Page 27 of Distrustful

"Do kids come here on field trips? Maria says my school could come," Lili blurts out and Maria's eyes snap open.

Trinidad fixes an intense look on her and sketches a half-smile before turning back to Lili.

"Yes, sometimes kids come on field trips, so if you want to see all this, tell your teacher to bring you all, and if she doesn't want to, come another day with your mom and Ursula and I'll show you myself."

Lili doesn't hide her excitement and lets out a small cry of joy while Maria observes Trinidad and gradually realizes that she's not even close to being that cold woman she tries to appear to be when she's with her.

"Don't you want Maria to come?" Lili asks and Trinidad looks at her confused.

"Where?"

"Here, on the field trip with my moms and me."

"Uh, yes. Of course she can come," Trinidad answers glancing sideways at the lawyer.

"Okay, then I think I won't tell the teacher, better we come alone, it'll be more fun," Lili concludes and takes a huge bite of her sandwich to Trinidad's amazement.

"Well, we should go now," Maria says when Lili finishes her snack. "Thank Trinidad."

Lili looks at Trinidad for a few seconds that feel very long to the businesswoman and, suddenly, approaches and hugs her legs. The gesture catches Trinidad so off guard that she takes time to react and wrap Lili's back without Maria missing the tension that this simple gesture has caused in the engineer.

"Well, then we'll see you tomorrow at nine in the hangar," Trinidad says when Lili releases her, "remind Ursula."

"About that, only you and I will be traveling in your plane," Maria responds, "because Ursula wants to take Mildred and Lili and spend the weekend there with them. Which now that you mention it, I still haven't booked their flights," she says raising her eyebrows.

"Just book their return flight. For going they can come with us, we all fit and I'm sure Lili will like traveling in my plane."

"You have a plane?" the child asks open-mouthed.

Maria covers her mouth with her hand amid Trinidad's sudden laughter.

"Yes she does, and you'll see it tomorrow. Now stop asking questions because we've already taken up too much of Trinidad's time. See you, and thanks for everything,"the lawyer says goodbye, taking Lili's hand to leave the cafeteria.

Trinidad raises her hand to bid them farewell and stays planted there for a few seconds, observing them both, but especially Maria, who seems more human to her each time.