Chapter 42 The Family

Leonardo Franco POV

When I arrive home, my mother is kneeling on the library floor with hundreds of brochures spread out in front of her.

“Oh, hi,” she says, shuffling the glossy pamphlets. “You’re home early.”

“I made good time with the boat. The wind was behind me.”

She smiles up at me. “How was the birthday party?”

The memories that flood me make me work my jaw. “Good.” And bad. But mostly memorable. Inarguably satisfying.

“Did she like the car?”

“Apparently not.” My tone is wry. “She donated it to charity.”

My mother’s brow pleats. “I told you it was too flashy.”

“Don’t worry about it. I instructed her brother to buy her a more average car.” I peer over her shoulder. “What are you doing?”

“Organizing the wedding leaflets by themes and color. I was thinking of apricot as the principal color and palettes of orange as accent colors. How does that sound?”

It takes effort to smile. The way in which I left in Negros Island put me in a foul mood. “Like you have everything under control.”