Chapter Six:
"Noooo! Don't go, Auntie Theresa! Don't leave us! Stay here with me and Daddy! Don't leave," Ali wailed pitifully. Theresa hated this part. Saying goodbye. Especially to her adorable little niece. "Ali, sweetie. Sweetheart," she said as she tucked a strand of Ali's long blond hair behind her ear, "I'm so sorry. But I have to. You know I don't want to leave you. I hate leaving you. I really, really do. I love you," she murmured, looking into Ali's tear-filled blue eyes. Hoping she would understand.
"No you don't. You're a liar! If you hated it, you wouldn't leave. If you really loved me, you would stay," Ali yelled, her chin quivering and more tears gushing down her cheeks. Theresa felt horrible when the little girl turned her back on her and ran to her grandmother. Her mother. Pilar didn't say the words, but Theresa knew a small part of her felt the same way. She could see it in her eyes.
Pilar lifted her distraught granddaughter into her arms and rubbed soothing circles on her back. Whispered nonsensical words of Spanish into her ear. Hoping to calm her. Ali was a wonderful child. Normally well-behaved. But she had a hot temper--just like both of her parents, Pilar thought to herself with a small smile. Goodbyes weren't Ali's or Luis's strong suits. She stood in the background so that her two children might say their own farewells.
"I'm sorry about Ali. She doesn't mean it, you know. She loves you so much. You're her favorite person. The only person she likes more is Ivy," Luis said quietly. "Because she tells stories about her mother when she was little," Theresa said. More to herself than to anyone else. "Um, yeah," Luis said quietly staring at his feet. "Oh Luis, I didn't mean to..." Theresa apologized. "Shhh. It's okay. Instead of bedtime stories, I tell Ali stories about her mother. She loves to hear about her. And my memories are so vivid. It helps, you know. Keeps her alive in our hearts."
"Ali's right. I'm terrible. Leaving you guys. I hate this. The goodbyes get harder and harder," Theresa cried. The tears threatening since the scene with Ali finally spilling over. Luis pulled his little sister into his arms and hugged her tight. "It's okay. We understand. You're a very busy young woman. Ali knows that. And in a few days, she'll be fine. It's just tough. Saying bye to her favorite aunt." "Her favorite, huh? I AM very busy," Theresa said with a slight smile as her brother wiped her tears from her cheeks. She loved him and the rest of her family so much.
Luis watched in puzzlement as that slight smile grew into a full-fledged grin. Uh oh! His little sister was cooking up one of her grand ideas again. Theresa laughed aloud at the look of pure terror on Luis's face. Clapping her hands together, she exclaimed, "Luis, I just got the most wonderful idea! What do you say about a little trip to Boston next month? You, Mama, and Ali." Luis peered at her curiously until she offered an explanation.
"I'm opening up a new shop there. Remember? Anyway," she went on breathlessly, "you and Mama and Ali can come for the Grand Opening and celebrate with me and we can take in a game or something. Show Ali around. Have some fun. What do you say?" Luis looked at his sister, her dark brown eyes sparkling with barely contained excitement. And to his mother and young daughter who had rejoined him. Pilar arched a brow at him and shrugged her shoulders. Ali pouted at him, tear tracks still visible on her little cheeks. He couldn't say no to that face. Just couldn't. So he did the only thing he could do. Said "yes." He knew he'd made the right decision as he watched his daughter launch herself in his sister's open arms squealing with joy. Maybe it WOULD be fun. In any case, it made Theresa and Ali smile again. And that alone was worth it.
He hugged Ali's little body tight as they waved goodbye to Theresa. Waved until they could no longer see her. Continued waving until her plane lifted into the air and soared into the clouds. Then they returned home. And began making plans. For Boston. Ali couldn't wait. He couldn't help but feel a bit excited, too. Something was drawing him there. Pulling him. He didn't know what it was, but he couldn't wait to find out.
"Noooo! Don't go, Auntie Theresa! Don't leave us! Stay here with me and Daddy! Don't leave," Ali wailed pitifully. Theresa hated this part. Saying goodbye. Especially to her adorable little niece. "Ali, sweetie. Sweetheart," she said as she tucked a strand of Ali's long blond hair behind her ear, "I'm so sorry. But I have to. You know I don't want to leave you. I hate leaving you. I really, really do. I love you," she murmured, looking into Ali's tear-filled blue eyes. Hoping she would understand.
"No you don't. You're a liar! If you hated it, you wouldn't leave. If you really loved me, you would stay," Ali yelled, her chin quivering and more tears gushing down her cheeks. Theresa felt horrible when the little girl turned her back on her and ran to her grandmother. Her mother. Pilar didn't say the words, but Theresa knew a small part of her felt the same way. She could see it in her eyes.
Pilar lifted her distraught granddaughter into her arms and rubbed soothing circles on her back. Whispered nonsensical words of Spanish into her ear. Hoping to calm her. Ali was a wonderful child. Normally well-behaved. But she had a hot temper--just like both of her parents, Pilar thought to herself with a small smile. Goodbyes weren't Ali's or Luis's strong suits. She stood in the background so that her two children might say their own farewells.
"I'm sorry about Ali. She doesn't mean it, you know. She loves you so much. You're her favorite person. The only person she likes more is Ivy," Luis said quietly. "Because she tells stories about her mother when she was little," Theresa said. More to herself than to anyone else. "Um, yeah," Luis said quietly staring at his feet. "Oh Luis, I didn't mean to..." Theresa apologized. "Shhh. It's okay. Instead of bedtime stories, I tell Ali stories about her mother. She loves to hear about her. And my memories are so vivid. It helps, you know. Keeps her alive in our hearts."
"Ali's right. I'm terrible. Leaving you guys. I hate this. The goodbyes get harder and harder," Theresa cried. The tears threatening since the scene with Ali finally spilling over. Luis pulled his little sister into his arms and hugged her tight. "It's okay. We understand. You're a very busy young woman. Ali knows that. And in a few days, she'll be fine. It's just tough. Saying bye to her favorite aunt." "Her favorite, huh? I AM very busy," Theresa said with a slight smile as her brother wiped her tears from her cheeks. She loved him and the rest of her family so much.
Luis watched in puzzlement as that slight smile grew into a full-fledged grin. Uh oh! His little sister was cooking up one of her grand ideas again. Theresa laughed aloud at the look of pure terror on Luis's face. Clapping her hands together, she exclaimed, "Luis, I just got the most wonderful idea! What do you say about a little trip to Boston next month? You, Mama, and Ali." Luis peered at her curiously until she offered an explanation.
"I'm opening up a new shop there. Remember? Anyway," she went on breathlessly, "you and Mama and Ali can come for the Grand Opening and celebrate with me and we can take in a game or something. Show Ali around. Have some fun. What do you say?" Luis looked at his sister, her dark brown eyes sparkling with barely contained excitement. And to his mother and young daughter who had rejoined him. Pilar arched a brow at him and shrugged her shoulders. Ali pouted at him, tear tracks still visible on her little cheeks. He couldn't say no to that face. Just couldn't. So he did the only thing he could do. Said "yes." He knew he'd made the right decision as he watched his daughter launch herself in his sister's open arms squealing with joy. Maybe it WOULD be fun. In any case, it made Theresa and Ali smile again. And that alone was worth it.
He hugged Ali's little body tight as they waved goodbye to Theresa. Waved until they could no longer see her. Continued waving until her plane lifted into the air and soared into the clouds. Then they returned home. And began making plans. For Boston. Ali couldn't wait. He couldn't help but feel a bit excited, too. Something was drawing him there. Pulling him. He didn't know what it was, but he couldn't wait to find out.