Full Circle (12 page)

“What about
Mom’s medical bills?”

“The company
has taken care of that. We have insurance through them, and they went to bat
for us to arrange for in-house care.”

“Dad.” Bella
didn’t know how to say it. “Do you have any savings?” She lowered her voice.
“What about Mom’s funeral expenses?”

His eyes were
bleak when he finally looked at her. “I’ll manage.”

Bella nodded.
Her father was a proud man, but she would visit the funeral home tomorrow and
pay for everything. It was the least she could do.

* * *

Bella woke
early the next morning. Her father had brought a small cot into her old
bedroom, and Melissa lay tangled in the bedclothes, still fast asleep. She
slipped into her housecoat and went silently down the stairs.

Her father
was already awake and at her mother’s bedside. He didn’t turn when she entered.
“Dad?” she said tentatively, afraid to look at her mother. “What is it?”

He didn’t
turn. “She slipped into a coma some time after I gave her the midnight shot.”

She looked
down at her mother’s peaceful face. “What happens now?”

“I continue
to give her the shots.” He finally looked up. “The nurse says she’ll slip away
any time now. Probably within the next twenty four hours.”

* * *

The nurse was
right. That evening, Bella was in the kitchen washing up after feeding Melissa
one of her favorites–mac and cheese–when her father walked in.

“She’s gone,”
he said simply. He looked around the kitchen as if he’d never seen it before.
“Do we have any lemonade? I’d like a nice tall glass of lemonade.”

“I made some
this afternoon.” Bella poured for her father, ice cubes clinking against the
glass. “Do you want something stronger?”

He almost
drained the glass in one swallow. “Sounds tempting, but not right now. I have
to make some calls. You know...arrangements and all that.”

Bella had to
tell him now. “I went to the funeral home this afternoon and paid for
everything. Shall I call them?”

Tears welled
up in her father’s eyes and he leaned back against the counter, supporting
himself. “Thank you, Girlie. Yes, please call them.”

Melissa
appeared at that moment, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She looked from her
mother to her grandfather. “Did Grandma die?” Bella nodded. Melissa ran to her
grandfather and slipped her hand into his. “I’m sorry, Grandpa.”

He squeezed
her hand. “Thank you, Sweetie. Now you should run upstairs and get dressed. We
have a lot to do today.”

When she had left
he turned to Bella. “Could you get her out of the house for a while? I don’t
want her to see them take your mother away.” He moved toward the sickroom. “You
make the call and I’ll close up the room. Okay?”

* * *

The days
leading up to the funeral were a blur of activity. Bella and Melissa made a
quick trip into Atlanta for dark clothes. Bella looked into her father’s side
of the closet in her parents’ bedroom, took note of his suit size and measured
the inseam of his slacks. While in Atlanta, she bought him a new suit, shirt
and tie, which he accepted silently.

Before she
knew it, they were in church. The pastor was speaking, the stained glass window
threw colored light on her mother’s coffin, the organ played, and it was all
over. She rose, holding her father’s arm on one side and Melissa’s hand on the
other. The church was packed with townspeople, but she didn’t see anyone until
they reached the cemetery. A fresh breeze lifted a strand of hair and it
swirled in front of her face. Brushing it away, she turned her head, and found
Jeffrey directly in her line of sight.

He nodded
imperceptibly, and for a moment his eyes came alive with a tentative smile. He
wasn’t a young man any more, but then she was scarcely the young girl who had
stormed off after their last meeting. By his side, a young boy about Melissa’s
age was fidgeting, his hand in his father’s. Bella forced herself to look at
him; he looked nothing like his mother, who was fair and blonde. He’d inherited
his father’s dark hair and dark eyes. It didn’t take much to imagine him
playing baseball, or fishing in the river from the old bridge the way his
father had done, not so many years ago.

For one
insane moment Bella allowed herself to wonder what her life would have been
like if she’d stayed here...if she and Jeffrey had married. But either she was
in too much shock or her imagination was failing, because she couldn’t
visualize such a scenario. Her life was full now. Full of friends, family and
her business.

She lifted
her chin, tilted her head to acknowledge Jeffrey, and then returned her
attention to the service. She could scarcely wait to get back home...home to
California.

