Chapter 20 The Way He Looks at You
"Adolfo!"
A woman’s voice rang out as they stepped into the back of the shop. Mayzie still wasn't used to hearing Alonso called by that name. It had been a total shock the first time she heard it; he’d never mentioned that "Alonso" was actually just a nickname.
A woman, no taller than five feet with jet-black dyed hair, hurried toward them from the small warehouse. She wore a vibrant rainbow dress and had her hair pulled into a neat bun. Though she looked to be in her mid-forties, it was clear that years of hard work had left their mark. Still, Mayzie could see the beautiful girl she used to be. Photos of her as a young dancer — taken long before she started a family — lined the walls of the store.
Alonso immediately let go of Mayzie's hand, worried his mother might get the wrong idea. The older woman reached out, cupping his face to kiss both his cheeks before doing the same to Mayzie. She began chattering away in Spanish to her son. Mayzie couldn't understand a word, but she was fairly certain Alonso was getting a scolding.
Suddenly, the woman grabbed Mayzie's hand and tucked it back into Alonso's. "No need to hide it," she chuckled. Her English was nearly perfect, carrying only the faint, melodic lilt of a Spanish accent.
Mayzie glanced at Alonso, whose face was turning various shades of red. She couldn't help but grin, realizing exactly what his mother thought was going on between them. Alonso muttered something back, and Mayzie caught her own name, followed by the word hermana. She knew that meant "sister."
The woman, Ilona, simply waved a hand and rolled her eyes. Mayzie could practically hear her thinking, Sure, I believe you, in a sarcastic tone.
Alonso sighed. "It’s rude to speak Spanish when Mayzie can’t understand us, Mamá. Especially when we’re clearly talking about her." He suddenly realized he was still holding Mayzie's hand and let go as if he’d been burned.
Ilona laughed. "Madre-dos," she said, using the nickname she had given Mayzie. It meant "Mother Two," because she always joked that Mayzie was like a second mother to her son. "When are you going to make him marry you?" she asked, turning back to a stack of books she was sorting.
This time, it was Mayzie's turn to blush furiously. "Uh…"
"You’re embarrassing her!" Alonso groaned. "Like I said, she’s like a sister to me."
"Your Papá used to say the same thing when his friends teased him," Ilona said with a bright smile. "He used to protect me from the neighborhood bullies. He was so sweet, Mi Caballero." Her gaze shifted to Alonso. "Your princess won't wait forever, Adolfo. Will she?"
"I... I don't..." Mayzie stammered. Ilona always did this, and Mayzie never knew how to handle it.
Ilona laughed again. "He always has his nose in a book, trying to build a better life. He doesn't realize life is passing him by." She sighed, shaking her head. "And from what I hear, you’re just as bad. You should both be dancing under the stars on a beach. Instead, you’re eating ramen in a tiny apartment and pretending you're just family." She frowned playfully. "I just hope you’re saving yourselves for the wedding night!"
"Mamá!" Alonso shouted, both of them now glowing like neon signs.
"I see you’ve turned them into tomatoes again," a deep voice joked from the stairs. It was Estevan, Alonso's father.
He had aged more gracefully than his wife, his dark hair graying only at the temples. He was as tall as Alonso but much leaner. Alonso once mentioned he took after his grandfather — he got the height, but not the bulk.
"They’re only embarrassed because I’m right," Ilona said, coughing slightly as she went back to her books.
"Maybe it’s just a truth they aren't ready for yet," Estevan said, stepping beside his wife. "It took me a long time to admit how I felt about you. Even then, I had to put it in a letter while I was overseas." He looked at Mayzie with a wink. "That way, if she said no, I’d be gone for another year and wouldn't have to see the rejection."
Ilona giggled. "It was a beautiful letter. His handwriting was so shaky. He claimed it was because he was on a ship, but I knew he was just nervous." She sighed happily. "He was so afraid to show his feelings, even on paper. I still have it. I’ll show it to you later, Madre-dos."
Estevan chuckled. "Yes, leave Adolfo alone until he’s ready. Just like you had to wait for me."
"Your mother has bugged us since we were thirteen!" Ilona countered. "Adolfo didn't find love until he was twenty. I have at least seven more years of teasing left in me to pay him back."
"Great," Alonso muttered. "I have to pay for what Grandma did to you."
"Your sisters got married too fast," Ilona smiled. "Deklan is too young, and Camilo is already engaged. You’re all I have left to pick on."
"Deklan is seventeen," Alonso pointed out. "Didn't you say Grandma started at thirteen?"
"He’s got a point there," Estevan laughed.
Mayzie began helping Ilona sort through the books while looking for something new to read. She didn't even have to say she was returning the old ones; Ilona trusted her completely. The room grew quiet as they all fell into a rhythm. Alonso carried boxes to the front shelves while Estevan worked on the shop’s accounts.
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"I want your first daughter to be named after me," Ilona whispered, making sure Estevan didn't hear.
