He folded it all and put it back into the envelope. “I’ll try to see him tomorrow.”
“Gracias. Are you returning to school, Edward?”
“Probably.”
“I’m sorry about you and Jesse. I know how close you two were.”
“It’s not uncommon for people who are close to grow apart when they move on, go to college or work or something. I just took it a little harder than he did. Maybe a lot harder,” he admitted.
“Where have you been?”
“I wanted to be alone, travel, discover more about myself and in the process make my mother feel bad,” he added with a smile. “She had her lawyer make some moves on me after I had disobeyed her and seen you. At the time, I didn’t care, but I’ve come back, and now I have my own lawyer. My father did some things for Sophia and me that she cannot change, and I think she’s finally realized it.”
“What about Sophia?”
“I saw her the day before yesterday. She’s worse than ever, a time bomb waiting to explode. She’s into everything, drugs, sex, and rock and roll,” he added. “My mother can’t do much about that, either. Sophia turned eighteen last month. How long are you going to stay with Fani?”
“Until I get my own apartment. Señor Bovio gave me this,” I said, showing him the information.
“Rental broker. He’s lined up some places near your school. The nursing school isn’t far from here. Maybe we’ll get an apartment together,” he said.
“Really?”
“You’d like that?”
“Oh, very much, Edward.”
“I’ll take care of this,” he said. “Don’t depend too much on Fani. She likes to toy with people.”
“I know.”
“I’ll move as quickly as I can on everything.”
“Gracias, Edward.”
He took another sip of wine. “What about your boyfriend, Ignacio?” he asked.
I described my visit at the prison and Señor Bovio’s failure to deliver on the promise he had made.
“Can’t blame Ignacio for being bitter, and I’m sure that place isn’t exactly a walk on the beach. Sorry about all that, Delia.”
“I should have told you everything.”
“Water under the bridge now. Let’s just think about the future.” He finished his wine and stood.
“What will I do if your friend’s father says I can do nothing now about my baby, Edward?”
“Let’s wait to see before we get too depressed about it, Delia. There might be a good case for proving you were coerced into this.”
“But what if there’s not, Edward? What could I do then?”
He shrugged. “The question is not what could you do, but what wouldn’t you do, Delia. Is there anything you wouldn’t do?”
“Nothing, nada.”
He nodded and started for the door. I followed him. He turned back to me at the door.
“Would you return to Mexico? You could live very well with the money you have.”