“Yeah… I just don’tkeep’em.”
“Why not?”
I leaned back in my chair. “Because the life I live ain’t built for somebody sitting around worrying if I’m coming home or not.”
“Does Alejandro have a woman?”
I shook my head. “Nah.”
She nodded slowly. “Figures.”
“What that supposed to mean?”
“It means men in certain lives don’t get the luxury of normal love, but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve it. Look, I love Alejandro. He made sure that you didn’t end up dead or locked up, but that doesn’t mean you gotta live your whole life behind him. You got your own life, too, Damari.”
I didn’t respond.
Her voice softened a little. “I’m not judging you, Damari. I know the world you live in. I just don’t want it to be the only world you know.”
I looked down at my plate. “That ship might’ve already sailed, Ma.”
“Ships turn around,” she fired back.
I looked up and smirked. “You been watching them motivational videos again?”
“Don’t play with me.” She pointed at my plate. “Now eat before it gets cold. You didn’t come all the way here to have a therapy session.”
I chuckled. “Yes, ma’am.”
I grabbed a fork and went right back to tearing that food up.
After eating, I went down the hallway toward my old room. The posters were gone, and there was a new bedroom set, but the energy still felt the same.
I opened my duffel bag and started unpacking when my phone rang.
Marcos.
“What’s up?” I answered.
“Business,” he replied immediately.
I sighed. “I’m out of pocket this week. Talk to Alejandro.”
“Already did.”
“And?”
“He told me to still run it by you.”
Of course he did.
I shook my head slightly.
Even when I stepped away, the work followed me.
“What is it?”
“We got a problem.”