Letters from Home (Love Beyond Reason #1)(6)

“Oh yeah. He’s wonderful…”

The pregnant pause made Lena looked up.

“I think we might get married.”

“What?” Lena’s hands fell into the drawer, lifeless. Married? “Have Mom and Papi completely lost their minds?”

“Well, we’re not making plans or anything.” Cat blushed. “We’re really in love.”

Lena gritted her teeth. “I hope so.”

Cat disappeared around the corner. “See ya’ later.”

“Married. Sheesh,” Lena muttered. Had she ever been that ridiculous? “Dang it!” Where was that stupid thing? She walked over to the bed and pulled back the covers one at a time. The afghan hit the floor. Sheets, pillows. Nothing.

It could have fallen out of her pocket downstairs.

Maybe it was a sign. God was probably telling her to put aside false hopes, that everyone was right. The letters were stupid.

After throwing on her jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt, Lena found her mom and dad in the kitchen. Mom with a cup of coffee, and Papi with the morning paper.

“Good morning.” She crossed the linoleum floor and kissed her mother’s cheek. “You’re not working, Papi?”

He was rolling the paper as she spoke. He tucked it into his back pocket, kissed her mother, then came around and put an arm on her shoulders. “I’m off now.”

Her dad ran the hardware store in town, had been running it for almost forty years.

Lena’s heart clenched a little as he left. He looked good, strong. But he wasn’t getting any younger, either. She worried. “He’s not working too hard, is he, Mami?”

Her mother’s pointed look caused her to blush. “Your father is not for you to worry about.”

“I can’t help it.”

“Take care of yourself first, hija. Besides, your father has many more years in him.”

Lena sighed. “I know. It’s just hard to be away for so long. I feel out of touch. You’re sure he’s okay?”

“Of course, I’m sure! Would I kid around about our health? No.” She shook her finger in Lena’s direction. “And how do you feel, any better?”

Lena nodded as she went for a mug and the freshly brewed coffee. “Much better. I slept like a rock and received a few swift elbows in the back for it when I started to snore.”

Mom laughed. “It’s nice to have you home, mi amor. The house will be filled to the brim again this Christmas.”

Every time she was home, she considered getting her own place—a small, quiet apartment so she could veg out. But, she’d only spend her time driving back and forth then wondering what she was missing if she wasn’t here.

This was home.

Her older brother Michael was the only one to have ventured out. He’d bought a small house on the south side of town. With Lucas and Jaime in college most of the year, that left Maria, Cat, and Juan living at home. The house could still manage the large family, so when the holidays came about, they all piled together or slept on couches and floors.

“Where’s Maria?”

Mom folded the paper twice and left it to go to the fridge. “She’s doing the morning shift at the emergency room this week, with two doubles over the weekend so she can have Christmas off.”

“Oh,” Lena sank into a chair at the table and set her mug down. “She’s working long hours all the time?”

“She keeps her social life going.” Mami took out a carton of eggs and her homemade tortillas. “I’ll make you something to eat.”

Her instinct was to refuse. She didn’t want her mom doting on her. Hunger beat back that reaction. “I’d love to, let me help. Have you eaten?”

Mom shook her head. “I waited.”

Lena took a couple of plates down. Opening the fridge, she found a bag of oranges and pulled two out.

“So,” she started hesitantly as she slid the cutting board out of its little cubby hole, “I can’t seem to find the letter I had in my pocket last night. Have you seen it?”

Her mom stopped scrambling the eggs and raised an eyebrow. “Hmm. I’m sure it will show up. It couldn’t have disappeared.”

Lena shrugged, concentrating on slicing the fruit.

“It’s just a letter, Lena.”

“I know.” She’d already accepted that, and the fact that it might have disappeared forever. “There were so many people here last night. It probably got thrown away during the cleanup. I should have put it in my room instead of leaving it in my pocket.”

“What happens when you meet this man?”

Good question. “I suppose we’ll talk. Maybe I’ll invite him to church with the family.”

“You think this man who writes love letters wants to talk and then go to church with you?”

It did sound a little ridiculous.

But, Christmas was an unbendable rule in the Rodriguez family. If you were in town, you went to Mass. How could this man claim to know her, but not know that she had plans for Christmas morning?

“Hopefully, when you find the one for you, he will do more than talk.”

“Mom!” Lena couldn’t stop the giggle.

Her mom gave words to her hope. Head and heart, two different beasts. No one ever fell head over heels for her. In all her adult life, there had never been romantic gestures, long walks, holding hands, tender kisses in the moonlight…or sunlight, for that matter.