by Leah Atwood
When she prayed before going to sleep, she prayed for Grandfather De La Vega and… Arturo.
Chapter Ten
On Thursday, Arturo called his grandfather as soon as he had a break. “Grandpa, how are you?”
“I had more visitors in one morning than I had in a month,” the older man grumbled. “But maybe it’s about time to stop being a hermit.”
“Glad to hear it. How is your blood sugar?”
Grandpa groaned. “Why does everybody keep asking me that? It’s fine. I check it regularly.” Several moments passed before he continued, “Grandson, I’m thinking of doing something that I haven’t done in fifty-five years. That might come as a shocker to you.”
Arturo tensed. “What is that, exactly?”
“I want to ask a woman out. Evelyn Velasquez. Please don’t get me wrong. I still miss Eleanor with everything in me. I still love her. I always will.” Grandpa’s voice shook.
“I know that. I miss Grandma, too. She’ll always be in our hearts. But I’m sure Grandma would want you to be happy.”
“I believe so. Eleanor wasn’t only beautiful. She was very kind, too.” Grandpa paused, as if trying to collect his thoughts. “Dating again didn’t even occur to me before. But yesterday Evelyn Velasquez joined me for a slice of pie, and we talked for a long time. We exchanged phone numbers, so I called her today. We talked for almost an hour. I knew who she was but I never took time to get to know her before. There’s a rare combination of inner strength and kindness about her. All the power and money she has never spoiled her.
“Yesterday, I glimpsed sadness in her eyes I hadn’t seen before. She lost her husband decades ago but never remarried because her son didn’t like any of her suitors. I heard the rumors she’d been raising her granddaughter because both her son and daughter-in-law had some serious issues. But she always carried herself with such calm and dignity that I never realized how much pain her son’s problems had caused her… Grandson, she’s a fascinating woman. Strong, smart, and kind. She has strong faith. I sense a kindred spirit in her. I’m interested in her, and she seems interested in me. But wouldn’t people think it’s strange to date again at my age?”
“There’s nothing strange about it. Besides, remember what you told me? Never let worry about what other people think stop you from doing what you think is right.”
“That’s true.” Grandpa’s voice rose with excitement. “Gracias, nieto.”
“De nada.” Arturo smiled when he hung up.
Lana’s plan seemed to be working. Strong, smart, and kind. Lana had all those qualities. And beauty, too. Large expressive eyes that seemed to look straight into his soul. Full lips that he wanted to kiss so badly.
He couldn’t wait to see her again.
* * *
On Thursday, the only thing Lana could think of was seeing Arturo in the evening. Of course, she was going to double-check on Grandfather De La Vega then, too. But she couldn’t lie to herself. She liked the famous football player. The wise thing to do would be to avoid seeing Arturo. But she’d made a commitment to help his grandfather. She couldn’t back out of it now, nor would she want to.
She called Evelyn in the morning and had a long conversation. Evelyn seemed excited by the idea of dating Amaro De La Vega and assisting him, as well. Several times during the day, Lana stopped by his place. But Lady Grace had organized help well, and there had always been a guest there.
Arturo’s image kept appearing in her head throughout the day as Lana visited her patients. She was light on her feet, as if gravity didn’t have its usual pull on her anymore. She felt like she was in one of her childhood dreams, when she flew into space in a spaceship, and it was too late to change her mind.
When Lana got home after work, energy bubbled inside her instead of the usual exhaustion. She made fajitas with onion and peppers, rice, beans, and guacamole. Delicious scents coming from the stove made her mouth water. Arturo had Hispanic blood, and she enjoyed cooking and eating Mexican food. She’d just never liked cooking only for herself, and Michael had preferred going to restaurants for socializing and the atmosphere.
Soon she placed the steaming food in trays and bowls, covered them, and made several trips to her car. Minutes later, she knocked on Grandfather De La Vega’s door, her pulse increasing in anticipation.
