13: The Family

The waitress came over for what felt like the hundredth time.
"Excuse me, sir, but the kitchen closes at half past four."
Manuel nodded, hand over the mouthpiece. He pulled the phone from his ear after the fifth ring.
"He's not picking up. I'll ask him why the moment I see him."
"So his son isn't coming after all?" Marta asked, the way one might ask about the weather.
"He'll be busy making contacts." Julián said drily.
Melisa stamped on her brother's foot. Marta's eyes went wide, mortified by her son's lack of tact.
"What do you mean by that, Julián?"
"I've heard he's something of a heartbreaker."
"My son is nothing of the sort." Manuel took offence.
"All right — but I didn't say anything terrible." Julián shrugged. "It would have been worse if I'd called him a Casanova, wouldn't it?"
"I don't know about the rest of you, but we could eat without him." Melisa offered.
"I'm very sorry, Melisa." Manuel looked at her with a mixture of pity and warmth.
Melisa reached for the last piece of garlic bread from the basket.
"What for?" She took a bite.
"My son told me things didn't work out between you two."
Melisa looked surprised.
"I didn't know we were trying."
"Weren't you?"
"He's attractive and I find him physically appealing, but emotionally he's rather... absent."
"Apparently he's completely taken with a girl he met on Thursday." Manuel informed them.
"Replaced you that quickly, little sis!" Julián gave Melisa a slap on the back.
Melisa started coughing and went red. Marta and Manuel both fixed Julián with a stern look.
Julián looked alarmed at himself.
"Sorry, sorry!"
"You're a brute, Julián!" Melisa reproached him once she had recovered.
"I said I'm sorry!"
Melisa shot her brother a withering look, then turned to Manuel and attempted diplomacy.
"No offence intended, Manuel — but your son has the emotional range of a brick." It did not come out well.
"Melisa!" Her mother scolded her.
"I take no offence, don't worry." Manuel smiled indulgently. "The one who might have taken offence has chosen not to show up."
Everyone laughed as bowls of ramen were set down in front of them.
"I've been thinking we could all live together under one roof." Manuel suggested.
Melisa and Julián both stiffened at the suggestion. Manuel noticed.
"Is something wrong?"
Marta looked up from her bowl and took in the situation.
"If everyone has their own space, I have no objection." Marta didn't bat an eyelid. "But I am not sharing a bedroom or a wardrobe with anyone."
"Understood." Manuel's warmth cooled slightly. "A pity my son isn't here to see how you deflect every attempt I make — he'd enjoy it."
"Since he's your son, you'll know how to read his gestures — but they're microscopic."
They ate late, but the atmosphere was relaxed and easy. Between wok dishes and sushi, as the meal wound down, both Manuel and Melisa received calls.
"See you tomorrow at ten, at the courthouse." Manuel said goodbye with a small wave of the hand covering his mouthpiece, then headed to his car while firing what sounded like an accusation at whoever was on the other end of the line.
"Aunt Felisa." Melisa read the name on her screen. "Should I answer?"
"Yes, of course." Marta glanced at Julián. "What could my sister-in-law want?"
Melisa answered and put it on speaker.
"Auntie?"
"Hello, Melisa, darling. Where are you?"
"I've been out for lunch at a restaurant with Julián and Mum." She looked at them. "Why do you ask?"
"Because I'm ringing the doorbell and no one's answering — obviously!"
Melisa's expression was one of pure bewilderment.
"What do you mean, ringing the doorbell?" Melisa tilted her head.
"Oh, sweetheart, I have so much to tell you!"
All three of them exchanged a look of surprise.
"Felisa — are you in Madrid?"
"Marta, sister-in-law, how lovely to hear you!"
"You could have warned us you were coming, Auntie!" Julián said.
"I did warn you!" A tongue click was heard down the line. "I told your sister!"
"Like so many times before, Auntie!" Melisa frowned. "How was I supposed to know this time was the real one?"
Julián grinned from ear to ear, like a child who had narrowly escaped punishment. Marta shot him a look that said: don't say a word.
"Felisa, which house are you at?" Marta asked.
"Your house." Felisa said, and nothing more.
"We're on our way — fifteen minutes."
They hung up.
Julián was not keen on going to his mother's.
"That woman only remembers what suits her." He grumbled.
"May I remind you that when she left for France, you were both still living with me?"
"Fair point." Melisa looked at her brother with understanding, thinking of their aunt.
They got in the car and arrived in the time stated.
A tall, slim woman with fine features and very prominent cheekbones — dark grey hair worn in a half-length style swept back — was waiting in the building's entrance hall.
"I'm so envious of you — you look absolutely beautiful!" She said, giving Marta four kisses in the air.
"You're looking well yourself, Felisa." Marta replied.
The four of them went up to Marta's flat.
Felisa settled into one of the smaller bedrooms — the one that used to be Melisa's. It had a single bed and a built-in wardrobe with fir branch decorations framing the mirrored door.
Julián left for the office, leaving the women to themselves.
"Mum, I've been thinking—" Melisa bit her lip and narrowed her eyes "—what if Auntie comes tomorrow too and acts as a witness?"
"Witness to what?" Felisa picked up the coffee pot and poured herself a cup.
"Tomorrow I'm merging my company through marriage with Manuel, another owner."
Far from seeming hurt, Felisa broke into a smile.
"About time you got over my brother's death!"
"Don't be ridiculous, Felisa — your brother passed away years ago. And the wedding is purely business."
"That look on your face doesn't say purely business, Marta."
"That's it!" Melisa jumped in. "That's why you seemed so strange to me — and why Julián said you looked so beautiful on Friday!"
"You had a date on Thursday with your future husband!" Felisa pointed at her shamelessly.
"I didn't leave the building — you can ask the doorman." Marta answered with studied calm, and it was entirely true.
What she did not say was that the person she had spent that night with was Mario, not Manuel.