Opened Up

by Eva Moore

  “The equity is great, but is it a home where I’ll be happy to have my children grow up?”

  Jake bellowed across the lawn and waved them in.

  Sofia took Farha by the hand and escorted her to the front door. “Let’s find out.”

  They closed their eyes once again, and at Jake’s direction, Sofia opened the door and followed the couple inside.

  Dropped jaws, squeals of laughter, and jubilant hugs filled her heart with satisfaction, even as the nerves threatened to overwhelm her mind.

  “Look at this space! It’s so open! I can see all the way into the kitchen. And look at all this light. I don’t see our TV cabinet, but I don’t even care. I love the new couches.”

  “Don’t give up on your cabinet yet. Those couches were a steal from a showroom sale, and they are completely scotch-guarded so if the baby spills on it, it will wipe right up.” Sofia ran a hand over the espresso brown tweed two-seater, proud that she’d found a couch set similar to the one they wanted for under a thousand dollars for three pieces.

  “Is this the laminate that we picked? It looks so real.” Gautam crouched down to inspect the floor.

  She let them wander the room, pointing out details as they neared each feature. Their approval was apparent, so why didn’t she feel happier? She felt like she had to justify every choice she’d made with their money. Was that Adrian’s influence or was it her own insecurities bleeding through? Enough.

  “I know you could spend hours in here, and you will because it’s your house, but I really can’t wait for you to see the kitchen!”

  After a quick pause to position cameras, they rounded the edge of the framed entry to their new kitchen.

  “Oh it’s gorgeous. Look at the cabinets, and I love the mosaic marble tile in the backsplash, and oh! There’s our cabinet!”

  “I knew how much that piece meant to you and it went perfectly with the decor in here, so we repurposed it as part of your island. Seth added some side cabinets to expand the storage and some custom legs to help support the breakfast bar side of the slab. I’m so pleased with how it turned out.”

  Farha sat down in one of the new barstools and placed a hand beneath her belly for support.

  “I’m not pleased. I’m freaking ecstatic! This is just how I pictured it, but better.” She leaned back on her stool and looked up at the ceiling. “Oh look! You found the funky geometric chandelier. Wait, are there three?”

  “There are three pieces hung together as an art fixture, with bulbs installed and recessed lighting above. Those were a gift from your friend who made the sculpture in your current house. I contacted her, and she took several pieces she had been working on and tweaked them as a housewarming present for you.”

  Tears were openly running down Farha’s face now as she continued to swivel her head trying to take it all in.

  Gautam was busy inspecting every nook and cranny. “This looks amazing. The finish work on this is so clean. You wouldn’t believe the ridiculous things we’ve found in our old house. Drawers that can’t open because of appliances, gaps between the tile and the cabinets they just left open, odd cuts of flooring that don’t line up. I mean look at the attention to detail on the diagonal floor. Each cut is so precise. If it wasn’t, it would drive me nuts! Please thank Adrian and his crew for me. His work makes my engineer heart happy.”

  “Are you ready to see more?”

  “I think I need to sit down a minute.” He dropped onto the stool next to Farha as if his knees had given out. “This is all so much to take in.”

  “Wait just a second. I’ve got the perfect place for you to rest.” She pulled Jake aside and asked him to set up the smaller crew in the nursery. She made a cup of herbal tea at the craft services table outside and brought it in for Farha while they waited for the okay.

  “This has been such an overwhelming day. I don’t know how many more surprises I can take.” Farha sipped the herbal tea and grimaced.

  “Hang in there. We’ve only got a few more rooms to see and then you and Gautam can relax all you want in your new home. At least until you bring that baby home.”

  “That baby is kicking up a storm right now, likely because her mama’s heartbeat is jumping like crazy.” Farha took Sofia’s hand and pressed it to the top of her belly near her rib cage, and Fi could feel a little foot firmly pressing back.

  So moved, she rubbed the little bump until it receded, forgetting that she was also rubbing another woman’s stomach. “Sorry, I got a little carried away.”

