Lonely Heart (5 page)

She was adorable.

“Yasmine, we agreed to─” She lowered her hands and her mouth fell open. “Antonio! Oh my God!” She gripped the edges of her robe, pulled it together, tying the string to keep it closed.

I averted my eyes, embarrassed I had ogled her in the first place.

“Sorry. It’s nearly noon; I should have called first, but I wanted to surprise you.”

“Surprise me, with what?”

“This.” I dangled her car key. “Good as new.”

“You drove it here?” She grabbed her key and walked over to the patio window, which faced the parking lot. “Oh my God, thank you!”

“You’re welcome.”

Just then, Tiffany joined us in the living room. “What’s all the fuss about?”

I focused on the window in an attempt to ignore Tiffany’s wardrobe change: a mini tank top and something that should have been shorts. They were so tight it was a wonder she could walk.

Kaitlyn must have thought the same thing because she rolled her eyes.

“How much do I owe you?”

I gave her the price and watched her mouth fall open again.

“That can’t be right.”

“That’s the price. I’m only charging for the part. The labor is free. I should have had your car ready on time.” I shrugged. “We’re even.”

She laughed. “That’s more than even. I mean, you took me to the bus station to get my sister.”

“Free shuttle service.”

Kaitlyn stared at me as if what I did was against the law.

“You have got to be the first person I’ve ever offered a major discount to who’s ever taken this long to accept it.”

Several unreadable emotions crossed her face. “Well, I’m not one to look a gift horse in the mouth…”

I scrunched my eyebrows. “A what?”

Her laugh was charming. “It means I’m not goin’ to say no. Let me get my wallet.”

Instead of watching her walk down the hall again, I stared out of the sliding glass window. A gift horse in the mouth? I chuckled. During the brief time of knowing her, she always said something that made me smile.

“Crap, I don’t have enough. I’ll have to go to the ATM. Do you mind?”

“Sure, as long as I can ask you for a favor.”

She pulled the loose folds of her robe across her chest. “Okay.”

“I drove your car here, but need a ride back to the shop.”

“We can kill two birds with one stone. Let me change my clothes or rather, put some on. You can sit down.” She pointed at the sofa.

“No thanks. I’m going to check on my grandmother. She’d kill me if she knew I was here and avoided her. Knock when you’re ready, okay?”

She nodded, then followed me to the door. I turned the knob, but stopped to turn around and speak again. I
didn’t know she stood right behind me, and bumped into her. “Sorry, are you okay?” As I reached out to steady her, my attention went to her belly.

“I’m fine.” She smiled. “No worries, the baby is fine, too. Surrounded by amniotic fluid and belly fat.”

I laughed. In the hall, I waited until the door shut behind me, then rang my grandmother’s doorbell. Unable to resist, I glanced at Kailtyn’s door again and smiled.

“Kaity, I wouldn’t wear that if I were you.”

I glanced down at the gray sweat pants and black shirt with the words ‘Say Hello to My Little Friend’ written in the Godfather movie title font. I held up my finger, spit toothpaste in the bathroom sink, then rinsed. “What are you talking about, Tiffy?”

“He’s not going to fall for you if you keep pointin’ out you’re pregnant.”

I punched her arm as I walked by. Seated on the edge of the bed, I slipped my slightly swollen feet into sandals. “First of all, I am pregnant,” I rubbed my ever expanding belly for emphasis. “A fact I’m pretty sure he’s aware of. Second, I don’t even know the guy. He was bein’ nice the other day because he promised my car would be ready and it wasn’t. And third, this is the important part; I just left the father of my child. Gettin’ involved in another relationship is not on my to-do list, takin’ care of my baby is.”

And secretly hoping Luke would get his act together and beg me to come back home.

“Hmm,” Tiffany crossed her arms. “If I were you, I’d start lookin’ for a daddy substitute.”

“Tiffy!”

“You sure you wanna do this alone?”

I walked over to my nightstand and grabbed my purse. “Were you not listenin’ the other night when I said we don’t need a man to take care of us? You need to stand on your own?”

“Yeah, but ─”

“But nothin
’. Been there and done that. Look what it got me.” I waved my arms around the apartment. “I’m single again and about to be a mother.” My attention went to the bedside clock. “Shoot, Antonio’s been
waitin’ for over fifteen minutes. I’ll be back soon. Don’t burn the place down.”

