Maria walked out of the kitchen to the dining area. It was her turn to get the kids for lunch while Jane held down the fort. She passed a man eating quietly, his daughter playing with the saltshaker on top of the table. She smiled. He looked so peaceful watching her, that’s how fathers were supposed to be. She didn’t get far before Michael and Julie came rushing through the door.
“I told you to wait for me, what if something happened?” Maria spoke to the kids. Julie smiled up at her before she disappeared into the kitchen, Michael looked at her with the same amusement he always had, watching Maria make an effort of scolding him. It was cute but still annoyed her on occasion.
“We were fine, Leo was watching us.”
Leo, Maria was glad she was wrong not to trust him. He had turned out to be a good friend to them and Michael was very fond of him. He was her personal security guard, making sure Michael didn’t walk out the building with any strangers, or alone at any time before and after lunch. He watched them cross the street and sometimes he brought them over himself. It made Maria even more relaxed worrying less about Michael. She still hadn’t garnered up the courage to tell him their real names, she felt embarrassed about it.
“Make sure you carry some cake for him, now go to the kitchen, your grandma will be calling soon.”
“Grandma!” Michael yelled, running to the kitchen.
Maria watched him, laughing. If she wasn’t sure he loved her more, she would have been very jealous of Edna. A woman marched past her, bumping her and almost tipping her over. When she got her footing she stared at the lady, peeved, she was about to go to her and give her a piece of her mind when the lady slapped the man who was sitting with his daughter. The man didn’t even look unsettled. He brushed his hand over the cheek she had hit and smiled up at her proudly. Maria watched them confused, if she had done that to Ricky, she would have been on the floor bleeding and crying.
“I should have expected this from you!” she yelled; her voice venomous.
“Which did you like best, the pictures or the movie?” the man placed his hand on the little girl’s foot. She didn’t look at all stirred by the commotion her parents were causing.
“That’s invasion of privacy!”
“For the pictures, you were spread out on the lawn, and the video, you were in my house. What were you doing in law school Amy? Probably what you are doing in my house.” He spoke directly, the amusement gone from his voice.
“I’m going to get you for this Dave!”
Dave pulled the child closer to him. She laughed as she skidded across the table. Maria wondered if the child was unaffected because the arguments and shouting was normal. Michael was the same until his little brain began to understand it all.
“Take the deal and get out of our lives.” Dave said and Maria wondered what he was talking about. Was he paying her to leave?
“Will you shut up!” Amy yelled at the child.
The little girl went quiet, all the joy wiped from her face. She looked scared and close to tears. Maria got the urge to hit Amy for yelling at the baby, but she was sure Dave would do much worse when she saw his face turn red, she could practically see the steam coming from his ears. Dave shot out of his chair and grabbed Amy’s arm. Maria shifted her gaze between them. She felt her heart tighten as her breath shortened in a panic, more for herself than the woman. She could feel his anger from where she was standing, and the next thing she expected was a beating. She wanted to run out of the cafe, but she couldn’t leave the woman alone, so she held onto the chair next to her tight and prayed someone would stop the fight before the man began swinging.
“No deal.” Dave hissed out before he dragged Amy out of the cafe, away from the audience they had attracted. Amy’s scratched at his hand didn’t make him loosen his grip he had on her, instead it must have made him tighten it even more because Amy cried out.
Maria stood there dumbfounded, as her heart got back its rhythm, not because of the rage she seen in the man, she was used to anger, but at the restraint he showed. If that woman was a man he most certainly would have hit her, and if he was Ricky’s type, without a shadow of a doubt she would have been black and blue. Maria watched them go at it from the window. The man had placed a considerable amount of distance between them as they argued—more restraint.
Maria’s attention was attracted by the crying child they had left on top of the table. She went to her, picked her up and soothed her until she was quiet. It didn’t take long before she got distracted by the pendant Maria had on around her neck. Maria danced around with her, something Michael always loved when he was that tiny. The little girl’s face lit up and her beautiful laughter filled the room once more, Maria could see why the man was at peace when he was around his daughter, her smile and laugh were infectious.
She looked out the window again, the couple was gone. Maria was shocked, she would never leave her child alone like that, especially in a public place, but they just did. She walked out and looked around the street, they were gone. She went back in, holding the bubbling girl, wondering what she was going to do with her.
“Mama, where did you get her?” Michael asked pointing at the girl. He made funny faces at her, provoking a whole new train of bubbly laughs.
Maria placed her hand on his head and turned him around, “Don’t worry, we aren’t keeping her. Let’s go to the kitchen, I’ll get you something to eat.”
“I wouldn’t mind a little sister,” Michael said candidly, as he drove his imaginary car into the kitchen.
“My son’s got jokes!” Maria said with a laugh.