  “It’s okay. You got her to stop pushing. I’ll take it. Sometimes she gets stuck up under my ribs and ouch! And now, my back is killing me. I’m so done with being pregnant.” Farha laughed as she said it, but Sofia could see the strain on her face as she rubbed her back.

  Sofia leaned over to talk to the baby. “Hello, little girl. I know your parents are doing all they can to get ready for your arrival. What do you say we go see your new room?” The little foot kicked again, and Sofia gave the baby a little high five. “I think that’s a yes.”

  She was very glad that she had chosen a soft reclining rocking chair, because the minute Farha walked in, she collapsed into it. Instead of darting her eyes around the room as she had in the kitchen, Farha’s gaze fixed on the mural of the little girl reading that Sofia had painted on the wall. Tears filled the woman’s eyes, and Sofia’s heart swelled with pride.

  “Oh! Sofia, it’s perfect.” Farha reached for Gautam’s hand, and he was quick to give it, his smile stretched from ear to ear. “Where did you get that picture? How did you know?”

  Gautam placed a hand on her shoulder. “You’re not the only one who has design ideas. I wanted our daughter to grow up knowing where she came from and where she can go. She should see how brilliant her mum is every time she picks up a book, so she can grow up to be just like you.”

  Sofia’s heart tugged. This couple was so sweet together, each so supportive of the other. With her professional hat, she was delighted to give them a house they could raise their family in. With her personal hat, she was deeply envious of that bond and wondered if she’d ever find it for herself. She sure didn’t feel it with Adrian. He didn’t support her in her chosen career. She doubted he’d ever say that she was brilliant or smart or important. It was more likely that he’d complain about her ideas being a pain to implement than offer a compliment. She sighed. Was it too much to ask to be seen for who she was and who she aspired to be? And be appreciated as is?

  “Sofia?” Jake broke into her rambling thoughts. “Do you think we could talk about the rest of the room now?”

  “Oh, yes. Of course.” She gathered her thoughts and put her camera-ready smile in place. “You had chosen the coral and brown color theme based on the crib you picked out and the bedding you liked. You’ll see we built the crib for you and got it all set up. You’ve got the changing table next to it that will transition into a toy caddy when the baby gets a little older. Nick and Seth, our custom builders, designed the window seat bookcase and Adrian built it in. And I made those custom coral and white cushions, so Baby Girl Shah will be cozy when she reads.” She’d been over the moon to find the fabric on clearance and thanked the Lord that her mother had insisted she learn to use a sewing machine in her youth.

  “That is all lovely, Sofia, but the mural… The mural is my heart.” Farha clasped one hand on her heart and the other on her belly.

  “We have a little more to do. Are you ready to see your bedroom, or do you need to rest awhile longer?”

  “I think I’m done resting for quite awhile, as you said. These contractions are getting stronger, and I want to see it all before we have to head to the hospital.”

  “Oh my God! You’re having the baby! We’re having a baby!” Sofia turned to the film crew. “Let’s go! You heard the woman. Go set up, so she can see her master bedroom and bath! Hurry!” She didn’t wait for Jake’s approval to hustle them along. Turning back to the expecting mother, Sofia’s hands were shaking with adren
aline. “Do you need anything? Water? More tea? An ambulance?”

  Farha laughed.

  “No, I’m fine. The contractions are about ten minutes apart still, so we have time to go home and get our bag and drive to the hospital.”

  “You are so calm. I can’t believe you are this calm.”

  Farha laid her hand over Gautam’s on her shoulder. “We’ve been waiting a long time for this. I’m ready.”

  “Well then, let’s go!”

  Chapter 19

  Standing outside Adrian’s house with a ridiculous grin on her face, Sofia felt like dancing. Adrenaline was still coursing through her after the day she’d had. Filming with the couple had wrapped up quickly after the announcement of the impending arrival of Baby Shah. The film crew was still there taking their panning shots of the details in the finished rooms for the “after” scenes. Farha and Gautam were at the hospital, safe and sound.

