Page 71 of Fixed Up Ever After
For the first time in her life, Lola felt like she actually understood her sister and her heart hurt for her.
She reached out and took Marisol’s hand in hers. “Marisol?” She spoke gently, meeting the eyes of the sister she was just starting to understand. “Do you love Archie?”
“No!” Her body began to shudder with the sobs working their way through her. “No, I can’t stand that man. I only married him because I just wanted to keep everyone happy but I didn’t because I hurt you and continued to hurt you. Lola, I’m so sorry. So damn sorry.”
Lola couldn’t stop her own tears as she got out of her seat and wrapped her arms around Marisol. They needed this moment, needed to break down and see each other at their lowest to truly understand one another.
Her heart hurt for Marisol and the pressure she was under every day trying to remain the perfect daughter. Hurt for herself for living all these years thinking she didn’t have a sister that loved her.
Marisol soon pulled away, eyes puffy from crying and hair disheveled. “Archie isn’t here because I didn’t want him here. I was too scared to say that before, but I’m not anymore. Not after hearing you stand up to Mom…it made me feel like maybe I can do the same.”
There was so much to unpack there and Lola wanted to dive into it all eventually. Marisol shouldn’t have to stay married to that prick if she didn’t want to be. She wanted to say as much, until she felt a large hand rubbing her back. It took her a moment to realize it was her father. His face was splotchy and red, obviously hurting as well.
“This doesn’t begin to right the wrongs we’ve done. This doesn’t excuse the way Marisol treated you or the way I always tried to diminish the situation. But what I can say is that we will try our hardest to make it up to you, if you let us.”
Lola rubbed her eyes, slowly untangling herself from her sister. There was still a lot they needed to address, but this felt like a step in the right direction. Now it was up to her and she had to make the decision whether or not she wanted them in her life.
She had acted on fear and let others' opinions influence her decisions. It had cost her the man she loved. She didn’t want to do that again, but things needed to change.
“Until I’m ready, I don’t want to be around Mom. She has to deal with her shit before we can think about talking and I don’t want either of you pressuring me into talking to her. If that means I miss a few family functions, then so be it. But I will not be made to feel bad about it anymore.
“It’s going to take some time for us to heal our relationships. If you’re serious about wanting to be in my life, then there’s a whole lot of stuff we have to work through as well. So be prepared for tough conversations.
“If you can agree to this, then I see no reason you both can’t stay in my life.” Lola watched Marisol visibly relax and her father nodding his head enthusiastically. Their willingness to try spoke volumes.
“There is nothing more I want than to support my girls. Through your bookstore endeavors”—he smiled at Lola—“and a potential divorce.” The last part was spoken to Marisol.
“No matter how different you both are, I love you equally and am so proud of you both,” he said fondly, reaching out for both their hands. “Our Dolores has a backbone on her. Not everyone can stand up to your mother and leave the room a victor.”
The nervous energy between them evaporated as Lola snorted. “I don’t know if I would say victor. I’m sure she exaggerated some of the details.”
“Your mother wasn’t the one to tell us about the fight.”
“Then who…”
Before she could finish her sentence, a familiar face popped up in her mind. The only other person who was there that night. Who saw everything.
Javi.
The amused expression her father wore said he knew she answered her question. “That’s a fine young man you have there. His daughter is adorable. They both speak highly of you.”
Javi had gone and talked to her father without her knowing. Knowing him, he did it because he knew she had wasted her last bits of strength on her mom and she doubted she would ever have the courage to speak so freely to her father, much less her sister.
If it weren’t for him, she would have never had this moment. Even when she tried to push him away, he still made sure her voice was heard.
“Dad spoke highly about him. I didn’t get a chance to talk to him at the wedding, but I’m hoping I can soon,” her sister said, the words still sounding foreign, probably to both their ears. Kindness and connection didn’t come easily in their bond and it would feel strange for a while.
“I don’t think that’s going to happen.” Marisol’s smile faltered at Lola’s words. “We aren’t together. And it’s my fault. I took something Archie said to heart, about me being recklessly impulsive, and I let my doubts cloud my judgment.”
She hated admitting her failure and she didn’t know when the pain of losing Javi would ever heal. Her feelings had been real. The amazing sex had been real. All of it was the most intense love she had ever experienced and it scared the hell out of her. Instead of facing her fears, she chose to lose it all.
“Nonsense. That boy loves you. No one would meet with a woman’s father to berate them for how they treated her if they weren’t madly in love.”
“Madly in love.” She scoffed, unable to keep the bitterness out of her own words. She wasn’t sure if she was angry with herself or irrationally angry at Javi for making her fall in love with him. “I can assure you, that is not the case.”
“Then you’d be very wrong, preciosa.”
Lola had never jumped out of a chair so quickly, whirling around to make sure her mind wasn’t playing tricks on her. That the man standing before her was the same man who haunted her dreams night after night. She didn’t know how he got in, didn’t know why he was here, but he was not a figment of her imagination.
