Page 45 of Minha Dona

“Thank you, Minha Dona.”

“You’re very welcome, Gatinha.”

They sat in the comfy chairs near the window with the curtains fully open, Miami bright and sprawling below them and the ocean a magnificent backdrop. Caitlin had her feet tucked under her the way she’d had them that first night in the library bar, the necklace catching the morning light, and she looked, Helena thought, completely happy. The version of her that nobody in the firm got to see. The force of nature at rest.

Breakfast arrived. They ate, and drank the coffee and the mimosas, and for quite some time didn’t feel the need to say much. Helena let the silence run because she knew what she was going to ask and was waiting for the moment to feel right.

When they were most of the way through and Caitlin was looking out at the view with her coffee held in both hands, Helena put hers down.

“Don’t go to Barbados,” she said.

Caitlin turned. She put her own cup down carefully and gave Helena her full attention. Her expression was hard to read but Helena went with intrigued mixed with what she hoped she’d read correctly as pleased.

“Come to São Paulo with me for your holiday instead.” Helena kept her voice even. She was more nervous than the situation probably warranted… except that it seemed as if a lot hinged on Caitlin’s answer. “My flight is at eight. I’ll be home Friday morning. If you could come sometime on Friday then we’d get all weekend. I have to work Monday to Wednesday, sorry, a client thing, but then I can take Thursday and Friday off and we can go to my family’s beach house. I’m already going with Mariana and her friends next weekend, but you and me could have a couple of extra days, just us.” She hesitated, realising she was babbling a little, then continued. “You could explore São Paulo while I’m at work. You can stay with me. But if you want time to yourself I understand, if you want to go to Barbados still then…”

“Minha Dona,” Caitlin interrupted.

“Yes, Gatinha?”

“Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Yes.” A grin spread across Caitlin’s face. “I’d love to come to São Paulo and stay with you instead.”

“You would?”

Caitlin nodded enthusiastically. “I was wondering when you’d ask! I didn’t want to just invite myself, but I could tell you were thinking it when I told you about Barbados.”

“That obvious?”

“To me.” She reached out and squeezed Helena’s hand. “Yes. Of course yes. Obviously yes. I was hoping you would.”

Helena realised after a moment that she was grinning like a lunatic. Caitlin in my life, in my world… I cannot wait.

***

“Right,” Caitlin said once they’d finished their breakfast, in the tone that Helena knew from working with her meant logistics. “I need to call my travel agent. She’s going to hate me.”

“She’ll manage.”

“She’ll charge me a fortune, but she knows she can because she’s good.” Caitlin glanced across at her. “Give me a minute with the call? It’s going to be fairly excruciating and you don’t need to witness it.”

“I’ll go and make myself look like a human being.” Helena nodded towards the bathroom. “Take your time.”

She spent ten or so minutes in there, brushed her teeth, washed her face, looked at herself in the mirror and decided she didn’t mind what she saw. When she came back out Caitlin was off the phone, sitting at the table with an expression of self-satisfaction.

“Well?”

“She found me a flight. I was going via Houston anyway, so she’s rerouted the onward leg. I’ll go home then head back to the airport first thing tomorrow morning. Flight will get to São Paulo just after five tomorrow afternoon.”

“I’ll come and get you from the airport.”

“You really don’t have to, I can get a taxi…”

“I’m coming to get you from the airport, Gatinha. End of discussion.”

“Is that my Dona giving me a command?” Caitlin’s expression had broken into a broad grin. It suited her.