Now, watching these children, he felt lighter still. He thought about making a life with Maria, different from the one he’d known as a kid. They could do it right. They could start a family. They could have something pure and good, like her.
“Tu novio,”a female voice cried.“¡Tu novio, tu novio!”
Your boyfriend.
Ian glanced around and saw Maria’s little sister, Delfina. She was standing in the shallow water, waving her arms over her head. Maria was wading toward her. She was wearing a long black skirt with a red blouse. The skirt was wet, clinging to her bare legs. She had a plastic bucket in one hand. She dropped it and started running.
He met her on the shore.
“I’m all wet,” she said, breathless.
“I like you that way.”
She didn’t protest as he drew her into his arms. The children hooted and hollered, heckling them, but he didn’t care. He kissed her anyway. He’d kiss her in the middle of the river, or the middle of town. He wanted everyone to know that she was his, and he’d come to claim her.
When he released her, she stared at him in disbelief. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to surprise you.”
She gave Delfina the bucket, which had three fish in it. “Take these home to Hugo.”
Her sister left the riverbank with a group of children. Maria pulled him behind an oak tree for another kiss. A passionate kiss, with her tongue in his mouth and his hands in her hair.
“I missed you,” she said.
“I can tell.”
“How long can you stay?”
“It depends.”
“On what?”
Her lips were moist and parted, her hands gripping his shoulders. She was so fucking beautiful. He thought about their night in the hotel room, and blood pooled to his groin. She felt him swell against her and smiled, kissing him again.
“Wait,” he said. He needed to focus, so he disentangled himself from her embrace. “I have important news.”
A crease formed between her brows. “Is it about your job?”
“Yes. I got my assignment.”
She moved away from him, crossing her arms over her chest. “I see.”
His stomach clenched with unease. Maybe he should have called ahead. They’d spoken almost every night on a cellphone he’d purchased for her, but they hadn’t talked about the future. He knew she didn’t want to wait for him. He couldn’t convince her to marry him. So they’d focused on the present, and he’d said things that made them both feel good.
He stared at the river, swift-moving and surrounded by vibrant greenery. Teeming with life. “I thought you’d be happy for me.”
“Happy you’re leaving me and going far away?”
“I got assigned to Mexico City.”
Her eyes widened with shock. “What?”
“I’ll be working at the U.S. embassy in Mexico City for the next two years.”
“You’re joking.”
“No. I’m serious.”
