Page 61 of Fixed Up Ever After
She met her father in the middle of the lobby, happily accepting his embrace that he always gave her so freely. She knew her father’s love never came with strings and it was easy to seek him out for comfort. His biggest fault was his compliance and ignorance of her treatment.
“Hey, sweetheart. Is everything alright? Your mom came back to the room last night in quite the mood. Do you know what that’s about?” her father asked once they broke apart.
So her mother hadn’t told her father what happened, which surprised her. She didn’t think her mother would pass up her chance to belittle her.
“We fought. She’s not happy with me. And I left Marisol’s reception early.” There was no use in lying and her father didn’t appear surprised.
“You know your mother. She’s a tough woman to please. I’m sure whatever it is, she will get over it soon.”
“That’s the thing. I’m tired of waiting around for her to get over it. I can’t live like that and I’m so tired of the way she treats me, dad.” She sighed, shaking her head. “I’m sorry, I know this will cause more problems, but Javi and I are leaving right now.”
“Right now?” Her father’s eyes widened. The shock on his face was almost comical, but only because he was so deceived by his ignorance. “But tonight is your sister’s dinner party. I’m sure your mother would want you there. Let me talk to her.”
It was too late for talking. At least the type of talking he wanted to do. Lola needed action because she had been talked to enough of her life and with no actions, their words meant nothing. “I’m sorry, but I’m going. Please give Marisol my best.” Though she doubted her sister would care much. Not with her mother’s claws dug so deeply into her.
“Dolores, please. Tell me what happened. Let me try to fix this,” her father pleaded and the tears she had tried desperately to hold back began to roll down her brown cheeks. “Oh, sweetheart. Please don’t cry. What can I do?”
“Nothing.” The words were barely a whisper and the smile on her lips didn’t meet her eyes. “I’ll call you when I’m home. I love you, Dad,” she said and stood on her tiptoes to give him one last kiss.
Her father called her name once more, but Lola was already waking away. Away from the lifelong trauma of her mother and into the car where Javi waited for her. Javi, who she still had no idea how he fit into her life when everything seemed to be falling apart.
* * *
To top everything off,the plane ride home was filled with aggressive turbulence that had Lola nearly in Javi’s lap, hyperventilating. Despite the wall she had built between them, Lola gladly accepted Javi’s comfort on the flight home. Numerous times throughout the flight, the contents of her hastily eaten breakfast threatened to come up. She managed to keep it down though out of sheer spite.
When they landed, she was tempted to join in with the other passengers clapping. She never understood why people—specifically white passengers—clapped when landing and had always made fun of her father each time he did the same thing, but now she was joining them. Motion sickness was no joke and even as they deboarded she still felt unsteady on her feet.
Luckily the nausea went away by the time they reached the baggage claim. She felt Javi’s warm presence next to her and despite their cuddling on the plane—which was only to ease her nerves and nothing else—they hadn’t said much to each other. A heaviness settled between them and she knew he was waiting for her to be the one who broke it.
Unfortunately, all she provided was more disappointment when she took out her phone and took it off airplane mode, letting the notifications sweep in. She had a few from Mona, asking why she was coming home early and how they needed to talk. None from her mother or her sister, but one from her father asking if she made it home safe.
She sent a text to him to let him know she had arrived back in California before putting her phone away. If he replied, she wasn’t yet ready to deal with any more questions or pleas to make up with her mother. The fight with her mother, funnily enough, was the only thing she didn’t regret from her time at the wedding.
As distracted as she was, she wasn’t surprised that she didn’t notice Javi moving to grab her bags until he returned, rolling them up to her feet. “Thank you,” she murmured, taking the handle from him.
“Do you need help getting to your car?” His voice was detached, nothing at all like the friendly version she had been spoiled with over these last few weeks.
She opened her mouth to say she didn’t when a loud, high-pitched voice screamed behind them. “Papá!”
Both she and Javi whipped their heads around at the same time, seeing a sprinting six-year-old coming to them at full speed. “I thought you drove yourself here.” Lola’s words came out far more accusatory than she meant them. It wasn’t as if Javi deliberately invited his cute daughter here to trap her to talk about her feelings.
“I did…I only told them I was coming home early and…” But he wasn’t looking at Lola or paying her any mind. He moved from behind her and crouched down to catch Camilia as she catapulted across the tiles into his arms. She slammed into her father’s chest, nearly knocking Javi to the ground. He steadied himself though, wrapping his arms tightly around his baby girl and peppering her happy face with kisses.
“I missed you so much!” She giggled before launching into a long story about everything she did with her tía while they were gone, going into great detail about a painting activity she and her cousin did.
An approaching figure laughed, her curly hair bouncing with each step. On her hip she carried a very tired toddler who Lola believed to be named Arturo. “She wanted to surprise you,” Ofelia said to her brother before bringing her gaze up to meet Lola’s. “Lola, hi! Did you have a good trip?”
There was no way she was going to get into all the nuances of her trip in the middle of the airport, so she smiled. “We had a good time, but I’m so thankful to be home. I missed my bed.”
She laughed at that, obviously buying her half-truths. “Believe me, I know a little about that. When Arturo and I travel with Maverick, I miss my bed and his toddler bed so much. Love my little man, but he’s the worst bed buddy. Between him and his father starfishing across the bed, I barely fit.”
“Is he traveling now for work? His season starts soon, doesn’t it?”
Ofelia nodded. “It does and he had to leave this weekend for various press conferences, so it was just the three of us.” She smiled down at Camilia. Javi stood up, holding his daughter in his arms.
“I was thinking we could go out to lunch. Lola, would you join us? I would love to hear about the wedding if you’re up for it,” Ofelia asked, not realizing the weird position she had put Lola in.
Since she was a people pleaser by nature, she was inclined to say yes so as not to cause conflict or disappointment, even though she wanted nothing more than to go home and lie in her bed, watching her favorite shows on Netflix for hours.
