arms. “You must be Eduardo. I can tell—you’re a very serious young man.” As he said it, he tickled Eddy’s tummy.
Eddy squealed with delight and kept right on squealing as Eric lifted the boy over his head a few times, saying, “Oh, yes—very serious indeed.”
That got Addy’s attention. Although she didn’t fling herself at Eric, she sat up. She didn’t have to wait long. Eric tucked Eddy into the crook of one arm and reached out for Addy. “Hello, Miss Adelina. Aren’t you a good girl?”
“It’s all right,” Sofia reassured her and then Addy was lifted from her arms and cradled against Eric’s chest.
“There we are,” Eric said reassuringly, bouncing both children a little bit. Eddy seemed thrilled beyond words, but Addy was holding herself a little apart from him, still unsure about this strange man who’d just walked into their lives.
Next to her, Mom sighed—a noise that was part happiness, part relief and part…longing, maybe? Sofia could sympathize. The sight of her children in Eric’s arms—if possible, this was even less fair than him tenderly telling her that he wanted her to feel as beautiful as she was.
Because he was holding her children, making silly sounds and getting Addy to smile while Eddy tried to copy his sounds, with varying degrees of success.
Eric was perfect.
“Oh, Mr. Eric—I have something for you,” Mom said, hurrying off to the kitchen.
And leaving them alone. “Hi,” he said over the heads of the twins. His eyes warmed as he looked her over. “It’s good to see you.”
Oh, Lord—the only thing worse than flirting right now was sincere compliments because there was no defense against sincerity. “Hi,” she said back.
What was she supposed to say here? Because it simply wasn’t fair how perfect he was. The least the universe could do would be to make him not like children. If he showed indifference or even open dislike of the twins, it would be so much easier to keep her attraction to him under control.
But no. He had to be perfect in every way. He was going to make her fall in love with him and it was going to break her heart.
“Hey, can you take a picture? I’ll send it to my mom,” he said. “Can we smile, kiddos?”
By the time she got the camera app open, they were all laughing. No, this wasn’t fair at all. “Babies!” she said enthusiastically, which got both twins to focus on her. Eric looked up and grinned and she snapped several shots.
Then Eddy squirmed out of his arms and Sofia had to hide her smile at Eric trying to juggle the twins. But he didn’t drop either toddler, so that counted for something. “What is it, big guy?”
Chattering excitedly, Eddy made his way over to the coloring table. “He wants to show you his drawings. Which means that, in about ten seconds, Addy will want to show you her drawings, too.”
“A little friendly sibling rivalry?”
“You have no idea.”
“Sofia?” Mom poked her head out of the kitchen. “Can you give me a hand before you leave?”
Sofia frowned at her mother. Normally the woman refused any and all offers of help. But Mom gave her the look and Sofia had no choice but to say to Eric, “Will you be all right for a minute?”
“Go on,” he said, shooting her a grin that made her cheeks heat.
Mom had a small pile of food assembled on the counter. “Mom, what are you doing?”
“Mr. Eric—he always loved Jarritos. I think I have another bottle of the fresa somewhere…” she said to herself, digging around one of the cabinets. “Ah, here it is.” She pulled out the bottle of the red drink.
Strawberry had always been Sofia’s favorite, too. “Did you call me in here just to help you find some soda?” Her heart began to pound faster, but it didn’t feel like a panic attack waiting to happen.
“No, cariño.” Her mom set the soda down by the other snacks—all Mexican brands. Bags of corn chips and pastries. The kind of snacks she’d loved growing up. She remembered how Eric had always treated Takis chips like a rare and special treat.
“I want you to promise me something,” Mom said, her brow knit with worry.
What was this all about? It wasn’t like her mother to be overly dramatic. “Okay, what?”
“I want you to have some fun this weekend.” She said it in such a hushed, serious tone—like she was confessing to a sin.
“Fun?” Sofia shook her head from side to side, wondering when the world stopped making sense. Fun had always been low on her mother’s priority list. “Mom, this is a business trip. We’ll be working.”
Her mother clucked and patted Sofia on the cheek and just like that, Sofia felt like she was seven again. “Ayi, it is—but this is the first time since David died that you’ve…” Her voice trailed off.
Sofia was suddenly terrified of what her mother might say. Because what it sounded like Mom was saying was that it might be a good idea if Sofia considered sleeping with her boss on a weekend getaway and that couldn’t possibly be true. Especially not when Sofia had been daydreaming about doing just that.
“There’s nothing going on here. We’re just old friends who happen to work together now.”
Her mother gave her another look, one that had Sofia’s mouth snapping shut on any other protest. “It’s been almost a year and a half. You need to move on with your life.”
Sofia stared in disbelief, but Rosa Cortés didn’t so much as blink. “I am moving on. I got a new job and some new clothes.” Clothes that Eric had paid for. “There’s nothing else I need from him.” It didn’t matter how much that might be a lie—she was sticking to it.
“Nothing?” Mom clucked again and dug out a bag to put the snacks in. “He grew up. So handsome. And thoughtful, to come get you himself.” She sighed again and Sofia swore she could see stars in her mother’s eyes. “The twins love him. You can just tell.”
She could. Even Addy had warmed up to him in record time. “Mom…”
Because this was not the beginning of a new story. This was not a happily-ever-after in the making. And if Sofia allowed herself to buy into that delusion—that a hot, rich, thoughtful billionaire who cared for her and the children would somehow give her a perfect family and a storybook life—no. He was so far out of her league that she knew she’d fall if she tried to climb to his level. And she couldn’t fall again. She wouldn’t survive the bounce this time.
“It’s just that you’ve been through so much—you deserve a little fun, don’t you?” Mom nodded to herself as she bagged up the snacks. “It’s time for you to smile again.”
“I smile. I smile all the time.” It was hard not to smile and laugh when Addy and Eddy were being adorable—or even when they were getting into trouble.
But even as she thought that, Sofia knew she was being deliberately obtuse because that’s not what Mom was talking about and they both knew it.
Sorrow pulled at the corners of Mom’s mouth. “Ah, you smile for your children. You even smile for me and your father, as if you think we can’t see how you’re hiding behind it. But, cariño, when was the last time you smiled for yourself?” With that parting shot, Mom carried the overflowing bag of snacks and sodas out to Eric.
Sofia stood there, struggling to breathe. Mom was wrong. That’s all there was to it. She smiled. She was moving on and living her life. She…
Sofia dropped her head into her hands. She didn’t get enough sleep and every day was a new battle to be waged against crushing depression and anxiety. Her entire life had become faking it until she made it. Apparently, she wasn’t