Chapter 6
The next evening, a Friday after he'd picked Theresa and Miguel up at school, Luis steered his beat-up old car through the gates of the Crane estate without incident, wondering the entire time how much of the day had been dream and how much had been reality. When Sam had called him this morning, Luis had reacted in disbelief. Truth be told, he still was.
Maybe the impossibility of it all had been what compelled him to bring the kids with him for the job interview. After all, what did he have to lose when already he didn't stand a snowball's chance in Hell?
Theresa sat in the passenger seat to his right, one elbow propped against the side of the car door, chin resting in her open palm as she gazed outside the open window. She was too quiet. Too subdued. Used to be she'd be spinning her own brand of fairy tales about the much fantasized about castle on the hill and her role as the new princess.
Luis worried fairy tales were dead to his little sister forever.
Miguel and Paloma were safely buckled in the back seat, Paloma in her booster seat with a recuperating Buttons snuggled in her arms.
God bless Grace Bennett, Luis thought to himself, smiling again at the teddy bear's patched up arm and the white sling around his fuzzy neck. Buttons' recovery, she'd cheerfully informed Paloma, would be quick and pain-free as long as he didn't partake in any strenuous activity like skydiving from the backyard picnic table or bravely venturing into the dryer as he had once before when he'd very nearly lost an eye. So far, Paloma was taking the job of nursing Buttons back to health very seriously.
The Crane Mansion loomed ahead, larger than life, and Luis glanced in the rear-view mirror to discover Miguel's brown eyes were just as wide as his were. "It's big, isn't it?" He'd thought time and the loss of innocence would make the Mansion seem smaller in his eyes, less awe-inspiring. But he still felt like the little boy he'd been when he'd last lain eyes on it.
Miguel squirmed in the backseat, tugging at the seatbelt snugly wrapped around his hips and pushing the shoulder strap behind his back as he leaned forward to get a better look. "Does the President live here?"
Theresa's lips twitched, but she didn't smile when Luis replied with laughter lurking in his dark eyes, "No, but I've heard he visits now and then."
"What about a princess?" Miguel's curiosity wouldn't be satisfied. "Like in Mama's stories?"
Luis mulled that one over as memories of Mama's stories about the Mansion on the hill drifted back to him, and finally, he decided a little harmless fantasy wouldn't hurt any of them. "Yes." And it was true. In a manner of speaking.
"Wow," Miguel mouthed, settling back in his seat. He remained quiet the rest of the way, until Luis pulled up to the garage as the gatekeeper had instructed him, right behind a cherry red convertible. "Look, Paloma," Miguel pointed, his small voice cracking with excitement that hadn't been in evidence in what seemed like a very long time. "There's the princess's car."
Interest finally sparked in Theresa's brown eyes as she leaned over the edge of the window to get a better look at the vanity plates on the car and read the letters aloud curiously. "S-C-R-A-N-E. S. Crane. Who's S. Crane, Luis?"
"Me, " a soft voice answered her question before Luis had half a chance, and four sets of brown eyes were immediately drawn to a face befitting a princess. "I'm Sheridan Crane," she smiled, and her blue eyes danced as she made a likely assumption, extending a delicate hand forward for Luis to grasp. "Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald? You're here about the job?"
Luis could only stare at her hand.
Well, well, well.
What do you think, lol?
Feedback is loved and adored.
Thanks for reading!
