Falling with Grace - Page 191

“She’s alive.”

“Take care of her,mi hijo. She needs you.”

“Si, Mamá.”

I kept my nose buried in his neck as he walked us down his hallway, the familiarity comforting, then kicked the door closed behind him, the noise causing me to jolt in his arms.

He guided us to the bathroom, his arms enveloping me in a protective cocoon as he knelt by the tub and turned on the faucet. “Elias.”

His attention remained fixed on the water gathering in the tub, the rhythmic sound a stark contrast to the somber silence between us.

“Elias.” My hand rose to his cheek, taking solace in his warmth. “I’m okay.”

He set his jaw tight, his muscles bulging as he ground his molars together.

“Can you look at me?”

He inhaled through his nose and shifted his focus to mine. “I can’t.” He tensed, shook his head, and looked away, his eyes glistening.

“Do I look that bad?” I suppressed a laugh.

He cleared his throat, ran his thumb and forefinger against his eyes, then added bath salts. “No.” He sniffed. “Every time…I see how I failed you.”

My heart shattered as a tear slipped down my cheek. “You’re wrong.” I cupped his cheek and forced him to look at me as he’d done to me time and time before. “You’ve saved me.” I gave him my best smile considering. “I don’t fault you, Elias.”

He gave his head a quick shake, a short sniff, and cleared his throat. “You should.”

“What difference would it make?” I pulled the blanket off of my shoulders and slipped from his lap. “It cannot be changed now, can it?” I dipped my toes in the warm water, and shivers crawled up my flesh.

“I wish I could kill him for you again.” His throat bobbed as he swallowed.

The heated water cleansed my skin in a fiery baptism, the watery flames of purification licking at my wounds. I hunched my shoulders as he poured water over them, the murky water fizzing with air bubbles.

I drew my knees up to my chin, the dark outline of a handprint resting above them. I inhaled a deep breath through my nose and closed my eye. “And I’d let you.”

44

Elias

Mamá stepped through the front door dressed in all black with a veil covering half of her face, Rafael on one side and Valaria on the other, their church clothes as pristine as someone who’d attended a Presidential dinner.

“Service was wonderful today, Elias. I wish you would come with me again.”

I met her halfway and looped her arm in mine, walking her into the conservatory, where the puzzle remained untouched for the past seven weeks.

“In due time, Mamá.”

She gave a slight nod and sat in her plush chair beside the vast windows overlooking the backyard flower gardens with bird feeders filled to the brim every day. “Father Henley asked about you today.”

“Oh?” I sat across from her and spread my knees, commanding the area around me, my hand sprawled on my healed thigh.

A Brown-backed Solitaire sat on the branch at eye level and puffed its red-breasted chest out while singing its notable song.

“He asked if you would consider donating to the orphanage. They’ve run short on supplies.”

I nodded and pushed my long sleeve up a quarter of the way. “I can work something out.”

“That’s my good boy.” She flipped the veil over her head and glanced out the window as Alba stepped in with a tray of tea. She placed the tray on the table and passed the cup to Mamá. “How is she?”