Page 81 of One Year Ago in Spain
08:00 Vega Castillo
As luck would have it, no sooner had she read the name than the doors to the ward opened behind Claire. Aracely walked in, followed by Soledad and the rest of the de León clan, all wearing black.
Seeing Claire at the nurses’ station, Soledad asked, “What’s going on? Is Matías okay?”
No no no no no. This wasnothappening.
She watched helplessly as Soledad, taking Claire’s disheveled state as an indicator of her son’s, rushed past everyone to Matías’s room.
Soledad flung open the door, took a step inside, then froze.
When she turned around, it was in furious slow-motion.
“What. Is.She.Doing. In. There?”
Implied but not spoken aloud was the other half of the question: And what areyoudoing out here?
Claire swallowed hard.
“What is my mom talking about?” Aracely said.
“Er…Vega…” Claire whispered.
Fire flashed in Aracely’s eyes. Behind her, Luis shook his head. Armando crossed himself.
Aracely grabbed Claire by the arm and dragged her across the ward to Matías’s doorway.
Vega sat huddled up next to Matías, stroking his matted hair. She blinked up at Claire, Aracely, and Soledad with red, swollen eyes.
“Estaba solo,” Vega said meekly.He was alone.
Guilt squeezed Claire’s insides. “I’m sorry.”
“Wherewereyou?” Aracely spat. “You knew we were going to be gone this morning. You knew Matías would need someone by his side.”
“I messed up.”
“Again. You messed upagain.Don’t you understand how important it is that you’re here for him? His friends, Leo and Facu—the ones who were in comas in the hospital in Valencia—guess what happened just half an hour ago? They woke up.”
Claire gasped. “They did?”
“Yes,” Aracely said. “At the exact same moment. Because they’re in love and they were in the same hospital room, and even when they were deeply unconscious, they were still together. I spoke to Leo’s sister; she said that just before the two of them woke, their heartbeats started to pulse in sync…”
Soledad wiped at her welling eyes.
“But,” Aracely said, “Matías doesn’t have that. The woman he actually wants,you,nother”—she jabbed her finger in Vega’s direction—“seems unable to be here by his side. I can’t believe Matías told us you were reliable,” Aracely said, “that if we ever couldn’t reach him in New York or if there was an emergency or anything at all, we could call you and count on you. We were all sorelievedback then, because I love my brother, but god knows he can lose himself from reality if he’s too into his work or whatever new hobby he’s discovered. We thought that he had finally found someone who could be his counterweight, to keep the balloon of his whimsy tied to the ground. But instead, it’sVegawho is here when he needs someone. And you’re not doing anything for him at all—”
“I am!” Claire shouted.
“Shh!” Soledad glared at her.
“I am!” Claire said more quietly. Tears spilled down her face. “I tried to explain…”
“Not that ghost bullshit again.”
“I’m telling the truth!”
Abuela Gloria pushed her way into the room. “¿Qué está pasando?”What’s happening?
