The Fountains of Silence(105)

“Sitting on a helicopter skid. Stupid. Early on I pushed boundaries and always tipped toward ten. Felt like I had something to prove, I guess.”

“If your photos had horizon lines I learned that meant hope and possibility. A quiet photo meant you were sitting, contemplative, waiting for the moment to come to you.”

“Kinda like I’ve been waiting for this moment?”

She runs her finger down his nose and lips to his chin. “I can’t believe it. You’re really here. I haven’t slept. I’ve been too excited.”

“Me neither. I was so nervous at the museum I felt sick.”

“How do you feel now?” she asks.

Daniel takes her hand and presses it flat against his chest. Ana’s eyes expand.

“Exactly. If my heart beats any harder or faster, we’re in trouble,” laughs Daniel.





139



Daniel watches Ana’s graceful steps and bright smile. He would follow her to Retiro Park or through a seam in space. He feels like he already has. And suddenly, it all feels worth it.

By the time they arrive at the park, their conversational ease is reestablished. They hold hands as if they never parted.

“Since Nick and Ruth are at the Prado with your sister, I thought this would be convenient. It’s very close.”

“Yes, I want you to meet Cristina.”

Ana’s lips give a small smile. “Let’s find a quiet spot to talk. It’s such a beautiful afternoon.”

The sun shines amidst a clear blue sky. Ana leads him to the El Parterre section of the park and chooses a bench under a bouquet of sculpted cypress trees.

“I’m sorry. I can’t stop looking at you.” She laughs, putting her hand on the side of his face. “Yes, you’re older, but you look the same.” She weaves her fingers up the back of his neck. “Your hair’s a bit longer.”

Her hand on his neck is silent yet breaking. “You look the same too. Better.”

“No more gold tooth. That was a happy day,” she says.

“Have you had a lot of happy days?”

“Some. I’m lucky for the ones I have. After you left, I got a job. Do you remember Paco Lobo?”

“The quiet man who lived at the hotel and adopted a village?”

“Lives at the hotel,” corrects Ana.

“Still?”

“Yes. Paco needed a bilingual assistant for a project team. He hired me and put me through business school.”

“That’s fantastic! That guy was a mystery to me. I couldn’t figure out if he was retired or what business he was in.”

“Ben didn’t tell you?” Ana’s voice drops to a whisper. “Paco hunted Nazis.”

“What?”

“After the war, some Nazis received new identities in Spain. Paco came to track them down and report their locations. He reported to Ben and Ben reported to someone in New York. Speaking of Ben, I was so sad to hear of his passing.”

The mention of Ben calls emotion to the surface. “Yes. It was so unexpected, just knocked me to my knees. We’d grown close over the years and he was a great mentor. He even visited me on overseas assignments. I had just seen him the month prior.”

Ana nods. “I’ve always wondered if Ben was responsible for Paco hiring me.”

They sit, silent in the memory of Ben. Ana softly traces her finger across a large, angry scar on Daniel’s forearm. “That’s new.”

“Not recent, but new since we last saw each other. I don’t mind admitting, that one hurt. It cut straight through to the bone. Twenty-two stitches and two infections.”

Ana lifts his arm and kisses it. She then takes both of his hands. “Daniel, your mother. I’m so sorry.”

He nods, the electricity of Ana lingering on his arm. “Thank you. Mom’s death wasn’t a surprise, like Ben’s. I was able to spend time with her. She was sick for several years, in and out of treatment, always trying to hide it. Cristina was just twelve when Mom died. My father was completely lost. I stayed home after the funeral to pitch in. He begged me to move back to Dallas to help with my sister.”

“Did you want to move back?” asks Ana.

“Initially no. But I knew it’s what my mom would have wanted. So, I left the magazine, became second father to a teenage girl, and now work with Dad in oil. It sounds crazy, even as I hear myself describe it.”

She holds both his hands and heart, full of compassion.

“But, Ana, what about you?”

“Ask me anything. I think we’ve waited long enough. And just in case you’re curious, no, I’ve never dated Nick,” she laughs. “Admit it, you were wondering.”

“Well, maybe.” He smiles. She knows him so completely and he loves it. “Do you still live in Vallecas?”

“No, I live in the city now. But I still live with Julia’s family. Do you live with your dad on the estate?”

Daniel shakes his head. “I have a place of my own nearby.”

He looks at her face, so open and eager to talk. “Rafa?” he asks.

She takes a breath, smiling. “Rafa works for the Las Ventas arena. He loves his job. He married the sister of a bullfighter and they have three beautiful children. Rafa still lives in Vallecas. It’s changed quite a bit but Rafa would never leave. He helped build a new church there.”