"Ite, missa est"
The Bishop made the Latin declaration and the mass came to an end. I was so grateful that it was over, the number of eyes on me made the hour-long program feel like a 30-hour one. Two particular pairs made me antsy and I had to grip Mikayla's hand a little tighter for moral support.
Alejandro and Sara Rodriguez.
St Mary's Church was the biggest Catholic cathedral in the state. Although they lived in the elite Stass Hills which was at the far end of the state, they still came down to St Mary's every Sunday. They were the power couple of the cathedral, their wealth and elegance made sure of that. It was really hard to guess I was affiliated with them.
During the eucharistic prayer, Sara's eyes had clashed with mine and on impulse, I had instantly looked away. A second or two later, I looked back to see her nudging her husband at his side and watched both of them turn their heads to look at me. Not knowing what else to do, I gave them an awkward wave and cursed under my breath. Seriously? A wave? I could had done better, for real. Or maybe not. I'd always had the worst emergency responses and hated being caught off guard.
I nodded my head in satisfaction when people surrounded my in-laws. Good. Now I could easily escape before Sara came stomping to enquire why I was in church that morning. Regardless of her little speech the previous night, I couldn't still romanticize the thought of friendly conversations with her. So I grabbed my daughter's hand and sped walked towards the giant doors at the entrance.
The solemn song the choir sang filled the air and had a calming effect on my frantic mind. Diego had always tried to persuade me to join the cloaked group but I defiantly refused. I loved singing songs, but not in church. Outside my car, Mikayla showed me one of her church friends. I grinned at the little beauty and exchanged pleasantries with her mom before zooming off.
"You like Licia?"
I turned my head quickly to glance at Kayla in the back seat. "Who's that? Your cute friend I just met?" She hummed in agreement. "As long as you like her, I like her too. Besides, she and her mother look and sound really nice."
A car swerved like a lunatic in front of mine and I honked like a choo choo train, drowning Mikayla's voice. She repeated her statement when I had calmed down. "I really do like Licia. She's nice and smart and just like me, she lives with only her mom." I didn't know how to respond to the last one but thankfully, she still had more to say. " I really wish we both went to the same school. I'd have been way happier."
"What school does she attend?"
"Rosewood Elementary School. It's close to the diner we went to yesterday. That's what she told me."
I understood the message she was trying to pass. She didn't like Pinecrest Elementary School anymore and judging from what she said about her supposed lack of friends there, she wanted to change schools. "Baby, the diner is almost an hour away from our house. Pinecrest however is just 15 minutes away."
Although my eyes were focused on the road, I knew she was scowling. It was evident in her tone. "The distance is not a problem. Anyways you won't be the one to take me there, aunt Lee will. I'm sure she won't have a problem with that."
I resisted the urge to say something nasty and shut her down. Since I didn't really support strict parenting, I chose a different approach. "Kayla, I'm seriously trying to empathize with your friendship situation but that is not enough reason for you to be rude or to talk as you please."
A second passed before she mumbled. "I'm sorry, mama." I just nodded in response and she continued. "I just don't want to keep going to Pinecrest Elementary. I already told aunt Lee and she agreed with me and said I should tell you myself."
I stayed silent and drove straight home without uttering a word. We both went to our respective rooms to bathe, change clothes and whatever else. Donning denim dungarees shorts with nothing underneath, I shook my head in humor as I thought of what Sara would say with that judgemental tone if she saw me standing in such a scandalous outfit with Kayla present. She'd probably say something along the lines of "No debes usar ese tipo de ropa cerca de Kayla. Esto es muy inapropiado." I scoffed at the thought. Like I could seduce my 8-year old daughter. Another reason I didn't jump at the chance to get chummy with Sara. She was very judgemental and hypercritical.
Kayla was already waiting for me when I got to the kitchen. She was very enthused for the cake and I chuckled at her jumpiness. Her excitement was making me excited and I had to let out a breath to calm myself down. Damn, it was just a cake. A cake that my daughter had specifically requested.
"The ganache will be white chocolate." I said as I hurled out my new baking pan. I had purposely gotten shiny pans, dark pans absorbed more heat and were very likely to burn the crust. My momma told me that once while she was grocery shopping and she made the best sponge cakes I'd ever tasted.
Kayla drummed her fingers on the kitchen island in giddiness. "Mama, I don't care. As long as it's chocolate, I'm good. I really lo-." The ringtone of my phone cut her off and I jerked my head towards the living room. She got the hint and ran to get it. "It's Nana."
"Ohhh, answer it then." After all, the only reason Sara ever called is because of Mikayla. Absorbed in measuring out the butter, I only heard a few words from my chattering daughter before I zoned out. Nelly would be coming over the next day to stay with Kayla so of course, I had to put her belly into account. She'd have my head if I didn't. After that, I measured the other ingredients I needed and put them in separate bowls. It'd been ages since I last baked a cake so the occasional spills were expected. I wasn't sure of how much time passed but Mikayla strolled back into the kitchen when I was beating the butter.