Page 65 of The Crush
“Morning,” Isabel says as soon as Eva reaches the bottom of the stairs, prompting me to offer my own greeting of, “Ma’am.”
Eva purses her lips instead of immediately replying, her heels clacking on the wooden boards until she comes to a stop a couple feet in front of us. She looks at her daughter, then switches to me before announcing, “I’ll deal with you first this time.”
Great.
“Danny, I have always thought of you as one of my sons,” she starts, and Isabel grips my hand. “I have loved you as one of my sons since the day you were born.”
Christ, if she’s going to go that far back, this will last hours.
“That being said…” She pulls herself up to her full five-foot-three height. “I can’t stand by and allow my daughter’s reputation to be permanently damaged. Or yours, for that matter. If your intention isto—”
“Can we stop for a second?” Isabel asks at the same time I say, “If my intention is towhat?”
Eva stares me down. “You have my daughter living here with youunmarried. The whole town is waiting for this to all play out like their own personal telenovela. Thegossipalone.” She closes her eyes then spreads the glare out to include her daughter. “The least you two could do is show yourselves at mass.”
“That’s what we thought last time,” I mutter, earning my hand a cautionary squeeze.
Eva’s eyes narrow. “It’s precisely because of last time that both of you should be there. In the front row if possible. Danny, I cannot force you to go but as for—”
“You cannotforceme to go either,” Isabel states. “Besides, going just to satisfy everyone else doesn’t seem like a good use of time.”
Eva sighs again. “I think you’ll find that they disagree. And your attendance is notjustto satisfy them… I did not raise heathens.”
I tuck my tongue into my cheek, and this time when Isabel squeezes my hand, I know it’s a warning for me to keep any disagreement I might have on that subject to myself.
Eva sighs, suddenly looking exhausted. “Danny, could I have a moment with my daughter?”
I look to Isabel, not letting go of her until she gives me a small nod and starts toward Eva. However, I never seem to do well with watching her walk away.
“Ma’am,” I say again before they get too far, waiting for both of them to turn back toward me before I offer, “Regardless of…anything, myintentionwas never to hurt your family. And I’m sorry for it, but I do care about Isabel. And I…” There’s more I want to say. So much more. But I don’t want the first time Isabelhears it to be with an audience. I don’t want to ask her for more when I don’t have anything yet to give. “I promise, I’ll do what I can to protect her.”
Isabel beams at me, and even Eva lets a small smile slip free before she says, “I’ll hold you to it.”
Forty-Nine
Isabel
My mother and I don’t go far, likely a good thing for her since I’m far more conveniently dressed to walk the land, though you’d never know it from her brisk pace. When we stop, we’re just far enough that we’re no longer within easy listening distance of the house but are still close enough that we can easily make out Daniel sitting on the front porch steps, offering reassurance even from afar.
I doubt he’ll have to wait long since my mother, in typical fashion, gets right to the point. “Mija, I want you to think about what you’re doing.”
“I actually have thought about it. Alot.” I cross my arms and prepare to dig in for a fight. “You’re not going to change my mind.”
“You’re young,” she says, her voice taking on the same tone she’s always used when one of her children steps out of line. “And I’m sure it all feels terribly romantic, but think of your future. Of what it will be like living with everyone whispering behind your back.”
I shrug. “Let them.”
“Mija.” She reaches out and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “This isn’t what I wanted for you.”
“What if it’s what I wanted?” I pull away and tug the strand back to where it was before. “Does that matter to you?”
Her eyes widen, an unexpected mix of hurt and confusion filling them. “What do you mean,does that matter? Of course it matters. I only want you tothinkcarefully about if what you think you want is really worth…” She trails off, looking back at the house with a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “You know, I’ve had this conversation before. With María. The night before she eloped.” She shakes her head before turning her attention back to me. “She didn’t want to listen to me either.”
I think of my mother’s best friend, how the rare way she and Tadeo loved each other had been so clear to me even as a child. “Probably a good thing she didn’t.”
“Probably,” my mother agrees, but there’s still concern in her eyes when she looks at me. “But it wasn’t easy for her either. Her family never did forgive her.”
“And you’re planning to do the same?”
