Well, that’s kind of stupid. Orlando bit his tongue before the words slipped out. Even if the guy was as meticulous a planner as she mentioned, why start planning this far ahead? What was the point? Plenty could happen between now and then. As Orlando’s mind raced to follow up with another question because, instead of crushing his curiosity, now he needed to know more, she hit him with an unexpected question of her own. “Felicia mentioned she’s not the baby’s mother but said she’s not”—she stopped to cough into her fist then took another sip of her soda before turning back to smile at the cooing baby—“opposed to taking on the role. Sounds serious.” She turned from the baby to look Orlando square in the eyes. “How long have you two been together?”
Opening his mouth for a second, Orlando caught himself before blurting out his auto response. As much as this annoyed him, how the hell was he supposed to negate Dani’s assumption as adamantly as he wanted to, without sounding like a dick? “I haven’t known Felicia too long. Met her at a bar earlier this year. It was just a few months before the baby came into my life.” He added that last part because he’d known he eventually would have to explain this anyway. “He was just shy of four months when he was left at my doorstep.”
He paused to let that sink in. To his surprise, she nodded as if she already knew. For the second time in less than five minutes, he was working his jaw in annoyance with Felicia. “Felicia told me,” she explained the obvious. “That’s so crazy.” She shook her head, bringing another fry to her mouth but stopped before putting it in. “And you really don’t remember the mother?”
“Nope.” He shook his head. “And not to sound callous, but I think everything happens for a reason and someone up there was looking out for this guy. No telling what kind of life he’d have growing up with an addict for a mother.”
“Felicia mentioned that. Only she referred to her as a junkie?” Her brow lifted. “You think she was a junkie, too? He shrugged as she stared at him intently, noticeably chewing her food a little slower now.
“I don’t like the term, but it is what it is. She died from popping too many prescription pills. Only people I’ve ever known to take lethal doses were either addicts or suicidal. Either way, I’ve known a few addicts in my lifetime.” His insides balled up just thinking about it. “I hate to say it, but my boy is better off without her as far as I’m concerned.” She didn’t respond immediately as she continued to chew slowly, but there it was—the other thing he’d noticed about her from the very first day—those poignant eyes. Something in them felt so heavy. He knew she was going through something, but it felt too personal to ask her about it yet. This poignancy also felt different from when he’d seen her so emotional the first few times. Then it hit him. Maybe she, too, knew someone who’d died of an overdose or suicide. Maybe it’s why she seemed almost bothered by his statements.
“I know I’m making assumptions, Dani. Not everyone who pops pills is suicidal, and there are such things as legitimate accidental overdoses.” She was still staring at him, unresponsive as she picked up another fry and brought it to her mouth. So, he decided to share about the real reason he was still a little bitter. “I think it just pisses me off when I think about how much I was robbed of.” If he hadn’t begun to worry about possibly hitting a nerve and upsetting her, Orlando wouldn’t have been scrutinizing her eyes so closely and might have missed it. But her eyes went a bit wide at his last statement, and he took it as not understanding, so he explained, “Not only did I miss out on my son’s birth, but according to her death certificate, his mother died just six weeks after he was born. Whoever cared for him between the time of her death and the day they dropped him off, should’ve come forward with him sooner.”
“Maybe . . .” she said softly as she wiped the baby’s hands, “they had good reason?”
“Not good enough,” Orlando responded right back. “Nothing will take from the fact that I’ll never get that time back with my son.” Those haunted eyes were back, and Orlando wondered if she’d even heard all he’d said since she seemed to be lost in thought now. Until she finally turned to him and responded to his comments.
“Growing up, when I’d made stupid adolescent mistakes, my mom would always tell me our eyes are in front of us for a reason.” She glanced away when the baby cooed, and she took his little hand and kissed it. “It’s better to look ahead than dwell on a past we can’t change.”
