Page 45 (1/2)

Though it was early, traffic was heavy, and it took forty-five minutes to reachthe bell and hugged me hard As usual, she wore a loose housedress and an apron in coray hair was braided neatly; her lined face revealed nothing but pleasure in ood to see you," she said in Spanish

"Likewise" I kissed her cheek

She gave et you to come home"

"No, I just had some business to take care of first"

"I know, nena Looks like you tracked Chance down too I told you to keep this one You’ll make beautiful babies"

A blush heated my cheeks, but I didn’t dispute her words "I hope so We’ll find out in seven months or so"

Her eyes dropped to ers to my abdoirl?"

"You can tell?" Chance asked in surprise "Just from a touch?"

Tia cackled "Of course not I’uess, I have a fifty percent chance of being right I used a little of your money," she went on, as she ushered orditas and cold horchata

Once she settled us at the kitchen table, I waved her statement away "I intend to settle some money on you, so you don’t have to work so hard"

"I appreciate that, mija" The dihter, or hter

Touched, I ate the snack she had prepared, and we chatted about how life had treated her in our absence She complained about a rival na her at the edthat I had a place where somebody alelcomed me

After we finished, Chance kissed Tia’s hand and said, "I trust you have no objection to ht of her interesting condition"

"You’re a good boy," she said "But cheeky!" She turned to me with a playful scowl "Didn’t I tell you not to let hier? And look where it got you"

"I had fun too," I pointed out, and she swatted , delighted with our exchange, which I assumed meant he had translated it correctly He dropped a hot kiss on ot about Tia, until she splashed some water on us

"Dios s Out!"

"Wait! We need some protective charms," I told her

That appeased her sense of the proprieties "Claro With a baby on the way, it’s only prudent I’ll get to work on theht away"

Thus shooed from Tia’s kitchen, I ith Chance into the front roo If I’d been watching us, I suspect I’d have hated everyChance ithit was his s at her feet, a taxi pulling away into the cool twilight She went into her son’s arms in a puddle of tears; I retreated into the house so they could have soarden, a lovely place for such a reunion Better than a filthy warehouse, for sure But it didn’t matter where Chance came back to us, only that he was here

And he’s not going away again

Slowly, surely, I was accepting this as truth My life’s path had been rewritten, and I couldn’t wait to see where it led Twila’s words rang in my head, and this time they sounded like a benediction: There are no destinies now Life will be what you make of it, whatever you choose

Half an hour later, Min accos into the living room, then looked bemused as to where to put them An idea struck me, so I hurried into the kitchen to check with Tia

"Chance’s mother is here We don’t have roo if you would mind if she took my room for a little while I’ll cover room and board--"