"You're happy in your work, your life, your home. And that helps a mother-even of a grown woman-sleep well at night. Now, if you're happy with a man I happen to like quite a bit, I'm happy, too. You need to bring him to dinner."
"Oh, Mom. We're just . . . dating."
"He's been to dinner before."
"Yes. Yes. Del's friend Jack has been to dinner, to some cookouts, to some parties at the house. But you're not asking me to bring Del's friend to dinner."
"Suddenly he can't eat my cooking or have a beer with your father? You understand, nina, I know what 'dating' means in this case?"
"Yes."
"He should come for Cinco de Mayo. All your friends should come. We'll put the pork on the grill, and not Jack."
"Okay. I'm in love with him, Mama."
"Yes, baby." Lucia drew Emma's head to her shoulder. "I know your face."
"He's not in love with me."
"Then he's not as smart as I think he is."
"He cares. You know that. He cares, and there's a really big attraction. On both sides. But he's not in love with me. Yet."
"That's my girl," Lucia said.
"Do you think it's . . . underhanded to deliberately set out to make a man fall in love with you?"
"Do you intend to lie, to pretend to be what you're not, to cheat, make promises you won't keep?"
"No. Of course not."
"Then how could it be underhanded? If I hadn't made your father fall in love with me, we wouldn't be sitting here in your pretty little room."
"You . . . Really?"
"Oh, I was so in love. Hopelessly, or so I thought. He was so handsome, so kind, so sweet and funny with his little boy. So lonely. He treated me well, with respect, with honor-and as we grew to know each other, with friendship. And I wanted him to sweep me away, to see me as a woman, to take me into his bed, even if it was just for a night."
Inside her chest, Emma's romantic heart simply soared. "Oh, Mama."
"What? You think you invented this? The needs, the wants? I was young and he was above me in station. The wealth, the position, these were barriers-at least I thought so. But I could dream.
"And maybe a little more than dream," Lucia added with a secret smile. "I tried to look my best, to cook meals he especially liked, to listen when he needed a friend. That's what I knew how to do. And I would make sure, when he was going out, that his tie wasn't quite straight-even when it was-so I'd have to fix it. I still do," she murmured. "I still want to. I knew there was something-I could feel it, I could see it in his eyes-something more than the bond over the little boy we both loved, something more than friendship and respect. All I could do was show him, in little ways, that I was his."
"Mama, that's so . . . You never told me all this before."
"I never needed to. Your papa, he was careful with me, so careful not to touch my hand too long, hold my gaze too long. Until that day I stood under the cherry blossoms, and I saw him walking to me. I saw him coming to me, and what was in his eyes. My heart."
Lucia pressed her hand to it. "Ah! It fell, right at his feet. How could he not know? And knowing, his heart fell beside mine."
"It's what I want."
"Of course."
Emma had to blink tears away. "I don't think fixing Jack's tie is going to do it."
"The little things, Emma. The gestures, the moments. And the big. I let him see my heart. I gave it to him, even when I believed he couldn't or wouldn't take it. I gave it anyway-a gift. Even if he broke it. I was very brave. Love is very brave."
"I'm not as brave as you."
"I think you're wrong." Lucia wrapped her arm around Emma's shoulders in a hug. "Very wrong. But now it's new, isn't it? New and bright and happy. Enjoy it."
"I am."
"And bring him to the party."
"All right."
"Now, I'm going home to let you get back to work. Do you have a date?"
"Not tonight. We had a long consult today-the Seaman wedding."
Lucia's eyes danced. "Ah, the big one."
"The big one. And I have paperwork, ordering, planning to get to tonight, and a full day tomorrow. He has a business thing tomorrow night, but he's going to try to come by after and . . ."
"I know what and is," Lucia said with a laugh. "Get a good night's sleep tonight then." She patted Emma's knee, rose.
"I'm so glad you came by." Standing, Emma wrapped her mother in a hard hug. "Kiss Papa for me."