duplicitous lies. He doubted it.
“Ven aca, Mateo.” The older man patted the seat next to his.
He smiled at his grandfather as he eased himself into the chair. “You should be in bed, Abuelo.”
Joaquin waved his hand dismissively. “Bah, I’ve been resting all day under orders from your tias. I feel like a small child who has to take a nap under watchful supervision before he’s allowed to stay up late with the adults.”
“It’s because we love you.” Mateo reached over to lay his hand on his grandfather’s arm. “No one wants you to tire yourself out.”
His grandfather patted Mateo’s hand gently. “But you’re all missing the point, Mateo. I want to tire myself out.”
“But your doctor said-”
“Never mind the doctor. Is he God? I don’t think so.” Joaquin took a deep breath and then shook his head. “Who wants to live a life where they’re well rested at the end? Not me, no mi hijo, not me. And do you know why?”
Mateo smiled at the familiar phrase that always preceded a gem of wisdom. “No, tell me why.”
“Because I want to die having lived my life as fully as I possibly could. When I meet God I want to be able to say ‘Lord, I wore out my body living a good life and I have near worn out my heart loving my family until I couldn’t love them more’.” He smiled and nodded. “I’ve done both, Mateo. My body is about to give in to the cancer, so the wearing out is almost done.” He squeezed Mateo’s hand. “And I hope that each member of this family knows I’ve loved them with everything I’ve had in me.”
Mateo closed his eyes against his tears. “I don’t think you could have loved us more, Abuelo.”
“Good, good. Now, there’s a secret to a happy marriage that I want you to know.”
Mateo nodded. “I’m listening.”
His grandfather chuckled. “That’s a good start. Listen to your wife. Hear her. Value her. Protect her. Cherish her. Love her. Every single day for the rest of her life.”
For the rest of her life? Mateo wasn’t even sure if Ava would show up today. Not after the way he’d made love to her and then left in the early hours of the morning without a word of goodbye. Not after the way he’d said as little as possible to her while they’d gone downtown to get their marriage license. He hadn’t seen her or talked to her in more hours than he could count. Considering he didn’t know if there would even be a wedding today, the rest of her life was too much to even contemplate. “You make it sound so easy.”
“Love and loyalty aren’t complicated issues, Mateo.”
Mateo stood and crossed to the window, more so that his grandfather couldn’t see his face than because he needed to see how the wedding set-up was coming along. He sighed.
“What is it, son?”
He closed his eyes against the pain that had a virtual choke hold on his heart. He turned to face his grandfather. “I’m afraid.”
“Afraid of what exactly?” his grandfather gently probed.
Mateo hesitated. He wasn’t looking forward to a future without his grandfather’s constant source of wisdom, of love, of guidance. But that wasn’t fear so much as it was a profound and painful sense of loss. When it came to Ava, however, Mateo was afraid. He was fearful he’d made a huge mistake in proposing to her and for letting things get so out of hand that he’d made love to her before the wedding. “I’m afraid I’m going to hurt Ava and that is the very last thing on earth I want to do.”
The older man nodded his understanding. “Do you love her?”
Mateo didn’t hesitate. “I do love her.” Already he felt immeasurably better for being able to speak the truth. Because if he knew one thing for absolute certain, it was that he had fallen in love with Ava McKenna.
“Ah, then you’re fine, Mateo. Your life will be happy if the woman you love is happy. That’s the secret. Love Ava and make sure she’s happy.”
Mateo forced himself to smile. “Thank you,
“Ven aca, Mateo.” The older man patted the seat next to his.
He smiled at his grandfather as he eased himself into the chair. “You should be in bed, Abuelo.”
Joaquin waved his hand dismissively. “Bah, I’ve been resting all day under orders from your tias. I feel like a small child who has to take a nap under watchful supervision before he’s allowed to stay up late with the adults.”
“It’s because we love you.” Mateo reached over to lay his hand on his grandfather’s arm. “No one wants you to tire yourself out.”
His grandfather patted Mateo’s hand gently. “But you’re all missing the point, Mateo. I want to tire myself out.”
“But your doctor said-”
“Never mind the doctor. Is he God? I don’t think so.” Joaquin took a deep breath and then shook his head. “Who wants to live a life where they’re well rested at the end? Not me, no mi hijo, not me. And do you know why?”
Mateo smiled at the familiar phrase that always preceded a gem of wisdom. “No, tell me why.”
“Because I want to die having lived my life as fully as I possibly could. When I meet God I want to be able to say ‘Lord, I wore out my body living a good life and I have near worn out my heart loving my family until I couldn’t love them more’.” He smiled and nodded. “I’ve done both, Mateo. My body is about to give in to the cancer, so the wearing out is almost done.” He squeezed Mateo’s hand. “And I hope that each member of this family knows I’ve loved them with everything I’ve had in me.”
Mateo closed his eyes against his tears. “I don’t think you could have loved us more, Abuelo.”
“Good, good. Now, there’s a secret to a happy marriage that I want you to know.”
Mateo nodded. “I’m listening.”
His grandfather chuckled. “That’s a good start. Listen to your wife. Hear her. Value her. Protect her. Cherish her. Love her. Every single day for the rest of her life.”
For the rest of her life? Mateo wasn’t even sure if Ava would show up today. Not after the way he’d made love to her and then left in the early hours of the morning without a word of goodbye. Not after the way he’d said as little as possible to her while they’d gone downtown to get their marriage license. He hadn’t seen her or talked to her in more hours than he could count. Considering he didn’t know if there would even be a wedding today, the rest of her life was too much to even contemplate. “You make it sound so easy.”
“Love and loyalty aren’t complicated issues, Mateo.”
Mateo stood and crossed to the window, more so that his grandfather couldn’t see his face than because he needed to see how the wedding set-up was coming along. He sighed.
“What is it, son?”
He closed his eyes against the pain that had a virtual choke hold on his heart. He turned to face his grandfather. “I’m afraid.”
“Afraid of what exactly?” his grandfather gently probed.
Mateo hesitated. He wasn’t looking forward to a future without his grandfather’s constant source of wisdom, of love, of guidance. But that wasn’t fear so much as it was a profound and painful sense of loss. When it came to Ava, however, Mateo was afraid. He was fearful he’d made a huge mistake in proposing to her and for letting things get so out of hand that he’d made love to her before the wedding. “I’m afraid I’m going to hurt Ava and that is the very last thing on earth I want to do.”
The older man nodded his understanding. “Do you love her?”
Mateo didn’t hesitate. “I do love her.” Already he felt immeasurably better for being able to speak the truth. Because if he knew one thing for absolute certain, it was that he had fallen in love with Ava McKenna.
“Ah, then you’re fine, Mateo. Your life will be happy if the woman you love is happy. That’s the secret. Love Ava and make sure she’s happy.”
Mateo forced himself to smile. “Thank you,
Similar Books