Arturo opened the door and smiled. Her heart did a funny flip in her chest. Her silly heart couldn’t understand simple arrangements. Just talk and mutual help. Nothing else.
“Lana, you have no idea how happy I am to see you. Thank you so much for all the help with Grandpa. Do you know what a blessing you are?”
“Happy to see you, too. I’ve got dinner.” Butterflies danced in her stomach again, this time a faster dance than a waltz. Probably a fox-trot.
Arturo brought her trays and bowls inside while she set up the table. Grandfather De La Vega sat down in one of the chairs, and there was a shine in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. Lana wondered whether a certain woman by the name of Evelyn Velasquez had something to do with it.
Arturo and she joined Grandfather De La Vega at the table.
Lana said grace.
“Amen,” Grandfather De La Vega and Arturo said when she was done.
The conversation at dinner flowed naturally, and in between praising her cooking skills, the older man mentioned how much he’d enjoyed doing carpentry with his grandson that evening.
Lana couldn’t help smiling. Watching how attentive Arturo was to his grandfather during dinner tugged at her heartstrings, especially when Arturo made sure his grandpa checked his blood glucose and gave himself a bolus dose of insulin.
After dinner, Grandfather De La Vega and Lana took turns reading their favorite passages from the Bible to one another. Arturo didn’t volunteer to read but neither did he leave. Instead, he seemed to listen attentively.
After a while, Grandfather De La Vega retired to his room. Arturo and Lana washed the trays and bowls.
“It’s so refreshing when a man doesn’t mind helping out in the kitchen,” she said. She really didn’t need any more reasons to like him.
“I enjoy working in the kitchen, though usually I don’t have time or need for that. My nutritionist has meals delivered to my home. I have to make sure I eat properly.”
After drying the trays and bowls she’d brought, he placed them in her car.
She lingered on the porch. The air smelled of freshly mown grass. She should be on her way, but she couldn’t force herself to leave.
Arturo gestured to the double swing on the porch that boasted a fresh coat of white paint. “Stay for a while, please.”
She eyed the swing. “Is the paint dry?”
“It is. Shall we?”
“Only for a few minutes.” She sat down.
He joined her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Her pulse accelerated again, and she leaned into him, intending to enjoy the few moments they had left.
Surprisingly, only days after meeting Arturo, she’d never felt as close to another human being as she felt to him. What would it feel like to come home to a man like him?
“Is it sad that I don’t have anyone waiting for me at home? Not even a pet.” Her voice sounded more bitter than she’d wanted. First, foster parents hadn’t allowed pets, then Michael. And now she was always out, taking care of patients…
“What kind of pet would you like to get if you had a chance?” Arturo asked.
“A dog. A rescue. German Shepherd, if possible.” The words came naturally, though she’d never allowed herself to entertain the possibility of getting a pet. What was the use of pining for something she couldn’t have?
“I want to get a dog for Grandpa. I already talked to him about it, and he’s very excited. We both happen to like German Shepherds. We’re okay if it’s a mix, too.”
His thoughtfulness touched her heart. “I think a pet would do Grandfather De La Vega a lot of good. And if the dog is trained properly, it can alert others if something happens to your grandpa.�
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“Come with me to choose a dog for him, please. I asked him about a pet, but I still want to try to make it a surprise,” Arturo said.
She needed to spend less time with Arturo, not more. But she couldn’t help agreeing to his idea. “I’d love to,” she said. “As long as it’s after my shift. Or on my day off.”
“Thanks, Lana.”
A car drove by, and she tensed. What if it was a paparazzo, in spite of the late hour? Or had life as Michael’s fiancée made her paranoid?
The car disappeared around the corner, and she heaved a sigh of relief.
“Would you like to sit in the backyard?” he asked. “The view of the river is beautiful.”
“That would be great.”
He guided her through a small gate, and they settled on a bench. From the corner of her eye, she caught movement behind one of the windows.
