"Ite, missa est."
The Bishop made the Latin declaration and the mass came to an end. I was so grateful that it was over, the number of eyes on me made the hour-long program feel like a 30-hour one. Two particular pairs made me antsy and I had to grip Mikayla's hand a little tighter for moral support.
Alejandro and Sara Rodriguez.
St Mary's Church was the biggest Catholic cathedral in the state. Although they lived in the elite Stass Hills which was at the far end of the state, they still came down to St Mary's every Sunday. They were the power couple of the cathedral, their wealth and elegance made sure of that. It was really hard to guess I was affiliated with them.
During the eucharistic prayer, Sara's eyes had clashed with mine and on impulse, I had instantly looked away. A second or two later, I looked back to see her nudging her husband at his side and watched both of them turn their heads to look at me. Not knowing what else to do, I gave them an awkward wave and cursed under my breath. Seriously? A wave? I could had done better, for real. Or maybe not. I'd always had the worst emergency responses and hated being caught off guard.
I nodded my head in satisfaction when people surrounded my in-laws. Good. Now I could easily escape before Sara came stomping to enquire why I was in church that morning. Regardless of her little speech the previous night, I couldn't still romanticize the thought of friendly conversations with her. So I grabbed my daughter's hand and sped walked towards the giant doors at the entrance.
The solemn song the choir sang filled the air and had a calming effect on my frantic mind. Diego had always tried to persuade me to join the cloaked group but I defiantly refused. I loved singing songs, but not in church. Outside my car, Mikayla showed me one of her church friends. I grinned at the little beauty and exchanged pleasantries with her mom before zooming off.
"You like Licia?"
I turned my head quickly to glance at Kayla in the back seat. "Who's that? Your cute friend I just met?" She hummed in agreement. "As long as you like her, I like her too. Besides, she and her mother look and sound really nice."
A car swerved like a lunatic in front of mine and I honked like a choo choo train, drowning Mikayla's voice. She repeated her statement when I had calmed down. "I really do like Licia. She's nice and smart and just like me, she lives with only her mom." I didn't know how to respond to the last one but thankfully, she still had more to say. " I really wish we both went to the same school. I'd have been way happier."
"What school does she attend?"
"Rosewood Elementary School. It's close to the diner we went to yesterday. That's what she told me."
I understood the message she was trying to pass. She didn't like Pinecrest Elementary School anymore and judging from what she said about her supposed lack of friends there, she wanted to change schools. "Baby, the diner is almost an hour away from our house. Pinecrest however is just 15 minutes away."
Although my eyes were focused on the road, I knew she was scowling. It was evident in her tone. "The distance is not a problem. Anyways you won't be the one to take me there, aunt Lee will. I'm sure she won't have a problem with that."
I resisted the urge to say something nasty and shut her down. Since I didn't really support strict parenting, I chose a different approach. "Kayla, I'm seriously trying to empathize with your friendship situation but that is not enough reason for you to be rude or to talk as you please."
A second passed before she mumbled. "I'm sorry, mama." I just nodded in response and she continued. "I just don't want to keep going to Pinecrest Elementary. I already told aunt Lee and she agreed with me and said I should tell you myself."
I stayed silent and drove straight home without uttering a word. We both went to our respective rooms to bathe, change clothes and whatever else. Donning denim dungarees shorts with nothing underneath, I shook my head in humor as I thought of what Sara would say with that judgemental tone if she saw me standing in such a scandalous outfit with Kayla present. She'd probably say something along the lines of "No debes usar ese tipo de ropa cerca de Kayla. Esto es muy inapropiado." I scoffed at the thought. Like I could seduce my 8-year old daughter. Another reason I didn't jump at the chance to get chummy with Sara. She was very judgemental and hypercritical.
Kayla was already waiting for me when I got to the kitchen. She was very enthused for the cake and I chuckled at her jumpiness. Her excitement was making me excited and I had to let out a breath to calm myself down. Damn, it was just a cake. A cake that my daughter had specifically requested.
"The ganache will be white chocolate." I said as I hurled out my new baking pan. I had purposely gotten shiny pans, dark pans absorbed more heat and were very likely to burn the crust. My momma told me that once while she was grocery shopping and she made the best sponge cakes I'd ever tasted.
Kayla drummed her fingers on the kitchen island in giddiness. "Mama, I don't care. As long as it's chocolate, I'm good. I really lo-." The ringtone of my phone cut her off and I jerked my head towards the living room. She got the hint and ran to get it. "It's Nana."
