31. Gabby
31
Gabby
“ T his is it.” I point upward to a set of windows. Lucia said she lived in an apartment above a deli. I have spoken with my long-lost aunt for a grand total of about fifteen minutes. I’m just grateful she agreed to talk to me at all. I understand her hesitancy. I kind of appeared out of nowhere claiming that I was her niece. She made it very clear that she would not provide any information unless I met her face-to-face. I suppose she figured I must be serious if I was willing to make a cross-country trip.
“It looks like the stairs are on the side of the building.” I walk over to the alley and begin my assent up the concrete steps.
“Man, I don’t think I could live like this.” Alex follows behind me.
“Why? Because your childhood home is the size of a mini mall?” It’s funny how I have yet to meet my aunt and I’m already feeling defensive of her. I’m sure my nerves are also getting the best of me. After we arrived at our hotel last night, we ordered room service. I could barely eat because my stomach felt like it had been knotted. Between the noise of the city nightlife and my fears about my meeting today, I got maybe three hours of solid sleep.
“What? No! You know I’m not like that. I was saying I don’t think I could live over a deli. I’d be hungry all the time.” He stops and takes in a deep breath. “Tell me you don’t smell a pastrami on rye with a dill pickle on the side.”
“Alex!” I begin to laugh, and my nerves start to calm.
“I’m not joking,” he says as we reach the last set of stairs. “I bet I’d be their best customer if I lived here.”
His words fall by the wayside as we reach a light blue door with a white screen door in front of it. The mailbox attached to the siding reads, “312.”
“It didn’t dawn on me until now that we have the same home numbers.” I’ll take that as a good sign. The uneasiness in my stomach settles even more. “Here we go.” I press the doorbell.
“Coming!” a woman’s muffled voice combined with a dog barking comes from inside. A moment later, a chain lock rattles and the door eases open.
“Oh my!” The woman gasps and pulls me into a hug. From my periphery, I see a large German shepherd come up beside me. He takes a sniff of my shoes, then does the same to Alex. The dog looks friendly, but I refrain from making any sudden movements just in case. Alex does the same.
“Rex. Kennel,” Lucia says as she loosens our embrace. Rex obediently leaves to presumably go lie in his crate. She turns her attention back to me as soon as Rex is quiet. “He’s my security guard. He can immediately tell whether someone is here for good or has ill intentions. That’s why I wanted you to come to my house. I trust his intuition. If you had been an imposter, he would’ve eaten you. ”
“Really?” Alex pipes up from behind me.
“I would’ve called him off before he did any damage. I’m getting too old to be scrubbing blood out of the carpet.”
“I like her.” Alex leans down and whispers in my ear. The feeling is mutual, and I immediately take a step closer to the woman who bears a resemblance to my father. Wearing gray slacks and a soft pink sweater, she appears younger than I expected. Her dark hair is pulled into a low bun. It’s her eyes that captivate me the most. She has the same deep brown eyes as my dad, and for a moment, I feel like I’m looking right at him.
“I didn’t think it was true. I couldn’t believe it when I received the message.” She lovingly runs a hand through my hair. “I feel like I’m standing in front of your mother.”
“Y-you knew my mom?” I gasp as fresh tears rise to the surface. I feel so connected to this woman, though we’ve just met.
“I did. I have so much to tell you.”
“So you’re okay with talking to us? I mean, uh…Gabby?” Alex asks. On our way over, we came up with a plan. If I felt comfortable with Lucia, Alex would make himself scarce for a bit to give us a chance to talk. He figured he’d go check out the local firehouses as some of them are deemed historic landmarks. I could text him when I felt ready, or he’d eventually mosey his way back over when he was finished.
“You must be Alex.” Lucia sizes him up. She’s got quite the height difference on me, but nothing compared to him. “Gabby said she was bringing a male friend, but I never imagined you’d be this handsome.”
“Oh, now I really like you.” He walks over to my aunt and gives her a hug.
“Come on in.” She ushers us into a cozy living room. I immediately notice a wall covered entirely in bookshelves and the plushest reading chair I’ve ever seen. To the side are more bookshelves and Rex relaxing in his crate. Milk-glass vases filled with silk flowers and ornate picture frames with various inspirational quotes are perfectly tucked within every nook and cranny. The space exudes pure femininity, and I love it.
