Page 2 of Be With Me
Getting shoved into the spotlight this year hadn’t been fun. But there was no one else who could take my place. My stepmom would love to be here—in theory. But since her stroke, she was too self-conscious to go out in public like this.
“Thank you, thank you.” Dad beamed at the audience. “Now, I have a special guest I’d like to bring on stage. My beautiful, talented daughter, Mia. Can you please help me welcome her?”
The crowd erupted in cheers, and Jenny nudged my back. “Just read the teleprompter,” she whispered, as if I needed the reminder.
That teleprompter was quite literally my lifeline. Without it, I’d be spewing nonsense in front of everyone, especially right now when I was anything but present or focused.
I took a deep breath and jumped right into it. My father was born in New York to a French mother and a Mexican father. When he was twelve, he lost his older brother—my uncle—in a shootout, caught in the crossfire of two warring factions of the Ferraro family.
An innocent bystander. Wrong place, wrong time.
After my granddad died, my dad took over the family business. But he always dreamed of making this city a place where no one else would suffer the way our family had. So at fifty-five, he sold the business and decided to run for mayor—to honor his brother’s memory by fighting for justice, safety, and hope.
I recited the words but my heart wasn't in it. I couldn't stop thinking about Fabi and the apology I was starting to think I owed her.
Dad returned to the stage when I finished and tugged me into a hug. “You did great,cariño.”
I squeezed him back. “I love you, Dad.”
He pulled back and smiled at me before returning to the podium to welcome his next guest.
He didn’t say it back.
He’s just distracted.
I pushed aside that brittle, needy feeling inside of me and walked off stage to where Jenny stood. The situation with Fabi was making me way too sensitive.
“Well done,” Jenny said, patting me on the arm.
“I’ve got to go,” I said to her.
Her brow furrowed as I handed her my ID badge. “Go? Where? You’re booked until seven.”
“I know. But I have something important. And you don’t need me here anymore, not really.”
“What’s so important?”
“It’s my friend’s engagement party.” I grabbed my purse and slung it over my shoulder.
She frowned. “That’s not on your calendar.”
Believe me, I’m aware.“I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened, but I totally forgot to add it.”
“Which friend?”
“Fabi Castellano.”
Jenny sighed, looking irked. “Fine. Just don’t let this happen again, all right? You know we run a tight ship. Give me a heads-upnext time.”
“I will.”
I rushed out of the venue and flagged down a taxi. A warm, late-August breeze pulled on the strands of my hair as I tugged open the door and climbed into the back seat.
The cab inched its way through Manhattan, the driver honking impatiently at the cars cutting him off, while suicidal bikers swerved around us.
I closed my eyes and massaged my temples.
It was a bit nuts to just show up at this thing when I was apparently not wanted there, but if Fabi was mad at me, why hadn’t she just talked to me about it? Keeping her engagement a secret in response to something I’d said seemed like a huge overreaction. It just didn’t make sense.
