Page 43 of Blue Sky

Spaghetti

Our weekend in San Diego had been glorious. I was more determined than ever to move there.

But now, I was wondering how I would live without Beck and Sky.

I didn’t even know what I wanted anymore. What if he asked me to move to Pensacola with him? It wasn’t out of the realm of possibilities since he still needed a nanny. But even if he asked, I wasn’t sure I’d say yes.

I was crazy about him. Did I love him? I thought I did but I wasn’t sure yet. Even so, I didn’t want to be a nanny forever.

Since we returned from San Diego, we had been busy with school and flying. And luckily I hadn’t heard from my mother or my uncle.

I had just cooked a huge batch of spaghetti and meatballs, using fresh tomatoes for the sauce and both pork and beef for the meat mixture.

Beck couldn’t stop raving about it and even had seconds.

But Mónica hadn’t touched her food. She was pushing it around her plate with her fork.

I knew something was wrong.

I sat down next to her. “Are you okay?”

“Yup. Fine.”

But she wasn’t fine. I could tell.

By now, Beck was sitting down on the sofa, looking at his phone. I noticed that Mónica was staring at him and biting her lip. What was she up to?

After a few more minutes, she finally got up from the table and sat down next to Beck, a worried look on her face.

“Beck, can I ask you a question?”

Ay, Dios mío! No! Suddenly I knew exactly what she was going to do. Something I had done six years ago when I had been her age.

My heart hurt.

She was going to ask him to the daddy/daughter dance.

Don’t do it!

“Sure. Anything.”

Dammit. I couldn’t watch. This was a fucking train wreck.

Beck was a great man, but he was under no obligation to take my sisters to the daddy/daughter dance. I didn’t want him to feel pressured.

“Uh, well next week there is this dance, the father/daughter dance. I know you’re not my father. But, I was wondering if you would take me and Ana María to it. If not, no worries. I understand.”

My eyes watered up, and I craned my neck like one of the goddamn people who stops to watch an accident.

Please, Beck. Please say yes.

The room went silent. I tried to read Beck’s face but I couldn’t.

He took Mónica’s hand. “I’d be honored.”

Yes! I wanted to run over there and jump on him.

Mónica’s face brightened. “Really? You wouldn’t mind?”