“I only have the one chair in here to sit, but there’s more room in the kitchen. It’s only Rex and me here. I never married or had any kids. I was too busy looking after my parents. They were both ill for quite some time,” Lucia explains as I drool over the serene space.
“It’s perfect.” I walk over to admire some of the books up close. “I’m a reader too.”
“So was your mother, but I think I’ll say you inherited that from me.” She winks.
“I didn’t expect you to say you knew her too.” I have so much hope for this visit now.
“I have a lot to tell you. I didn’t want to do it over the phone. It’s too impersonal. Plus, I wanted Rex to check you out. Not that I needed him to. One look at you and I just knew.”
At the sound of Rex’s name, the well-behaved dog pops out from his kennel in the corner and makes a beeline for Alex.
“This guy is so cool.” Alex kneels down to show Rex some affection. “I always wanted a dog.”
“It’s just about the time I take him for a walk. Would you like to take him for me? That would give Gabby and me a chance to chat.”
“Sure!” Alex replies way too enthusiastically, then stops and turns to me. “I mean…if you’re okay with me leaving now.”
“Go on.” I make a shooing motion with my hand. I love how protective he is of me without being overbearing. Even though I’ve just met my aunt, I feel completely comfortable being alone with her .
“I was thinking about checking out the old firehouses around here. Is it okay if I take Rex too?” Alex asks with adorable pleading eyes.
“Of course! It’s a beautiful day. Take your time and have fun exploring the area.” Lucia hands the leash over to Alex, who looks like he just received the best Christmas present of his life. “Don’t worry about getting lost. Just tell Rex you’re ready to go home and he’ll lead the way.”
“Really?” Alex’s eyes widen with excitement.
“Si,” Lucia confirms. “He’s more reliable than any GPS out there.”
“Come on, Rex. Show me your stomping grounds!” He leads the dog out the door and then turns to me. “Just text me if you need anything, okay?”
“Thanks, Alex.” I give him a quick wave and watch him exit. I’m not sure who is happier to be going on a walk, him or Rex.
Lucia shuts the screen door fully, then turns and studies me thoughtfully. “How about we head into the kitchen to have some tea?”
“That sounds like a fabulous idea,” I agree and let her lead me into a small galley-style kitchen.
“You can take a seat over there.” She points to a bistro table near a small window that overlooks the deli. I take a seat and peer outside to see Alex strutting down the street with Rex proudly leading the way.
“It’s funny,” Lucia says, looking over my shoulder at Alex and her faithful companion. “Even though they are human and canine, they give off the same energy: friendly, loving, and protective.”
I wholeheartedly agree. Alex has been my rock through my healing, and I know now that I could never have taken that step without him. Even after we returned home from his parents’ anniversary dinner, after he was mocked and challenged by a family that should only want the best for him, Alex shoved that all aside to focus on me and my needs. Do I sound like a girl in love? Yeah. I do.
“Did you know about me? Did you ever meet me?” I blurt out. As much as I enjoy thinking about Alex, I can’t handle the suspense any longer.
“I knew about you, but sadly, we never met until today.” She walks to her stove, picks up a blue ceramic kettle, and places it on a burner. “Besides our parents, it was just Miguel and me. There was a six-year age gap between us, but it didn’t make a difference. He was the best big brother a girl could ask for.”
“He was an amazing father.” I can already feel the hot tears prickling behind my eyes.
“I have no doubt. He’d watch me after school until our parents came home from work. He never complained about being stuck with his little sister. To be honest, I think he enjoyed the company as much I did. He used to make up silly card games, would participate in the tea parties I created for my dolls, and made the best grilled cheese sandwiches.”
“Oh my gosh! I loved his grilled cheeses,” I gush. “He was a sous chef and could make the most magnificent meals, but whenever he asked me what I wanted to eat, I’d always request a grilled cheese.”
“My brother loved to cook. I’m so pleased he found a job that I have no doubt he loved. I’m also happy you got to enjoy his grilled cheeses just like I did. I’ve tried to recreate them over the years, but I can never get it just right.” She brings over a small tin of butter cookies and takes the seat opposite me.
“Me neither! One day, I insisted that I watch him from start to finish. I was convinced he had some sort of secret trick or ingredient.”
“Did you find out?” Lucia leans in enthusiastically .
“Everything was completely normal. When I told him that he must’ve snuck something in when I blinked, he told me that all he did was add love.”
“That sounds so much like Miguel.” She sighs wistfully.
