Chapter 2 – Alana
Chapter
Two
ALANA
Ihand Lucia a pair of my pajamas and wait for her while she changes, sitting on the bed in the spare room she chose to sleep in, which is coincidentally the very same room I chose on my first day here.
At least before Alejandro came storming in like a raging demon demanding that I sleep in his bedroom.
It’s hard to believe that was just six months ago when in some ways it feels like a lifetime.
She comes out of the bathroom, smiling widely, gives me a little twirl, and then sits on the bed beside me. “Thank you so much for this, Alana. I really do appreciate it.”
I give her a sideways hug. “You’re more than welcome. I’m glad we could help you get away from the Bakers. They don’t sound all that nice.”
She shakes her head. “No, they’re not.”
She leans her head against me, and I’m reminded of just how young she is. At sixteen I’d only ever kissed a boy and had never left New York, and she’s already traveled the country on her own. She’s tough and smart, and I’m proud of her, even if I have no business being that.
“I want you to know something,” she says hesitantly.
“I truly didn’t know who you were when I first met you.
You were just Alana, no last name, a nice lady who I felt I could turn to.
And then when I found out… well, I already liked you, and…
” She shrugs and wipes a tear from her eye.
“Not going to lie though. I suppose there was an element of self-preservation involved when I realized you were Alejandro Montoya’s wife, because I knew that if you cared about me even a little, then … ”
“I do care about you Lucia. More than a little.”
She smiles again, her eyes shining with happiness. “I know I should have told you who I really was, but I guess I was scared still, and …” She lets out a sigh. “I suppose a part of me also wanted to leave Lucia Ramos behind. I wanted to be plain old Lucy Callaghan.”
“And do you still want to be Lucy Callaghan?”
She chews on her lip for a second, like she’s weighing up her options, and then eventually shakes her head. “No. I’m Lucia Ramos, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
“You’re absolutely right about that, and I do understand why you didn’t tell me.”
She blinks at me. “You do?”
“Of course I do. You’ve had no-one to rely on but yourself for so long. You did what you needed to do to survive.” I tuck a lock of her dark curly hair behind her ear. “You are an incredibly brave young woman, Lucia Ramos.”
A tear rolls down her cheek. “You kind of remind me of my mom, you know.”
I’m not sure how I feel about that, but I choose to take it as the compliment she obviously means and wrap her in a warm hug.
She said her mom died when she was eight earlier, but I don’t know more than that, and now doesn’t feel like the appropriate time to push.
She rests her head on my chest, and it’s not long until her silent tears are soaking my shirt. “I wish she was here.”
“I do too, sweet girl,” I tell her honestly, because then at least she would have someone.
While I’ll always be here for her, I’m no replacement for a mother.
It saddens me that Lucia has been left with nobody.
Still, I know better than most that even if you do have your parents around, there’s no guarantee they’re up to the job.
My own father sold me for cash, and while it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me, he didn’t know or care what my life with Alejandro would look like.
As for Lucia, I have so many questions about this young girl crying on my shoulder, but they’ll all have to wait for another time. Right now, all that matters is she’s safe here with us.
It must be a few moments before Lucia stops crying.
She sits up straight and scrubs at her eyes with the backs of her hands.
“I don’t know where all of this is coming from, you know?
I haven’t cried this much in two years.” She lets out a faint, self-deprecating laugh.
“Thank you again for letting me stay here tonight.”
“Like I said, you’re very welcome.”
She smiles again, but something about it is different this time, and it makes me feel anxious.
This girl is always in survival mode, and she’s already looking for her next way out.
“Promise me you won’t run away, Lucia. I know you don’t like it at the Bakers’, but I’ll speak to Alejandro and see what we can do. ”
“I hate it there, Alana,” she says sadly. “And they hate me. You should see the way they look at me.”
“You won’t have to go back there,” I tell her, making her a promise I have no way of knowing I’ll be able to keep. “I promise I’m on your side, and I’ll do everything I can. I’d let you stay here if it was just up to me.”
“Thanks. But I’m pretty sure Alejandro won’t want me here. My family weren’t exactly…” She shakes her head, swatting away another stray tear. “It doesn’t matter anyway.”
I think of the mountains of red tape we have to deal with at the center and feel immediately daunted at the task ahead of us. Lucia is only sixteen, and that complicates everything legally.
“I wish it were as simple as me convincing Alejandro to let you stay here. That would actually be the easy part. The red tape and the hoops we have to jump through, though…”
She barks out a laugh that gives me a glimpse of the carefree teenager she should be. “What’s so funny?”
“The fact that you have so much control over Alejandro Montoya is hilarious, but so is the fact that you have absolutely no idea just how powerful he is, Alana. Red tape does not exist for a man like your husband. And as for hoops? He’s the one holding them. Other people do the jumping.”
I frown at her assumption. I know how powerful he is, but just because he doesn’t abide by the law doesn’t mean he’s above it. I also have the center to think of, and I would never want to do anything that would jeopardize their reputation.
“We can’t just take you in and keep you here, even if we wanted to.”
Lucia gives me a look that makes me feel like I’m the teenager in this situation and she’s the one giving me some womanly advice. She places her hand over mine and squeezes gently. “Alejandro Montoya can do whatever the hell he pleases, Alana, and you’re his wife, so that means you can, too.”
Is that true, or simply the foolish hope of someone in a desperate situation? It’s too complicated to respond to right now. I tell Lucia goodnight and leave her alone, going in search of my husband.
If I can truly do whatever the hell I want…then what the hell should I do?
Could Alejandro and I become her legal guardians?
Do I even want that? I know that he probably won’t, but maybe he’d consider if it was just a temporary arrangement, until we figure out a more permanent solution.
I’m certain that girl came into my life for a reason, and now that she is in it, I’m not going to abandon her when she needs me most.