Delia's Heart (Delia 2)

“You didn’t know that picture was taken?” Jesse asked.

“There were so many lights going off…Danielle’s personal photographer, but no,” I said, amazed. “I did not know someone was working for the newspaper.”

“Delia Yebarra storms into the Palm Springs social scene,” Edward said, drawing a headline in the air and laughing. He leaned over to whisper because the door was open. “Seen at the party with the son of the U.S. Senate candidate. This will surely impress my mother. The social pages are the pages of her Bible.”

“Sophia will be pouting,” Jesse said. “She didn’t make the social pages.”

They both laughed.

I looked at the breakfast, at them, and at the newspaper.

“It’s okay to be a little famous,” Edward said, reading the worried expression on my face.

He didn’t understand, but the first thought that had come to my mind after seeing my picture in the paper was that Ignacio’s father and mother might see it as well. What would they think of me and my devotion to Ignacio? Could such a picture find its way to Ignacio?

“From what’s written there, it sounds like an amazing birthday party,” Jesse said. “Magicians, cancan girls, fireworks! What didn’t they have?”

“Homemade food,” I said, “and family.”

They both stared at me with nearly identical smiles.

“You still miss Mexico quite a bit, don’t you?” Edward asked.

“Sí. Tanto.”

“What exactly do you miss so much, Delia?” Jesse asked.

I smiled, remembering. “I miss the music in the square, the comfort I could find in the church, my grandmother’s friends talking softly in the evening, the sight of my father sitting quietly with my mother and talking softly about their day or their own dreams. I miss walking in the streets and smelling the aromas of homemade chile, rice and beans, burritos, fajitas, tortillas, the laughter of the little children, running through our poor streets but none of them thinking about their poverty. I miss the honesty.”

I stopped, realizing how I had gone on and that they were both staring at me in amazement.

Edward smiled. “You know, I think we should make a definite decision right now,” he said, nodding. “We’re going to go to Mexico during the school break, drive to your village, which was where my grandmother and grandfather lived, too. We’ll start planning seriously.”

“Good idea,” Jesse said. “I’ll work out the arrangements and the route.”

The idea was still as exciting as ever, but I couldn’t help but think what such a trip taken by the three of us would do for the nasty rumors once word of it got out. It would be like fertilizing an ugly weed.

“Doesn’t that sound good to you anymore, Delia?” Edward asked when I didn’t respond.

“Of course, sí.”

“Then why this look on your face, the expression of someone who just lost her best friend or something?”

I took a deep breath and shifted myself in the bed so I could move the breakfast aside for a few moments. “Will you promise not to go wild and angry and do something terrible if I tell you something?”

“No,” Edward said.

“Then I won’t tell you.”

“Whatever it is, we’re going to find out eventually, anyway, Delia. If something is so bad that you need me to make such a promise, it must be that everyone around here knows about it except Jesse and myself. Okay,” he said when I didn’t speak. “We’ll take deep breaths and not go flying off the handle. You know what that means?”

I nodded. He was probably right. These stories would eventually find their way to his and Jesse’s ears.

“Well?”

“Your sister is spreading stories about us. She and Christian tossed them about like grass seed last night at the party, and before we left, everyone was whispering, and the three of us were covered in their slander.”

“W