“I said if you talked to me, I’d tell you when you’d be able to see Frank. I told you, two weeks.”

“But—”

“See you next week, Isabel.”

Steps

Steps

“How’s your shrink?” Teresita asks. We’re sitting in the cabana, waiting for customers.

“He’s not my shrink. He’s Frank’s.”

“I’ve heard of women getting crushes on their shrinks and some even fall hopelessly in love with them.”

Before I can explain that Ed isn’t my type or maybe not anyone’s, John Wayne appears. He’s wearing his cowboy hat and holster. But today he also wears black cowboy boots. He crosses the grass toward us, taking long careful steps.

“Howdy, little ladies.”

“Howdy, John Wayne,” we say.

Teresita whistles. “Looking pretty sharp in those boots, John Wayne.”

“They’re Tony Lamas,” John Wayne says. “Roman bought them for me.” My stomach feels queasy, thinking of the other day with Roman.

“That Roman is a pretty cool guy,” Teresita says, winking and poking me in the ribs.

I don’t want to talk about Roman, so I ask, “How is your mom?”

Teresita grows serious. “She’s okay. She wants me to live with her when she’s finished with her therapy.”

My throat tightens. “In Barrigada?”

“No, here in Malesso. She still owns her house here.”

My shoulders drop back in place. I couldn’t bear to have another person leave my life.

Consequences

Consequences

After I feed Olivia supper, I wait for Tata and Roman to return from fishing, but when Tata reaches the cabana with his nets in hand, he’s alone.

“Where’s Roman?” I ask.

“He didn’t show up today. He hasn’t fished with me the last few days.”

I decide facing Roman is better than the misery I’m feeling. I head to his house. Why do words fall so easily from my mouth but are so hard to take back?

Roman is weeding his mother’s flower bed when I walk up.

“How do you know which ones are weeds?” I ask.

“Whichever ones my mother says are.” He looks up at me and waits, grinning. Does he know why I’m here?

“Roman, I’m sorry about the other day.” I swallow. “I’m just worried about Frank.”

He brushes the dirt from his hands and stands. “I know, Isabel. No problem.”

A warm feeling rolls over my body like an ocean wave covering the coral reef. He is still smiling with that crooked mouth and it grows cuter by the second.

“I mean if you want to go fishing with Tata, it’s okay. I mean … I think you should.”

He nods and says, “Isabel, you’re smiling. Isabel Moreno remembered how to smile.”

Empty

Empty