  Not even bothering to change out of her camera-ready leather skirt and button-down blouse, Sofia had grabbed Frankie and gone over to the Shahs’ house with the spare key she still had from the movers. Who cared about keeping clothes clean in the excitement of a new baby? They had filled boxes with essentials from the kitchen, bathrooms, and dressers. Sofia found the stash of diapers, wipes, and baby clothes from Farha’s baby shower and packed that up, too.

  They spent the late afternoon moving the young family into their new home so that when they came home from the hospital, they could have a few days of comfort before they had to do the nitty-gritty moving of everything else. Sofia had done a quick grocery run and stocked the freezer with easy to heat-and-eat meals, while Frankie organized the kitchen cabinets.

  Even after all that work, she was still revved from the adrenaline of the reveal. She’d pulled it off, succeeded beyond her expectations, and had very happy clients and a show that wouldn’t fail because she’d screwed up. Now that the tension was gone, she wanted to celebrate.

  She had also picked up a bottle of champagne. There was only one person she wanted to celebrate with. She couldn’t explain it, even to herself, but she needed to see Adrian. Part of it was petty—a chance to gloat and say they’d loved it. But more than that, he’d worked just as hard as she had, and he deserved to know how the reveal had gone. It had felt strange to be showing off his handiwork without him after weeks of arguing about it side by side. And then there was the part she wasn’t listening to that told her she just missed him.

  So here she stood, at dusk, bottle of champagne dripping cold water down her leg, on his front porch. When she rang the bell, Graciela Villanueva answered the door.

  “Hola, Sofia. How are you?”

  “I’m good. And you?”

  “Muy bien, gracias. Come inside. Let me close this door.”

  Sofia preceded her into the dark living room just off the foyer. She looked around the room, and her designer heart cringed. The heavy drapes at the windows blocked out eighty percent of the light, leaving the rest of the room feeling close and cave-like. The three couches were clean but old, clearly well used by the four teenagers who had grown up in the house. The one armchair in the room was a bright paisley patterned wingback with spindly legs, the matriarch’s throne. A cup of steaming coffee and a book propped open on the tufted arm told Sofia she’d interrupted Graciela’s reading time. How Adrian’s mother managed to read in this gloom was a mystery to Sofia.

  “You are here to see Adrian?”

  “I am. We finished filming today, and I wanted to congratulate him on a job well done.” She raised the bottle of champagne in a toast.

  “He’s not here right now, but he should be back soon if you don’t mind waiting.”

  “I’d love to stay and chat with you. I don’t want to interrupt your book though.”

  “It’s one I have re-read a thousand times. It is a visit with an old friend. Now, I can visit with a new one.”

  “My mother protected her reading time fiercely. If her reading lamp was on, you’d better be bleeding to interrupt her.”

  “Nonsense. I love company. Can I make you a coffee? Ven aquí, sit with me in the kitchen. I have cookies.”

  Sofia followed Graciela as the older woman bustled into the kitchen, and within a minute she found herself seated with a steaming cup of coffee and a plate of polvorones de canela. She took a bite, and the buttery, sugary, cinnamon-spiced goodness melted on her tongue.

  “Thank you. These are delicious.” She tried to ignore the three other cookies on the plate and failed miserably three times.

  “So, tell me! How did the last day of filming go? I have been so excited for you all. I cannot wait to see my son on television.”

  “The filming went well. The Shahs loved the house, and Farha actually went into labor during the final reveals. They headed to the hospital, and Frankie and I moved their baby things in so they can come home to their new house.”

  “You are a good girl. I’m sure your mother is very proud.”

  Sofia wasn’t sure about that. She couldn’t remember the last time she had spoken to her mother outside of a family meeting. She needed to remedy that, maybe take Mom for coffee tomorrow.

  “The Shahs were so complimentary of the work done on the house, I wanted to tell Adrian right away, before the shine wears off. It’s going to be a little while before we know if the pilot gets picked up.”

  “He’ll be home soon. Rico, our neighbor, is sick, so Adrian is filling in for him on a landscape job he needed finished today.”