"Ohhh, answer it then." After all, the only reason Sara ever called is because of Mikayla. Absorbed in measuring out the butter, I only heard a few words from my chattering daughter before I zoned out. Nelly would be coming over the next day to stay with Kayla so of course, I had to put her belly into account. She'd have my head if I didn't. After that, I measured the other ingredients I needed and put them in separate bowls. It'd been ages since I last baked a cake so the occasional spills were expected. I wasn't sure of how much time passed but Mikayla strolled back into the kitchen when I was beating the butter.
"Nana said she made me cake but we already left before she could give it to me."
I shrugged nonchalantly and deadpanned. "Bummer."
Mikayla climbed the kitchen stool and dropped my phone on the island. "She said she didn't make almond cake this time."
I paused the mixer to add sugar to the soft butter. "What did she make this time? Chocolate?"
"Nope. Red velvet cake."
I coughed to cover the snicker that was at the tip of my tongue. I loved the fact that I wasn't the only person making mistakes. "Alright then." I nodded in satisfaction and turned off the mixer when those tiny bubbles appeared in the batter. I'd successfully creamed the butter and sugar.
"Can I break the eggs for the cake?" I took a few seconds to consider her request before nodding slowly. To prevent shells from getting into the batter, I gave her a bowl to break them in.
"Honey, I don't know how good your egg-breaking skills are, so you'll do it in this bowl first. We wouldn't want a bird nest in the cake, would we?" She chortled as I handed her the bowl and eggs. "Careful there, sweetie." I chuckled under my breath when she bit her lips in concentration as she started the task. "Yeah, that's it. You're doing it just right."
After mixing everything in the batter, I greased the pans and shooed Kayla away when she tried to touch it. I let her pour the batter in it though, even spread it in the pans with an offset spatula.
"Why aren't we putting the pan in the oven yet?" She whined and I rolled my eyes in humor.
"Bebe, I'm preheating the oven. Calm your tits down." Speaking of tits, mine had been poking out since I started beating the butter. I tried tucking my nipples behind the dungarees straps without staining the denim with my buttered hand but gave up after a few tries. They'd just have to stay out in the open till I put the baking pan in the oven and wash my hands.
"What's tits?"
I cursed myself for my flippancy. "It's another word you shouldn't be using. It's adult people's word."
She nodded slowly in understanding. "Oh, like fuck and bitch?"
Narrowing my eyes at her, I murdered Nelly in my head for the thousandth time since the previous day. "Yeah, like those words that I don't want to hear you say again."
She chuckled and I huffed in mock annoyance before putting the baking pans in the oven. "So you just going to stand in front of the oven and watch the cakes bake?"
She probably heard the humor in my tone because she laughed at my question but still didn't take her eyes away from the oven. "Yeah. I gotta watch this." I let her be and proceeded to make the mocha filling while she stood starstruck and only came around when I started beating butter and sugar for the second time that day. "You're baking another cake? I thought you wanted to make the filling."
I pointed to the wrapped cocoa mixture on the table. "I am. It's mocha filling. I'll add that to this and mix. Maybe a little vanilla too." I laughed and bumped my hip against her shoulder. "Relax. I know what I'm doing sweetheart."
She watched with awe as I mixed white chocolate and cream for the ganache. "That'll be the frosting?" I nodded and she squealed in delight. In an hour, her grin was as wide as Piedmont Park as I placed a gigantic slice in her plate.
My eyes fluttered shut when the chocolate wonder entered the heat of my mouth, my cake was that good. It was even better than sex. My sweet tooth was probably shedding tears of joy because of the sugar overload. I might had even put a little too much sugar in the filling but I wasn't complaining. Neither was Mikayla. She devoured the chocolate mountain in a jiffy and demanded for more.
"Mikayla!" I said with a mouthful of cake. "You literally just started eating."
She cackled and slid her plate across the table. "It's so good, mama." I beamed at her before taking the plate. "You should do something like this in the next bake sale my school will hold. You'll win, I'm very sure about that. Most of the moms can't bake anyways. The carrot cake James' mom made tasted like a vegetable patch. Even the cake aunt Lee bought at the store was way better. I felt bad for poor James."
Our joint laughter filled the air. "I feel bad for James and I don't even know him." She smacked her lips in sheer rapture when I gave her back her plate with cake in it. "So who won the bake sale?"
Kayla scoffed and my brows quirked with curiosity. "Nicole's mom. Nicole didn't let the school breathe it down for a whole week and I wanted to squeeze a sock in her mouth more than once."
