My Mr. Manny

by Garcia, Jennifer

  We all worked well together to get the meal on the table and sat down. Our usual seating arrangements had me at the head and Lucia to my left corner, but today she placed Dominic in that position and herself on the other side of him, far away from me.

  Before we dug in, Dominic asked, “Do you say grace before dinner?”

  “We do most of the time. It’s Lucia’s job, but if you’d like to, we’d be fine with it. Right, Lucia?”

  “Yup, you can say it. I don’t mind.”

  He nodded in agreement and looked thoughtful for a moment.

  “Okay, let’s hold hands.” I held Dominic’s hand, and he held Lucia’s. “Thank you, Lord, for your gifts that we are about to receive. Thank you for bringing me into the lives of Mia and Lucia. Amen.”

  “Amen,” Lucia and I said in sync.

  “That was nice; thank you,” I said. “All right, dig in, and later we’ll have some dessert,” I said, winking at Lucia.

  She squirmed in her seat with excitement. “I love dessert,” she said.

  We must have been very hungry because there was not a lot of conversation. But I did watch as Dominic helped Lucia wipe sauce off her face, twirl the spaghetti onto her fork, and encourage her to finish all of her food so she could have the after-dinner treat I had prepared.

  “I’m done,” announced Lucia.

  I smiled when I spied her empty plate and said, “Wow, great job.”

  Once Dominic and I finished, we cleared the table, and Lucia placed spoons and clean napkins by our placements.

  I took three of my homemade chocolate chip cookies and warmed them in the microwave, and then topped them with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. I also brought different types of sprinkles, jimmies, and chocolate syrup to the table. By the time Lucia was done with all of the toppings, we couldn’t even see her ice cream. Dominic and I just used the chocolate syrup.

  When Dominic was getting ready to leave, Lucia ran over to him and squeezed him with her little arms wrapped around his waist. He bent down to pick her up to give her a proper hug. They whispered to each other, and she gave him a smooch on the cheek. I stood off to the side watching. Even though I felt like I was an intruder on their newfound friendship, it was a wonderful ending to a pleasant beginning.

  Lori shook me out of my reverie: “You can’t predict what is going to happen, nor should you lose out on a great opportunity because of what might be. Just go with it. He’s a wicked good guy, and I’d trust him with my kids if I had any.”

  And she was right. If he were good to my baby girl then I’d have nothing to worry about. I breathed out a big sigh, ready to start a new chapter in our lives.

  ~*~*~

  Sunday, Dominic’s move-in day, arrived. Lucia was just as nervous and excited to have him come live with us as I was.

  In his new room, I placed a basket with toiletries and brand new color-coordinated towels to match the decor. His bathroom and bedroom were decorated in chocolate brown, burnt orange, and a beautiful shade of teal, which seemed masculine enough for him. I put fresh, sweet-smelling lilies and tulips in his room, and the scent wafted out into the hallway, making the whole house smell delicious

  I was both anxious and nervous for him to arrive. The refrigerator was stocked with enough fruits, vegetables, and meats to make dinner for about a week. Lucia’s favorite strawberry yogurt sat in there as well. I had Lucia put her backpack, shoes, and the few toys she had in the living room, away in her own bedroom. She had made him a “Welcome Home” sign to make him feel comfortable. I had a set of keys made for the house and a key-card for the security gate ready for him. Also, I set up a binder with phone numbers and all of the information he might need. Lucia and I made him chocolate chip-oatmeal cookies and placed them in a decorative fashion on a fancy platter.

  Dominic was supposed to come straight from the airport, which was about fifteen minutes away. We had arranged for SuperShuttle to pick him up and drive him to the condo. The service was cheap, and it allowed Lucia and me time to get everything ready. The phone rang, and Lucia began jumping around screaming, “He’s here! He’s here, Momma!”

  I laughed as I reached for the phone. “Yes baby, I think he is.” I picked up the phone. “Hello.”

  “Hello, this is Shawn from security, and Dominic Roberts is here.”

  “Send him in, Shawn. Thank you.”

