Chapter Eleven
“How come you never told me, nena
?”
Julia’s shoulders sagged at her mami’s simple question.
They sat in the backseat of a private limo Ben had ordered for them after everything had finally wound down and Rico, Bernardo, and the rest of the kids had piled back into their vans.
Once the kids had left, Laura had shooed her off, telling her the event planner could handle the post-event wrap-up. “Your mother mentioned how anxious she is to see Rosa and the rest of the family. Don’t worry about a thing here. You and I can chat in the next couple of days about where you’d like to go from here.”
Moments later, Julia and Ben had stood in the shadow of a large Christmas fir in the grand hall, partially hidden from others bustling about in cleanup mode. “Let me order a car for you and your mom. You two need some quiet time together, before the hoopla of the parranda
when you get to Rosa’s.”
“Are you still planning to come?” Julia had asked.
“Is the invitation still open?”
That he cared enough to ask, to not push like she’d accused him of earlier, made her even more hopeful that they might have something worth pursuing.
“Of course,” she had answered, brushing his cheek with a kiss.
Then she and Mami had left, with Ben promising to follow shortly.
“I was worried about disappointing you and Papi,” she admitted now as the limo sped down the highway. “El nego-cio
means so much to you.”
“Sí
, but it is just that, a business, and we are familia
,” Mami answered matter-of-factly.
Julia stared at the blurry city lights in the distance, wondering if somehow she’d lost clarity. Or if Mami simply didn’t recognize the pressure she’d put on Julia.
Ben had been right. She owed it to herself and her familia
to be honest with them. If not, nothing would change.
Scooting sideways on the leather seat, Julia faced her mother. “You’ve been grooming me to take over for years. Earning my business degree ‘would benefit us,’ you said, remember? And yes, the knowledge will help me run the company, but not once did you ask if that is what I wanted.”
“And why would you not want to own your own business? To have a successful company handed down to you?” Mami scowled at her, the same disapproving look she’d given all her kids when she was unhappy with their behavior.
“Because catering isn’t all I want to do,” Julia answered.
“The company I have built up is not enough for you? Is that it?”
The hurt lacing her mami’s voice pierced Julia’s heart. “Mami, I am so proud of you. What you have accomplished, going after your own dream, it fuels me.”
Mami huffed with displeasure, but in the wavering light from the passing streetlamps Julia thought she caught Mami’s mouth curving above the edge of her scarf.
“The boys are going after their dreams,” Julia went on. “Maybe Alfredo’s has changed, coaching and managing now instead of playing ball, but we have always championed them. I’m sorry for keeping this from you. I just . . . I only hope, some day, you can be as proud of me as I am of you.”
Her throat thick with tears, Julia wiped the moisture under her eyes with her gloved finger.
“Ay nena
, I’m already proud of you. I have been since the day you were born.”
Mami opened her arms for a hug and Julia fell into the embrace.
Relief flooded through her, releasing the tears she had struggled to keep at bay.
They held on to each other tightly. Julia breathed in her mother’s floral scent, the same one she’d worn for as long as Julia could remember. It conjured memories of similar hugs, shared love, and the security of familia
.
“Tonight was increíble
,” Mami said when they had finally pulled apart and she dug in her purse for tissues.
Julia blew her nose as she nodded. “Yes, it was definitely incredible. Especially the amount of donations! Ben and the kids did a fabulous job encouraging people to give more.”
“Mm-hmm, and speaking of Mr. Benjamin Thomas . . .” Mami arched a brow, a knowing smirk on her gently lined mouth. “He seems muy interesado
in you. Is there something I should know about?”
Excitement swirled with longing in Julia’s chest. Ay
, how she hoped Mami was right and Ben truly was very interested
in her. “I’m not sure. I mean he says . . . but it’s too early to tell.”
“Bueno
, I knew your papi was the one the first time we met. The night he tagged along with his brother when Reynaldo’s trío
played at my cousin’s birthday. All the girls were crazy for the musicians. Not me.”
This story had been told and retold countless times, yet Julia never tired of hearing it. Or seeing the wistful look of young love blanketing Mami’s face.
“Sí
, but with Ben and me, the situation is different,” Julia said. “You know I’ve stayed away from dating athletes. And even though he’s no longer playing, broadcasting will keep him on the road. If he decides to move into coaching, baseball will dominate his life. I’m not sure I’d want that.”
“Ay nena
, with the right person, someone who looks at you the way I saw Ben looking at you . . . The way your papi looks at me . . .” Mami raised a finger, emphasizing her point. “You are happy no matter what the situation is. As long as you have each other.”