When she turned back to face him, Orlando smiled. “I think all moms must have the same book they pass around because my mom’s said a lot of very similar things to me too.” Deciding the mood had gotten a little heavy, and it was true it was high time he stopped dwelling, he decided to get back to something he wanted to clarify. “Anyway, getting back to Felicia, not to take anything from her, she’s been great. And it’s true. From the time when this all started, she did say she was fine with me suddenly being a single dad and she’d be there for me. But things between her and me were never serious to begin with. We sort of had this . . . understanding. I was already too busy with the shop to get caught up in anything serious. Then the baby happened and forget about it. My priorities flipped, leaving her even further down the list of what I needed to focus on. She knows this too. I’ve made it perfectly clear. If having time for a serious relationship before was a challenge, it’s even harder now. Hell,” he added, aware his laughter sounded nervous, but Dani was peering at him a bit strangely now and he wasn’t sure what it meant. “Just doing things like using the bathroom and taking a shower have become a challenge now.”
To his relief, Dani’s expression eased up, and she even smiled as she reached for another fry. “Maybe having a girlfriend around would be more convenient now than a challenge.”
Shaking his head immediately, Orlando wanted this to be clear. “I wouldn’t do that to her or to this little guy. The day I bring a girl into the equation it’ll be because she’s the one we both can’t be without.” Orlando stopped for a moment, swallowing hard as their eyes locked momentarily, until she glanced away. He had no idea it would come out that way, and again her expression was one he couldn’t make out. Given his comments about the baby’s response to her, he hoped that last comment didn’t come across as him trying to imply anything. Clearing his throat, he went on. “I mean . . . I’d never go into any relationship just for the convenience of it. I told her, when I accepted her help, that it was only until I could get someone to replace her. She has a lot going on too. Between school and her two jobs, Friday’s her only day off.”
Dani took a drink of her soda before turning her attention to the baby. He’d begun to fuss and dropped his biscuit. Since he took turns sucking on the biscuit then smearing his face with it, he was now one hot mess. Dani giggled. “Look at you, Oreo. You’re one big cookie monster.” She turned back to Orlando. “What time do you usually bathe him?”
“Different times. Depends on what’s going on that day.”
“Get in the habit of doing it before bedtime,” she said, standing up because the baby was holding out his arms for her. “A warm bath before bedtime helps him sleep better and longer. It also goes hand-in-hand with the whole routine thing. He’ll start to get used to bath time meaning it’s almost bedtime too. Trust me. Routines will make your life so much easier.”
She’d already pulled him out of the highchair, and Orlando was now cleaning the mess he’d made of the highchair. “I’ll go clean him up, and then you wanna take him for a stroll?” She turned to him but went on before he could respond. “You ever take him to that park just around the corner?”
“No, I’ve been meaning to, but yeah, a stroll sounds good.”
As Orlando washed and sanitized the highchair tray in the sink, he thought about Dani’s answer to the questions he’d been dying to ask for days now. Since the guy was clearly a lot older than her, he wondered if maybe that’s what she was into. He’d heard of girls being into older guys they presumed were more mature and ready to settle as opposed to younger guys they deemed not quite as reliable or stabl
e. Stop with the wishful thinking already. His mind continued to wander as he finished cleaning off the highchair. So much for nipping this shit in the bud. He put the tray back on just as Dani walked back into the kitchen with the baby. Handing him the baby, she explained she’d be getting a few snacks together to take to the park. Orlando double-checked the baby bag to make sure there was enough of everything they might need. They got Oreo all strapped into the stroller and headed out. As they strolled to the park and then around the trail that circled the entire place, Dani went over more tips about caring for the baby. Orlando struggled to stay focused on everything she said. Instead, his mind was at it again, trying to figure out how to get back to the subject of her non-engagement. As much as he kept saying it was just curiosity, he knew better. It didn’t help that, despite his wanting to know more, her lack of gushing or even interest in discussing her engagement further pleased him. They slowed by a bench adjacent to a water fountain where Dani bent over to take a drink. The baby had been fine on Orlando’s shoulders for a while now. But as they stopped to wait on Dani, he began doing what Orlando was beginning to get used to already. He reached his hands out to her.