  I turned to Lucia. “He’s here. Get ready.” She ran to get her sign so she could hold it up when he walked in the door. On the inside, I felt like jumping up and down too, but that would look ridiculous, so instead, I just waited in front of the door.

  At last, he knocked, and I swear both Lucia and I ran for it. I reached for the knob while placing my right hand on my heart in an attempt to calm it down from beating so fast.

  Taking a cleansing breath, I opened the door, smiling so wide my cheeks hurt. “Hi, Dominic.” I waved him in. When I closed the door, I turned around and shot my eyes to Lucia so Dominic would notice the sign she was holding. Her arms must have been hurting from lifting it up so long.

  “Hi, girls. Wow, Lucia. Is that for me?” he asked, and his eyes widened in delight. His smile was so beautiful. His lips turned up a little more on one side than the other. Adorable.

  “Yes, it is. I made it all by myself.” Lucia was so proud.

  He walked over to her and looked at the sign she had so painstakingly made for him. I had written the letters on a separate piece of paper so she could copy them and write the sign herself. Then, she’d drawn flowers all around the letters, with a sun and bird at the top of the paper. She had taped two eight-by-eleven inch sheets of paper together to make it bigger. It was colorful and very pretty.

  “It is so beautiful, Lucia. I love it so much. I’ll keep it in my room,” Dominic said in the sweetest tone.

  Her curls bounced around while she clapped in excitement. She loved attention — most of all, male attention. I knew she wanted to make him proud, and I could tell by the look on his face that he was.

  “Lucia, why don’t you take Dominic to his room so he can set his things in there? I’m sure he wants to wash up and relax while I make us some lunch,” I said. Then I looked at Dominic and asked, “You’re hungry, right?” I nodded over exaggeratedly to get him to agree.

  “Yeah, sure. I’ll just go and put my things away,” he said, picking up his bags and following Lucia to his room.

  ~*~*~

  The three of us sat around the kitchen bar comfortably and ate our sandwiches.

  “How was your flight?” I asked before I popped a chip in my mouth.

  “Long, but good. Happy to be here, though,” Dominic said with a chuckle that resembled his brother’s.

  “Momma, can I have some more milk, please?” Lucia asked. She must have been hungry; she’d eaten most of her sandwich and drunk all her milk.

  “Sure, baby.” I pulled the milk from the refrigerator and filled her glass again.

  “Thanks.” She took a huge sip of her milk and was left with a big milk mustache. Lucia knew it, too, because she smiled so wide it stretched across her face. She was in a silly mood.

  “Dominic, what kinds of fun things are we going to do after I get out of school?” she asked him with her broad grin. Giggles were about to burst from my mouth, but I tried to hold them in.

  When he heard his name, Dominic looked at Lucia and noticed her mustache. He sucked his lips into his mouth to hold in his laughter. Once he had himself under control, he answered her. “Well, I’m not sure yet. I think you have ballet and homework; we’ll have to figure the rest out together. How does that sound?”

  With her forefinger tapping on her bottom lip in deep thought, she let out a sigh. “I guess so, but we’ll have to find fun things to do.”

  “Here, wipe your mouth, silly girl.” I handed her a napkin with a laugh.

  “But, Mo-om, I like my mustache. Look — he has a little one,” she said, pointing. Lucia was right. Dominic had some slight stubble on his lip and down hi
s jaw. It was kind of sexy.

  “Don’t point. And that’s enough. Clean yourself up and finish your milk, please,” I said, putting an end to her growing silliness.

  Dominic wiped his mouth and placed his crumbled napkin on his plate. His stood to walk his dish around the bar to the sink, but I stopped him.

  “No, I’ll do that.” I gently took the plate from his hand.

  He tried to pull it back, but I wouldn’t give in.

  “But I need to learn my way around here,” he said with determination, and it sounded quite sexy.

  I laughed because he was so cute. “Don’t worry. You’ll find everything in no time. The place isn’t that big, and you’ll be here all day. But today, I want you to relax. I’m sure you were up early to catch your flight.”

  With the plate in my hand, I felt smug for getting my way. Who knew how it would go after he’d been here for a while and got comfortable? Resigned, he sat at the bar again. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught him watching me while I worked around the kitchen. I didn’t look him in the eye, because I didn’t want him to know I’d seen.