  Graciela checked the clock on the wall and her wristwatch. The older woman was fairly vibrating with nerves, her cookie a pile of crumbs on her plate. Sofia tried to distract her with idle conversation.

  “Rico is on one of our crews. I didn’t realize he did landscaping, too.”

  “His cousin runs a lawn maintenance service, and Rico helps out when they do big jobs.”

  “Do you have their card? Get them in touch with me. Clients of Enzo’s are always looking for recommendations to take care of what he’s built. He’s gotten so busy with the landscaping side, he’s had to stop taking on new weekly clients.”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful, for everyone. I’ll make sure Rico brings a card next week.” She had worried her napkin to shreds, and Sofia could only be grateful she hadn’t gone to find the business card.

  Sofia cast around for anything to pass the time and distract Graciela from her anxiety over Adrian’s absence. “While, I’m waiting, is there anything I can do for you? Adrian mentioned that you don’t get out often.”

  “I don’t go out ever, if I can help it. When the country you live in sees you as a criminal… When you have something precious snatched away…it gets harder and harder to trust the outside world not to hurt you.”

  So much for avoiding her anxiety. Smooth move, Sofia.

  “I understand. Is it this hard any time Adrian is gone?”

  “No, querida. Only when he’s late.” Somehow the endearment when heard from his mother’s lips didn’t get her hackles up, but it might explain where Adrian had gotten the habit.

  “Do you need anything? I could run out.”

  “You are sweet. I have my children and my neighbors who make sure I have what I need. I wish I could find my courage though. My oldest daughter has just had my first grandson.” She pulled out her cell phone and proudly showed Sofia a slew of baby pictures. “She had a C-section and the baby has colic, and I wish I could help her. But every time I try to walk out that door…I can’t.”

  Sofia didn’t know what to say to that. She couldn’t imagine never leaving her apartment again. Living in the same dark rooms day after day didn’t seem comforting at all. The open longing on the older woman’s face as she gazed at her phone was breaking Sofia’s heart. She had to do something to help. “Mrs. Villanueva…”

  “Graciela, please.”

  “Graciela, do you like your living room?”

  “¿Perdóname?”

  “You said you spend most of your time in there, but
I can’t help but notice how dark it is. That can’t be good for your reading.” An idea was taking shape in Sofia’s mind.

  “Oh, it is fine. Adrian is so busy. I don’t want to bother him with small things like painting.”

  True, he was busy. So busy that he was working even on his days off, not to mention the overtime for the show. But she didn’t have to involve him, right? The things she was thinking of changing she could handle herself. She was mentally swapping out curtains for shades and painting walls. It would be so easy…

  “But if you could have it redone, would you like that?”

  “Maybe a new bookcase or two. A new sofa so friends who visit can be comfortable. Those things are ancient.”

  She heard the hope in Graciela’s voice, and her decision was made.

  “I tell you what. If you get up the courage to visit your daughter, I will come and make over your living room while you’re gone.”

  “Why would you do this for me?”

  “Because you are my friend’s mother, and it hurts my heart to see good space not making people happy. That room could be so much nicer for you and still maintain your privacy.”

  “I will think about it.”

  “Let’s take a walk through it right now.” Sofia picked up her coffee and moved away from the cookies, re-energized. “Think out loud while we stroll. Then if you decide yes, I will know what you want done.”

  Adrian had resisted the urge to call Sofia all day. He wanted to know how the reveal went, but he was holding on to his mad. She didn’t need him, and he didn’t need her either.

  Just because they’d been in each other’s pocket for the show didn’t mean that needed to continue now that the project was done. He didn’t need to talk to her every day. A little distance was probably for the best. He’d gotten all caught up in her, and she clearly did not feel the same. Besides, he’d probably catch her mid-shoot and screw up a scene or something.

  No, he’d see her tomorrow at the office. That would be soon enough. After all, she’d made it abundantly clear she didn’t want him checking up on her, or taking care of her, or doing any damn thing for her.