I raised my brows in question.
“What?”
“Is everything okay?”
She looked surprised that I even asked. “Of course, why?”
“Okay, you tried to play down everything that happened with Felix, and it ended up being a big deal for–”
“It was not a–”
“So forgive me for thinking I can read you better than that.” I winked.
She rolled her eyes and glanced away, wheels turning in her head. “It’s not Felix.” She turned back to me. “Good?”
At first glance, Lina seemed like an open book, but now I was realizing she presented herself in that way on purpose. She held her cards close to her chest, and I hadn’t even tried to look at them. “Is something going on?”
Letting out a heavy sigh, she said, “I don’t want to burden you with it. It’s your birthday.”
I scoffed. “Please. It will take my mind off my swollen ankles and the fact that I probably won’t fit into anything at these stores.”
She gave me a funny look. “First of all, everything you try will fit you like a glove.”
My cheeks warmed. “And second?”
Lina turned to open her door, motioning for me to do the same. When we met at the back of the car and started toward the shops, she spoke. “It’s really nothing much. My parents are getting on me about moving home with them because they found me the ‘perfect husband’ and the ‘most fitting job.’” She rolled her eyes and made quotations with her fingers. “It sounds like torture, and it’s the last thing I want to do. But letting them down easy isn’t really working in my favor.”
It wasn’t what she confessed that shocked me. It was Lina’s first act of vulnerability with me. She trusted me, just like I trusted her with the secret that began everything for Jack and me. “Where do your parents live?”
“Santa Barbara,” she answered quickly. “With the rich polo folk and all that.”
“Ah…” I wasn’t exactly sure how to maneuver my way through the pinch of jealousy that swam through my chest at the idea of a mother wanting to be close to her child, and the need to be a confidant for Lina. “Teaching polo wasn’t their dream job for you?”
“Not exactly. More like a realtor slash trophy wife.” She shook her head and let out a half-laugh. “I think I burned out with every man they tried to set me up with.”
“Atta girl.”
We walked along the sidewalk and into the first shop that caught my eye. Venturing through the selection of clothing, accessories, and shoes, Lina continued. “I just want my life to be my own. I want my independence. If they want to see me more often, they can ask me to visit or come out here, but…”
“You should tell them that. Word for word.”
Lina gasped, pulling a shirt from the rack she had been searching through and holding it up to me. It was a black off-the-shoulder top with a plunging neckline and a tight middle section. A few folds of fabric covered the breast area, giving it class and elegance. “Maggie, youhaveto buy this for tonight,” she gushed.
Her excitement about the top was infectious. “Tonight?”
She smirked. “Duh, it’s your birthday. Jack is probably taking you somewhere fancy to celebrate. Plus,” she motioned up and down at the top. “You’d lookhotin this.”
I chuckled and tried to reach to peek at the price tag before Lina pulled it away abruptly. “Nope. I told you I was taking you shopping. This is on me.”
“Lina! This is a super nice store, and that is a super nice top.” I pointed to it. “There is no way I’m letting you buy that for me.”
Clearly, my scolding did nothing, because Lina tucked the shirt beneath her arm with a wink and continued flippingthrough hangers. I sighed with a small smile. Lina was so special. She shined brighter than anyone I had ever met and continued to be so generous, even if it meant taking me shopping when she knew canceling lessons today wasn’t the best business decision. But she did it anyway, because she was Lina.
We spent the afternoon meandering around the plaza, popping in and out of the small boutiques, grabbing lunch, and sitting on a padded bench for an hour to calm my swollen ankles. It was a beautiful October day, and the temperature was just cool enough for a sweater, which Lina also insisted on buying me. Every few minutes, she would glance down at her phone, making sure not to let me have a peek at the screen.
“Got a hot date?” I asked when I finally picked up that she didn’t want me seeing her phone.
She quickly looked up at me with alarm in her eyes before giving a shy smile. “Oh, you have no idea.”
