She inclines her head in agreement and it’s only then that I notice the silver strands woven into her dark, wavy bob. “Please call me Beatriz, or Mama if you would prefer.” My heart stops for a moment at the casual but sincere way she made her offer. No one since my own mother... Before I can form a response, she continues, “Lizzie, please get Blake something to drink and show him to a seat.”
“Can I do something to help?” I ask, not wanting this woman to feel that I’m unwilling to lend a hand. She laughs merrily.
“Of course not!” she sounds appalled that I would even suggest it.
“Mama does things the old way.” Lizzie volunteers opening the refrigerator door. “Do you want a beer, Blake?” she asks peeking my way. I nod and she does too, reaching inside for a bottle and bringing it to me. “Thought so.”
“I’m going to go change and find Auggie,” Ellie says, plucking at her work dress as Lizzie starts pulling groceries out of bags and putting them away.
“Good idea, querida, it’s time that he wakes up from his nap.”
“He was being a little brat, so we didn’t wake him up.” Lizzie says giggling.
Ellie smiles weakly at me, “I’ll be right back.”
I don’t mind sitting here with a beer in hand, listening to the happy chatter surrounding me. I’ve never seen anything like this in my life and I just want to absorb the good feeling. Is this what it’s like to have a family? A real one that belongs to you, as much as you belong to them. Twisting the top off the beer to hide the slight trembling of my fingers I take a pull of the cold beverage and let the feeling of peace flow over me.
“Dat man, Mama?” a sleepy voice asks behind me. I turn slightly in my chair and there she is, in faded jeans with the tails of an old flannel shirt tied around her slender waist. A small boy is on her hip, his face pressed to her shoulder while big curious eyes examine me.
“That’s Mama’s friend, Auggie. His name is Blake.” Lizzie sets down the bag she was emptying and hurries to her sister and lifts him into her own arms. He wiggles a little, reaching for Ellie, until she bends over and rustles through her remaining bags.
“I brought you a present, Auggie.” Ellie tells him, her face reflecting her genuine happiness at giving him a gift. He giggles happily, no traces of the brat that Lizzie called him just minutes before, as she sets him in a booster chair at the table.
Carrying one of the bags to the table, Ellie looks at her sister sternly, “I got something for you too, hermana, but first you need to finish putting the groceries away.”
“Thank you, Ellie!” Lizzie enthuses, hurrying back to finish her task without argument while their mother smiles and rolls out what looks like homemade tortillas on a large wooden cutting board.
“You’re welcome. Now hurry up so I can show you what I got you!” Ellie sounds almost as excited as her sister, and it occurs to me how she carefully recorded the cost of each item on her phone calculator. She even bought a brightly colored set of measuring cups for her mother, which she carefully sets on the counter for her inspection. I know she had money left, but she still didn’t buy anything for herself.
“Oh, Elinor! These are so pretty. You are always so thoughtful.” Beatriz once again wipes her hands and this time it’s Ellie she wraps in a tight hug whispering words of praise and thanks into her daughter’s loose hair. It’s the first time I’ve seen it down, falling halfway down her back in a beautiful deep, rich brown waterfall with bright chestn
ut undertones blazing under the harsh light of the kitchen fixtures. Even with my poor Spanish I can hear the words love and good daughter before Ellie pushes back, her cheeks pink with pleasure and maybe a little embarrassment. Her eyes sparkle with happiness.
“How you doing, Blake?” she asks me, deflecting everyone’s attention to me and away from her. I grin and take another sip of my beer.
“I’m good.” More than good, to be honest. “Why don’t you give this little fellow his present?” I suggest, effectively moving the focus away from myself. She smiles, aware that I just played the same game that she did and reaches into the bag for the plastic tub of blocks, setting them on the table and pulling off the lid. Auggie claps his little hands excitedly.
“Down you go,” she says, plucking him out of the chair and setting him on the floor before handing him the red tub. It’s promptly dumped on the floor with a clatter and the small boy cackles gleefully as he drops down and begins stacking them on top of each other.
“Can I have mine now?" Lizzie asks eagerly, plopping down into the chair beside mine and resting her chin on her fist. She looks so much like her sister, even with the subtle differences, that it amazes me. Being near Lizzie doesn’t awaken the same jumble of feelings in me that her sister’s presence does. I’m sure that even blindfolded, I would be able to tell them apart just from the electric feeling I have when I’m near Ellie.
Ellie’s smile is even bigger than it was before. Seeing her in her element is like seeing a whole different person than the one I’ve seen at Luminoso. This Ellie is sure of herself and her place in the world. I’d like to see her like this every day, at work included, and I’m going to figure out a way for that to happen. Seeing her interact with her family reinforces my belief that she’s a sweet woman who deserves nothing but the same happiness she seems to enjoy spreading.
Pushing the bag across to her sister she watches as her twin reaches inside pulling out the lip-gloss and sparkly pink shirt with a gasp.
“OMG Ells! I love it!” she jumps from her chair, scooting it across the tile floor with a loud squeak. “Be right back!” she squeals running from the room, presumably to change into her new top. Seconds later she’s back, and I was right, wearing the glittery shirt and an enormous smile on her freshly glossed lips.
“Don’t you look pretty, mija?” Beatriz says indulgently as she lowers slices of boneless chicken into a sizzling cast iron pan.
“What do you think, Blake?” Lizzie drags out my name in a way that I’m positive is meant to be flirtatious, but instead is just stinking cute. I’m already finding it easy to think of her as a child, even if that child is housed in the body of a beautiful adult woman.
“You look cute, Lizzie.” I tell her. She giggles and looks away bashfully. I know that I said the right thing when Beatriz and Ellie both grace me with identical smiles. Ellie hurries to busy herself pulling dishes from a cabinet but Beatriz stares into my eyes for a long moment, taking my measure, before nodding her head like something was settled in her mind.
“Blake, would you mind helping Auggie put his blocks in his room and to wash his hands for supper.” It’s gently worded decree and I know it. Rising from my seat I approach Auggie and squat down to his level. I don’t think I’ve talked to a child since I was one, and never one this small.
“Hey buddy, gramma says it’s time to put these away and wash up. Can I help you?” Seems like a good idea to ask. He shyly nods and together we gather the plastic blocks and stack them in their container.
When I stand so does Auggie, handing me the small tub and reaching up for my hand. I have to lean down uncomfortably for him to reach it, but when he can his small, chubby fingers grip mine and my chest tightens again. What is it about this family?