“Ha, ha.”

Tiffany closed the door behind me. In the hall, I ran a hand over my head and realized it was still in the ponytail holder. I removed it, ran my fingers through, doing a quick detangle, then rang the doorbell.

“Hola, ¿cómo estás?” Mrs. Alvarez hugged me and kissed my cheek before stepping aside to invite me in.

Mrs. Alvarez was a short woman, whose head stopped just above my shoulder. She always wore a smile on her face. I was ashamed to admit, there were days she made me feel bad about my appearance. My guess was she was in her sixties. Never once had I seen her without her hair done, make up on, and jewelry adorning her ears, neck, and fingers. Even now, she dressed as if she were heading out the door the moment Antonio left.

“Have a seat.” She indicated the sofa.

“Oh no, I’m not stayin’. I came to let Antonio know I’m ready. Is he still here?” I glanced around and didn’t see him anywhere.

“Sí, sí, he is fixing my sink.” She turned her back to me and spoke in Spanish.

Antonio’s reply was also in Spanish, only muffled, before he spoke in English. “Lo siento, this shouldn’t have taken this long.” He grunted, then mumbled something I couldn’t understand.

“Antonio! Watch your language!” She put her hands on her hips and stared in the direction of the kitchen.

I giggled. “It’s okay. I don’t speak Spanish so I have no idea what he said.”

“It doesn’t matter. I taught him better.” She shook her head in disappointment.

He grunted again, banged on something metallic. “Got it!” Water could be heard running in the sink followed by the garbage disposal.

Mrs. Alvarez clapped her hands. “Gracias.”

I stood by the door and watched her walk to the kitchen. Nosiness took over as I studied the apartment. This was my first time coming over. Every available surface held what appeared to be family history. Photos were on the walls, coffee tables, and shelves, some in color, others in black and white. Candles and religious artifacts were placed in what I guessed were key places. A table sitting in the corner drew my attention. On it were two large candles which were lit, a picture of Jesus, rosary beads, and several photos. I leaned over to study the images.

“Those are my loved ones who are no longer with us. I miss them very much.” Mrs. Alvarez joined me, said a small prayer, then performed the sign of the cross before kissing the medallion around her neck. “This one is my sister.” She pointed out an aged photo. “She died many years ago back in Puerto Rico.” She put it back in place, then picked up a newer frame. “This one is my daughter, Antonio’s madre. She died giving birth.” She held the frame so I could see it.

I studied the image of the woman whose belly was full of life. It appeared as if she’d posed for the picture. She stood, turned to the side, her eyes gazing lovingly at her belly. She wore a white dress, her long dark hair slung over a shoulder nearly reaching her waist. Her smile was bright, full of excitement. It was easy to see where Antonio got his smile from.

“Abuela, she doesn’t want to see those.” He walked over to stand beside me, reached for the photo of his mother, ran a finger over it, then set it down.

“It’s okay,” I said. “She was beautiful.”

Antonio averted his eyes. “Yes she was. Thank you.” He inhaled. “So, are you ready?”

“Sure.” I faced Mrs. Alvarez. “Thank you for showin’ me your pictures.”

“Sí, you come back again to visit with me, okay? You know my grandson, we are no longer just neighbors. We are friends.”

I smiled. “Yes, ma’am, thank you.”

Antonio met me at the door with a bag and cup in his hands. Our eyes met for a moment; he seemed embarrassed. The fact his grandmother pulled his face down to kiss both cheeks, then spoke to him in Spanish, didn’t help.

“Kaitlyn.” Her attention came back to me. “My grandson trabaja muy bien- with his hands. He does more than work on cars. I told him if you need help he is to give it to you, okay?”

“That’s sweet, but ─”

“No, no, you listen. You’re with baby, yes, and no husband? You can’t do it on your own. My grandson is a good man. Let him take care of you.”

My cheeks warmed. “Yes, ma’am.”

Antonio kissed her cheek. “Let’s go.”

The moment we were in the vestibule we glanced at one another and laughed.

“I apologize for that,” he said. “My grandmother can be pushy at times.”

“I think it’s sweet.” Especially since I rarely experienced dealing with my grandparents. I pushed the button to unlock my car doors.

“Sorry, I wasn’t thinking.” He held up the plastic cup. “Is it okay if I bring this in here?”

