Now Chelsea looked surprised. “You know about that?”
“Sure.”
“And you don’t mind?”
Anna made what she hoped was a patient smile. “Edmond is a grown man, Chelsea. It’s not as if I control him. And if some silly girl wants to throw herself at him, it’s not as if I can control her either, now, can I?”
Chelsea just shook her head.
Anna glanced back at her desk. “And now I have work to do.”
“I just thought you should know,” Chelsea said in a slightly defensive tone. “I mean, since I work for Edmond’s aunt and I kind of replaced him, it seemed like I had a responsibility to tell you.”
Anna wanted to scream. Instead she took in a deep breath. “And I appreciate that, Chelsea. Thank you.”
Chelsea nodded in a satisfied way. “Okay then. See ya around the watercooler.” She laughed like this was funny, then headed on her merry way.
Anna sat down and began to go through her e-mail. Naturally, her concentration was shot now, but she at least sorted out the junk and dumped it. Then she went through the snail mail in her in basket. She took her time opening and sorting things. Usually, this was a job she hated, and she wished she had an assistant to do it. Today it was a relief, a welcome distraction.
After a while, Anna got herself firmly into work mode, pushing nagging thoughts of Edmond and Lucy into a far corner in her mind. She’d deal with it later. How she would deal with it, she wasn’t sure. But she felt that a breakup was in her future. Of course, she knew this had as much to do with her pride as anything. She did not want Edmond to be the one to break up with her. No, she would beat him to the punch. At least she hoped so.
At noon, Anna knew that she had to get out of that place. And she had to get somewhere private—and quickly. As Anna got in her car and drove, she felt like a time bomb that was ticking fast. As if on autopilot, she drove to her parents’ house. She had no idea if anyone was home, but that’s where she was headed.
To her relief, her mom answered the door, even though Anna already had her key ready and was about to let herself in.
“Hello, mi’ja,” her mom said happily. “To what do I owe this pleasure?” Emma came crawling in right behind her. “My two favorite girls both at the—”
“Oh, I didn’t know Emma was here.” Anna backed out of the door.
“Why should that matter?”
“Because, well, because, I should just—”
“Anna Maria Mendez …” She stopped herself, lowering the tone of her voice as she picked up Emma. “Tia Anna is here, Emma. Don’t you want to invite her in?”
Emma grinned.
“But I just—”
“Come in, Tia Anna,” her mother said in a childish voice. “We are about to have lunch, aren’t we Emma? Leftovers as usual, but good leftovers all the same.”
“I’m not hungry,” Anna said as she followed her mom and Emma into the kitchen.
“Here,” her mom handed Emma to her. “Put her in the high chair and we’ll see who’s not hungry.”
Anna slid Emma into the high chair, then fumbled to get the seat strap secured as Emma squirmed, banging her hands on the tray with impatience and saying, “Da-da-da-da,” over and over.
“Is she saying ‘da-da’ as in daddy?” asked Anna.
“No, that’s just her favorite sound today.” She set some tamales cut into small pieces on the food tray, then turned to Anna. “Tell me, mi’ja, what is wrong?”
Anna started to cry.
“Mi’ja?” Her mother took her in her arms and held her tight. “Talk to me. What is wrong? Did you lose your job?”
Anna peeled herself away from her mother, grabbed a paper towel to blot her tears, then shook her head. “My boyfriend.”
“Your boyfriend?”
“I think I lost my boyfriend.”
Her mother frowned. “You think you did?”
And so Anna sat down and told her the whole story, including the part where she had begun to fantasize that Edmond was the one and that there might be a wedding in her future. “I think I’m destined to be an old maid.” She blew her nose on the paper towel and tossed it toward the trash, missing the can completely.
Her mother handed her a dishtowel. “Here, wipe your eyes, mi’ja. You are not destined to be an old maid. You’re only twenty-six. You have lots of time. Besides, we’ll be so busy with your brother’s wedding, no one will have time to worry about your marital status. Your day will come, mi’ja.”
Anna felt blindsided by this casual acceptance of the romantic ruins of her life.
“Some people make too much of weddings and marriage. There really is no rush, Anna. Good grief, once you’re married, you’ll be married for a very long time. Why start anything too soon?”
Anna blinked and wondered who had kidnapped her mother and replaced her with this woman. “Are you saying you don’t care whether or not I get married?”
She set a plate of tamales in front of Anna, then paused. “Of course, I care, Anna. I’m just saying what’s the rush?”
Anna nodded and picked up her fork. Maybe she was hungry after all. She ate her tamales and listened as her mother talked to both her and Emma, telling them about how much a woman’s life changes when she’s suddenly in charge of a household. “You know what they say about women’s work,” she said to Emma. “It’s never over. It just goes on and on and on forever and ever and ever.”
Emma smiled up at her as if that was good news.
“Thanks for the tamales and sympathy,” Anna told her mom. “I better get ready to head back to work or I’ll be late.” Then she hurried to the powder room to fix her face, check her hair, and attempt to bolster her spirits for the remainder of her day.
