Page 87 of Chris

Yes, she liked that man. She more than liked him. With nothing more than his presence, and attention, he showed her good men existed. He reminded her she deserved care, and adoration by someone like him. He made her want him more than anything … she wanted happiness, and if possible, she wanted to find it with him. She knew happiness because he had given her glimpses. And at night, when it was just the two of them away from the rest of the world, he’d given her back the ability to be her own woman, too, although she didn’t think he understood that.

She loved seeing him with her daughter because he never dismissed her child. He didn’t walk past Maria without at the least, stopping to speak to her. He handled Maria with kindness, grace, and a tender heart, as a good man should.

She cared for Chris because of many reasons, and wanted him.

And she had more reasons why she couldn’t have him. At least, not right now. Valeria wasn’t the type to punish herself. So, she forced herself not to think about him at all because that was easier.

For now.

“It just isn’t,” she told her daughter.

Maria shrugged in her mother’s hold. “I like him.”

Valeria smiled. “Oh?”

“Yep.”

“Why is that?”

“Because he doesn’t hurt you,” Maria said, “and he likes you. That’s why I like him.”

“That’s all?”

Maria nodded. “That’s all, Mamá.”

Huh.

Children were still children. The only people on the earth who looked past the surface to see what was underneath. Children saw bad things, and yet, still found the good, too.

That was their innocence.

The beauty of kids.

They found hope.

Possibility.

Even when no one else did.

“I like him,” Valeria murmured into her daughter’s hair.

Although, if Maria heard it, she didn’t acknowledge it. Valeria was fine with that because she wasn’t sure how to deal with this herself. Away from this place, at a different time, had she met Chris … it would have been amazing.

They could be wonderful.

And maybe—God, maybe—if she had the chance he promised her to get away from here, and live her life the way she wanted, then she might let herself feel all those things she kept holding at bay. For now, though, she didn’t dare.

Heartache was one thing.

Heartbreak was quite another.

Valeria was not ready for that. Giving her heart to a man she couldn’t be with would only bring her pain.

Someday, that might change.

Her thoughts were a whisper.

They reminded her hope wasn’t dead.