Page 89 of Summer on Sunshine Bay

It was Lila’s bachelorette party. They were doing a pub crawl on bikes. “I don’t know if we can get away from the restaurant,” Eva said at the same time her sister said, “Of course we are. We wouldn’t miss it.”

“We’re starting out from La Dolce Vita, so you can decide then.”

Eva nodded. “We’ll have the sex on the beach Jell-O shots and woo woo cocktails ready. Virgin ones for you, of course.”

“Great. I’ll be the only sober one,” Lila said, then shrugged. “It’s probably for the best. Someone has to look after Sage and Willow.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll make sure they eat lots so they’re not drinking on empty stomachs,” Gia said.

“Don’t ask,” Eva said to her sister as she closed the door behind them, hurrying to their mother’s car sitting in the driveway. Tim had done a wonderful job on the bodywork. He’d even gotten the back doors to open. He’d tried telling them their mother had paid for the repairs, but Eva knew James had.

“I won’t, but Eva, I know you love him as much as he loves you.”

“It doesn’t matter, G. You out of anyone know it doesn’t. There’s only one way this ends,” she said, and got into the car.

Her sister leaned in and hugged her. “You know I’m here for you.”

She nodded, unable to speak as the tears rolled down her cheeks. As soon as she parked the car in the back of the restaurant’s lot, she jumped out, wiped her eyes, and ran inside.

At the hostess stand, Bruno looked up. “Eva,cara, what’s wrong?”

“I’m okay. I just need to talk to Ma.” Fast-walking to the kitchen, she ignored the curious glances from the waitstaff and the three customers who sat at the bar.

Her mother looked up from kneading bread dough and searched her face. She held out her flour-covered hands, and Eva walked into her open arms, sobbing, “I’m sorry, Ma. I’m so sorry. I understand now. I understand why you can’t do it.”

“I know,cara. I know,” Carmen murmured, patting her back. When Eva’s tears subsided, her mother stepped back, putting her hands on Eva’s shoulders. “You go fix your face and your hair and put on a pretty dress. And then you go to the bar and sing and dance and flirt with handsome young men, party with your sister like old times. You show our Lila that she doesn’t need a man in her life to be happy. She has us. She has her family and her friends.”

Eva nodded. She didn’t tell her mother that, as much as she worried for Lila, she wouldn’t try to change her daughter’s mind. Even as a little girl, Lila had stayed true to whatever course she had set for herself. There would be no changing her mind, and Eva wouldn’t damage their relationship any more than she already had by trying.

And Eva wouldn’t tell her mother that she didn’t want to party the way she used to. It no longer held any appeal. She’d realized these last few weeks with James that it hadn’t for a long time. But her mother didn’t want to hear that. She wanted Eva to be happy with her life, their life, just the way it had always been. For her mother’s sake and for her own, she’d try.

She helped out in the kitchen for several hours and then went up to her apartment to get ready. She had a shower, did her hair and makeup, and then pulled out a sexy siren-red dress that screamedI’m up for a good time, not a long time, hoping it would get her in the mood. It didn’t.

She was almost tempted to fake sick when her mother and sister walked into her apartment. Her sister grinned and hit Play on her phone, and Eva laughed as the Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling” filled her apartment. It was the song she and her sister always played to get in the mood to go out. The three of them were dancing and singing when Lila, Sage, and Willow, with their pink sashes and sparkling tiaras and cocktails, walked into Eva’s apartment.

Lila smiled and lifted her phone to film them as they kept dancing and singing.

“Woo-hoo,” Willow cheered. “It’s just like old times.” She took the drink from her sister and the phone from Lila and put them down on the coffee table, and then the three of them joined in. When the song ended, they fell together, laughing and hugging. Eva’s mother looked at her and smiled. “It’s a very good life indeed.”

The six of them trooped out of Eva’s apartment singing Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”—another of their going-out-on-the-town favorites—then filed into the restaurant to the delight of their customers and the rest of the bachelorette party. Eva worked the bar with her mother and sister, tossing back Jell-O shots as fast as they were handed out.

Lila put her fingers between her lips and whistled. “Let’s get this party started before all of you are too drunk to ride your bikes.”

“Okay, you girls call me if you need me. And remember to watch your drinks,” Bruno said, lecturing them as he always did when they went out. Eva’s heart twisted as she thought about how much she’d miss him, how much they’d all miss him, and she walked over and gave him a hug. “I love you.” Her sister, Lila, Willow, and Sage did the same.

Carmen looked away, but not before Eva saw her eyes glistening with tears under the lights from the bar.

Jennifer threw her arms around Bruno. “I love you too.”

Bruno blushed, and they all laughed when Eva said, “Lightweight alert.”

Jennifer laughed too and then threw her arms around Eva. “I don’t know when I’ve ever had so much fun.”

“Okay, that’s just sad,” Eva said, “Come on, girls. Let’s show Jennifer how we party in Sunshine Bay.”

Jennifer crashed her bike into a parked car at the third stop on their pub crawl. “No more biking for you,” Eva said.

“But I’m having so much fun. I don’t want to stop now.”

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