Unwrap My Heart

Capítulo 4

RUE

“You know, you've got a pretty awesome car for someone who has been through so much already.”

I glanced at my car through the window.

“I convinced the judge to let me keep my old car because I needed transportation for Drés. I sold it when we had to leave the lake house and go to a motel. I was going to buy a washed-up Subaru with some of that money when an old family friend got me the Kia Telluride... as a gift. I used the money from my old car to get us a motel and keep us going until I found a job. And then I met your mom and she introduced me to the Bloom's and it’s been a lot better since then.”

He had me go up the ladder for the smoke detector in my son’s room. It took me a couple of tries, but I managed to pop the cover without falling off the ladder. Then I took the battery from him and replaced it. I replaced the plastic cover on the first try and grinned down at him, feeling proud of myself.
He smiled back at me.

“You should have been an electrician.”

Laughing, I started back down the ladder, taking his hand to steady myself without thought when he offered it. But when my feet were back on the carpet and his fingers were wrapped around mine, I suddenly felt self-conscious.

“Thanks,” I forced myself to say in a casual tone, pulling my hand free.

The awkwardness only felt more pronounced when he carried the ladder into my bedroom for me. At least my bed was made and I didn’t have underclothes strewn about. But being up on the ladder, arms over my head, with my bed as a backdrop, made me keenly aware of his proximity.

When I fumbled the cover and dropped it, he simply picked it up and handed me a battery. I finished the job as quickly as I could and breathed a sigh of relief when we were back downstairs in my kitchen again.

In my nervousness, I shoved at my bangs, which were hanging in my eyes again. Pretty soon, I was going to have to get the scissors and trim them herself. They might not be straight, but at least I’d be able to see.

“We have a couple of salons in town who could help you with that,” Willy suddenly said.

“I just haven’t had the time.”

That was only part of the truth.

“How long can it take for a woman to trim your bangs?” he chuckled.

“I don’t have the extra money to spend on a trip to the salon right now.”

I saw the understanding cross his face and willed myself not to be embarrassed by my confession. I’d felt enough shame in the months after Armando’s arrest and refused to now.

“When I think of the thousands of dollars I’ve spent just on my hair... look at me now, reluctant to spend forty dollars, even though the color’s growing out and it looks funny.”

“You should ask my mom to let you know when Fernanda is coming to visit,” he said. “She went to beauty school and used to cut hair until she had her first kid. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind trimming your hair in Ma’s kitchen. She’s done mine enough times.”

“Willy, I think your family’s done more than enough for me.”

“You’re very focused on what my family has done for you, but you should also think about what you’ve done for my family. My parents were together almost forty years, since high school, and my dad passing left a huge hole in my mother’s life. I can already tell Andrés helps get her through it. And your friendship, too.”

“Since meeting Rosario, I’ve learned what friendship is truly supposed to be,” I said quietly, trying not to get too emotional. “She’s like family to me already.”