Page 100 of Red Mountain Burning
She heard her mother’s bitterness in her own voice when she asked Jake, “Why does mom drive to the winery? It’s like a hundred yards away.”
Jake pulled the Saran Wrap off a giant salad. “To each her own, honey.”
Carmen came in with much to say. “Jake, I don’t know how anything gets done up there. You really need to spend more time managing.”
Emilia thought she saw her dad take a moment of calm before answering. “Thankfully, that’s why Brooks is up there. I was never one for managing.”
Emilia hated how Carmen spoke to her father lately. Sometimes, she wondered why he hadn’t just left her. She loved her mom, but the woman needed a swift kick in the butt.
“I’m not going back to New York.” Emilia blurted her announcement out like she’d just confessed to killing someone.
Her parents swung their heads around and looked at her in the manner a surprise murder confession might require.
“I’ve talked to Brooks, and he said he’d give me a job. Don’t worry. I’m not dropping out of college. I’ll transfer to WSU.”
“First of all,” Carmen said, “it’s not Brooks’s place to offer you a job atourwinery.”
“Settle down, Carm,” Jake said. “Let’s hear her out.” He pushed the salad toward Emilia. She might have complimented the gorgeous red and yellow tomatoes if her mother hadn’t shattered any hope for a nice family lunch with her close-mindedness and bad attitude.
“It’s not like this is some big surprise, Mom.”
Her mother looked like her head was about to explode. “You’re all over the place. One day it’s Europe, the next New York or Seattle…and now this? A winemaker? Don’t you know what your father and I can do for you in New York? We could get you hired almost anywhere. C’mon.”
“Oh, please. Let me work in the fashion industry. Or no, shall I work in the record business? Why don’t you just decide, Mom? I’m like your little doll that you had growing up. Just point me in a direction, and I’ll go.”
“That’s not fair.”
“C’mon, guys,” Jake said. “Let’s not—”
“Fair?” Emilia interrupted. Her father was trying to settle them both down, but Emilia had things to say. “Who is the one trying to control everything? Just because you’re finally getting a grip on your life doesn’t mean you need to try and pull everyone else’s strings. We did perfectly well without you for years.”
“Em, that’s enough.” Jake’s stern voice was borderline angry, a card he rarely played.
When he did, though, Emilia knew she’d crossed a line. Trying to find some compassion for the woman who had given birth to her, she said, “That was too much. I’m sorry. What I’m trying to tell you is that nothing has ever interested me as much as the work I’ve been doing this summer. I’m actually happy.”
“Life is not always about being happy!” Carmen spat.
Emilia looked at her mom like Carmen had just thrown a knife at her. “Tell me why you have a problem with me staying here. Let’s get down to it. What’s wrong with me going into the family business?”
Carmen side-eyed her. “I can give you a thousand reasons. You’re better than this place. You have a brighter future than being stuck in the middle of nowhere playing farmer girl with a mountain of eccentric hippies.”
“Oh, should I be a model like you?” Flapping her hand, she said, “Should I paint my face and stop eating and let people take pictures of me half naked? What a wonderfully noble profession.” She dropped her hand to the table. “Where’s the closest catwalk? Sign me up.”
“Why don’t we talk about this later?” Jake interrupted. “We all need some time to process the idea.”
Carmen shut him out with a flinging hand. “Emilia, you’re eighteen years old. You don’t know shit. What if you spend the next few years studying wine and then find out my genes have poisoned you? Alcoholism passes down, you know.”
“It might, Mom, but I’ve never had a problem with drinking in my life. It’s not like I haven’t been around it. Don’t put you and your issues on me.”
“I’m not putting them on you. I’m lookingoutfor you.” Carmen turned to Jake for help. “Tell her, Jake. I know you don’t want her staying here either.”
Emilia had never heard that and felt sick inside. “Is that true, Dad?”
“No, it’s not.”
“I didn’t think so.”
Carmen eyed Jake like he’d betrayed her.
Emilia found herself hating what she’d said to her mom. It had felt right coming out, but as she now looked upon the woman who undoubtedly loved her, Emilia realized that she needed to show some respect.
She grabbed Carmen’s frozen hand. “Mom, I love you, but this is not your call. For the first time in my life, I have direction. I’m sorry it’s not what you dreamed for me, but this is my life.”
With a powerful voice of finality, Jake said, “We are going to talk about this later. This conversation is over.”
Carmen’s bottom lip quivered as she pressed her eyes together. As if she couldn’t stand it another moment, she stood and stomped into the other room.