* * *

Carla met her
at the airport. Tired from the flight, Melissa curled up in the back seat and
promptly fell asleep.

“So how was
it?” asked Carla when they were underway. “Sorry, stupid question. How are you
holding up?”

Bella thought
for a moment. “I’m doing surprisingly well. Dad was grateful that I stayed a
few extra days, but he’s handling his grief well.” She paused. “Of course he
misses her like crazy, but he’s known for a while that it was coming, and he’s already
adjusting to his new life.” She smiled, recalling her father’s surprising
resilience. “He’s going to go back to work next week.”

Carla was
silent for a moment, then checked the back seat to make sure Melissa was
asleep. “Did you see him? Jeffrey?”

“Yes. At the
cemetery. It was almost surreal, seeing him there, with his son.”

“What do you
mean?”

“He’s not the
same kid I knew back then.”

Carla rolled
her eyes. “Look who’s talking. You’ve changed a lot more than he has.” She gave
her friend a quick once-over. “You’ve become quite glamorous, you know. I
noticed several men giving you the eye in the airport.”

“Me?” Bella
laughed self-consciously. “Hardly. Listen, let’s change the subject. How was
the opening?”

“It was
fantastic!” Carla almost vibrated with enthusiasm. “It’s one thing to hear
about it second hand when you open a store, but to actually see it, and to see
the way people respond; I’m totally impressed. And Rafael was his usual perfect
self. I think every woman there wanted to drag him off and ravish him.” She
signalled, changed lanes. “Can’t say I blame them.”

“Carla!”
Bella laughed in spite of herself. “You’re incorrigible.”

“It’s true.
By the way, he said something about stopping by tonight. I said he’d have to
check with you. Where do we turn off?”

“Next exit,”
said Bella, but her thoughts were on Rafael. “Did he say what time?”

“What am I,
your social secretary? No, he didn’t say what time.”

Bella laughed
again. It was good to be home.

* * *

“Hello,
Cara
.”

Bella opened
her eyes, disoriented for a moment. She’d fallen asleep in one of the new
chairs on the front porch, waiting for Sofia to come home from work. Melissa,
still subdued from the trip east, was inside watching television with Val.

“Rafael.” He
was leaning against one of the porch supports; long, lean and elegant even in
casual clothes. “I missed you.”

“I missed
you, too.” Bella thought she heard a catch in his voice, but she couldn’t be
sure. He gazed deeply into her eyes. “How are you?”

She shook
herself awake and looked at her watch. “Quite well, actually. I just slept for
an hour.”

Sofia pulled
into the driveway and they both turned to greet her. Her smile was bright
enough to light up an entire power grid as she enveloped Bella in a hug. Being
in love had made her come alive. “How are you? Have you had anything to eat?”
she asked, motherly instincts coming to the fore. “I can’t tell you how sorry
we all were, but I’ll bet you’re glad you made the trip.” She looked into
Bella’s eyes, trying to judge the state of her friend’s emotions. “That counted
for something, didn’t it?”

Bella nodded.
“Yes it did and I’m glad I went.” She nodded toward the house, where the girls
were giggling at something they were watching. “And I’m glad I took Melissa to
meet her grandmother before it was too late.”

“Good.” She
turned to Rafael. “That union organizer was around again today. I told him to
go ahead and talk to the employees if he wanted. I have a feeling that he
didn’t know we already pay union scale and that our employees have medical
coverage plus day care on top of that. Why would they want to join a union?”

Rafael didn’t
look the least bit perturbed. “So what happened?”

“He went into
the lunch room and talked to a few people, but they just laughed at him.” She
looked at Bella. “We were right to take care of the employees. It’s paid off in
so many ways.”

Bella nodded.
It was hard to switch gears so abruptly.

“You’re not
up to speed yet, are you?” It was uncanny how Rafael could almost read her
thoughts. “If you’re not too tired, would you like to get away? We could go up
the coast, or anywhere you like, for that matter.”

Bella looked
up gratefully. “I’d love to get away for a while and forget about everything.”
She turned to Sofia. “Can Melissa stay here for a few hours?”

“Of course.
Diego is coming over for dinner when his shift is over.” She wagged a finger at
Rafael. “Don’t keep her out too late.”

