Salvation

Chapter 21: How he found out

Chapter Twenty-One: How he found out

Edited and Rewritten

There was a smile on my face when I woke up and looked around the bedroom. I was inexplicable happy until the kiss came rushing back to me. My fingers trail along my lips while I remember the way it felt, and the ghost of Nathan's mouth lingers on mine. I close my eyes, forcing myself to push it away; he wasn't mine. I push against the bed, standing off the bed, and I put on the robe that hangs on the back of the door.

I step lightly along the hallway, unsure if anyone else was awake. I creep into the kitchen just as the patio doors slide open and a middle-aged woman steps into the house; by her uniform, I guess that she is a maid. She had a warmth about her, and her lips curled into a motherly smile.

"Hola" She smiled, turning the tap of the sink, and water exploded from the tap onto the cloth in her hand.

I smile at her, sitting down at the island. We began to talk in Spanish, which I had learned in high school, but I mostly learned from my Grandparents, who refused to speak in anything else while they were in their house. Outside their home, they would speak in perfect English, but by principle refused to speak anything but their mother tongue in their own home.

I was sure that my Spanish was rust and was glad of the chance to converse and practise with another person again.

"Hello," I smile, "Who are you?"

"I'm Mariana, Mr Alexander's maid," She replied, wiping down the worksurfaces.

I stood off the stool and filled the kettle before putting it to a boil.

"Oh, okay. I'm Grace. I work with Nathan," I tell her, shaking her hand, taking her by surprise.

I put tea bags into the pot and left it to steep. I take the milk out of the fridge while Mariana takes the trash bags from the bin and takes them out. I take the sugar out of the cupboard, and she appears back from the garden.

"I should be doing that," Mariana comments, but I shush her gently.

I pour two cups of tea, "What do you take?"

"Milk and two sugars," She replies, observing me with a smile.

I watch the milk swirl around in the cup, tainting the dark water of the tea and murking it into a tan colour. I mix in the sugar before sliding the cup to Mariana. I put milk into my cup and take a sip, almost surprised by how hot it is when the liquid touches my tongue.

"You are much nicer than the last girl, Natalie, who came here," Mariana tells me, sipping her tea.

"I'm glad to see that Nathan has picked a better woman to spend his time with,"

"Oh," I can manage out, somehow unable to correct her.

"You speak Spanish very well," She complimented warmly.

I can't fight the smile that takes over my face. My heart fills with pride, hoping that my Grandparents would be happy with me for being able to keep their native language strong in our family, despite being the last of us.

"Thank you," I say appreciatively, drinking my tea.

Mariana begins to clean again, leaving her tea beside me, and I watch the steam rise from it. Yet, she still manages to hold a conversation with me as she is like a small tornado moving around the house.

"Have you worked for Nathan long?" I ask her, shifting on the stool, feeling useless while drinking my tea.

"Ah, I have worked for the Alexander's since he was a small baby," Mariana says fondly.