by Leslie North
“Oh, that’s a great idea,” Alex chimed in. “There are two watchers for every child there. One who climbs and then rappels next to the child and another on the ground holding the rope.”
Looking at Carolina, Nathan was surprised when she did nothing more than give a curt nod. Knowing that she was furious and probably assumed that he had planned this, he quickly changed the subject.
“Well, we were heading back to the car. Please tell Davis, I said, hi. I look forward to seeing him at the next Alumni Mixer.”
“I will, Nathan.” Stepping toward him, Alex gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “I hope next time I see you, you’ll be dangling off the side of a rock.” Turning, she smiled at Carolina. “It was nice to meet you.”
As they headed back to the car, the kids ran up ahead. “What was that about?” Carolina demanded. “And was she pregnant and rock climbing?”
“Well she’s not nearly as far along as Angie is. I don’t think she’d be up for climbing then.”
“That’s not what I meant, Nathan,” she shot back.
“Then what did you mean? I came here hoping to spend the day sharing one of my favorite activities with you and the kids, but you shut it down without giving it a chance. I hadn’t seen Alex or Davis in months and had no idea they’d be here, but at least you could see that with the right equipment, it’s completely safe,” he finished.
“I saw nothing of the sort. What I saw was a pregnant woman and two, way too young, children coming down the side of a cliff. It was the most ridiculous thing I…”
Nathan didn’t let her finish. Grabbing her shoulders, he spun her around to face him. “Carolina, stop it. You don’t know anything about the sport and you weren’t even willing to give it a chance. There are so many things a person can learn when learning to climb, not the least of which is trust, responsibility, communication, and how to conquer your fears. Maybe next time, before you slam something I happen to be very good at, you’ll at least give it a try.”
Not bothering to wait to hear her response, he jogged the last dozen feet to the car and unlocked the doors to let the kids in. As he waited by the passenger door for her to join them, he was about to walk towards the driver’s side when she stopped him.
“Nathan,” she began. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I didn’t give it or you a chance. Maybe sometime we could try that rock wall you mentioned down by the Pier. At least then, I could enjoy a glass of wine, or the whole bottle,”
“Momma, I don’t think you get it. There are no other open spaces left for us to try. If we don’t make a move on one of those, Maria’s Restaurant is over with,” Carolina said through gritted teeth. She leaned on her elbows over the counter and glared at her mother.
She’d seen the expensive spots and the cheap ones. She’d toured the rental vacancies and the ones that they could buy. She’d spent hours and days looking. She’d given up dates with Nathan and time with her kids to find something that would work. There were viable locations, but her mother had turned them all down.
“So I guess the restaurant is over with,” her mother said coldly as she wheeled away.
Frustrated and angry, Carolina stalked after her. “Please tell me that’s a joke. You love that place. I love that place. It doesn’t have to be over. You just have to get over whatever it is that’s upsetting you, and move on!”
“You want to know what’s upsetting me?” Maria yelled.
“Yes!”
“You! You are sleeping with the enemy! Look at what that company has done to your sister. Look at what it’s doing to me! And yet you still continue to go out with that man!”
Carolina gaped at her. “Angie is happily married, incredibly successful, and blissfully pregnant. And all of that is possible because of the Maxfield family. William Wells is the man to blame here, Momma. Not Nathan. Not Stephen. Not any of the Maxfield men.”
“Nathan is only entertaining himself with you because he knows that you’re lonely and desperate. He certainly doesn’t want to be husband number four,” Maria hissed.
Carolina fell back, gasping. It felt like she’d been slapped in the face with a brick. All the old memories of her past marriages came rushing back to her. As a teenage bride, she’d been full of hope. During her second marriage, she clung desperately to the idea of second chances. And with Carlo, she thought that maybe the third time was the charm. What did she have left to hope for? The doubt turned into anger, and she whirled on Maria.
