Unwrap My Heart

Capítulo 14

WILLY

I felt as if the air had thinned somehow until I couldn’t get enough oxygen into my lungs.

The boy had drawn his family— the people he loved most— and I was in it.

I was standing next to Andrés in the spot where his father should be, but the details made it plain it wasn’t Armando Garcia in the picture.

I watched as Ruelle fussed over the hope chest some more, stopping every few minutes to hug her son, and my mother took photos. All the while, I concentrated on breathing in and out without giving away his rising sense of panic.

We weren’t a family.

Seeing them through Andrés’ eyes made me realize what we could have if only I could be the man Ruelle wanted. But I wasn’t and the longer we went on acting like a family, the more it was going to hurt—both me and the kid— when we all stopped pretending.

I couldn’t let them in any more than I already had.

For the rest of the day, I held myself back a little. With Andres’ help, I managed to get the hope chest across the street and into Ruelle’s living room in one piece. I offered to bring it up to her bedroom and put it at the foot of her bed, but she said she wanted it in the living room for now, where she and Andrés could both enjoy looking at it.

Then I parked myself in front of the television and watched Hallmark Christmas movies with Andrés. Dinner passed without any more emotional moments and, after dessert, I sent the women out to visit with Andrés while I cleaned up. When it was time for them to go home, I gave them each a quick hug and wished them a Merry Christmas.

It was relatively painless.

The hard part would be slowly stepping out of their lives a little. Not totally because that would never happen while we were neighbors and while my mother watched Andrés. But with the hope chest done and the holidays essentially over, I could concentrate on work and doing some stuff around my mother’s house. Eventually, our relationship would revert to being more about neighbors and less about family.

It only took three days for it to blow up in my face. I was in the garage, changing my mom’s headlights to a brighter aftermarket model when Ruelle walked out and pulled the door closed behind her.

“Need some help?”

“Nope,” I replied, digging through my toolbox, looking for a wire crimper. “But thanks.”

“Andrés and your mother both fell asleep watching TV. It’s pretty cute, actually.”

“I’m sure it is.”

A true family moment if ever there was one.

“Willy, what’s the matter with you?”

“Nothing. I just have stuff to do.”

“You’re lying.”

When she leaned against the support pole, I knew she wasn’t going anywhere.

“It was Andrés’ picture, wasn’t it?”

Sighing, I tossed the wire crimper back into the toolbox and turned to face her. There was no sense in denying it.

“Look, I’m not looking for a family, Ruelle.”

“He’s five and he drew the people he cares about the most. It didn’t mean anything more than that.”

“I’m afraid he’s looking for more from me than I can give, so it’s best if I start easing back some. That’s all.”

“Andrés is not looking for anything from you but friendship,” she said, and I heard the anger. “Neither am I. My son and I have each other and we’re not looking for a family, either, Willy.”