Page 28 of The Spring in My Heart

No, he doesn’t know.

I declined, and A and I headed home. We ordered bowls from our favorite Mediterranean restaurant.

Ayla was on her phone with Bron most of the time. Normally, this is our time on the drive home to catch up on each other’s day. We do that over dinner every night, but today I’m grateful for how attached at the hip they are. I need to think. I can’t get past the fired part. The churning in my stomach is hard to turn off.

We get home and go through our routine before dinner. We shower and eat in front of the TV. I let her watch an episode of Vampire Chronicles and even move on to the next after dinner as I check on tomorrow’s schedule.

“Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?”

I take my gaze away from my planner to look at my daughter. She’s scooted closer to me, and I didn’t even realize it.

“Nothing, corazón. I’m making my to-do list for tomorrow. This project for Winter and Grayson is bigger than I’m used to, and I want to avoid another incident with the pipes.”

She nods. “I know, Papi, but you’ve let me watch two episodes on a school night and written ‘suggest upflush toilet’ three times.”

I look down at my list, and sure enough, there is the same entry separated by a few of the others.

I try to laugh it off. “I must be tired.”

Her hand lands on my shoulder. “Tell me what’s wrong. I know something is bothering you.”

That fight with Lux is plaguing me, but I can’t tell her about that. “It’s nothing for you to worry about.”

“If it was me hiding something, you would make tell you.”

I would, because I can’t stand to see her sad or worried. I would have to make whatever it is better. But this is different. I don’t want to put her in the middle of this.

“It’s an adult thing.”

“Oh.” She smiles in a way that’s way too grown and makes me uncomfortable. “You mean it’s about a woman.”

I nod before I can think better of it but go back to the list.

Her eyes are burning a hole in my head, and when I look up again, she’s still smiling and staring at me.

“It’s about a female client.”

“It’s Lux, right?”

Coño.

“What makes you think that?”

She giggles. “You’re working on her place, and you had a meeting with her today.”

“How do you know that?”

Jesus, she probably already knows.

“It’s on your calendar. I saw it when I went to write in my important events this week.”

Oh.

“Yeah, I had a meeting with her, but it didn’t go well.” I need to fess up before she hears it from someone else. “I won’t be working on her place anymore.”

Her mouth forms into an O. “But why? She’s really cool, and you’re the best at renovating places. She won’t find anyone better.”

Her vote of confidence is so absolute it makes me smile. “Gracias, mi vida, but I don’t think it’s going to work out.”

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