maybe even grimy as he appeared last night, his hand was undeniably soft, gentle. She didn’t pull away.
Once he had turned her around, he took her other elbow too. They now stood facing each other, but she could only look down.
“I’m so sorry.” He used one hand to pull her chin up to look at him. The sun was blaring into her face, but it was no competition with Xavier. It only added to his amazing presence.
“You’re right. I wouldn’t have spoken to you again. I can barely speak to you now. That was terribly embarrassing. It actually hurts.”
For a few glorious seconds, he did nothing but stare down at her. Then he clasped his hands on each side of his face, and she was sad he let go. “What am I going to do with you, Soledad Esperanza?”
They both laughed, freely, loudly. Soledad covered her face with her right hand.
“No.” He spoke so lightly, begging. “You shouldn’t do that.” He removed her hand from her face, and she allowed her fingers to hold onto his. She surprised herself with her brazenness. Her natural thought when she did things she considered shameless was, What will my father think? But she now felt as though she was in defiance of him.
Just as last night, she and Xavier were suddenly interrupted by someone’s beckoning. This time his name was being called.
Why was her abuelita calling to him and not her? She stood on her porch waving.
Noticing Soledad’s confusion, he explained, “I don’t just work at the feria . I work for the grocer.”
“You’re from here?”
“Well, not exactly, but this is where I ended up. If I’m not traveling with my father and the feria , this is home.”
“ Gracias Dios !” Soledad winced. This time she hadn’t kept her comment in her head.
A sweet chuckle was his natural reply.
It actually took a few seconds for Soledad to realize they were holding hands as they walked. It just felt so right, like it happened every day. She felt like she’d known him her whole life. When she looked over at him, he didn’t seem to be uncomfortable in any way. He had an agreeable smile that said, “Nothing to see here, people. This is the usual.”
Soledad watched her grandmother’s glance shift to the union they’d formed between them, and she instantly let go. She was worried, but noticed her grandmother did not appear to be displeased with her. In fact, once they were back to the porch, she invited Xavier inside.
“ Mijo , would you please bring these bags in for me?”
“My pleasure, Señora .”
When they entered, her grandmother seemed to add up what she was seeing, then smiled in approval. Soledad had no idea what had gotten into her.
Abuelita was busy bustling around preparing some tea with Yerba Buena .
“Are you hungry, Mijo ?”
“ Abuelita , he’s got to get back to work, I believe.”
When Soledad was little and would rudely interrupt, her grandmother would become stern and say “ A ti no te estoy hablando .” I’m not talking to you. So she learned quickly not to speak out of turn, but she’d started feeling uncomfortable. She waited for her grandma to say those famous words, but she didn’t. Instead, her grandma looked to Xavier for an answer.
“I regret it, but it’s true, Señora . Perhaps you will take a rain check?”
“Of course. Come, my dear friend, let’s go have some tea.” She gave Suki her hand and helped her from her chair. They both hobbled off, still holding hands. Soledad couldn’t help but smile. They were adorable.
“I guess I’d better go.”
Soledad instantly felt herself sink. “Okay. When might we run into each other again?”
“Are you busy tonight?”
“I can manage.”
“May I ask you for a favor?”
“Of course.”
“Let me show you the feria . Like you’ve never seen it before.”
“I’ve been going for years.”
“I think you would enjoy my perspective.” Suddenly he took her hand again. He held it up palm-to-palm, fingers-to-fingers, and then their fingers
Once he had turned her around, he took her other elbow too. They now stood facing each other, but she could only look down.
“I’m so sorry.” He used one hand to pull her chin up to look at him. The sun was blaring into her face, but it was no competition with Xavier. It only added to his amazing presence.
“You’re right. I wouldn’t have spoken to you again. I can barely speak to you now. That was terribly embarrassing. It actually hurts.”
For a few glorious seconds, he did nothing but stare down at her. Then he clasped his hands on each side of his face, and she was sad he let go. “What am I going to do with you, Soledad Esperanza?”
They both laughed, freely, loudly. Soledad covered her face with her right hand.
“No.” He spoke so lightly, begging. “You shouldn’t do that.” He removed her hand from her face, and she allowed her fingers to hold onto his. She surprised herself with her brazenness. Her natural thought when she did things she considered shameless was, What will my father think? But she now felt as though she was in defiance of him.
Just as last night, she and Xavier were suddenly interrupted by someone’s beckoning. This time his name was being called.
Why was her abuelita calling to him and not her? She stood on her porch waving.
Noticing Soledad’s confusion, he explained, “I don’t just work at the feria . I work for the grocer.”
“You’re from here?”
“Well, not exactly, but this is where I ended up. If I’m not traveling with my father and the feria , this is home.”
“ Gracias Dios !” Soledad winced. This time she hadn’t kept her comment in her head.
A sweet chuckle was his natural reply.
It actually took a few seconds for Soledad to realize they were holding hands as they walked. It just felt so right, like it happened every day. She felt like she’d known him her whole life. When she looked over at him, he didn’t seem to be uncomfortable in any way. He had an agreeable smile that said, “Nothing to see here, people. This is the usual.”
Soledad watched her grandmother’s glance shift to the union they’d formed between them, and she instantly let go. She was worried, but noticed her grandmother did not appear to be displeased with her. In fact, once they were back to the porch, she invited Xavier inside.
“ Mijo , would you please bring these bags in for me?”
“My pleasure, Señora .”
When they entered, her grandmother seemed to add up what she was seeing, then smiled in approval. Soledad had no idea what had gotten into her.
Abuelita was busy bustling around preparing some tea with Yerba Buena .
“Are you hungry, Mijo ?”
“ Abuelita , he’s got to get back to work, I believe.”
When Soledad was little and would rudely interrupt, her grandmother would become stern and say “ A ti no te estoy hablando .” I’m not talking to you. So she learned quickly not to speak out of turn, but she’d started feeling uncomfortable. She waited for her grandma to say those famous words, but she didn’t. Instead, her grandma looked to Xavier for an answer.
“I regret it, but it’s true, Señora . Perhaps you will take a rain check?”
“Of course. Come, my dear friend, let’s go have some tea.” She gave Suki her hand and helped her from her chair. They both hobbled off, still holding hands. Soledad couldn’t help but smile. They were adorable.
“I guess I’d better go.”
Soledad instantly felt herself sink. “Okay. When might we run into each other again?”
“Are you busy tonight?”
“I can manage.”
“May I ask you for a favor?”
“Of course.”
“Let me show you the feria . Like you’ve never seen it before.”
“I’ve been going for years.”
“I think you would enjoy my perspective.” Suddenly he took her hand again. He held it up palm-to-palm, fingers-to-fingers, and then their fingers
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