Page 132 of Stolen Bases

“Okay. But first, tell me, how’s work?” She takes her glasses off and places them on the desk.

“It’s good. I’ve made some new friends. I love working with Doctor Winters. She’s amazing.”

“That’s good to hear. I like that you’re keeping busy. It’s good for you to go out and have fun. Take your mind offthings.”

The way she says “things” with an air of disgust stings. Cam isn’t a thing. He’s a person. A good person who I really care about.

If I want her to hear me, I’m going to have to leave Cam out of this for now.

“Mamma, do you remember when I was, like, six or seven and you signed me up for that ballet dance?” I ask.

She grins. “I remember. You were the cutest ballerina in the class.”

“Do you remember the recital at the end of the program? Our group danced to the song fromBeauty and the Beast. I practiced my plies and arabesques like crazy.”

“Umm.” She props herself up on her elbows and rubs her finger over her lips, thinking. “I remember you practicing some moves at the park.”

“I did practice at the park. We were there for Nico’s little league championship game.”

She slaps the table and grins ear to ear, recalling the memory. “That’s right. He hit a home run to win the game. He was a big hitter even then.”

“He was.” Of course, that’s what she remembers.

“My recital was the same night, and I missed it because Zia had to run the restaurant and you didn’t want to miss Nico’s game. You told me there would be more recitals, but only one championship game. Do you remember that?”

“Vaguely. I thought you didn’t like dance.”

“No.” I shake my head. “I only said that because I knew Nico’s baseball was more important.”

“You could have just said you wanted to dance, Talia. I would have made it work.”

“I know, and you’re right. I could have told you. I should have asked for a lot of things. But I didn’t want to burden you. If you weren’t working at the restaurant, you were getting Nico to all his games and practices and trainings. I didn’t think it was my place to ask for more when you were already stretched so thin.”

“I’m sorry you felt like you couldn’t ask forthings. Why bring this up now?”

“Well, you know things have been off between us since…” I can’t even finish the sentence, or I might cry remembering how I thought Cam was leaving me.

She nods. “I was giving you space. It was a lot to handle. I knew you were upset, but I also knew you would come around eventually. See things the right way.”

The right way? Or her way?

I sigh in exasperation. She still doesn’t get it. “I see things clearly.”

“What do you mean?”

“I told you the ballet story because this is me finally asking you for something. I’m asking you to put my happiness first.”

“I always do that.” She crosses her arms over her chest, the way my brother does when he’s too stubborn to listen to reason.

“No, you don’t. You put Nico’s happiness first. I’m … I’m an afterthought.”

“Did that man put you up to this?”

The Romero in me comes out, and my hands fly in the air for emphasis. “Are you serious right now? This isn’t about him. It’s about me and your lack of respect for my choices, whether or not you agree with them. It’s about you always siding with Nico and putting his needs first.”

“I do notalwaysside with your brother.”

“Then why didn’t you hear me out the day you kicked Cameron out? I know you heard what he said to Zia Rose, but you just jumped to conclusions. You know as well as I do that Nico can be irrational and stubborn. Do you even know why he hates Cam?”

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