  “Yeah, I guess. I hate flying, though. Remind me to not do that too often. Oh, and by the way, I had some boxes shipped here a few days ago. Just a few things I didn’t want to leave behind. I hope that’s okay.” When he rubbed his chin with his knuckles, I noticed his hands were almost feminine. His nails were well manicured, and his hands looked callus-free.

  I scoffed. “This is your place now, too, so I want you make yourself at home here. Put your stuff wherever you want.” I stopped cleaning the kitchen and stood across from him, leaning against the bar. Reaching into the basket on the bar, I pulled out his keys. “I have keys and a gate card for you here, and soon, I’ll take you to Lucia’s school with me so we can put your name on the paperwork. I want you to feel comfortable here.” Then I looked at Lucia, who was sitting next to Dominic and watching us. “We’re happy to have you here.”

  Chapter 11

  Pin the Tail on the Donkey

  Lucia’s sixth birthday was approaching like a shot, and I had nothing planned. After some thought, I decided that the easiest solution would be a small gathering at Chuck E Cheese. Lucia was excited when she found out where we were having her party. We invited some of her friends from school, plus Danielle, Gary, Gabe, Susan, my dad, and Dominic and me.

  I found a wonderful bakery near our house that made the most amazing cakes and ordered one for Lucia that was decorated with pink ballet slippers and lots of pink frosting.

  Lucia wanted to wear a dress that looked like a ballet costume. We searched high and low and found an adorable dress with a white bodice covered in pink polka dots and a big puffy skirt with lots of pink and white tulle. She wore little white shorts underneath the dress since she would be climbing in and out of the tunnels and I didn’t want her showing her undies to everyone. Her hair was up in a tight ballerina bun, and she sported a pair of old ballet slippers.

  Sometimes when Lucia needed to run around and let off steam, we would go to Chuck E. Cheese so I could sit and relax. I would bring a book and sit in a booth, and she could come and check in with me every few minutes. It was a great playground for allowing the kids freedom to play without the parents suffering from fear of kidnapping. The system was genius. At the entrance, an employee stood stamping the hands of families that entered together. The stamp had a number for each family and was invisible on the hand. When it was time to leave, the employee would place the parent and child’s hands under a black light to see if the numbers matched. If they did, they could all leave together, but if the numbers didn’t match, they could not leave. It made it a safe place for kids to play.

  The staff had set up a long table in the party room. The room had a stage filled with some mechanical characters — friends of Chuck E. himself — holding band instruments, and every hour on the hour they would break out into song and dance. Every few minutes, a parent would come into the party room and drop off their child and ask what time they needed to come back for them. Almost all of her friends were there.

  Susan and my dad arrived at the same time with their hands full of bags.

  I took a good look at what they had in their arms. “What’s with all the bags?” I pointed to them.

  “They’re Lucia’s gifts.” Susan smiled like the little devil she was.

  “What? No way, Susan,” I said shaking my head back and forth “That’s too much. You can’t give her all of that.” My voice was adamant. She was going to spoil her.

  “It’s just one big gift that comes in a lot of small packages. Relax.”

  My dad made quick work of pulling the small wrapped gifts out of the bags and setting them on the table.

  “Hi, Dad.” I reached up and pecked his cheek.

  “Hey, kiddo. Where’s the birthday girl?” He looked around for Lucia. I laughed because he’d never find her in that crowd of little heads running around. The place was packed, and all of her friends had arrived. Even though the kids were running around playing in the game room, they’d stop what they were doing and run back to the party room to watch the performance on stage. It was always the same song, but the kids loved the show regardless.

  I answered my dad: “She’s around somewhere playing. I gave all the kids their coins, so I’m sure they’re hitting up the machines for tickets.”

  He nodded and took a seat.

  “Do you want a beer?”

  His eyes lit up. “They serve alcohol in this place?” he asked with hope in his voice.

  “Yeah, how do you think the parents survive all of these kids? They need a little bit of help.” I laughed.