* * *

“Where to?” said
Rafael after settling her in the passenger seat of his new convertible. “Your
wish is my command.”

“Know where
I’d like to go?” Bella freed her hair and let the wind blow through it. “I’d
like to take a walk on the pier.”

“With all the
tourists?” Rafael pretended to be shocked.

“Yes, with
all the tourists.” Bella became pensive. “That’s where Sofia and I got the idea
that we might be able to sell clothes.”

“Really?”
Rafael changed direction, headed toward the pier. “I didn’t know that. Then by
all means, let’s go.”

The setting
sun bathed the entire pier in a golden glow. They sauntered slowly, and as
Bella breathed in the ocean air, the tension of the past week drifted away.
Sensing her mood, Rafael walked silently by her side, occasionally sheltering her
with an arm as young people jostled them, intent on their own progress.

“Could you
eat something?” she asked, suddenly realizing she was hungry.

“Not really,
but I’ll get something for you. What would you like?”

“I’d love a
basket of shrimp and a cold drink.”

“Coming right
up. Why don’t you sit over there, and I’ll bring it.” Rafael motioned to a
small table near the railing.

Bella watched
him walk away. She wasn’t the only one; every unattached woman in the vicinity,
and even some that were with men were looking at him with pure unadulterated
lust. And yet he didn’t seem to notice.

He brought
the shrimp to the table and placed them in front of her. “Smells good,” he said.
“I’m beginning to wish I hadn’t had such a large lunch.”

“Where did
you go?”

“I took
Alexandra to that new French place just off Third. It was excellent.”

Bella forced
herself to swallow the shrimp she’d just put in her mouth. “Alexandra?”

“Yes.” He
helped himself to one of her shrimp. “She’s a local television producer. Her
team covered the opening in San Francisco.”

She nudged
the basket of shrimp away and picked up her drink. The thought of eating
suddenly made her want to gag.

“The opening,”
she said, forcing herself to think of something other than Rafael with a woman.
“It seems like a long time ago. Carla said it went really well.”

“It wasn’t
the same without you there.” He popped another shrimp into his mouth. “But
Carla is a natural. Have you thought of asking her to take over for Sofia? I
know that working the garment district in New York isn’t exactly what we do
here, but she has an amazing amount of knowledge.” He paused. “That is, if
she’s interested.”

“I haven’t
asked her formally yet. I wanted to talk it over with you first, but I thought
maybe she could take over pattern making and oversee production.”

“My thoughts
exactly.” He reached for another shrimp.

“I thought
you weren’t hungry.” The words came out harshly and Rafael gave her an odd
look.

“I guess I’m
just glad to have you back,” he said, giving her a quizzical look. “Are you
okay?”

Bella hated
this. She blinked back tears of frustration. She’d always known that eventually
Rafael would become involved with someone, so why had it hit her so hard? A
breeze off the ocean caught her hair and she pushed it back angrily. “I’m fine,”
she said, forcing herself to look at him. “I guess maybe I’m more tired that I
realized.”

He rose.
“Come” he said simply, offering her his hand. “I’m taking you home.” He pulled
her up, held her hand for a moment and looked deeply into her eyes. “I’m sorry,
Cara. I shouldn’t have been talking business tonight.” He brushed a hair away
from her face and his fingers brushed against her cheek and neck, igniting
patches of desire. It was all she could do to keep from stepping into the
circle of his arms. “I
am
sorry about your mother. I don’t think I told
you that.”

“I know,
Rafa. Thank you.”

He gave her
hand one last squeeze, and then dropped it. They walked slowly back. It was
comforting to walk like this; she could easily imagine what life would be like
if they were together. But that wasn’t to be; it was unsaid, but they both knew
it.

The year that
Melissa turned fifteen was a banner year.
Bella
had nine stores in eight
states, and Ethan won the Emmy for Best Dramatic Actor. He’d been one of those
rare actors who’d never been without work since coming to Los Angeles. Sofia
and Diego had given Valeria two brothers, and
Bella
had purchased premises
for a new, larger production facility not far from their first location. At
Rafael’s suggestion, they had also purchased the first building they’d occupied
and used it as their distribution center. E-commerce now accounted for eighteen
percent of their annual sales, and was increasing yearly.