t know how that went wrong. We had an agreement. We were going to take it slow until we were sure and then tell our kids. As always, I’m learning that women never mean what they say. Whether you’ve been with them for a year, or three months like me and Lyssa, or even have a business agreement like I have with Lux, they rarely keep their word or intentions.

I should’ve known better. She’s right in that we fight more than anything else. Anyway, this is Lux’s fault. If she hadn’t been stringing me along with appointments, I would’ve had the time to spend with Lyssa.

Or if you hadn’t been so eager to see her again, you made her appointments a priority…

But this is for the best. It’s better I found out now before I introduced her to Ayla. I don’t ever want to explain to her again why someone who’s supposed be in her life is now gone. Not when I can shield her from the pain.

“Hey, Siri, play Dile al Amor by Aventura.”

Rome Santos is blasting Cupid for the bad job he’s done in his love life when my subcontractor calls, cutting off the song. The crew at the new construction site has a cracked foundation. I deal with instructions as I continue to cruise down 695. The song continues with Romeo listing all the reasons why he doesn’t need love in his live.

And I agree. We don’t need that shit, and I count along with him all the chances love has failed me. Noris, Marcia, Lyssa, Lux…

No, that wasn’t love. It was a lust match that is coming back to haunt me professionally. But I plan to make things clear with her. She’s not going to toy with my time or my emotions.

Fortunately, I’m able to hit all the traffic pockets, and by the time I go into the LaSalle Academy parking lot, we have found a solution. All I have to do is call the vendors to let them know my people will pick up more materials.

I make it to the field five minutes before the game begins. In a sea of people I know, my eyes zero in on the girl standing in the middle with my assistant coach. She nods a few times, but when she spots me, Ayla begins to wave me in.

I cross the distance between us and give her a hug.

“Where are they?”

I pull the pair of old socks from my pocket and hand them to her.

She crouches down, takes off her cleats, puts on the socks, and then adds her regulation socks over it. When she stands again, she looks up at me, and her smile brightens everything around me. “Thanks, Papi.” She turns to the pitching coach and tilts her head to the field. “I’m ready for them now.”

She runs into the field to join her teammates.

Cam turns and points at me. “Dad of the year. Coach of the year.”

I touch my cheek. It stopped stinging. And it’s a good reminder: pain subsides, and pleasure is momentary. Women will come and go. I’ll keep dealing with them the way I’ve been doing because the only woman that truly matters is the girl who just looked at me like I hung the moon and made it shine in the sky just for her.

My niña will always be my number one. Anyone else will always be miles behind. I really don’t need anyone else to love me. She’s the only one.

Lux

This phone call won’t end, and it’s getting on my nerves. Big Apple lawyers keep bringing up scenarios for my lawyer and agent to sort out. It’s the last leg of the contract before we sign, but Jesus, this is taking a lot out of me. Ollie will be here any second, and I need to be off the phone. I already feel terrible for canceling meetings last minute with him.

“Well, you’re worried about a proper studio to film. Lux is building one in her new home. It’s only fair that we make the expense part of her package,” my agent says. She’s a shark. I never realized how much until we started negotiations.

“We are not in disagreement,” Mimi says, adding, “but because there are certain lighting and creative elements we would want, we insist on hiring our own people?—”

“No,” I say, speaking for the first time. “I already hired a very competent contractor who has been sending me comps and finding innovative solutions for this. If you want to bring in a consultant to speak to him, you can, but I’m not dumping him when he’s doing a merger of two row houses and has put in so much time.”

“That’s not what we’re saying, Luxxy. We can work with him to make sure we have the appropriate lighting,” Mimi offers.

---