  He gave me a deep laugh in return and said he’d take a beer ASAP. I looked around for Dominic and saw his head in the sea of games. He was surrounded by a ton of little children, who were screaming and jumping up and down with pure excitement while they played.

  While I stood in line for my dad’s beer, I felt someone barrel into my legs from behind and looked down to see Lucia.

  “Momma, you should see all the tickets Dominic won me. So many! I can pick a good prize!” she screeched with excitement.

  “Wow, baby. That’s wonderful. Make sure you thank him for playing with you guys.” I brushed back the wisps of hair that were falling out of her bun. She was wearing a small princess crown that I hadn’t seen before. “Where’d you get the crown?”

  Lucia touched the top of her head as if she’d forgotten it was there. “Oh, Dominic gave it to me. He said I was the princess today.”

  My heart just swelled. He was so sweet to us.

  “That’s because you are.”

  My eyes roamed the room until I found Dominic at a machine, surrounded by Lucia’s friends. I wanted to go to him. Over the small amount of time he’d been living with us, I was drawn to him like we were magnets constantly pulling toward one another.

  I paid for my three beers and delivered one to my dad. “Thanks, kiddo,” he said taking a huge gulp after I placed his mug on the table. I’d found him sitting in the party room talking to Danielle, who had just arrived. I gave her a big hug. “Hey, girl. Thanks for coming.”

  “Excuse me, guys. I’ll be right back. I need to deliver this.” I held up one of the mugs while taking a sip from the other.

  Walking toward the last place I’d seen Dominic, I found him a few machines over. I could feel my face light up when I looked at him. He was so sexy, and yet, there he was playing with a bunch of six-year-old girls and having a great time doing it. I began to rush over to him, and then, all of a sudden, shyness washed over me and I slowed my pace until I reached him.

  I cleared my throat. “Hey, having fun?”

  He looked over his shoulder and smiled wide.

  I felt myself blush. “Thirsty?” I croaked.

  Turning around to face me, he reached out for the beer. “Thanks. This is perfect.”

  My eyes were glued to him while he gulped down his beer. Going through the motions without th
inking about it, I followed his example and guzzled mine as well.

  “Sooo, are you going crazy yet?” I teased, trying to flirt a little without seeming obvious.

  He let out an incredulous gasp. “No way! I’m having a blast. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a Chuck E. Cheese before, and this is incredible for the kids. Plus, I’m trying to win Lucia a ton of tickets. She said she gets to pick a toy with them,” he whispered the last part as if it were a secret. Lucia knew how to work it; she could coax anyone into winning tickets for her.

  “Well, that’s super nice of you.” We placed our empty mugs on the empty table behind us and stood side-by-side playing games together. I was having a lot of fun myself.

  Dominic dragged me, Lucia, and some of the kids who were playing near us to the Skeeball lanes, at which he turned out to be really good. My own Skeeballs were bouncing all over the place — half the time ending up in his lane. Full body laughs wracked us, and he’d hip check me every time my ball would interrupt his game.

  “Wow, Mia. You’re pretty bad at this. Here, let me show you.” I gasped, pretending to be hurt, because he was laughing at me. When he lined his body up behind mine, placed his left hand on my hip and his right hand over mine, I forgot everything else. With the ball in my hand, he showed me how to swing and aim at the hole for the highest score. And what a team we made; the ball made it in every single time he helped me. When I tried on my own, I didn’t do as well, which was quite all right with me since I loved the feel of him pressed against me.

  Three hours later, after a song and dance from Chuck E. Cheese, pizza, the happy birthday song, tons of sugar-filled cake, and gifts, Lucia was wiped out. So were Dominic and I. Lucia was very appreciative of all her gifts, but her favorite was what Susan brought for her. She’d screamed and squealed while she opened every single one of the little packages to reveal a beautiful three-story dollhouse with all of the accessories: furniture, people, decorations, paint, and small sheets of wallpaper. It was a thoughtful gift that would keep her busy for a long time. At the end of the party, my dad looked like he was going to have a nervous breakdown from being around so many crazy kids. He was good at entertaining with adults, but he didn’t have much patience for so many children. He loved Lucia to death, but he was only putting up with her antics for this long because she was his family.