Page 30 of The Fadeaway
“How did the two of you meet?” I ask Isa and motion between her and Dax. It’s hard to tell what the age difference is. Isa could pass for thirty, but if I’ve gotten the timeline right by the various dates they’ve thrown out, she’s around forty. I think Dax is older, maybe as much as ten years older, but the way they look at each other I don’t think anyone could call him a sugar daddy or her a gold digger.
“I met her first,” Lupita announces proudly.
Isa and Lupita share a smile that hints at years of friendship and sisterhood. “I applied for a job at the university.”
“I didn’t know you worked there too.”
“I don’t,” she says with a laugh. “I didn’t get the job, but I did meet Lupita and she found me a job with Jose’s real estate company.”
The man I can only assume is Jose raises his drink to her. “Best agent I ever had.”
“I met Dax at Jose’s thirtieth birthday party about six months later.”
Isa reaches over and places a hand on Dax’s cheek and the moment is so intimate I force my gaze elsewhere. Looking over at Joel, he watches his parents with such love and appreciation it’s hard to reconcile this side of him with the guy who has been slinging cheesy pickup lines at me for months.
“When is the play, Katrina? I’d love to come see it.” Lupita’s smile and voice are sincere.
I have the date memorized of course, but I stumble over my answer because I hadn’t anticipated that level of interest. “Oh, it’s not until April.”
“Opening night is April fourth,” Dax adds. “Isa and I attend the Spring Showcase every year.”
The youngest family member barges over to the table, face covered in cinnamon and sugar. “Can I show you my new magic trick now?” He looks up at Joel with big pleading eyes.
“Does it involve cutting or fire?” Joel asks in a serious tone.
Dylan shakes his head. “Nope. Mom says no more magic that requires anything sharp or flammable.” The last word is said in his mother’s tone and with total disregard for the meaning.
I steal a glance at Karla who gives me a, “Oh the stories I could tell” look that I try and flash right back at her.
“Tio Joel, I need your watch. I’m going to make it disappear.”
Dylan waves a wand he’s been clutching in his right hand and Joel takes off his very expensive looking watch and hands it over without protest.
Holding it in one outstretched palm, Dylan closes his fingers around it as much as he can and then waves the wand three times before opening his now empty hand.
“Where did it go?” I ask.
“On your wrist.”
I look down to discover my wrist newly adorned. The watch isn’t clasped, but it is draped on my right hand. “Oh my goodness. How did you do that?”
“Magic,” he answers simply.
Joel reaches for my wrist and thumbs my pulse just below the metal band. “Thief.”
I watch the movements of his thumb entranced with the way his touch warms my entire body.
“It’s a nice watch,” I say finally and reluctantly move to take it off, seeing the time in the process. “Oh no. No.” I stand and pull my cell out of my back pocket to verify. “I’m late. I’m so late.” I tap out a text to Victor.
Joel moves to action at the urgent tone in my voice. “Ma, we gotta run.”
I calculate the time I think it’ll take to get back to the university to get my car and then to my house. Ugh, how could I be so careless?
Hastily, but forcing as much appreciation and sincerity in my tone as possible, I say goodbye to everyone on the way out feeling genuinely regretful to be leaving this family lunch.
I’m lost in my own thoughts as we head back. I can’t help but compare Joel’s family with my own. My pregnancy put a strain on our families – mine and Victor’s. The families supported us, of course, but it hasn’t been an easy road. There’s a loss of dreams that parents face when they realize their kid has to grow up and be an adult before they should.
And then with Victor moving away so soon after Christian was born, it added to the burden our families felt. And I’m not even sad for the ways that changed me, I just want Christian to have the best. He’s such a special kid and I only wish Victor could see the way his actions impact Christian. I know he can’t miss what he’s never had, but I want him to havemore. For the first time since he showed up at my door this morning, I’m wondering if I should go easier on him. I can’t change the past and if he’s showing up now for Christian, isn’t that all that really matters?