"Alonso and I are just friends," Mayzie finally managed to say, finding her courage.
Ilona stopped working and looked at her. There was no doubt in her mind that her son was in love with Mayzie, but she wasn't sure if the feeling was mutual. Mayzie was hard to read, which was rare for Ilona.
"What's stopping you from being more?" Ilona asked softly.
Mayzie shrugged, a blank expression on her face. "I’ve never really thought about dating him. It’s not something I need in my life. Like Alonso said, we’re like siblings."
"Not something you need?" Ilona repeated. "Everyone needs love, Mayzie. It’s the only thing that makes the world bearable."
Mayzie didn't answer.
"Why do you think you don't need it?"
"I have Alonso's friendship, and I have other people who care about me. That's all I can handle right now."
"Why?"
Mayzie realized the conversation had turned serious. She stood up, looking down at the smaller woman. "I have a past I need to deal with before I can move forward. Between that and school, I just don't have the energy for anything else."
Ilona went silent for a moment before speaking again. "Alonso does not feel like a brother to you."
The words made Mayzie freeze.
"I’ve never seen that boy look at a girl the way he looks at you. He certainly doesn't look at his sisters that way."
"And how does he look at me?" Mayzie asked, her voice quiet.
"Like a man who wants something so badly, but knows in his heart it can never be his. He accepts being just a friend because he’d rather have a piece of you than nothing at all. He looks like his heart is breaking every second, only to be healed the moment you smile at him."
Mayzie swallowed hard, unsure of what to say.
"He’s good at hiding it," Ilona continued. "He gets that from Estevan. But he can't hide it from me. I know Adolfo hated how he grew up. I know he hates coming back here sometimes because it reminds him of the life we forced on him for our own dreams. He’s spent his whole life being disappointed. For once, I just want him to get what he actually wants."
Mayzie looked down at the book in her hand. "I don't think I can help you with that."
They worked in silence for a while until Alonso came in, grabbed another load of books, and left. Once he was gone, Ilona spoke again. "I go to church every night. I pray that God gives him this one thing. He has always sacrificed for others. I know he’ll let you walk away if you find someone else, and that’s why I interfere."
"I don't know what to say," Mayzie whispered. "I just don't see him that way."
"Then try," Ilona said firmly. "Tell me, is there anything actually wrong with him?"
Mayzie tried to think of a single bad quality Alonso had. She couldn't.
"Do you think he’d love you less if he knew your past?"
"No," Mayzie said instantly.
Ilona looked relieved. "Then why? If he’s a good man who would care for you, why not?"
Mayzie looked her in the eye. "Because I don't love him."
Ilona looked defeated. Her eyes drifted to Estevan, who was struggling with the math at his desk. "He’s terrible at numbers," Ilona remarked. "I have to have Deklan double-check everything."
Mayzie followed her gaze.
"He looks so cute when he’s trying so hard," Ilona said, tilting her head. "He never wanted a bookstore, but he loved me enough to make my dream his own."
She turned back to Mayzie. "Remember that letter I told you about?"
Mayzie nodded.
"I didn't answer it for a year. He kept writing, terrified I’d rejected him, and honestly, I had. Our mothers were pushing us together, and I kept saying I didn't love him like that. He was just like a brother."
Mayzie felt her patience thinning. She didn't see how this helped.
"When he came home, I avoided him. I was only sixteen, and he was twenty-three. It felt weird. But eventually, I gave in. I was married and pregnant by seventeen. Estevan knew I wasn't happy, and it took him years to make me fall in love with him. He gave up everything for me."
A shadow of regret crossed Ilona's face.
"The truth is, I loved someone else back then. I still haven't quite forgiven my parents for that. But I do love Estevan now, and I’d never leave him. So, if you don't love Adolfo because your heart belongs to someone else, I understand. But if not... then you're just being stubborn. You aren't even giving a devoted man a chance."
"He isn't devoted to me," Mayzie argued gently.
"When he lost his job, I begged him to move back home. It would have been easier for school, but he refused. He told me he couldn't leave you alone. He said you needed a friend, and he wouldn't walk out on you, no matter how hard things got. He said he’d sell his own blood every week just to keep that apartment near you."
Mayzie stood there, completely silent, her mind spinning. Luckily, the heavy tension broke when Alonso walked back into the room to ask about dinner. Once Ilona mentioned the crockpot, the mood shifted instantly. The kitchen was filled with their usual playful banter again, and Alonso even joked that he’d marry Mayzie just to get his mom to stop nagging him.
Despite the laughter, Mayzie couldn’t stop herself from watching him. She started looking for the little signs Ilona had described. She noticed how his hand lingered when he touched hers to get her attention, and how close his lips brushed against her ear when he whispered a joke.
She wasn't sure if she was only seeing these things because Ilona had planted the seed, or if she had simply been blind to them the whole time. But one thing was clear: after tonight, she would never look at her best friend the same way again.