“Mom, there’s nothing to forgive. You’re fighting for us. Grandma and Dad would have done the same.”

Mom presses her thin lips together. She gives me a tiny nod.

“Eulalia will have to swallow her pride,” she says. “I don’t know how, but she and I will have to make this work for everyone’s sake.”

She goes back to writing down bill deadlines, and my stomach churns with nerves at Dona Eulalia’s words, shouting for everyone to hear that she’d rather sell Sugar than work with Mom.

If she’s true to that promise, how are we ever going to keep Salt afloat? It’ll be impossible with a new Deals Deals cafe sitting right across the street from us.

There has to be a way to make things smoother between our families.

And just like that, a solution comes to me.

It’s an idea that makes me feel like a traitor to my family for even thinking it, but it is in our best interest—Pedro’s and mine—to make sure our mothers can work together. To be buffers between them.

But the thing is, after everything that went down today, could I convince him to work with me?

23

MONDAY, MAY 9

When Pedro looks up from cooking, I can already tell he’s this close to starting a vote to kick me out of the club in retaliation for the mess with the catering client.

“Can I speak with you outside?” I ask him.

I don’t wait for his answer before turning around. I head back into the empty cafeteria, pacing around with anxiety. When he finally steps outside of the kitchen, relief explodes in my chest. For a second there I thought he’d just ignore me.

“I’m busy,” he says, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I promise it will be quick.” I begin by acknowledging the elephant in the room. “We still haven’t talked about what happened at Deals Deals. Is Seu Romário okay?”

Pedro’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “You sure have some nerve. You’re asking me if my grandfather is okay?”

“I am.”

“No, he’s not okay,” he says, getting angrier and angrier. “If you really wanna know, he’s been sick. He’s constantly worried about Sugar. And now your mother stole a job from us, so you can imagine how things are going at home.”

“My mother didn’t—ugh!” I take a deep breath to calm myself. “She went to the client to clear Grandma’s name, who then decided to give us another chance. Your family will cater, too. We’re supposed to work together.”

“Alright, I’m done here,” Pedro says, turning his back on me.

“I’m not trying to pick a fight with you,” I add quickly. “Please, just listen for one second?”