See Me(70)

“Google,” he answered. Glancing over his shoulder, it was hard not to notice the way Carmen frowned slightly. He knew enough not to ask how it had gone earlier; instead, he defaulted to silence. Maria lowered her voice, concern etched on her face.

“Would you mind talking to my dad before we eat?”

“Okay.”

“And, um…” She trailed off.

“It’s your father,” he said. “I won’t forget.”

She nodded, the movement almost imperceptible. “I’m going to stay in here and help my mom in the kitchen,” she said. “My dad’s at the table on the back porch. Do you want any coffee?”

“I’m fine,” Colin replied.

“Water?”

“I’m fine,” he said again.

“Okay…” She took a step backward. “I guess I better get back to the kitchen, then.”

Colin watched as she backed away, past a refrigerator decorated with dozens of photos, letters, and other keepsakes, before she turned around. He moved toward the slider and as soon as he opened the door, Felix turned his way. There was less anger than he’d anticipated, though the shock and disappointment were evident, as was his obvious antagonism. In his lap, a small white dog was sleeping.

Colin closed the door behind him and walked toward Felix, his eyes steady. Nearing the table, he offered his hand.

“Good morning, Mr. Sanchez. Maria said you wanted to speak with me.”

Felix looked toward the hand before he reluctantly offered his own. Colin stood, waiting for Felix to invite him to sit at the table. Eventually Felix nodded toward a chair, and Colin sat. He clasped his hands and rested them in front of him, remaining quiet. There was no point in trying to make small talk or pretending that he didn’t know what Felix wanted to discuss.

Felix was in no rush to speak and took his time scrutinizing him. “Maria said that you were in trouble with the law,” he finally began. “Is that true?”

“Yes,” Colin answered. Over the next half hour, the full story came out in bits and pieces, much as it had with Maria that first night on the beach. He didn’t sugarcoat his past or attempt to mislead Felix; he was who he was. Like with Maria, Felix’s shock was pronounced at times and he pressed for further clarification; when Colin eventually recounted what happened at the first military school he’d attended, Colin thought he saw a flash of sudden understanding. By the time he finished, Felix was less on edge than he had been when Colin had first joined him on the porch, but it was also clear that he needed time to think about all that he’d learned. No surprise there. Felix was a father and Maria was his daughter, and there was only so far he would go.

“You claim that you’ve changed and I would like to believe you, but I’m not sure that I do.”

“Okay.” Colin nodded.

“What if you get arrested again?”

“I don’t plan on it.”

“That’s the problem. People seldom plan on it.”

Colin said nothing. There was really nothing to say.

Felix continued to pet the little white dog. “If you do get arrested, what will happen?”

“I won’t see her. I’ll end it. The worst thing would be for her to think she should wait.”

After a moment, Felix offered a slight nod, satisfied but still unsure as to whether he believed it. “If you ever hurt my daughter or put my daughter in danger…”

He didn’t finish, but he didn’t need to. Colin knew what Felix wanted to hear, and because it was true, he had no trouble saying it.

“It won’t happen.”

“I have your word.”

“Yes.”

Just then, Maria popped her head out, clearly nervous but also relieved that she hadn’t heard any shouting. “Are you two about finished? Brunch is ready.”

Felix exhaled. “We’re done,” he said. “Let’s eat.”





After they’d finished eating, Serena and her parents began to clean up while Maria lingered behind with Colin. “What did you say to him?” Maria asked.

“The truth,” Colin answered.

“All of it?”

“Yes.”

Maria appeared flummoxed. “Then it went a lot better than I thought it would.”

Maria was right – the brunch had been relatively pleasant, with Serena chattering on about the scholarship, Steve, and the escapades of her numerous friends. Felix and Carmen had occasionally asked questions, even lobbing a few queries toward Colin, though all were about work or school. When he’d mentioned MMA, he thought that Carmen had paled just a bit.

“Still…” Maria said. “I guess you were right. It was best to get it all out there in the beginning.”

Sometimes, Colin thought. Not always. Felix had been cordial, but there wasn’t any fondness or trust evident, both of which would take time to achieve, if that was possible at all. He didn’t say that, though. Instead, he reached for the door.

“Do you want to do some paddleboarding later?” he asked.

“How about we do something different instead. Like… Jet Skiing. We can rent them at the beach. Does that sound fun?”

He recalled the sight of her in a bikini again. “Actually, that sounds great.”