“Mother!” Carolina exclaimed. “What the hell has gotten into you? I have three beautiful children, and I would not give up a single second of my mistakes, and you have no right to judge me for them!”
Maria slumped in her chair and looked down at her hands. “I’m sorry, my dear. I don’t know why I said that.”
She was still extremely angry, but her mother looked so small and frail. Kneeling down, Carolina took her mother’s hand. “Momma, tell me what’s really going on.”
Maria Lopez cupped Carolina’s face and smiled. “My children have children. My restaurant is gone. I know it’s time for me to retire, but I’m not ready.”
“Oh, Momma. You don’t have to do that. I love running that restaurant.”
Her mother shook her head in denial. “And now it’s time for you to find something else that you love. You and the babies can move in with me while you figure out what you want and get back on your feet.”
Carolina blinked. “So that’s it? You’re going to give up?”
“It’s not giving up. It’s the next step in my life.”
Standing, Carolina dropped her mother’s hand. “The next step in my life is not to move back in with my mother as if I was a child. If we’re not going forward with the restaurant, then I’ll find a new job. I have enough restaurant experience to go anywhere. Why would you assume that I’m going to fail?”
“I’m not saying that you’re going to fail,” Maria grumbled. “I’m letting you know that you have options.”
“Options.” Carolina threw her hands up in the air. “We had options before the restaurant closed but you were too stubborn to accept that change was necessary and now it’s gone. Now, you want me to move back in so you won’t be lonely. Or maybe you want to hold it over my head. You can’t slide into retirement and think that means it’s going to change everyone’s life. This has to be your decision, and yours alone.”
“I’m making my decision! I’m trying to do what’s right for you.”
“What would have been right for me is if you’d told me this before I practically ran myself to death trying to find something to please you! I have been desperate to make this work, and all this time, you knew that you weren’t going to continue the restaurant. How could you waste my time like that?”
A blast of a horn interrupted them, and Carolina straightened and looked out the window. “What in the world?” Leaving her mother, she opened the door and stared out into the street.
There was a large black truck parked at the curb with the green and yellow logo of Maria’s Restaurant painted on the side. Nathan climbed out of the truck and spread his arms out. “What do you think?”
“What do I think?” she repeated dumbly. She shook her head, confused.
Maria rolled up behind her. “What is that?”
“I think it’s a food truck,” Carolina said slowly. Laughing nervously, she walked out to join Nathan. “Baby, I’m not sure what to think because I’m not sure what this is.”
Maria audibly snarled when Carolina called Nathan baby, but Carolina ignored her. Nathan leaned down and gave her a peck on the lips. “This is your new restaurant. I know that you were having trouble finding a space, and now you can go to any location that you want!”
That thing was a deathtrap on wheels. Carolina could only stare wordlessly at it and wonder what the hell was Nathan thinking. At first, she reasoned with herself that he was trying to help. Then she flushed with embarrassment when she realized that he’d actually bought that thing for her. Like sh
e was a charity case. Did he really expect her kids to be around this? When she could speak, she was filled with anger.
“And you bought it for us? Nathan, we are not at a point in our relationship where you buy me food trucks!” she hissed. “Why on earth would I want to put fire in a vehicle? What were you thinking?!”
“He wasn’t thinking at all,” Maria snarled. “He doesn’t understand the idea of value and pride. My restaurant is not some burrito on wheels. I would rather it close down forever than to roll around serving food to drunks.”
“I was trying to help,” Nathan said quietly. “I don’t understand what you want! You’ve been tearing yourself up over this restaurant, and worried sick about everything. You’re anxious about your mother. You’re constantly worried about your kids. I wanted to take one thing off your shoulders.”
Before she could respond, her mother cried out in pain. Whirling around, she saw Maria grab her chest and slump over in her wheelchair. “Momma!” she cried as she grabbed her mother’s shoulders. “Call 911!”