When she came out, her mother hugged her again. Then she held Anna at arm’s length and looked directly into her eyes. “That Edmond,” she said sternly. “I thought he was such a nice young man, and there he goes and does something like this.” She released Anna, then shook her forefinger in her face. “Tell that Edmond, for me, that he is a lowdown dirty rat and not welcome at my table.”
Anna kind of smiled. “I’ll be sure to tell him that, Mama.”
“I am not kidding.”
Anna nodded and reached for her purse.
“And, mi’ja,” she called as Anna walked to the door. “That suit is nice, but it makes you look old.”
Anna just shook her head as she let herself out. Her mother probably would’ve preferred that Anna wear flashy tropical colors and ruffles. Oh, well, what her mother didn’t know about fashion, she made up for in cuisine. Funny how something as simple as leftover tamales could be so comforting, but Anna thought that maybe, just maybe, she’d make it through this day.
Twelve
Lelani
“Thank you so much, Mrs. Mendez.” Lelani hooked the handle of the diaper bag over her shoulder, then reached for Emma.
“You know you’re not supposed to call me Mrs. Mendez.” Gil’s mother frowned and shook her finger at Lelani.
“I’m sorry.” Lelani made an apologetic smile. “It’s just I was taught to respect my—”
“I’m going to be your mother-in-law, no?”
Lelani nodded.
“Please, just call me Mama.”
She nodded again but didn’t admit that calling her Mama wouldn’t come easily. For some reason she had no problem with “abuela” when it came to Emma, but calling her Mama would take some time and effort.
“Come on, Lelani, just try it. Mama.”
“Mama.” Lelani felt like she was about three years old. “Thank you for watching Emma … Mama.”
“See, how hard was that?”
“I really do appreciate you having Emma. You’re so good with her.”
Lelani pushed a strand of dark hair away from Emma’s forehead. “I should probably cut her bangs, to keep them out of her eyes.”
“Would you like help with that?” Gil’s mother looked hopeful. “I used to cut Anna’s and Gil’s hair when they were young.”
“Really?”
And just like that, the older woman was digging through a drawer and quickly produced scissors. “You put Emma in the high chair and give her something to keep her hands busy, and when she’s not looking, I’ll just snip away.”
“Okay.” Lelani did as she was told and within seconds, Emma’s straggly wisps of hair were neatly snipped into rather short bangs. Lelani stared at her daughter with a mixed sense of horror and humor. “She looks so different.”
“I didn’t mean to cut them quite that short.”
“Oh, they’ll grow.” Lelani patted Emma’s head. “You look so much older now, like you’re almost ready to head off to school.”
“Goodness no!” exclaimed Mrs. Mendez.
“But it does change her face, doesn’t it?” Lelani continued to stare at her daughter. “And it makes her eyes seem bigger.”
Gil’s mother leaned over and peered into Emma’s eyes. “I know this sounds strange, but when I look into those big brown eyes, I can honestly believe that she really is Gil’s son.” She laughed uncomfortably. “Not that I would love her any more if she was.” Now she looked intently at Lelani. “Besides, I know there will be more babies.”
Lelani didn’t know what to say. The truth was, she and Gil had never discussed the possibility of more children. Oh, Lelani knew that they would probably have more eventually. But right now it seemed like something far off in the distant future, and she assumed Gil felt the same way.
“There will be more babies, no?” Gil’s mother was still peering at her.
“It’s hard to think about more babies when Emma isn’t even one yet,” Lelani hedged.
“Isn’t her birthday coming up soon?”
“Yes, next Tuesday as a matter of fact.”
“Oh, we must have a party for her.”
“Yes, I was just thinking that I need to get—”
“Oh, please, please, please, mi’ja. Let me give the party for my adorable granddaughter.”
“But I planned to—”
“You have so much to do, Lelani. The wedding, your job, your classes. Please, just allow me to do this one little thing, I beg you.”
“But I—”
“No buts.” Mrs. Mendez smiled victoriously. “It’s settled. We will have the party here. Tuesday evening.” Her brow creased. “Let’s make it dinner too and—”
“I’d like to help in some—”
“You just bring the partygirl. Leave the rest to me.”
“But I—”
Mrs. Mendez shook her finger again. “I said no buts.”
Lelani didn’t know what to say. And so she just nodded.
“Six o’clock on Tuesday then?”
“Six sounds fine.”
“We wouldn’t want it to be too late, now would we?” Gil’s mother patted Emma’s chubby cheeks and grinned. “You be sure to wear your best party dress.” Then she turned to Lelani. “Does she have a party dress?”
“She will,” Lelani said quickly, in case Mrs. Mendez planned to take over in that department, too. “Now, I really should go. Gil and I have plans to go look at the place where we may be having the wedding.”
“Oh, my!” She clapped her hands. “You found a place. Excellent.”
“Yes.” Lelani smiled. “I think it’s perfect, but I want Gil to see—”
“I would love to see it too.”
“And you will,” Lelani promised.
“Today?” she asked hopefully.
“Well, let’s wait until Gil sees it. Just in case it doesn’t work out.” Lelani was making her way to the door now.
“Can you give me a clue?”