“D-do you know why my mom and dad ran away?” I stammer, feeling the mood in the air change. It’s somber, but I need to know this.
“I was only twelve when he left home. It was devastating. I cried for weeks, but I understood.” The kettle begins to whistle, and Lucia stands to move it off the burner. “Your mom and dad met in middle school. I was so young when they got together that I really don’t remember a time without Caterina in my life.”
“I guess you knew her pretty well. At least until you were twelve.”
“Oh yes, I adored your mother. She didn’t have any siblings and said I was the sister she always wanted. Miguel and Caterina never treated me like a third wheel or a pesky little sister. They’d take me along with them to the movies or to relax at the neighborhood park on a warm day. They had such a beautiful love…so pure. Even from a young age, I could see it.”
Lucia pours us both a cup of tea and sits back down.
“What happened?” I wrap my hand around the warm teacup.
“Your grandmother, Caterina’s mother, passed away at a young age, leaving your grandfather to raise your mom on his own. Your grandfather’s name was King. I don’t know if that was his real name or his street name. My parents tried hard to shield me from him. To this day, I’m not sure what he did for a living, but I know he had a gambling problem and would take his grievances out on Caterina when things didn’t go his way. He was a very harsh man. ”
“My mom never talked about her past. I had no idea she had such a rough upbringing or that she lost her own mother.” A pit forms in my stomach. I hope to God Michelle isn’t right and there is no crime or Witness Protection Program order. After Jax gathered all the information he could of my family tree, it looked pretty basic—except he could only find details on my dad’s side of the family. There was nothing concrete on my mom’s.
“Miguel tried so hard to protect her. I know there were a few times he jumped in front of her to take the brunt of King’s anger. They had plans to wed as soon as they graduated high school, but Caterina didn’t turn eighteen until that August. Until then, she was still under her father’s control.”
“Their anniversary was a few days after Mom’s birthday. I never really thought about why they chose that date. I was just a kid and happy to have two celebration cakes in the same week.” I smile thinking how that one week in August was always a favorite of mine and Mari’s. We would make homemade decorations, cards, and presents. No matter how terrible they looked, my parents always acted like they won the lottery. “I’d say everything worked out for them, but it couldn’t have if they left home.”
“No.” Lucia winces and takes a sip of her tea. “Things did not go as planned.”
“Why? What happened?”
“Immediately after your parents graduated high school, they found out they were expecting. It was a surprise, but they were excited. Everyone knew they’d be together forever. For some reason, Caterina insisted on telling her father without Miguel by her side. I think she was worried her father would go after him. As you can imagine, King didn’t handle the news well.”
A somber silence falls between us as I absorb what Lucia has told me .
“I remember the sounds of the sirens a few blocks away.” She hangs her head. “We knew. We all knew it was Caterina. My parents, Miguel, and I couldn’t get to the hospital fast enough. It was touch and go for a while. It was a miracle the baby survived. Do you need me to stop?”
“No.” I wipe the tears streaming down my face. “I need to hear this.”
“Entiendo. I understand.” Lucia nods. “When the police came to take Caterina’s statement, they took my parents aside and told them they believed King intended to kill her. As you can imagine, he was no stranger to the local law enforcement. Thankfully, some neighbors heard the screams and intervened. We knew King would never be in jail for long. He had too many connections on the outside.”
I make a mental note to ask her about these connections, but I don’t want to interrupt Lucia in her story. I have to know everything.
“That's why they ran away?” I manage to squeak.
“ Si . According to witnesses, King repeatedly told Caterina that she brought shame upon their family and that he’d right her wrong. It was all about control with that horrid man. Everyone knew it would only be a matter of time before he was released and attacked her again. My parents adored Caterina. They couldn’t bear to see anything happen to her or their unborn grandchild. So that night, they took out most of their savings, handed it to Miguel, and told him to take Caterina and drive for as long as they could. The farther away they got the better.”
“Did they contact you after they got away?” My body shakes with a combination of sadness and anger.
“Not for a while.” Lucia stands and places a warm hand on my shoulder. “No one could run the risk of King getting wind of where they were. It was also a way to protect our family. He couldn’t extract secrets from us if we didn’t know where they were either.”
“The baby…” I trail off as I try to do the math. My brain is too scrambled to think straight. “Was I the baby?”
Lucia reaches over for a kitchen towel. She kneels before me and begins wiping away my tears. “Yes, mi sobrina . They left so you could live.”