Nathan was already on the phone as she knelt down by Maria’s side. It was obvious that her mother was having a heart attack. Maria must have been carrying around more stress than she realized, and rather than seeing it, Carolina had only focused on her own problems.
Maria had given her everything. She was her mother, and she’d let her down. The world slowed, and guilt consumed her. All she could think about was the fight they’d just had. Nathan’s words echoed in her head. What must her mother think of her now?
“They’re on their way,” Nathan said gently. “I’ll stay with you until they get here”
“No,” Carolina growled as she shoved off his hand. “I think you’ve done enough.”
He stepped back and stared. “Carolina.”
“Just go,” she said as she closed her eyes. “When it comes to my mother, to my family, you can’t just…” Carolina bit off the words.
Nathan sounded miles away. “I was just frustrated, baby.”
“No.” Carolina wiped her tears and clutched her mother’s hand. “We need to face the facts, Nathan. We’re trying too hard to make something work, and it’s not. We both have way too much on our plates, and I can’t do this anymore. My mother, my job, my kids. I can’t take on you too. I can’t.”
Nathan didn’t say anything, and she didn’t look back until she heard the sirens of the ambulance, but when she did, he was gone.
In the hospital, as they wheeled Maria away for surgery, Carolina called Angie. More than ever, she needed her big sister.
“Carolina? I’m in the middle of a meeting here, can I call you back?”
“Momma had a heart attack,” Carolina said softly. “She’s in the hospital.”
“A heart attack? What? How did that happen? Tell me!”
Carolina gripped the wood of the armrest and slowly blew out her breath. The waiting room was so still, the quiet was getting on her nerves. “Okay but take it easy, Angie. I don’t want you to have that baby yet.”
“I’m on my way.”
“We had a fight,” Carolina said as she squeezed her eyes shut. “I said the worst things, and then Nathan came by with a food truck.”
Angie was breathing hard, and Carolina feared that her sister was running. “You’re not making any sense,” she panted. “A food truck?”
“Don’t run, Angie. Slow down. I can’t handle it if something happens to you, too. I was so angry with her, Angie. And I was so angry with Nathan. A food truck, for God’s sake. What was he thinking? What was I thinking?”
“Carolina, I’m going to be there soon. Take a few deep breaths and calm down.”
Calm down? Carolina felt like she was going to have a panic attack. But, she thought, at least she would be in a hospital when that happened. “Angie, I broke up with him. I don’t even know why I thought I could make things work, but I thought that maybe…maybe…I don’t know what I thought.”
A doctor walked through the doors with searching eyes, and Carolina immediately stood. “Are you looking for me?”
“Are you with Mrs. Lopez?”
Carolina nodded, and the doctor grabbed her hand. “Your mother had a heart attack, but it looks like we’ve got everything under control. We’re going to monitor her for a few days. It’s common for one heart attack to lead to another. Do you know if your mother signed a DNR?”
“A DNR?” Carolina repeated numbly.
“Do not resuscitate.”
“Oh my God!” Carolina pressed her hand to her lips and shook her head. Taking in a deep breath and trying to make herself think calmly, all she could say was, “I don’t know. My sister Angie might know.” She put the phone back up to her ear, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask the question.
“It’s okay. Hopefully it won’t come down to that, she’s doing well at the moment, and we’re monitoring her closely,” the doctor said gently.
Carolina looked at the clock and for the first time, saw how late it was. “My kids! I have to go get my kids. My sister will be here soon. She might be able to answer your questions.”
“Okay.” The doctor squeezed her hand and smiled. “We have your number. We’ll keep you informed if there’s any change or anything to be concerned about. But the signs are positive.”
When she was alone again, Carolina realized that Angie was still on the phone. “Angie? I have to go to school to pick up Julio and Tamara. Can you call everyone else? I think Anita is out of town.”
“I’ve got it, Carolina. Go get your kids and compose yourself.”
Carolina ended the call and took a moment to wipe away the tears. Her thoughts were completely jumbled in her head, but Angie was right. She needed to compose herself.
