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She chews, then lowers her gaze before answering. “That I need to finish what I have in my mouth before I open it.”
I nod at her and take a big bite of my salad.
“But Mummy, I wasn’t talking, I just smiled. Like this.” She grins again, just to prove her point, and it takes everything in me not to laugh.
Vicente is less successful and has to cover his laugh with a cough. “I’m sorry. I think a chunk of steak went down the wrong pipe,” he says.
I roll my eyes at him while Ava giggles. I love how easily he has blended into our lives. It’s always been Ava and me, but he has adjusted to our routine as if he was always meant to be here.
“How about you? What did you do today?” I ask Vicente.
He wipes his mouth with a napkin before speaking. “Well, it was quite a productive day for me,” he says, getting comfortable. “I finally got around to speaking with Mr. Durán. Remember him?”
I open my eyes wide as I smile and nod.How could I forget?The man has been practically begging for a meeting with Vicente.
“I liked what he had to say, and he showed me images of the farms he wanted us to visit.”
My eyebrows shoot up, but I don’t interrupt. I want to hear everything.
“Yes, I want to go with you. It’s your homeland after all,” he says.
Ava continues to grin as she eats the last of her meal.
Vicente’s eyes flick to mine. “And it just so happens that they are on the second cocoa harvest, so it’d be the perfect time for us to visit,” he adds with a sexy grin.
I haven’t been home in years.
Home.
That’s what it is, no matter how long I’ve been away. The place you’re born never stops being home, whether you visit every year or haven’t been in ages.
Going to Mr. Durán’s farm means we’ll be close to Medellín. Close to my family.
Do I want to see them? And tell them what?Look, I made it. And my daughter is the most precious thing I have in my life.
Yeah, I would like to shove it in their faces, but what good would that do?
What will that be teaching Ava?
Unless I’m willing to open my heart and forgive them, it’s better to stay away.
Maybe visiting them is something to think about for another time.
I have never taken Ava far from London; the fear of something happening and us not being near her medical team has always held me back. But something inside me tells me I don’t need to worry this time. Vicente will protect us. He’s been showing up day in and out for us, making his way into my heart. Something tells me he’s in my life to stay.
“What do you say? Are you excited?” he asks, his eyes searching mine for an answer.
Before I can respond, Ava beats me to it. “Yay, we’re going to Columbia!” she exclaims.
I arch a brow, and she quickly covers her mouth. “Sorry, Mummy.Colombia,” she corrects herself, exaggerating the secondoas if to make up for the slip.
“That’s right, baby. It's Colombia, not Columbia,” I confirm with a smile.
I don’t speak Spanish with her often, but when I do, I make sure her pronunciation is on point. I guess I’ve always been afraid that if Ava speaks two languages, she won’t feel like she fits in. I don’t want other kids to be mean to her because of a different accent.
But now that Vicente is in our lives, she can speak Spanish more freely, since it’s his first language, it makes me more comfortable teaching her when he can communicate with her too.
Vicente smiles at our exchange, but I notice his leg bouncing under the table.