“A clue?”
“Where it is. Is it a church? A hotel? How about the Rose Garden? I’ve heard they have lovely weddings—”
“Lovely weddings that are booked about a year in advance.”
“Oh, well, we wouldn’t want to wait a year.”
“I’m sure Gil will fill you in on the location as soon—”
“But now I’m dying of curiosity, Lelani. Not just one little clue?”
Emma was starting to wiggle, and if Lelani didn’t hurry, she’d probably fuss to get back down. “It’s Megan’s house,” she said as she reached for the doorknob.
“Megan’s house?” Lelani might as well have said they were having the wedding in some dark back alley.
“I mean Megan’s mother’s house. It’s actually very beautiful and—”
“But if you’re only going to have it at a house, why not have it here?” Gil’s mother waved her hand as if she were Vanna White about to produce a vowel.
“Your home is lovely too, Mrs.—I mean Mama. But you’ll have your hands full with the reception. I still can’t believe how generous of you it is to host the reception. I was just telling a friend about your offer, and she thought I was very lucky to have such wonderful parents-in-law.” Lelani gave her a bright smile. “And now I really must go. Thank you again, Mama!”
Lelani burst out of the door and practically ran to Kendall’s car, quickly buckling Emma into the car seat. It was so generous of Kendall to let Lelani borrow her car. That would’ve given Lelani a good excuse for hurrying, because surely Kendall needed her car by now.
As Lelani drove to Bloomberg Place, she tried not to obsess over Gil’s mother’s helpfulness. Oh, she knew others might call it interference, but she also knew that Mrs. Mendez meant well. How was she going to get used to calling her Mama?
“I insist,” Megan said for the second time. “You two go over to Mom’s house and just make yourselves at home. My mom said it was perfectly fine and she won’t be back from her meeting until after nine. So you can watch the sunset and everything.”
“You’re positive.” Lelani frowned.
“Absolutely.”
“And you really want to keep Emma too?”
“I hardly ever get to take care of Emma,” Megan said as she handed Lelani the house key.
“But what about putting her to bed?”
Megan seemed to consider this. “Well, if I have any problem, I can ask Kendall. She seems to have this whole baby thing down.”
Lelani nodded. “She does.”
Megan looked out the kitchen window. “And it looks like your groom has arrived.”
Lelani bent down and, wiping some food from Emma’s cheek, kissed her baby’s head. “You be a good girl and finish eating that squash for Auntie Megan, okay?”
Emma banged her cup on the tray, saying, “Mama—Mama—Mama,” with a big goopy smile.
“At least someone has no problem with that word,” she said.
Megan frowned. “Huh?”
“Later.” Lelani kissed Megan’s cheek too. “Thanks again.”
“Don’t feel pressured,” Megan said as Lelani was leaving. “If you don’t want to use our house, it won’t hurt my feelings.”
“Thanks and you said that already,” Lelani called back. She opened the door just as Gil was coming up the walk. “Looks like it’s just you and me.”
“What about Emma and—”
She explained as they got into the pickup. “Megan just thought it would be easier for us to make a decision. Less distraction. And she assured me that her feelings won’t be hurt if you don’t like it.”
He nodded, but his expression was hard to read.
“Is anything wrong?”
He kind of shrugged as he started the engine.
>
“Gil?”
“Oh, it’s just that my mother has gotten it into her head that if we’re only going to have the wedding at a friend’s house, we should have it at her house.”
“She told you that?”
“I’m sure she called me before you pulled out of her driveway.”
Lelani chuckled. “Your mother is a real go-getter.”
“Tell me about it.”
“It’s not that I don’t like your parents’ house, Gil. But I don’t think they need to host both the wedding and the reception.”
“That just shows that you don’t really know my mother yet.”
Lelani didn’t know how to respond to that. The truth was, she felt she was getting to know Gil’s mother a whole lot more than she wanted to. Not that she would admit it.
“She’s a stubborn woman,” Gil said.
“So am I.”
Gil chuckled. “Maybe so, but you’re a lot softer kind of stubborn.”
“Was that an insult?”
He looked at her innocently. “Not at all. It was a compliment.”
“Okay.”
“A soft kind of stubborn is a good thing. But if you were stubborn, well, like someone who will go unnamed, I’d probably be running in the opposite direction.”
Lelani wanted to say that Gil’s mother made her want to run in the opposite direction too. But that would be rude. Besides, he seemed to be pretty aware.
“Did your mother tell you that she’s going to host Emma’s birthday party next week?”
Gil didn’t say anything.
“I couldn’t really tell her no. I mean I tried to, but as you mentioned she’s a bit stubborn.”
“How are you doing with that? I know you wanted to give Emma a birthday party too.”
“I did.”
“I can tell Mom to back off if you—”
“No, no, don’t do that.”
“But Emma is your daughter, Lelani. And if you want to give her a party, you should be able to—”
“It’s okay, Gil. Really. It actually makes sense. Your mother is right. I have a lot going on right now. Planning the wedding, work, classes … I should welcome her generosity.”
“But—”
Three Weddings and a Bar Mitzvah Page 11
