Happy That It's Not True Read Online Free PDF Page B

calm—for a few days.  
    Adriana picked up her keys off the dresser and made her way to the door, her concern falling visibly upon Alex. 
    “I didn’t have time to make anything.  Make yourself something for dinner.  Good nigh t mi amo r .”
    “Goodnight Mom.”
    Adriana stepped outside, locked the door, and stood a moment holding the second floor railing.  She found pleasure in holding on to things, mostly physical things, since there were no angels to move the spirit—nothing to show her tenderness or empathy.  As she walked down the stairs, she saw Cara coming up. 
    “Hey Cara.”
    “You’re running late?”
    Cara had hoped to avoid Adriana, arriving home every day from work just after she would leave for the hospital.  Their relationship was one more thing Adriana couldn’t bear to think about.  For Cara, avoiding her mother was something she could do to control at least one facet of her life.  Luciano—there was nothing that could be done about him.
    “I haven’t seen you in a long time,” Adriana said.
    Cara looked down, glanced at Adriana’s face and then looked away to the parking lot to catch a glimpse of two kittens running underneath the cars.  Adriana, with an opportunity to verbalize what she had been thinking about for days, decided that she could afford to be late to work. 
    “You need to be in school.  You’re wasting your life working at the mall and doing nothing but drawing when you’re at home.  It’s nice to have a hobby, Baby, but it won’t get you anywhere.  Look at Diego; he was smart enough to know that all his talent meant nothing—that he needed to pursue a real career.  It makes me so mad—makes me want to throw away your drawing book, so you don’t throw away your life.”
    A hobby.  How could Adriana take art and give it a name like that?  The wor d hobb y wounded her.  That she would do anything to destroy her work—that made her a brute. 
    Adriana studied Cara’s face to see if her words had any effect on her or whether she had even been listening and felt a muddle of relief and regret in chastening her daughter. 
    “Oh, I forgot to tell you, Diego is back in Miami—he’s teaching,” Adriana said. 
    “No way!” Cara’s face lit up.  Adriana had almost forgotten what Cara’s smile looked like.
                  “Cara—”
                  Cara noticed her mother wearing an opposite emotion, and relinquished her smile.
                   “Yes mom?”
                  “I’m sorry about this situation we’re in.”
                  Cara knew that she was referring to Luciano.  Adriana parted her lips as if she had more to say, but shifted her eyes in search of words that never came.  Cara also wanted to say something, but was overwhelmed by her mother’s fragile state.  Adriana ran her fingers through Cara’s hair and settled for practical words.
                  “Help Alex figure out what to do about dinner—gotta run.”
                  “Bye mom, have a good night at work.”
                  “Bye Cara.”
                  “Mom—”
                  “Yeah.”
                  “I love you.  It’s not your fault that I’m so moody.  I’m the problem, not you.  Okay?”
                  Adriana embraced Cara.  “I love you too, Niñita.  Bye.”
                  As Cara neared the apartment, she could hear the vibrations and muffled din of SportsCenter.  She rolled her eyes to the heavens and unlocked the door, swinging it open to release the full blaring of the television.
                  “Hey,” Luciano said.
                  “Hey,” Cara reluctantly whispered.
                  As Cara walked past the couch, Luciano touched her on the shoulder, causing her to scowl.  She turned her head away, but could not contain her