"Mum can we have anything we want, for breakfast?" Alex asked, scrolling through her laptop.
"Of course, honey"
"Then we're having chilaquiles. I still don't know what it is, though, but it sounds promising" I laughed.
"Chilaquiles comprises fried tortilla immersed in tomato and sauce, topped with cheese and cream, and Yes, it is promising. That was the last thing I ate before leaving Chihuahua" I said sadly.
"Mum, about that. Will you take us to your house? Like, where you were born?"
"Of course. We're going there right after breakfast"
"Really?" Alex asked, and i rolled my eyes.
"I hope there's free WiFi there, or at least a stable network connection" Andrew said.
"You guys, pose and say cheese" I looked at Mandy who was about taking a selfie of us, and I smiled. The picture was very beautiful. It depicted a small happy family.
"Laura"
I turned around,and I saw a face I thought I'd never see again. My mum's friend, Teresa. I ran to her and hugged her tightly as tears rolled out of my eyes.
"Aunty Terry" She rubbed my hair lightly and pulled back, staring at the kids. I cleared my throat and smiled.
"Uhm... These are my children. Alex, Andrew and Amanda"
She smiled and pulled them into a hug. Andrew and Alex stiffened, not used to hugging outsiders. Amanda was more than happy to hug the friendly woman. She even went on to ask.
"Are you mummy's friend?"
"No my dear. I'm a friend of your grandma"
I shifted uncontrollably.
"Come on in" The old woman said, and ushered us into her house.
"Tell me about my grandma" Alex said, breaking the awkward silence that enveloped us as we entered into the house.
"What?! Well everything your... "
"Mum did not tell us anything" Alex interrupted, throwing me a death glare. I smiled at Aunty Terry.
"Well, the only thing I told them was the truth. That my mum died" I said, trying to observe her reaction. She looked at me for a while before turning to my kids.
"Alright. Your grandma's name is Cassandra. I used to call her Cassie. She is the sweetest person I've ever met. She prefers putting other people's needs above her own. We attended High school together. A lot of students would say nasty things about her, but she'd still be friends with them. In fact, I'll tell you kids this. Your grandma is the major reason why I'm not in jail now. I've always been a wild kid, but Cassie's always ever beside me to keep me in check. She always talked about being a naval soldier, but then some things happened, and she couldn't be one again. She got married and raised your beautiful mum here..." She paused.
My children laughed heartily at that statement, while I kept on sniffing tears.
"You know one thing I admire about her. She didn't let her being married and having a child stop her from being what she wants to be. She served in the military for a few years after your mum was born, and when she was injured in battle, she quit and started taking nursing classes online. She became a nurse. You know her favourite words to everyone she comes across....?" Aunty Terry looked at me and I closed my eyes as we said it at the same time.
'You are a blossoming rose. Never ever let thorns around you keep you from growing'
"Aww. That's cute" Andrew said, with a hint of sorrow in his eyes.
"She seemed pleasant. I wish I'd met her"
"You look so much like her, at your age. Hold on, I'm coming" Aunty Terry said to Alex, standing up.
She reemerged after a while holding a lot of pictures. She distributed them among the kids. She then passed by me and whispered in my ears. 'We have a whole lot to talk about'. I nodded.
The pictures were so beautiful, despite the fact that they looked old and outdated. Most of them were pictures of my mum, together with Aunty Terry. Truly, my mum looked exactly like Alex and I really wish Alex could meet her very soon, which brings me back to thinking about Alfred.
Her phone rang and she went outside to answer it. After a while, some children walked in. She introduced them as her grandchildren and told me that they were spending the holiday here in Chihuahua. Coincidentally most of them were within the age range of my children. Soon the entire children went out together.
"They're safe" Aunty Terry said to me after a while and sat down opposite me.
"I am highly disappointed in you Dolores" The tears rushed out of my eyes at the mention of my middle name.
"Aunty Terry I just couldn't..."
"You know..." She sighed dreamily. "Cassie never told me all she passed through in the hands of her husband. She didn't tell me about the times he borrowed or stole from her to gamble. She didn't tell me how he was constantly cheating on her. If she had told me, I'd have dragged her myself out of that farce of a marriage she found herself in, with your dad. I thought you'd come back for her. You didn't. She almost died, while looking for you"
"Aunty Terry. The truth is... That day I left. Dad pushed mum to the ground so hard during one of their arguments and I saw blood on the floor. I believed she'd died. I never knew she was alive" I cried out. "I swear to God, if I'd known she was alive, I'd have taken good care of her"
"I know my love. I know, and that's why your mama called me few days back and told me to find a way and reach out to you, and tell you not to trust a guy named... Alfonso... Alfredo... Alberto.... I can't remember, but his name begins with Al"
I closed my eyes. "Alfred"
Aunty Terry nodded.
"Tell me what happened after I left"
"I'll tell you some other time, but not today. Let me fix you something to eat"
I smiled gratefully at the woman and even joined her in the kitchen. I filled her in on everything about me. I even ended up telling her about my late ex-husband. I told her about Mason and about my teammates at the FBI. I confided in her a lot and didn't even feel any remorse for her. And then she asked me a question I've been meaning to ask her since I arrived here.
"Have you heard from Diego since you left?"
"No" I replied.
"You mean, you didn't even talk to your high school sweetheart in almost 20 years. You're worse than I thought"
I bit my lips at that statement. "Diego is not my high school sweetheart. We were only close for a while, before I found him with..."
"You found him with his cousin, and didn't even give him a chance to explain before you ran away, just as you don't even confirm if your mother was alive, before you ran away"
I cried out at that. This woman was hitting me deep at my innermost core and she knew it, but didn't stop.
"When will you stop running Dolores? When exactly? Stay back and fight your problems. That is how a true independent woman behaves. She doesn't just run away at the slightest mishap"
"I'm back now" I said, after a while. Even I couldn't believe what I was saying. I had a life already in New York City.
"What do you mean? You aren't going back to New York anymore? What about your job?" She asked.
"No... I mean I've decided to take up back my roots here in Chihuahua. I'll never stay away again. I'll focus on getting my mum back and then when she's back, I'll visit here often"
"That's the spirit baby" She said with a smile and hugged me.