Page 56 of Blue Sky

Enchiladas Rojos

Paloma did not sleep in my bed that last night.

And when I woke early the next morning, she had already left.

She didn’t even leave a note.

I walked through the empty house, pitying myself, pitying Sky.

I grabbed her from her room. She had grown so much these last ten weeks.

She looked up at me. “Da da?”

I kissed her. She had been calling me da da for weeks. Her voice melted me. But I wasn’t prepared for the words that came out her mouth next. “Ma ma?”

Ah fuck. Maybe she said Loma.

But then she said it again. “Ma ma?”

I doubted that Paloma taught Sky to call her Mama. Sky probably learned it through books. Even so, I was just crushed.

Sky had lost another mother figure. And I wasn’t going to be around enough to make it up to her.

Who was going to watch her? I would have to hire another nanny.

But I didn’t want another nanny. I wanted Paloma.

I opened the refrigerator to get some milk and noticed a casserole dish covered in foil.

I lifted the foil off and found a full batch of enchiladas rojas.

In Paloma’s final moments in my house, she had wanted to take care of me.

Fuck, I missed her already.

The doorbell rang. I jumped up, hoping it was Paloma and that she had come back.

But it was my mother. The last person I wanted to see.

I reluctantly let her in.

“Beck, darling. Why so glum?”

“What the fuck did you say to Paloma? She left today. You are so fucking pretentious. Just because she isn’t rich and educated? Who the fuck do you think you are? I’m a grown ass man. I will love who I choose to love.”

She opened her mouth and just stared at me. I had never gone off on my mother like that. But she deserved it.

“You will get over her one day. She left. What does that tell you about her character?”

“Everything. That she wasn’t going to give up her goals for a man. She loves me. You see her as a gold digger, but she didn’t want my money. I offered to pay her in Florida and she turned me down. Just go. I want to be alone.”

She exhaled. “I’ll go. Call me when you come to your senses.”

She walked out of the door and never even said goodbye to Sky. I hadn’t realized how cold she was until now. I didn’t want Sky to be raised by a cold woman, like my mother. I wanted her to be raised by someone like Paloma.

I wanted her to be raised by Paloma.

Fuck.