I have never felt this happy in my life.
I dressed Brooks in an outfit I had received at my baby shower and sat him down on his play mat in my home office. It was directly in front of my desk, where I had been working ever since I’d had him. Guadalupe had encouraged me to take a more extended maternity leave, but I loved my job too much. Between Jorge and me working from home, we were more than able to take care of Brooks in between getting stuff done. Besides, he was a pretty easy baby. As long as he had his toys, we could get our work done.
As Brooks rolled around on his play mat, I snapped a few pictures for Guadalupe.
“You are such a beautiful baby!”
I sent the pictures to Guadalupe via our interoffice instant messaging system and then took a few moments to look at the pictures on my desk.
While in Africa, it hadn’t taken me long to help Jorge negotiate with the miner’s union. So we had returned to Miami within six weeks of our departure. And a few months later we had married. Most of the pictures on my walls and in my phone were of Jorge and me on our wedding day.
At the time, my baby bump had been relatively small, and I’d hoped nobody would notice. But Guadalupe noticed within seconds of seeing me in the gown. So did Margo and Eva. Thankfully, they kept the news to themselves until Jorge and I were ready to tell everyone.
I found myself doubled over with laughter as I remembered how Guadalupe kept making subtle references about my small, baby bump that night. If I hadn’t known any better, I’d say she was more excited about the baby than we were.
Brooks was rolling back and forth on the mat, his tiny body reaching for the occasional stuffed animal as he made the most adorable baby sounds. I scooped him up and held him to my chest, secretly wondering how much longer it’d be until we had another baby. Jorge and I hadn’t discussed that yet, but our mansion was big enough to expand our family. I couldn’t wait until we had a house full of children running around and playing while Jorge and I lived our best lives.
Jorge brought me a cup of freshly brewed coffee a few minutes later, and then sat down on the mat with Brooks. I watched them play for as long as I could before opening up my laptop and resuming my work. Once again, the emails were piling up, but I was someone who thrived under pressure. And even though I knew Jorge wouldn’t mind if I quit working, the truth was that I couldn’t see not having a job. In addition to taking care of Brooks, it gave me a sense of purpose in life.
Right as I was finishing up, Eva came over with some of our favorite coconut lattes. The smell wafted into my office.
“Oh, Eva, thank you! Gosh, I could eat nothing but coconut all day long!”
Eva sat down on the other side of the playmat, and I watched as both she and Jorge played with Brooks. She was still single and looking, both for a boyfriend and a part-time job. Having Brooks gave her more reasons to stop over to visit, though, and that made me happy. If Jorge and I didn’t work from home all of the time, we would have easily hired her as a nanny.
“You’re welcome. I cannot handle how cute Brooks is, you guys! And Jorge, he looks just like you!”
Jorge winked at me, knowing that would get under my skin a little bit.
“You know, Eva, I’m the one who gave birth to him!”
She chuckled while playing with Brooks’s tummy. “Oh, I know. Brooks looks like you, too. His face is almost identical to Jorge’s!”
It was hard arguing with her because one look at Brooks, and it was apparent that Jorge was his father.
“You are so good with children, Eva. Just look at the way Brooks’s face lights up every time you nuzzle him!”
Eva giggled while holding our son, then pressed her face against his. She loved him just as much as Jorge and I did. “That’s just because he’s the sweetest little boy there ever was!”
“Anyway, how are things at your condo?”
“You meanyourcondo?”
Shortly after Jorge and I had returned from Africa, I had moved into his penthouse and sublet my condo to her. My name was still on the lease, of course, but she had full control over the space. She had turned my former home office into a guest bedroom, too.
“It’s yours now, Eva. In fact, when it comes time to renew the lease, I’m more than happy to recommend you to the property manager.”
“That’s a great idea, thank you! I absolutely love it there, you guys. The views are phenomenal, and just like you did, Ginger, I watch the ocean every morning while sipping my coffee. The only thing missing is…well, you know.”
I sighed while thinking about how lonely Eva must have been. Jorge gave her a sympathetic look, too. She had never been someone who did well on her own. If Eva weren’t in a relationship, then she wasn’t happy. And the men she’d been casually dating were nothing but jerks who treated her like an object.
“It’ll happen when the timing is right, Eva. I’ll keep my eyes open for anyone who looks worthy enough of being called your boyfriend too. Just keep telling yourself that, all right?”
Jorge interjected, “Me too, Eva. Unfortunately, all of the guys I work with are not interested in a lasting relationship.”
I chuckled while leaning back in my chair. “That’s because you used to be one yourself.”
He held up his hands while shrugging. “Hey, if I could change my past, I would in a heartbeat. Except for the part where you and I get together, that is.”