And then the dark lawn lit up with a myriad of lights.
Lana gasped. For a moment, she was speechless, mesmerized by the view of the garlands strung underneath the roof and around large oaks. But the most incredible view was the one of a Christmas tree, generously decorated with lights that reflected in the river.
“That’s beautiful.” Awestruck, she couldn’t look away.
“Grandpa helped me decorate. Like for many kids, Christmas was my favorite time of the year when I was growing up. Not just because of presents, though that mattered, of course.” He chuckled. Then his voice grew serious. “But because of the spirit of Christmas. Grandpa explained the true meaning of Christmas to me early on. Jesus Christ was born. When I was a child, it was difficult for me to grasp the concept that Jesus would die to save all of us and would be resurrected. But it still filled me with hope, awe, and joy.”
She ached to ask what had happened later and why Arturo had distanced himself from faith. But she didn’t. “The Smiths read the Bible and went to church. They were believers. That was the family that almost adopted me. They explained the true meaning of Christmas to me, as well. I could feel the spirit of Christmas in their home. Then I ended up with families where it was mostly about presents and a large dinner. Granted, several of them went to the service, but it was the only time all year they’d go to church. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t judge them. I just wanted something… bigger for myself. More important.”
She was mesmerized by the reflection of the stars in the dark waters and a silver-toned moonlight trek. She looked up at the myriad of stars shining brightly in the sky.
“God’s perfect creation,” she whispered.
They talked about God. She did her best to explain her relationship with God to Arturo. He mentioned how he’d gradually got distanced from faith after leaving Rios Azules.
Then they sat several moments without saying anything, but the silence was comfortable, not stretched.
The night was beautiful, and she treasured every moment.
“I never take time to admire the starry night in Houston,” Arturo said. “And the view is usually blocked by skyscrapers.”
“Life really is slower in small towns.”
A little later, they talked about their relationships. Pain didn’t knife through her now when she thought about Michael. Just a light twinge of sadness and melancholy.
Could it be that God had sent Arturo to help her heal?
She took a deep breath, staring at the calming waters. “Michael was my first love. I met him when I was working in the hospital. He was a patient. I fell for him immediately, but I didn’t think he paid any attention to me. Well, he flirted with me, but he flirted with pretty much every female. I was shocked when he called a week after being released and asked me out. Sometime after we met, his career took off. And I… followed him everywhere. He was my only family, after all. He was the center of my universe. I was blinded by the light. And when I saw or heard bad things about him, he’d quickly persuade me they weren’t true.” She sighed. Michael was a great actor, after all. She’d just never realized before that he’d acted even after the cameras had stopped rolling.
“Why didn’t you leave him? I don’t mean to pry, but you deserve so much better.” Arturo’s voice deepened.
“I tried, but… I loved him. I gave him my all, in all senses, though I felt guilty about the physical part of the relationship. It went against my beliefs because I wanted to wait until marriage. But Michael didn’t want to wait. I was ecstatic when Michael finally proposed. We had a long engagement. And then I found out that the rumors about him dating other women weren’t just rumors. He was seeing my friend behind my back. In fact, he’d been seeing several of my friends behind my back.”
“Ouch.”
“None of them even felt guilty when I confronted them. They said, ‘What did you expect?’ Apparently, I was never good enough for him.” That still hurt. The wound of betrayal was raw. But it would heal in time. She silently asked God for healing, like she’d done before.
“It was he who wasn’t good enough for you.” Anger rang in Arturo’s voice.
“You don’t know who he is.” She protested weakly.
“I don’t care who he is. You were too good for him.”
“Thank you. I needed that.” Warmth spread through her at his validation. “My relationship with Michael was a mistake, especially the physical part. I asked God to forgive me.”
“Do you still love Michael?” Arturo said.
