TAKE TWO_ Who says you can't ma - Heather M. Orgeron Page 0,77
drops. “Did we win the lottery?”
I snort. “No.”
“Come have a look.” Nya retrieves the floor plan from her desk and leads El over to the window seat to go over it, pointing out her room and attached bathroom, and the baby’s room. Then she scrolls through the pictures on her phone, and Ellie all but loses her mind over the swimming pool.
“I’m not sure she likes it,” I tease when she runs off to call Kennedi and tell her the news. “Maybe we should just stay here.”
Nya
Ass dimples
“Nieta, stop playing and mix! We haven’t got all day.” My mother has taken complete control over my kitchen, insistent upon making tamales for the baby shower tomorrow. I have so many memories doing this with Mami and Bisabuela growing up. Sharing the experience with my little girl, Hannah, and my mother in law, in our new home, has me feeling a little emotional.
Hell, when am I anything but emotional lately?
“But it feels like Play-Doh.” Ellie has the coveted task of mixing the masa and lard together. My cousins and I used to fight over who would get to dip their hands into the doughy mix. “It’s fun.” She squeezes it in her fists, giggling as the corn mixture oozes through her fingers.
While Mami grumbles at my daughter beneath her breath and carries on with seasoning the meat, Nadine and I remove the soaked corn husks from the sink and dry the excess water.
“I never realized how involved the process is,” Nadine says before wiping her hands off on the front of her apron. She’s enjoying herself immensely. The woman knows her way around a kitchen, something she and my mother have in common. I love seeing them together, bonding like this.
Liam’s parents have been by for a visit every month since Christmas. With a new baby on the way, I don’t anticipate that stopping any time soon. Sometimes I still want to kick myself when I consider all of the moments like this we missed out on over the years. It’s hard not to feel guilt-ridden and foolish—hard to stop wishing there was some way to recoup that lost time.
Once the masa is properly mixed, we all post up around the large island and begin smearing a thin layer of the creamy substance on the smooth side of the husks.
“Don’t be so stingy with the meat, Hannah,” my mother orders. “We have plenty.”
Justly chastised, my friend scrunches her shoulders. “Sorry.” She piles on the pork, looking to me to be sure she’s doing it correctly.
I offer a discreet nod, trying not to laugh. It took me years to reach a level of tamale mastery that did not have my mother breathing down my neck. I have no doubt if there weren’t less-skilled helpers than me present, she would still find fault with my technique.
After nearly two hours of rolling, my back is on fire. This extra twenty pounds in the front is no joke.
“Why don’t you go relax?” Liam appears out of nowhere, his warm hands landing on my shoulders as he begins to knead the tension away. “I’ll take over your station.”
Damn, but my baby daddy is mouthwateringly delicious. He’s dressed in a pair of navy board shorts and loose-fitting muscle shirt. His backward cap and sun-kissed cheeks, courtesy of all the time he’s spent landscaping around the pool the past few weeks, reminds me of our visit to Bora Bora. The trip down memory lane sends heat flooding to my core.
“You sure?” I ask, rolling my head back. “I might find the strength to go on if you keep doing that.”
With a laugh, he begins working his way down the center of my back, finally bringing his arms around my large belly and hugging me tight to his chest. “Go kick your feet up, darlin’. I got this.” His lips brush my ear. “I’ll finish tending to you later.”
“I heard that,” Nadine offers with a giggle. “Let the boy get his hands dirty, Nya. Don’t argue with a man who’s willing to help. So many women don’t have that.”
When everyone else—apart from my daughter, who quit ages ago—insists, I plant myself on the settee on the far wall and watch them work.
The scent of the cooked pork has my belly grumbling and our little one kicking up a storm. I rest a hand on my tummy, relishing the feeling. At one point the baby flips and my entire tummy shifts, bringing the hugest smile to my face. I never thought