“Sure.”

Settled, Antonio placed his cup in the cup holder, then fastened his seatbelt. “Some people get weird about their cars. My cousin is a prime example.”

I glanced over my shoulder while backing out of the parking spot, and glanced at the backseat, which held random items tossed there for various reasons. “Well, I’m not one of them. Feel free to eat or drink. Just no smokin’.”

“I quit a few years ago.” He grinned, then opened up the bag. “Dulce de coco. Want one?”

“What is that?” I peeked in the bag he held open.

Antonio reached in and pulled out a mocha colored ball. “It’s like a macaroon. Coconut and brown sugar, so it’s very sweet.” He bit into one.

My stomach growled. “Yes, please. It’s after twelve and I haven’t eaten yet.”

He offered me the bag after I placed the car back in drive. “Not good. The baby needs plenty of food. So do you.”

I smirked. “What do you know about bein’ pregnant? Do you have kids?” I selected two cookies, unable to keep my mouth from watering.

“No, but I have a nephew.”

“Ah, that’s right, your sister.”

“Sí. I made sure Adrianna got to all of her doctor’s appointments and did everything to stay healthy.”

“Wow, you must really love your sister.” I stuffed the treat in my mouth, closed my eyes and moaned as the coconut and sugar bombarded my taste buds. Talk about heaven. The roar of the engine as I applied the gas and merged into traffic was strong and sure. I stroked the dashboard. “Yes, Betsy, you’re back.”

“You named your car Betsy?” Antonio chuckled.

“Hey, like guys don’t name their cars and other…stuff. You mean your big shiny truck doesn’t have a name?” The black Chevy truck he picked me up in was beautiful. He obviously took good care of his cars.

“Sometimes, but Betsy?” He laughed again.

I rolled my eyes and focused on the road.

“Want another one?” he indicated the bag.

“Your grandma made you a snack. It must be nice.” I selected another treat.

“It’s how she pays me for doing maintenance around her apartment.”

“What’s wrong with the complex maintenance crew?” I’d been in my apartment for three weeks. While I didn’t have any issues, I hoped if I ever did, they would be seen to promptly.

“Nothing. Abuela doesn’t like strangers in her place, especially since she does daycare for some of the neighbors.”

I realized there were no visible baby items littered around the living room. “Where? Nothin’ around there said there is a daycare.”

“She’s very strict about keeping the front room free of baby stuff. She uses the additional bedrooms for baby cribs and a play room. She doesn’t keep very many so it’s not a problem.”

Come to think of it, I did notice women walking in and out with young kids. I always thought they were family members coming over to visit.

“I’ll have to remember that.”

Antonio glanced at me as if he had a question, thought better of it, then faced forward.

The rest of the ride was silent, yet pleasant.

I stopped at the nearest ATM and paid him. “Are you sure that’s all I owe you? I don’t want you to get in trouble with your uncle.”

Antonio’s smiled. “Kaity, this is my call, my time. Don’t worry about it. And forget what my grandmother said. If you ever need help with anything not car related, call me. This is me saying it.”

I opened my mouth to say no, but the intense expression on his face made me pause. “Okay, thank you.”

Satisfied with my reply, the half-smile returned. Soon we were at the shop. He got out of the car, shut the door, then tapped the window. I rolled it down. “Go home, get some food, and get some rest. I know you just got up, but you look tired and stressed. Neither is good for you or the baby.” Then he stood and walked away.

In a very short period of time, a man I didn’t know offered to help me around my house, told me to eat, and knew I was stressed beyond belief.

Never in a million years would I have seen that coming.

“Kaity, I don’t understand how you do it,” my best friend, Yasmine said the moment her feet slipped into the deep well of the foot spa. “I’m barely three months and my feet are killing me.”

We sat side by side at the nail salon in comfortable chairs while our feet soaked in preparation of foot massages and pedicures. Meeting my friends for this indulgence was my one monthly splurge. Gone were the days of sitting around drinking daiquiris, eating junk food, and bending over to reach our toes. With me six months into my pregnancy and Yasmine recently finding out she was pregnant, stepping outside of our normal routine became a necessity.

“With many feet soakin’s, believe me. But sad to say, it only gets worse.” I reached over and patted her hand as she grimaced. “How have you been feelin’?”