My eyes widened a bit before I burst into laughter. Kayla must really hate that girl because I'd never heard such violent speech from her before then. Staying with Nelly could do that to anyone. "That's sucks. When's the next bake sale? I'll come for that one."
Her teeth had chocolate all over them when she grinned. "Really? Oh, that's so cool. I think it's in two months. You gotta make this exact cake." She pointed at her unfinished portion. "Exactly the way it is right now. With this one alone, you're already the winner. Might as well crown you now." I shook my head in humor. When did my daughter get so grown? "You should work with Nana. Or even open a restaurant of your own."
I cringed at the thought of working with Sara. Several images of hypothetical scenes played in my mind and I shook my head to clear my thoughts. Nah, the fishes in Mississippi River would have to fly in the sky first. "You think I should open a restaurant? What will I name it then? Dulce y Picante also?"
Mikayla made a show of thinking by stroking her chin slowly with her fingers and I guffawed. My daughter was an official clown. "You should switch it up."
"Ohhhh?"
She nodded and finished off the cake in her plate. "Yeah. Name it Dulce y Dulce. That one's perfect, mama."
I eyed her warily. "Dulce y Dulce? You want me to name my restaurant Sweet & Sweet? I don't know, honey."
"Think about it, mama. Sweet & Sweet. It's not going to be like Nana's cos you'd just sell cakes and ice cream and waffles and stuffs like that. The good and sweet stuff."
I waited a few seconds before nodding. "Hmmmm, that sounds just about alright. I am going to think about it." I scoffed inwardly at my declaration. Like hell I was. I didn't even like cooking for myself to be honest, Kayla was the only one I liked doing it for.
"I'll be the manager of the restaurant." I laughed and she stood up from the stool. "I didn't do my homework all weekend. I should do that now."
I also got up. "I'll just clean this place up while you do that. By the way, how have your classes been going?"
She started walking towards the kitchen door. "Which one?"
"All of them."
"Horribly." She called out from the hallway and I chuckled softly. Mikayla loved normal school and always had the best grades so she had to be joking. Who knew she had a sense of humor?
You would have known if you'd always been around.
"Not today, satan." I muttered at my ever annoying subconscious. I was aware of my shortcomings in the past and I was ready to right the wrong. So as I wiped down the kitchen, I strategized on how to make sure I was as involved as possible in my daughter's life.
At sundown, we walked to a diner close to our house and ate there. The waiter flirted incessantly with me and I rolled my eyes so much that night, I thought the irises would get stuck in the sockets. He was a good-looking dude- nice body, great smile and all- but those weren't the strongest winning points in my books. He didn't look a day above 18 and that was a no-no for me.
"Maybe I'll see you around later?" I raised my brows at his sudden bashfulness as I stood with Mikayla to leave. He'd been really brazen since I stepped into the diner. Another reason I didn't like boys. They never really know what they want.
I shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. Though I'm leaning towards the latter heavily."
"Why? You think I'm too young for you?"
Mikayla excused herself to use the bathroom and I let her go. "Something like that. I think you should save your flirting for highschoolers. Not that you don't have game, it's just not for a grown woman like me."
He smirked and my brows furrowed in puzzlement. "I've fucked older woman."
For the millionth time, I rolled my eyes. I was pretty sure the organs were already exhausted from the exercise I was subjecting them to. "Great information, to be honest. You can fix it in your resumé or better yet, frame it and hang it beside the sports car poster on your bedroom wall. All teenage boys have that poster on their walls, don't they?" He scowled at my jab and I made a tsk sound. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, sweetheart. It's a phase every teenage boy has to pass through. Even ol' Brandon had it on his wall when I used to visit, it's a pity I can't remember the exact car it was. In my defence, it's been ages."
Mikayla came back and saved me from any more conversations with the mildly annoyed waiter. We got back home and headed straight to bed. I tried to call Nelly before I fell asleep but it was still switched off. I wasn't worried though, she probably drank her weight in alcohol and that wasn't a lot. If she didn't come early enough to stay with Mikayla the next day, I'd either drive her to her grandparents house or straight to school. With that line of thought, I gave in to the strong hands of slumber.
I woke up the next morning with a start. That was how I always woke up when I was work bound. It was almost like there was a ticking clock in my head that didn't let me oversleep on the days I went to work. I carefully moved away from the grasp of a sleeping Kayla and gave her a light peck on the forehead before racing to the bathroom. I handled my affairs like I always did- with lightening speed.
