Chapter 6

ALEJANDRO I KISSED MY MOTHER ON THE CHEEK BEFORE CLOSING THE CAR DOOR BEHIND her and watching as her driver turned out of my driveway. I’d suggested that she spend the night, but she wanted to visit her old friend while she was in L.A. She also made it clear that she was keen not to intrude on the newlyweds. The irony of that wasn’t lost on me. The fact was, Alana and I got along much better when my mother was around – even if it was all only for her benefit. I walked back into the house and looked for Alana. Whatever I thought about her, she had managed to convince my mother that this thing between the two of us was real, and for that I was grateful. I wondered what, or how much it might cost me, to repay that particular favor. I found her in the kitchen helping Magda clear the dishes from our late lunch. They were laughing at something but stopped when they saw me walking into the ro