dad before she spoke. “Did you know that right before we went to California for your dad’s PhD, I left him and went back to Santo Domingo without even saying goodbye?”
My mouth was gaping. My parents were my OTP, the type of couple people wrote about. Over thirty-five years together and they were still in each other’s pockets. I couldn’t imagine my mom doing that to him.
My dad just sat there, letting my mom tell the story, with that besotted expression he always had when he looked at her. “Right before we left, your abuela called and said that your grandpa was sick. I got so scared. Being in New York already felt so incredibly far and I thought, ‘If I go to California I’ll never see my dad again.’ I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to go with your dad, but we weren’t married even. I thought if I go with him, people will judge. Say nasty things about me.” She waved a hand in the air. “Santo Domingo, you know people talk. So I left. I thought my duty was to be there. As soon as I got there, your abuela and your abuelo made me promise I’d come back. They told me, ‘You did not leave this country to be tied down to the backward machismo thinking you were trying to get away from.’ So I called your dad and explained. I got to see my dad, who recovered, and then I came home to him.”
I looked straight ahead, trying to process why they were telling me all this.
My mother’s expression turned sad, and regretful. “I know I’m not perfect and I nagged you about things that were superficial and my own way of feeling justified for how I like to do things, but baby, we raised you to be your own woman. To own your dreams and chase them. He’s a good man, and just because Matt didn’t deserve you doesn’t mean Rocco will disappoint you.”
My father sat forward so that he could look at me. “Rocco seems to be someone who puts everyone before himself. Maybe you can teach each other to make yourselves more of a priority.”
I sat there in silence, digesting my parents’ advice and feeling a little out of sorts. I never thought they would be the ones encouraging me to go after a man and not my career.
They were right, I was still letting Matt make my decisions for me, and he was no longer part of the equation. I turned my head from side to side to look at my parents, who seemed sad and happy for me at the same time, then exhaled and took each of their hands in one of mine.
“I’ll think about it. There are just too many uncertainties right now. I’m not even sure if the funding for the foundation will be available after they go public. So, I may end up here regardless. There’s also the fact that I’m not sure Westchester is far enough for Rocco and his sister to really get some distance from their parents.” I sighed, exhausted and defeated. “I don’t want to put myself at the center of what he needs to do. We were never meant to be more than a temporary thing.” My mom rolled her eyes like now I was just being ridiculous.
“Mami, I’m serious though. We’ve never talked about trying things long term, and it feels so complicated right now.” I cringed when I realized I just told my parents I was someone’s booty call.
“Mija, have you thought maybe Rocco agreed to that because that’s all you were willing to give him?” My dad spoke in the low, sure voice that always managed to soothe my nerves no matter what the situation. If my dad said it, I believed it. “Maybe he’s afraid to ask for more too.”
I was about to protest when my mother shut it down.
“That man looks at you like you’re the answer to every question he’s ever had. Trust that you can be that to someone.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Rocco
“Hey, muñeca,” I said, smiling into my phone while I walked into my office at 7:00 a.m. “I thought you were going to sleep in. Between the flight and me keeping you up after you got to my place...” My face heated, thinking about what we’d done when Julia came over straight from the airport last night.
I expected her to laugh, but when I only heard choppy breathing, I started to worry.
“What’s wrong?”
“Vicki