Page 116 of Stepping Into Tomorrow

Nash ignored him and found the stacks of notebooks, all letters to Ana. His pain had been poured into hundreds and hundreds of pages. He carried them over to his fireplace, setting them on the stone before lighting them. He drew out his wallet, plucking out the worn and weathered missing poster with Ana’s face on it.

I’m sorry I wasn’t what you needed. He tossed the image into the burning pile.

Footsteps from his siblings padded down the stairs as he sat back and watched years of guilt and pain being devoured by the flames. He needed to let go of his past to move forward into a future. As his first love, Ana would always carry a piece of his heart. But she was gone. And he could only hope she was finally at peace. “Goodbye, Ana.”

Nothing was holding him back from moving forward with Bella except the things left unsaid between them.

“What’s the plan now?” Roman asked.

Nash stood, hope flickering to life in his chest. “Now, I’m going to get my girl.”

51

ISABELLA

Isabella stared out at the sea beyond the small window in her parents’ flat. Greenish-grey waves rose and fell, tossing the few boats left at the marina. She hugged her arms around her chest, wishing it was Nash holding her. She’d felt so safe in his arms. But that feeling hadn’t been real. She needed to remember that.

“I’m ready to go home,” Eli said, shrugging his backpack over his shoulder.

She turned towards her son. “Honey, I told you that we aren’t going back today. I’m going to go check out a house that Abuelo’s friend has for rent.”

He shook his head. “No. I don’t want to move again. I want to go back home—to Nash’s.”

“Eli.” She sighed. “We can’t stay there any longer.”

“Why? Did Nash kick us out?”

“No—”

“Then why? My room is there. All my boats from Dad.”

“We’ll get them, sweetheart.” She reached for him but he jerked away.

“No! I’m not moving again.” He twisted his fingers over and over, getting more agitated by the second as his eyes raced back and forth.

I’m the worst mother in the world, putting my son through this. Dragging him from place to place like a bag of luggage.

“Eli, I promise this will be the last move for a while, okay? I know it isn’t easy, but we don’t have another choice—”

“So Nash wanted us to leave? Was it me? Did I do something?”

Just when Isabella thought her heart couldn’t possibly break anymore, the jagged pieces shattered into smithereens. “No, baby. You did nothing wrong. Do you hear me?”

“Then why?” His voice broke, his hands fisted and his small chest heaving.

“Things . . . just . . .” She sighed, rubbing her hand over her tired eyes. “It just isn’t working anymore—Eli! Where are you going? Eli!”

He stormed out of the room, the front door opening and slamming closed.

Isabella moved to follow but her mother gripped her shoulder. “Let him go. Your papi is down there. Eli will cool off and understand.”

Isabella shook her head, slumping into a chair at the kitchen table completely drained both mentally and physically. With her head in her hands, too exhausted to try to stop the tears.

Her mother’s soft, warm hand smoothed over Isabella’s forehead, removing the hair from her eyes.

Isabella sniffled. “I’m sorry, Mama. I don’t know how, but I always seem to make a mess of things.”

Her mother took the seat next to her. “Oh, sweetheart, you have definitely chosen a much more difficult path in life. But you wouldn’t be who you are if you took the easy road. You’ve always done things your own way. And just as you have every single time before, you’ll find your way through this challenge.”

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