“I need to get you out of here.”
She smiled thinly at him. “Let’s do this first.”
They halted outside a wooden cottage almost identical to his, but which looked as if it’d been occupied for years – there was a little garden around the perimeter with shrubs and flowers growing neatly. Samira knocked on the wooden door and a middle-aged lady opened it with a warm smile.
She had brown skin, and spoke with a Spanish accent. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Langdon.” Her eyes lingered over Ivan, then she gazed quizzically at Samira. “And who is this handsome man?”
Samira blushed. “Lola, this is… just a farm hand. No one. Can we come in?”
Lola stepped back and held open the door, smiling welcomingly. “Please to both come inside.”
Ivan followed Samira as they both stepped over the threshold. It was dimly lit and shady in here, but still very warm in this June heat. There was an electric fan standing in the corner of the room, blowing warm air around the space. Ivan caught the sound of mariachi music playing on the radio in the kitchen.
Lola gazed kindly at Samira. “I will leave you – I have baking that must be completed.”
“Thank you, Lola.”
Lola nodded knowingly, then strode into the kitchen, closing the door behind her.
“Why are we here?” Ivan asked.
She held his hand. “Come with me.”
She led him toward the back of the room and Ivan realized this place was much more homey than his own cabin – there was a well-worn couch in the corner, shelves full of books, and family photos on the walls. Lola had clearly lived here a long time. It was as if she came with the ranch.
At the back of the room, under the open window, Ivan saw a colorful play-mat on the floor, occupied by the six-month-old baby Samira had taken out earlier. He was lying on his back, totally naked, chewing on a green teething ring. The baby squealed with delight as he saw Samira.
She crouched on the wooden floor at the end of the mat. “Hello, chubby cheeks – has Lola fed you? Your tummy looks full!”
Ivan crouched down with her on the shiny floorboards. So this baby was definitely hers then – no doubt about it. Samira was a mom… he tried to take it in.
The baby was adorable – cute and cheerful. Being the eldest sibling of five, Ivan had always helped his own mom with the other kids, so he had a soft spot for babies. He’d dreamed about having a big family of his own, and he had hoped to do that with Samira. But now he realized with a heavy heart that she’d had a child with some other guy…
Ivan reached out and tickled the baby’s tiny feet, making him giggle and retract his legs. Samira laughed. The baby straightened his legs again, so Ivan tickled his feet once more, and the baby jiggled his entire body with happiness – which filled Ivan’s heart with joy.
“This helps to strengthen their leg muscles,” Ivan said, ticking his feet for a third time.
Samira smiled. “I didn’t know that. Lola’s been helping me so much. She’s had four kids of her own, so she knows what she’s talking about.”
“He’s adorable, Samira.”
“Thank you. I love him more than anything on this entire planet.”
They watched as the baby kicked his legs to one side and rolled himself over onto his stomach, then he started to drag himself toward his mom on his elbows.
“He’s refusing to crawl yet,” Samira said. “But Lola says they all develop at different speeds. I don’t know where he gets his stubbornness from… Hello, little one!”
She scooped her son up in her arms and held his bare body against herself, blowing a raspberry on his cheek and making him giggle.
“What’s his name?” Ivan said.
“Quin.”
“Cute name. Hi, Quin.”
At the sound of his name, Quin glanced up at Ivan, then he thrust out his arms and grasped his hands, making baby-talk noises to emphasize his desire to go to Ivan.
“He likes you,?