A Moment Like You (The Baker’s Creek Billionaire Brothers #2) - Claudia Burgoa Page 0,39
to know how it’s done in the first place.”
“I guess it makes sense,” she answers unconvinced.
“She’s a wise woman.”
“What did she use to do before the stroke?”
“She owned a Mercado,” I answer.
She’s the first friend who I’ve told about Mom in…well, years. I stopped telling people about my situation around grad school. Everyone looked at me with pity. Blaire is different though. She’s a survivor so she takes this just as a conversation. Not gossip, or another sad story that she can claim as hers by saying, ‘Well, I have a friend whose mom…’”
So, I explain further. “A store where you could find international food, clothing, and knickknacks. Dad owned a Latin cuisine restaurant. With all the expenses, we started losing money. Eva’s husband bought the restaurant to help. At least the place is still within the family.”
“What happened to your mom’s store, and is Eva the oldest sister, or the one before Marco?”
“Eva is my oldest sister, but she’s younger than Santiago,” I explain. “Then it’s Alexa, Marco, and me. We lost Mom’s store.”
“How do they feel about having your parents move here?”
“They are okay with that. Santiago traveled with my parents to make sure the place is safe, and please, don’t take it personally when he starts asking you questions,” I plead. “They don’t help financially, but they love to judge my decisions.”
“Why don’t they help them?” she asks. “If my parents were in need, my brothers would pitch in too.”
“In the beginning, they used to be in charge,” I say, and then give her the entire explanation.
I was in high school when Mom had a series of strokes. My siblings and cousins stepped up to help. They convinced me to go to college because they had it under control. I was working to help at least with my expenses. My parents had saved enough money to send us to college. Instead of using it for my tuition, I offered them to pay for Mom’s expenses. I wouldn’t be the first or last person with a student loan. They agreed, as long as I finished college.
I helped Dad when I had free time. Once I graduated, they pushed me to go into grad school because they knew how important it was for me. I applied for a scholarship at Merkel where you could intern, and they’d pay you for grad school as long as you worked for them for at least three years after acquiring your diploma.
By the time I graduated, I had two jobs, plus the internship at Merkel. I was helping more at home. Suddenly, they all had a lot of financial responsibilities. Since I had the means, I took over. It wasn’t their intention to dump it all on me, but it worked out that way. They always tell me to quit, that we will all figure out how to support them together.
“Even when I bitch about my job, I know this is the best for everyone,” I conclude.
“Best for your family, but what about you?”
“I feel like I’m never going to get past this point, you know,” I admit. “This is it. Until I retire, I’m going to be a permanent fixture in Henry’s office. Money is all I can get from him, and I want more.”
When I finish that sentence, I’m not sure if I referred to my career or the man. He’s never going to give anyone more than what he promises in all his dating contracts. He hasn’t even offered me one. At least, I’d know the limits and our expiration date.
“So much more,” I repeat, closing my eyes and remembering the kiss he just gave me. “And I know it’s an impossible dream because this is my life, and I can’t get past this.”
“You sound defeated.”
“No, just… I feel like all my hard work is going to waste. It’s when I visit my parents I’m reminded why it’s so important. It’s because of this job that Mom is still around. I’m just…these are my five minutes of feeling sorry for myself. Once I move away from this swing, I’m going to be okay with what’s happening. I might complain about my bad luck, but I’m lucky not to have lost my mother when I was eighteen. It’s a compromise. A balance. A bargain I made with God promising to do anything he puts in front of me in exchange for having Mom at least a few more years.”