Chapter 6 - Only Three
The closet door stayed open behind me and the cold from the hallway vent kept pushing in. I could feel it on the back of my neck where my hair was pinned up. Marcelo didn't move from where he'd stopped, two steps inside the sitting area, his jacket pulling tight across his shoulders. Lily was still holding my skirt with both hands, her cheek pressed against the lace.
I looked at Maya in the doorway with her tray set down now on the hall table. She hadn't been asked to come up, but she had followed, and I was glad for it because I couldn't think with just his eyes on me.
"Can you give us a minute?" I said. My voice sounded thin. "Please."
Marcelo shook his head once. "No more minutes."
"It's not for me." I kept my hand on Lily's head, feeling the small bows under my palm. "She doesn't need to hear this part."
He glanced down at Lily, and something in his jaw eased, just a fraction. That was the only opening I was going to get.
I turned a little so I was speaking to him directly. "Let Maya take her downstairs for ice cream. Just for ten minutes."
"Why would I do that?" he said.
"To shield her," I said. "Only to shield her."
Maya stepped forward. "I can take her to the service station by the kitchen," she said quietly. "There's vanilla. It's quiet there. No guests."
Marcelo studied her name tag like he was deciding if she could be trusted. Then he looked back at me. "Ten minutes," he said. "That's for her. Not for you."
I nodded too fast. "I know."
I crouched down, and my gown pulled hard across my knees. The lace scratched my palms when I braced myself on the carpet. Lily watched me with those big, serious eyes, not blinking.
"You remember the ice cream with the little spoon?" I said. "Maya's going to take you to get some while Mommy and Daddy have a grown-up talk."
She didn't let go of my skirt. "Am I in trouble?"
The question hit me harder than anything Marcelo had said. I shook my head and tried to smile.
"No, baby. You told the truth."
"Are you in trouble?" she asked.
I glanced up at Marcelo before I could stop myself. He was watching us, his hands at his sides, his bow tie a little crooked now. I didn't want to lie to her again, not with the thing sitting in the closet five feet away.
"We need to talk first," I said. "Then I promise I'll tell you everything after. Just you and me."
She considered that. She looked at Maya, then at Marcelo. "Daddy, are you mad?"
Marcelo crouched too, which surprised me. His knee cracked on the carpet. He didn't touch me. He put his hand flat on the floor between us to balance himself.
"I'm not mad at you," he said. His voice was lower than downstairs. "You did right to come to Mommy."
Lily nodded once, satisfied with that logic. She let go of my dress, one finger at a time, and reached for Maya's hand. Maya bent and took it carefully, like she knew how much that hand was holding together.
"Vanilla?" Maya asked.
"With sprinkles?" Lily said.
"If they have them," Maya said.
They started toward the door. At the threshold Lily stopped and turned back. She pointed past me, toward the open closet.
"That's hers," she said, matter-of-fact. "She left it."
"I know," I said. "Go on with Maya. I'll be right here."
Marcelo stood as they went out. He didn't say goodbye. He watched until their steps faded down the runner, Maya's soft shoes and Lily's hard little party shoes, then he reached past me and closed the suite door. The lock clicked.
May you like
The sitting area went very quiet. The chandelier light from the ballroom was gone up here. There was only the lamp by the chair and the open closet with the shape on the shelf.
Now it was just the two of us.
