her tracks. The black automobile she knew well was parked in front of the house, and her father stood hands on hips, his perceptive gaze measuring up the couple with his eyes.
She quickly dropped Xavier’s hand. From her side vision, she could see Xavier staring at her. She glanced at him, and his confused expression pained her.
“It’s my father,” she whispered.
“I’ll go.”
“No.” The defiance that had been building in her since the last time she’d seen her father burst out. She took Xavier by the arm and pulled him forward.
“ Papá , this is Xavier.”
Xavier lifted his right hand, but Soledad’s father did not move.
“Cholita, what’s the meaning of this?” He lingered on Xavier sending daggers with his eyes, then he returned his intimidating gaze to his daughter. “Why have you been ignoring my messages to come home? Why are you disrespecting me?”
“ Papá , I could ask you the same.”
“What?”
“Nothing.” She looked down.
“If there is something you need to say, then do so,” he dared.
“Nothing, Papá .” Her defiance weakened. He was still her father, the man she’d loved and honored for all her life. Even though this man was different, he was still her father.
“You best be going.” He gave Xavier one last glance. “ Chole , get your things. I’ll be in the car.”
The silence was deafening. The fear of the unknown was sneering at them. She longed to reach up and kiss Xavier as though she’d never see him again. She wanted to squeeze his hand and reassure him that she’d be back soon. But their goodbye was nothing of the sort.
With one last squeeze of his hand, she channeled every remnant of faith in her, and said the words her heart knew even before she did. “I love you.”
He didn’t hesitate. It was as if they said it ordinarily. “I love you.” There was urgency in his voice.
Her father sighed heavily, disgust in his air.
She didn’t understand why they were so panicked. Was it because they’d been caught together? Was it because she was leaving to a whole other country that, although was a neighbor, banned her love from entering? No. It was because she was looking at a man who was not her father. That gentle, kind man was gone. This angry man would surely disapprove and keep her away.
Her throat was closing.
Xavier turned to go, and she died.
“Get your things!” Her father was losing his patience.
Soledad froze.
“I have no things.” She had come to her grandmother’s home straight from the feria with plans to return to her home the next day, so she hadn’t brought one thing.
“I’m not waiting any longer. You’ll go without.”
She didn’t even step inside to say goodbye to her grandmother or Suki. Her grandmother would understand. She was sure her father had already made his presence known.
Arms crossed across her chest, refusing to meet her father’s glare, she entered his car. As they drove away, she turned one last time to the gap in the trees leading to the path.
Xavier was nowhere to be seen.
Chapter 10
The drive home was intense. No words were spoken. No questions were asked, although Soledad knew there were many on both sides.
The blue shutters on San Diego Avenue did not welcome her. Instead they appeared as bars of a prison. This time, as she stepped up the three steps, no prayers escaped her lips. There was only bitterness nesting in her. Without even greeting her mother, she ran up the stairs and into her bedroom, slamming the door. Adolescent, but she didn’t care.
No one came. She wasn’t sure if she wanted anyone to see what the fuss was about, or if she was happy being left alone. Her eyes, tired from crying, closed before she realized it. But as soon as she closed them, Xavier was all she saw. His face, his eyes, his hands, his smile. The tears refreshed themselves.
In the bedroom next door, Eduardo told his wife about the boy.
“I was angry. She defied me, ignored my orders. I didn’t mean to be so
She quickly dropped Xavier’s hand. From her side vision, she could see Xavier staring at her. She glanced at him, and his confused expression pained her.
“It’s my father,” she whispered.
“I’ll go.”
“No.” The defiance that had been building in her since the last time she’d seen her father burst out. She took Xavier by the arm and pulled him forward.
“ Papá , this is Xavier.”
Xavier lifted his right hand, but Soledad’s father did not move.
“Cholita, what’s the meaning of this?” He lingered on Xavier sending daggers with his eyes, then he returned his intimidating gaze to his daughter. “Why have you been ignoring my messages to come home? Why are you disrespecting me?”
“ Papá , I could ask you the same.”
“What?”
“Nothing.” She looked down.
“If there is something you need to say, then do so,” he dared.
“Nothing, Papá .” Her defiance weakened. He was still her father, the man she’d loved and honored for all her life. Even though this man was different, he was still her father.
“You best be going.” He gave Xavier one last glance. “ Chole , get your things. I’ll be in the car.”
The silence was deafening. The fear of the unknown was sneering at them. She longed to reach up and kiss Xavier as though she’d never see him again. She wanted to squeeze his hand and reassure him that she’d be back soon. But their goodbye was nothing of the sort.
With one last squeeze of his hand, she channeled every remnant of faith in her, and said the words her heart knew even before she did. “I love you.”
He didn’t hesitate. It was as if they said it ordinarily. “I love you.” There was urgency in his voice.
Her father sighed heavily, disgust in his air.
She didn’t understand why they were so panicked. Was it because they’d been caught together? Was it because she was leaving to a whole other country that, although was a neighbor, banned her love from entering? No. It was because she was looking at a man who was not her father. That gentle, kind man was gone. This angry man would surely disapprove and keep her away.
Her throat was closing.
Xavier turned to go, and she died.
“Get your things!” Her father was losing his patience.
Soledad froze.
“I have no things.” She had come to her grandmother’s home straight from the feria with plans to return to her home the next day, so she hadn’t brought one thing.
“I’m not waiting any longer. You’ll go without.”
She didn’t even step inside to say goodbye to her grandmother or Suki. Her grandmother would understand. She was sure her father had already made his presence known.
Arms crossed across her chest, refusing to meet her father’s glare, she entered his car. As they drove away, she turned one last time to the gap in the trees leading to the path.
Xavier was nowhere to be seen.
Chapter 10
The drive home was intense. No words were spoken. No questions were asked, although Soledad knew there were many on both sides.
The blue shutters on San Diego Avenue did not welcome her. Instead they appeared as bars of a prison. This time, as she stepped up the three steps, no prayers escaped her lips. There was only bitterness nesting in her. Without even greeting her mother, she ran up the stairs and into her bedroom, slamming the door. Adolescent, but she didn’t care.
No one came. She wasn’t sure if she wanted anyone to see what the fuss was about, or if she was happy being left alone. Her eyes, tired from crying, closed before she realized it. But as soon as she closed them, Xavier was all she saw. His face, his eyes, his hands, his smile. The tears refreshed themselves.
In the bedroom next door, Eduardo told his wife about the boy.
“I was angry. She defied me, ignored my orders. I didn’t mean to be so
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