Delia's Heart (Delia 2)

“She can take care of herself,” Jesse said, smiling. “C’mon. Don’t get her nervous. She’s been through enough for now.”

“That’s for sure,” Edward said, nodding and still muttering to himself.

Everyone was warning me about Adan, Fani and her sex detector, and now Edward with this lady’s man title. I couldn’t help it. I was getting nervous.

“Let’s go, Delia,” Jesse said. “We’ll help you down to breakfast.”

“I must put some moist heat on my ankle first,” I said. “The doctor prescribed it.”

“I’ll get a washcloth under the hot water for you,” Jesse said.

“Yeah, good idea,” Edward told him. “She should be resting more, anyway. Delia, why don’t you just lie back? I’ll bring up some breakfast for you, or is it lunch?” he said, smiling and looking at his watch.

“Brunch,” Jesse called back from the bathroom.

“Thank you, Edward. I know Tía Isabela is angry at me. She thinks it’s all my fault.”

“Don’t you worry. I’ll straighten that out,” he said, walking to the door. “Just relax, and let us baby you.”

I smiled, and he walked out, closing the door behind him. Jesse returned from the bathroom with a towel to put under my ankle and a steaming washcloth to put around it. He sat at my feet and carefully removed the bandage before applying the moist heat.

“Is it too hot?”

“No. Thank you, Jesse.”

He smiled and looked at my ankle as if he could see it improving every second and then carefully stroked it. While he was leaning over me, Sophia burst into my bedroom.

“Well, look at who’s getting tender loving care!” she cried. Her girlfriend Alisha was right behind her, grinning so hard it looked as if the corners of her mouth would touch her ears. “Or is it a little more than that? What do you think, Alisha?”

“More.”

“Get the hell out of here,” Jesse said.

“Don’t tell me where to go in my house, Jesse Butler,” Sophia said, clamping her hands on her hips. “Did you know she came home drunk last night?” she asked, wagging her head. “And made a big scene, waking everyone, even my mother? All she can do is cause trouble for us.”

“Save your breath and your act. We know exactly what happened last night, Sophia.”

“Yes, so do I,” she said, and stepped to the side to look at me. “You came home with Adan Bovio. You can’t keep a secret from me. I bet you think you’re just so wonderful now, but believe me, you’ll just become another one of his whores. You’ll see, and then—”

Edward had come up behind her with a tray carrying my cup of coffee, eggs and bacon, and rolls and butter with a dish of fruit. He deliberately held it high and bumped into Sophia, causing the cup of coffee to spill out all over the back of her neck. She screamed and nearly leaped out of her skin.

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t see you standing there,” Edward said. “This damn one-eye problem.”

Sophia, now in tears, burst past him and out of the room. Edward reached back with his foot and kicked the door closed in Alisha’s face.

“I’ll go get some more coffee,” Jesse said. “What a waste of good coffee.”

Edward laughed and brought the tray to my lap. “Sorry about the little mess,” he said, sopping up the coffee that had spilled in the tray.

“You’re just as bad as she is,” I said, playfully chastising him but secretly pleased.

“Apples don’t fall far from the mother tree,” he replied.

“I know she is just being mean and jealous, but she is not all wrong, Edward. I seem to be a sister to disaster.”

“Don’t you believe it, Delia. She’d love hearing you say that.”

“Were you never close as brother and sister?” I asked as I drank my juice and ate.