Maneuvering him down from his shoulders, Orlando handed Little Man over to a smiling Dani. She smiled so big it had Orlando smiling, despite the envy he felt over the baby wanting off his shoulders and to be in her arms instead. But then the more Orlando was around her, the more he couldn’t even blame his boy. As they continued to stroll, Orlando pushing the empty stroller and Oreo happily in Dani’s arms, she gushed a little about her brother. “He bakes our birthday cakes every year, and during the holidays, he gets down with all kinds of different holiday baked treats. He really is so much smarter than I think the doctors ever gave him credit for. Oh, and look.” Those big eyes brightened as she reached for her phone in the baby bag. She easily tapped it a few times even with the baby on her hip. “Just took it the other night when I went in his room to say good night.” Orlando couldn’t get enough of that smile. It was the same as when she was cuddling the baby. He took the phone from her as she handed it to him to see a photo of a wall full of certificates and ribbons.
“He’s gotten awards for his baking and his gardening.” Orlando glanced down at her, momentarily getting caught up in that sweetly proud big smile. “One year he even grew the biggest tomato in his garden club.”
Orlando chuckled. “Biggest tomato, huh? That must’ve been exciting for him.”
“Oh, my gosh was it ever. For months, he told everyone who’d listen.” She giggled as she leaned in and slid the screen on her phone. Orlando took in that intoxicating scent of hers then smiled when he saw the selfie of her and her brother. There was no denying the love between these two, given how huge both their smiles were in the photo.
“Sounds and looks like you two have quite the bond.”
“Ugh,” she said, bringing the phone to her chest, and shook her head. “Don’t get me started. Honestly, he’s the whole reason my sister and I decided we wanted to go into this line of work. You have no idea how exciting every milestone he reaches in his life can be.” She shrugged with a small smile. “I guess you do.” She kissed the baby’s head before going on. “But with Dominic, it was that much more thrilling because of his Down Syndrome and the doctors always warning us there may be some normal milestones he might never reach. So, when he did, we were always so over the moon about it. It was almost like . . .” She paused to ponder for a moment. “Like a high you didn’t wanna come down from, it was that exhilarating. It’s why going into a profession where we could get our daily fix seemed ideal.”
Orlando listened intently as she went on about when Dominic first walked and then began to speak. “He’s not completely verbal,” she explained. “But he does make himself understood. Delia and I understand everything he tells us. Most importantly, he understands everything we tell him. And he’s such a fast learner.” It was the oddest thing, but Orlando loved seeing and hearing how lit up she got when speaking of her brother. He made a mental note to ask her more about him in the future. This was just another thing he felt himself getting sucked in about her. The longer he was around her, the more he learned about her, the more he could hardly believe his luck. On top of it all, someone this genuinely passionate about nurturing would be taking care of Little Man. They slowed for a moment as the baby lifted his finger and pointed at the ducks waddling by on their way to the park’s lake. “Ducks,” she said, kissing his little finger. “They go quack.”
The wind had picked up, and Dani shook her head to move the hair out of her face since she had her hands full with the baby and her phone now. “Here let me,” Orlando said, reaching out and pulling the strand away from her face. As he reached behind her ear to tuck the strand there, his knuckles grazed her soft cheek. When she glanced up at him, their eyes met for a moment. The words you’re beautiful nearly slipped out of his mouth, but he held them in.