By the time she got Julio and Tamara home, Angie had called to say that Maria was doing fine. The doctor was ordering bed rest to help alleviate any stress. Carolina waited until after her kids had completed their homework and finished dinner before she told them the news. They both took it well, although she could tell that her son was troubled.
“Is Abuela going to be okay?” Julio asked as Carolina tucked him into bed.
She bent down and kissed her son on the forehead. “Oh, baby. She’s is going to be fine once she’s had plenty of rest.”
“Rest? I can help her with that. I’m good at that.”
Laughing, Carolina smoothed her hand down the blanket. “Yes, you are. Now tell me what’s on the agenda for tomorrow.”
Julio screwed up his face. “I have a spelling test.”
“Yes, you do. So in the morning, we’re going to go over those words during breakfast, okay?”
“Okay.”
“And you’re going to ace your test, right? And make your mother proud.”
Julio nodded his head solemnly, and Carolina stood. “Goodnight, baby.”
“Goodnight, Momma.”
She turned the light out and gently closed the door. He wasn’t the only one who was worried. Despite telling Nathan that she didn’t have time to concern herself with him, he was at the forefront of her mind.
The food truck had to have cost him a fortune. What made him think that he could drop that kind of money on her? She wasn’t a damsel in distress. She didn’t need his charity.
But while she was pissed at him, she also wished that he was with her now. Her mother’s heart attack had terrified her, and she’d spent so much time comforting her mother, her sisters and her kids. Now she wanted someone to comfort her.
The room was silent as Wells looked over the new design. Angie was at the hospital with her mother, so it was only the Maxfield brothers. Nathan’s original model was still tucked away in the corner of Gabe’s office.
Stephen and Gabe stood along the wall, and Nathan slumped in Gabe’s chair behind the desk. His brothers were giving him strange looks, but Nathan was strangely apathetic about the whole situation.
“Is this the whole presentation?” Wells asked with a cough. “Last time you had all these things
to say, and now you’re quiet.”
Nathan leaned forward and shrugged. “I think it’s pretty straight forward. Row of shops on one side. Row of luxury condos on the other.”
Wells frowned. “Straight forward?”
“Yeah.” Nathan stood and gestured to the model. “That’s what you wanted. No bells. No whistles. Just something that will make you money.”
“Fine. It will do.”
He reached out to shake Nathan’s hand, and Stephen and Gabe both did silent victory pumps with their hands. “What happens now?”
“Now, I turn it into something that Stephen can read and build from,” he said quietly. “From that, Stephen should be able to give you a building estimate.”
“Good,” Wells said in a quivering voice. “Good. I like it.”
“I am so glad that you’re happy,” Stephen interjected. “Let me walk you out to your car, and you can let me know if you have any concerns.” Stephen helped Wells out to the elevators, and Gabe immediately shut the door.
“What is wrong with you? If that man’s eyesight wasn’t so poor, he’d see that this model is crap, and you clearly don’t give a damn. I know it’s not as good as your first design, but it’s still a sell. You made the client happy.”
Nathan slumped back in the chair and spun it around. “How do you and Daisy make it work? You work fifty hours a week. You were literally the type of guy that she hated, so how did you make time for her?”
Gabe stared at him. “What?”
“Not only did she marry you, but you’re happily married. How did you do that?” Nathan got up and started to pace. “I worked from home on this project, and it still wasn’t enough.”
“Is this about the design or about Carolina?” Gabe asked.
“The design? That’s not a design, it’s a huge blow to my ego. My name as an architect is pretty much going to go down the toilet. When the building goes up, I am going to be the talk of the architectural community, but not in the way that I had hoped or worked for. I am the one that comes up with these amazing and environmentally-friendly designs, but that monstrosity is a piece of shit.” Angry, Nathan swept his hand across the model and knocked it to the floor. “And that is what I’m going to be known for. Shit.”