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CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT

THE MALDONADOS

“Get you a refill, ladies?”

Nina eyes the bartender, who holds the bottle of red. It’s terrible wine, what she’d expect from the bar at the Embassy Suites. Yet it somehow tastes so good.

Stella responds for them both as she returns from taking a call in the lobby: “Keep ’em coming.” Stella’s cheeks are pink and her graduation gown is unzipped, the sash flung like a scarf. They shouldn’t have another. They finished two bottles at dinner earlier. But looking out at the other families having nightcaps—merriment and relief in the air from the big day—Nina slides her glass closer to the barman.

He smiles. He’s an all-American type who doesn’t look much older than Stella. He fills their glasses. He pauses a beat at Stella’s glass, then fills it to the top.

“Congratulations,” he says to her with a wink.

“I love a heavy pourer,” she flirts.

Nina takes a sip and studies her daughter. She’s so grown-up, but also still just a kid.

“What did your father say when he called?” Nina asks.

She shrugs. “The usual. He’s sooo sorry he missed it. He’s soooo proud of me. Yada yada.”

Nina smiles. Stella is too young to even know where Yada yada originated—an old TV show Nina and David used to love—though maybe like everything else, what is old is new again because of Netflix.

“He’s so proud of you,” Nina allows.

Nina and David split only a month after Parents Weekend. It had been a long time coming. It was hard enough to get over his infidelity, much less the attack by his paramour’s son, what happened to Stella. Their divorce wasn’t pretty, but they’re both trying.

Nina heard through the hospital grapevine—from friends who sided with her in the split—that the boy, Cody Carpenter, got treatment. Was enrolled in community college and doing well. That family deserved something good to happen to them.

“He texted me last month really broken up about not coming,” Nina says, not sure why she’s defending David. “Chrissy bought the cruise tickets as a surprise. Nonrefundable, but he said he’d cancel if you were going to be upset.”

“Yeah, he said the same thing to me,” Stella says. “I was actually fine with it. I thought it might be awkward.”

“I hope you didn’t do that for me?”

“Honestly, for me. Chrissy is nice enough. But she’s sooo dumb.” Stella flips her hair, and in a baby-girl voice imitates her father’s girlfriend: “ Stella, I’m obsessed with your outfit. Stella, I’m obsessed with your hair. Stella…”

Nina represses a smile. She hasn’t met Chrissy and is happy David found someone. But she admittedly is taking joy in her daughter’s mockery.

“What about you, Mom?”

“What about me?”

“You seeing anyone?”

“Not really.”

“You should. You’re still pretty hot.”

Nina blushes, takes a swallow of wine. “You know that me and your father, for whatever our differences, are so proud. Your dad did the sappiest post on social media when you got into med school.”

“I saw.” Stella shakes her head, embarrassed for him. “Chrissy should really take away his phone.”

They clink glasses again.

She watches as Stella examines her phone, thumbs a text to someone. It’s nearly midnight and the parents are starting to clear out.

Nina drains her glass and says, “I think I need to call it a night.” She pauses, hopes Stella will say the same thing.

Instead, Stella says, “Some people are getting together, so I’ll probably…” She eyes the lobby door.

Nina resists the lecture. Resists protesting. Her daughter is a grown woman. A college graduate. Still, she says, “You’ll share your location on your phone.”

Stella releases an exasperated breath. “Yes, Mom.”

“I love you,” Nina says.

And she watches her beautiful daughter glide out of the hotel, the sash fluttering behind her.