She looked up into the sky. “Many of these stars that we see don’t exist anymore. But they are so far away that their light still travels to our planet. The same with my love for Michael. It doesn’t exist anymore. Just a little sadness and the light of the lesson learned remaining.” The lesson she had a hard time remembering while sitting near Arturo.
She glanced at him and caught him staring at her. He leaned closer to her. Then closer still. Her heart stuttered. Unable to resist, she moved in his direction. Butterflies flung their tender wings in her stomach so fast they were probably tap dancing now.
She struggled for a rational thought. Arturo was a celebrity, the type of man she’d promised herself not to date ever again. It had been hard the first ten times around, with Michael and her breaking up and getting back together for years. Yes, Arturo seemed to be different from Michael. But she was just finding herself, becoming her own person. She wouldn’t live in someone’s shadow again.
Lana turned away but not before she glimpsed disappointment in Arturo’s eyes.
“It’s too soon for you, isn’t it?” His voice was low.
“Yes. No. Maybe.” She looked at him. How could she explain that he was the last person on earth she should be with right now? And yet here she was.
“I understand. But something is happening here… between us. I can’t stop it. Nor do I want to.” He held her gaze, his eyes intense.
A familiar longing stirred inside her. The longing to belong, to be needed, to be loved. “I can’t stop it, either,” she whispered. Michael didn’t have a strong hold on her. Not anymore.
Arturo cupped her face and paused, as if giving her time to retreat. She didn’t retreat. Instead, she shifted to him, and her eyes fluttered and closed. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest as he brushed his lips against hers, slowly, tentatively. The kiss was gentle, gentler than she’d expected, and still she became deliciously dizzy as she responded.
As the kiss grew stronger, the past and the future disappeared, and only this incredible moment with Arturo remained. Every cell in her body filled with delight, as if she’d waited her entire life for precisely this.
She didn’t know who moved away first, and she couldn’t breathe for some time after the kiss stopped. But she knew one thing when she finally inhaled and the world stopped spinning. Then and there, the course of her universe changed, and she had no clue what to do about it.
When she hoped she could be steady on her feet, she got up.
“You’re leaving.” There were notes of disappointment in his voice. “It’s not because of…”
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��No, not because of the kiss.” She smiled. “It’s late. I have to go.”
He walked her to her car. “Lana, I have something to ask you. Tomorrow is practice. But I can’t leave Grandpa by himself.” His face twisted. “Will you be able to help take care of him again?”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll keep an eye on him. And I’ll ask Lady Grace and Evelyn to visit, as well as some of his veteran friends. Between all of us, he won’t have a minute alone.”
“Like I said, I can’t thank you enough.”
“I have another idea. There is a little gadget your grandfather can wear around his neck. If he falls or feels weak, all he has to do is press a button. Somebody will answer him. If he’s unable to speak, they’ll dispatch an ambulance.”
His eyes lit up. “This is great! Where can I buy one?”
She waved at him. “I’ll take care of it. Not that I think he’ll need it, but to give you peace of mind. I talked to his endocrinologist, and he adjusted your grandfather’s basal dose of insulin. It seemed to help. I’ve been monitoring his blood glucose levels, and they are almost normal. Your grandfather seems to be able to control it better now.”
“You’re truly amazing. My grandfather’s not the only one I’m thinking about. I… hate to leave you. Even for several days.” Arturo reached out and ran his fingertips over her face, sending tingles along her skin.
She fought the attraction. After the wonderful evening they’d had, the news of him leaving again pulled the rug out from under her feet. “I hate for you to leave, too. But you’ll be back soon, right?”
“I’ll be back as soon as I can. For Grandpa… And you.”
“Make it worth it. Win the game.” She kissed him on the cheek, climbed inside her car, and started the engine. Her old clunker coughed and sputtered, but she made it to her rental house fast.
She glanced in the rearview mirror. Sure enough, the red truck had followed her. Nobody had worried about her safety that much before. She’d be better off if Arturo were self-centered and shallow like she’d expected him to be. How was she supposed to guard her heart now?