Liberation (War Shadows: Book 2)

Chapter Seventy-One

There was something different about Inigo.

Jackie noticed it the second she woke up that morning and walked into the kitchen for breakfast. Mom was already up, of course: she'd always been an early bird, getting up and having breakfast ready every morning, only failing if she was sick. On the menu that morning was eggs, bacon, and coffee. And, judging by the smell of it, it was real; not the substitute coffee that people had, those days.

In fact, everything she was using to cook was on heavy rations.

"What's the occasion?" Jackie asked as she sat down at the table. Dad and Inigo were already halfway through their breakfast, and both of them were practically inhaling their food. "Isn't everything here really rationed, right now?"

"You remember Luis?" Dad asked.

"Yeah: Val used to work for him, didn't he?" Jackie asked.

"He's in need of people to work in his shop, and he's agreed to give Inigo a chance," Dad said.

Jackie looked to Inigo, surprised.

That was when she noticed it: Inigo was starting to look more like his old self. He seemed to be smiling a little more easily, that morning.

It made her happy. Really, really happy.

"I didn't know you were a mechanic," Jackie said.

"I used to help Fermin out with that old car," Inigo said. "I'm not the best, but I can learn. And it'll give me a chance to earn some money, get out of the apartment." He quickly looked at Mom. "N-no offense to you, of course: you keep a lovely home."

"I know," Mom said.

"I hope it works out," Jackie said.

"I do, too."

Dad took a look at his watch and just about jumped out of his skin. "Inigo, you and I better get going; we're going to be late."

Inigo nodded and swigged some milk to wash down his breakfast. "Thanks, Dianna!"

"Say hi to Luis for me," Dianna called out to them as they walked out of the apartment. "And tell him that I want my casserole dish back!"

Jackie heard the apartment door shut.

She looked back at Mom, frowning. "Why does Luis have your casserole dish?"

"Oh, Luis' wife had a really difficult time after she had her baby, awhile back," Mom said as she plated some food for Jackie. "Her doctor wanted her on bedrest, and we all knew that the three of them would starve to death if Luis had to do the cooking for a month or two, so all the ladies in the parish signed up to cook some meals for them."

"And you made casserole instead of empanadas?" Jackie asked. "Who are you, and what have you done to my mother?"

"Ay," Mom scolded waving her wooden spoon threateningly at her. "If I wanted sass, I would've gone to your father. Besides: those kids eat too much food from Mary's mother. They don't eat much beyond white people dishes."

Mom fixed herself a plate of breakfast and sat down with Jackie. She began to pour herself a glass of milk. "Now, let's talk about this Inigo boy."

"What about him?" Jackie asked.

"When is he going to grow some balls and ask you to marry him?"

Jackie just about choked on her breakfast. "What?!"

"Oh, don't look at me like that," Mom warned. "Are you trying to tell me that the two of you have never thought of it, before? Never talked about it? You've been thinking about renting out an apartment together, for God's sake!"