“This is not a joke, Edward. Your behavior, your recklessness, has caused you severe injury. I hope you’ve learned something from it. First, it wasn’t your place to go rushing off like some vigilante to punish Bradley Whitfield.”
“Why, would you have done something about it, Mother? Did what he did to Delia bother you enough?”
“I’m afraid I wasn’t given as much information as you were, and if I was given that information, I certainly wouldn’t have rushed off like some lunatic. There are ways to do things and ways not to do things, but unfortunately, that’s not the issue at the moment.”
“It’s exactly the issue. It will always be or should always be the issue. Delia’s family now, our family. She’s living in our home. She deserves our protection. All I was trying to do was make sure she had that.”
“Oh, please. Don’t be ridiculous and dramatic, Edward. You have set yourself back considerably with your education, your future, your…”
“Your reputation,” Edward finished for her.
Tía Isabela pulled her shoulders back. “I’m not here to argue with you, Edward. We have to concentrate now on doing what we can to help you. I’m making arrangements for some home tutoring. You won’t be attending school for some time.”
“I don’t need home tutoring. Jesse will bring me the work every day and help me keep up.”
“That’s hardly—”
“It’s what I’d like, Mother. And I expect Delia will be tutoring me in Spanish now. El español, Delia, sí?”
“Sí,” I said, smiling.
“Impressed, Mother? Jesse’s learned some Spanish for me. We both decided we should have a working familiarity with the language. I never understood why you prevented it in the first place.”
“That’s enough nonsense,” Tía Isabela said. “I’m going now to talk to your doctors and nurses and see about the plans for your release from the hospital, what arrangements, medications, and other things Dr. Fryman will be leaving with his instructions. I expect you’ll be coming home the day after tomorrow.”
“Whatever,” Edward said.
The moment she walked out, Edward reached out and called for me, and I took his hand.
“Tell me how school went for you today,” he said. “Cómo estaba la escuela hoy? How’s that, Jesse?”
“Impressive.”
“I bet your amigos were surprised to see you brought there in a Rol
ls-Royce, huh, Delia?”
“Sí,” I said. “But Sophia was the most surprised,” I added, and both he and Jesse laughed.
“That’s a beautiful bracelet you have, Delia,” Jesse said. Because I was still holding Edward’s hand, my wrist and bracelet were quite obvious.
“What bracelet?” Edward asked. He felt for it. “Where did you get that?”
“Sophia gave it to me,” I said.
He pulled his fingers away as if the bracelet had become too hot to touch.
“Sophia gave you something? That? I don’t believe it. No creo,” Edward said.
“She did,” I said.
He turned toward Jesse. “You’d better keep your eye on things, Jess. When my sister starts giving things away, something’s not kosher.”
“Will do,” Jesse said. “Don’t worry.”
Nevertheless, Edward suddenly looked more uncomfortable.
“Some nausea?” Jesse asked.