When We Were Young

Chapter 15

"What do you think?," Paula asked  nervously, holding her breath in anticipation.

She had never wanted anyone's approval as much as she needed this. Not even her father's approval, she had lived most of her life trying to earn. Hazel looked up from her plate grinning.

"Delicioso! ," she exclaimed giving her a thumps up .

Paula let out a deep breath she didn’t know she was holding. She rushed around the kitchen island and enveloped Hazel into a tight hug. Hazel laughed hugging her back.

"You will make a great chef,mi amor," Hazel murmured against her shoulder.

"You think so?," Paula asked her nervously.

Hazel released her and held her at arm’s length, a disapproving scowl on her face.

"You silly girl! Why do you always doubt yourself?," Hazel asked patting her cheek.

Rafael stood in the doorway of the kitchen, his hands thrust in his sweatpants pockets , silently observing the two women. None of them had taken heed of his presence.

He watched Paula's face lit as she related her future plans for a restaurant to Hazel who sat beside her listening intently. Both of them would laugh at intervals. They looked like two long lost best friends who had finally reunited. He felt something struck inside him. 

Was he being unfair?

Paula had betrayed him once but he had never doubted her when it came to Hazel. She loved her and has been taking good care of her. He had thought it over last night and reached a resolution. It was better for everyone.

Hazel looked up first and noticed him. She beckoned him over with her usual sweet smile.

"Rafael, come join us.”

Paula raised her eyes to him and the smile on her face immediately frozen. Rafael had noticed that she has been unusually quiet around him and was avoiding him every chance she got. He wondered what was wrong with her. These days she looked bothered and distracted.

"I will return, tio. I have something pressing to discuss with Paula."

“Oh I see,” Hazel said with a knowing smile on her face.

Rafael took Paula's hand for Hazel's benefit and left. When they arrived in his study, he released her hand and crossed the room to stand before the floor to ceiling windows .

There was a tense silence around them. Paula held her breath waiting for him to speak up. For the past week, she had been avoiding Rafael in every way possible. Whenever she was around him, guilty conscience would hit her with full force.

She was keeping his daughter away from him!

She couldn't tell him now when hazel was in her first weeks of recovery. That would be selfish of her. She had to wait until Hazel fully recovers. In the mean time, she had to find a way to get that money.

"I have decided to bury the past. Bitterness does none of us any good," he said with his back turned to her.

A familiar gesture of his when he was having difficulty saying something. Paula swallowed back a lump of tears. Rafael had decided to forgive her for her past betrayal but he was going to hate her ten times more when he finally learnt of what she had kept from him all these years.

"Rafael. I ...," she said inching closer to him.

His rough voice cut whatever she was going to say.

"We will try to be civil around each other for the two months you have left and afterwards you will walk away with the money we agreed upon."

She felt her heart sink at his cold words. He slowly turned to face her.