“Thank you,” she said softly, but he still couldn’t pull his eyes away from hers. She finally glanced away, reaching for the blanket in the stroller and wrapping it around the baby. “It’s getting a little chilly.” With her fussing over the baby, their moment was over. Before today, Orlando couldn’t understand what it was about her exactly, but he’d never felt what he did each time he got caught in those eyes. He thought he’d imagined it those first two days at the shop, but there was no denying it now. She did something to him without trying at all. He’d begun to think his being so grateful he’d found her was all it was. With her turning out to be even better with the baby than he anticipated, it made sense that, like Oreo, Orlando was also developing an inevitable crush. Kind of like when a grade school kid develops a crush on the teacher, right? She was teaching Orlando a whole lot of what he needed so much help with. The fact that she was hot with popping curves wasn’t helping his trying to keep his inappropriate feelings in check either, damn it. But the more he got to know her, the more he listened to the genuine way she took his son’s well-being so seriously. And now this, he had no idea how he’d snuff all the inappropriate things he was feeling.
Somehow, he managed to get through their time at the park and even the stroll back home without asking any more intrusive questions about her personal life, despite that, more than ever now, he wanted to know more. Aside from what she’d offered up about her brother and even sister, curiously she never once brought up her boyfriend again. Orlando had begun to wonder what they’d do when the baby went down for his next nap since he did take several throughout the day, and it was obvious he was due for another soon. While the baby’s naps weren’t normally too long when he took them for Orlando, he had a feeling, like his earlier one with Dani’s magic touch, Oreo might be out for a while again. To Orlando’s disappointment, once the baby knocked out, Dani announced this was when she’d make her exit. The understanding had been that she’d only be over today and tomorrow to give him a few pointers. Technically, since Orlando was home today, she didn’t really need to be there to watch the baby all day.
“You want me here tomorrow again, right?”
Yes!
The exasperated response was nearly blurted out as she stopped at the door before walking out. “If it’s not too much to ask.” He shrugged. “You’ve already helped me so much today, but I’ll take as much as you’re willing to offer.”
She stared at him blankly for a moment, and he began to panic. Why the hell did everything he say to her keep coming out the wrong way? Before he could start backpedaling, she smiled sweetly with a nod. “It’s my pleasure. He’s such a little sweetheart. Same time?”
Orlando nodded, trying not to smile too big—too relieved—too fucking enchanted, for fuck’s sake! “Sounds good to me, and hopefully this time there won’t be any unexpected errands I have to run. Sorry about that again.”
“No worries. Oh, and hey . . .” She stopped again as she walked out onto the porch. “About Fridays, remember I, uh . . . lost my Friday one-on-one. So, if Felicia would like
at least part of her only day off, I’m open to watching him on Fridays after I get off at the shop as well.”
Aside from the news of her unofficial engagement and getting a little more insight into her personal life, this day couldn’t get any better. Again, Orlando agreed immediately, doing his best to remain as composed and professional about this as he’d done so far about everything else. If Little Man was smitten with her already, he could only imagine how much more attached he’d get once he was around her five days straight each week. Inhaling deeply as she waved, indulging him with a sweet smile again before getting in her car, Orlando took a deep breath. He’d have to be cool about this. It felt like his first lesson in parental sacrifice and selflessness. The girl was in a relationship where they were discussing marriage for crying out loud. Not that this type of detail had ever deterred him from going for it in the past, if said girl was making the moves. But the intention had never been for it to be more than just a onetime or maybe a few times of her getting her naughty on. Any girl willing to cheat on her man—serious or not—was not one Orlando would ever take seriously. With Dani, it was completely different. A lot more was on the line here than a possible confrontation with a jealous boyfriend. Dani had been perfectly professional so far and was in no way showing any signs of being the type of girl who was looking to get that kind of action. This wasn’t just about Orlando getting a possible blow to his ego if she turned him down flat. One bad move or slip could make things awkward and lead to Oreo losing his perfect babysitter.
Chapter 14
Danica
Rushing down Orlando’s street the first Saturday she’d be watching the baby, Danica muttered under her breath. Orlando had asked her if she could be there extra early today. They were filming for the shop’s social media this morning, and they’d asked everyone to be there earlier than they normally showed up on Saturdays. They didn’t open on the weekends, but they went in anyway, to work on VIP stuff.
Orlando: Boyle Heights #4 Page 14