I chose a full suit to wear to work and I tried to not think about the troubles that probably awaited me at WeCare Inc. For the umpteenth time since Saturday, I checked my email to see if Amber eventually replied my message and sighed deeply when I saw no response. As I buttoned my white shirt, I fumed at the thought of the short, olive toned woman. She sure had a lot of audacity in her tiny frame.
"Short people and their attitude problems." I grumbled as I tucked my shirt in my black pencil skirt. It wasn't just Amber guilty of that, even Nelly was too. It was inherent in short people to act up. "God, why didn't you give me a tall supervisor?" I whined like a mistreated child and glanced at the wall clock. 6:32am. I had more than an hour to get there. My office was about an hour away or maybe less than 45 minutes when I drove like a lunatic. So I was still on time, all I had to do was wait for Nelly. I'd woken up to a text from her.
Hey. I'll be there by 7. Maybe.
That was all the text read. I walked back to Mikayla's room to give her one last peck before I left for work and that was the moment my conscience decided to work overtime. Her complaints about eating takeouts flooded my ears and I damn near growled. I was mad because I knew I wouldn't leave the house until I'd made something for her to eat in my absence. I cursed Nelly and her lack of decent cooking skills.
I checked the kitchen counters for Kraft Mac and cheese. That wouldn't take me more than 10 minutes to prepare. I grunted in frustration when I didn't find any and quickly put some macaroni to cook. Of course, I'd have to make enough for two people. My daughter and her babysitter that couldn't cook. I was whisking beaten eggs and the butter-flour sauce when I heard the unmistakable sound of a key being slot into a keyhole. Nelly had finally come around but I still wasn't ready to leave. For every heavy step she took, my hands worked a little faster.
She poked her head in the kitchen and scrunched her face in obvious confusion. I didn't even have enough time to laugh at her expression, I barely even had time to think as my hands mechanically performed the task of adding cheese and other spices. I knew if I spared a few seconds to really look at her, she'd be scratching the bridge of her nose. That was what she always did when she was confused. I finally looked at her when I had put the baking dish filled with cooked macaroni, cheese and the egg mixture. I quirked my brows in question at my petite friend.
"What are you doing, mi amiga?"
I dried my hands on the napkin and dusted my clothes. "Cooking."
She huffed and looked at me with a stupid expression. "I can see that. Very clearly." She sniffed the air once. "So I'll ask again, slowly this time. What. Are. You. Doing?"
I rolled my eyes. "You mean why am I still here in the kitchen instead of rushing to work?" Her blank look made me scoff. "It's your fault anyways."
She yawned and walked to the fridge. "It's fucking too early to be drunk. Besides you're going to work, why did you even drink?"
Trust Nelly to say the most annoying things without batting an eye. "Mikayla is tired of takeouts and sadly for her, aunt Lee doesn't know how to cook."
She shrugged nonchalantly. "So you're going to work late cos you're cooking for your daughter?" She nodded slowly and took a sip from the OJ she just opened. "Just two days with Kayla and you're already set to lose your job? That's disgustingly sweet."
I grimaced as I put my feet in my stiletto shoes. "I might have already lost it."
"Because you're going to come in late one day?" A sip. "I knew there was a reason I didn't want to work."
Fuck Nelly for always making me want to cough out my lungs in serious situations. "That's only cos you're lazy but that's not even the point. I didn't attend the swearing-in ceremony on Saturday. Actually, I didn't even remember. Like it totally escaped my mind. And the event was compulsory."
She chuckled at my anxious tone. "Shit, that's fucking crazy."
I was about to agree when something else came to mind that made me scowl. "I spent all weekend trying to stop Kayla from cursing cos someone won't stop teaching her."
She waved it off and crouched to look at the dish in the oven. "Oh, you're welcome. She's a really fast learner though, so I can't take all the credit."
I almost screamed in frustration. "I wasn't commending you for Christ's sake."
Nelly raised a brow. "You weren't?"
I glanced at my wristwatch and winced. 7:45am. There was no way I'd get to work by 8am. "Look, we're going to have a serious talk when I get back. For now, don't you dare curse around her." She gave me a bored look and I wanted to wring her neck. "I'll be back home early for dinner."
"Yeah, right. I've heard that particular line one too many times. You're definitely coming back by midnight."
I ran to the living room and grabbed my coat on the sofa. "Well, I'll surprise you tonight."
"I hate surprises." She called out from the kitchen and I replied just as I opened the door.
"Bummer."
I ran downstairs and drove like a psychopath. I raced past a couple red lights and was almost certain I'd get a ticket. That couldn't even bother me at the moment, not when I wasn't sure if I still had a job.
I was so screwed.