Home > Finally You (Luna Harbor #1)(2)

Finally You (Luna Harbor #1)(2)
Author: Claudia Y. Burgoa

I expect him to open his eyes and argue with me because he wouldn’t spend his time off being miserable in someplace where it’s too sunny and hot. I guess that’s why Mom took an annual vacation with her friends. She loved the ocean, the sun, and fruity drinks.

I grab the frame I set on his nightstand and look at our family portrait. It’s the last picture of the three of us taken the Christmas before the accident.

I trace Mom’s face. Every day, I look more and more like her. It’s overwhelming to look at myself in the mirror and remember her while knowing I’ll never see her again. Even when I feel like I see her every day. It’s daunting and comforting. We share the same big brown eyes and small, slightly turned-up nose. Dad used to say Mom came from a long line of cute elves, and her pointy ears and pixie hair gave her away. I think that’s the description of a fairy, but who am I to contradict him?

The only thing I got from Dad was his ears. Mine aren’t pointy like Mom’s. The rest of me is all Mom. Well, except I don’t cut my hair. I love to play with hairstyles.

“Listen, I love having you around,” I say like I do every time I visit him. “You’re the only person I have left, but I think Mom misses you. Don’t you want to go and see her?”

He doesn’t answer.

He doesn’t move.

He only breathes.

It’s been almost ten agonizing years of watching him exist without living.

Taking a seat on the bed, I kiss his forehead and take his hand. “Is there anything I can do to help you find the light? I wish I could do something for you. Grandma and Grandpa have already left.”

I try so hard not to cry, but the tears roll down. My parents and I had a strange relationship from the beginning. I know they loved me. Adored me. However, during the week, their careers mattered the most. While they lived in Seattle, I stayed in Luna Harbor with my grandparents.

I try to suppress a sob as I think of my parents. If I learned anything from them, it’s how to work hard.

To love with all my heart.

And quality matters more than quantity. We didn’t spend all our time together, but when we did, it was perfect.

“I miss you,” I whisper, giving him a hug. “I miss Mom too. If you’re not planning on leaving, why don’t you just open your eyes? We’ll move you to Luna Harbor. We have plenty of room for you. You’ll meet my friend Siobhan and help me with the shop while I’m experimenting in my little lab.”

He still doesn’t say anything. I grab a tissue from the nightstand and wipe my tears. He needs someone to be strong for him, and that’s me.

I’m all he has.

“Enough about me. Let’s talk about your hair,” I say, grabbing the hairbrush from my tote bag and combing his hair. “You’re due for a haircut next week unless you want to go for a different look. Some men your age are letting their hair grow longer. Not quite Bon Jovi back in the eighties but also not as short as you like it. I don’t think buzz cuts are a thing for men your age.”

I stare at his unmoving body, wondering what he’d be doing if Mom was alive and he wasn’t living in a long-term facility in a vegetative state. He’s almost sixty-eight. They’d be retired and traveling wherever it’s not hot. Would they? Maybe not. My parents lived to work. Hence why they let Dad’s parents raise their only daughter—me. While growing up, I envied all the families in Luna Harbor who had more than one child, like the Cantú family. They had five children. Five. I loved visiting their house. It was always busy, filled with noise and love.

When they moved to Seattle, my heart broke a little, but I saw them during the summer and the holidays…until they never returned to Luna Harbor. How I wish they’d stay away. Before I cry again, I reach inside my bag and pull out the therapeutic balm.

“I added one ingredient to the balm. Let me know what you think,” I say while I open the jar and scoop a generous amount of it out with my hand. “The lavender scent isn’t as overpowering as it was in the last batch.”

I massage his left arm while I continue talking to him. “Did I tell you Mr. Cantú Senior is sick? It’s cancer. Mr. Matthews is moving to Seattle to be with him. The grandchildren are coming to Luna Harbor.” I pause, moving to the other side of the bed and scooping more balm. “All five of them. Straight from Siobhan herself. Can you believe she’s dating Iskander? In case you don’t remember, he’s the eldest. I warned her not to give her heart to a Cantú, or he’ll break it, but she’s not listening.”

I wait for him to protest, argue, or rush to Luna Harbor to tell her how dangerous it is to be in love with a Cantú. She wouldn’t understand. There’s no way she can see the damage Manelik Cantú left behind. After I shattered into a million pieces, I glued myself back together. Unless someone is looking closely, no one would know that I’m still broken.

There’s a knock on the door.

“Come on in,” I say.

The handle wiggles, and when it opens, Toni, one of Dad’s nurses, enters the room. She’s been working with Dad since Grandma and I moved him into this facility six years ago.

“Good morning, Nydia.”

“Hi, Toni,” I say.

She looks at my hands and asks, “Are you going to share some of that miracle balm with me?”

“Maybe.” I reach for my tote bag and grab the tub I brought for her. “Here, this is for you.”

“Aw, sweetheart, you’re an angel,” she says, giving me a side hug. “How much do I owe you?”

I wave a hand and shake my head. “It’s nothing.”

“You should sell it and call it the miracle balm. It’s not only the best moisturizer in the world but also my muscles aren’t sore when I use it. Plus, it helps me sleep.”

She shows me her elbows. “Feel this. They’re almost as soft as a baby’s butt.”

I laugh because I doubt it’s that soft, though the balm does help with the skin’s elasticity. It took me several tries to find the right formula that would help Dad’s skin.

Toni pulls something from her pocket and hands it to me. “Here, since you won’t let me pay, I’ll share one of my chocolates with you.”

“I can’t say no to that.” I wipe my hands with a towel and unwrap the chocolate.

“You’re a good daughter.”

I shake my head.

“Listen, I’ve worked here for years, and I’ve never seen someone as devoted as you. No one brings clean pillowcases, stays to read a story, or does everything you do. You spend hours applying the miracle balm on him.”

“It not only moisturizes, but it also calms and helps with the muscle stiffness,” I clarify, trying to stop her praises. I don’t tell anyone I call it my therapeutic balm. It’s just not ready to be in stores yet.

“I heard our girl is here,” someone says from the hallway, and a few seconds later, Nurse Belinda appears. “Yes, she is here!”

She reminds me a lot of Mom. She’s a hugger and a nurturer. I’m not surprised when she bends to hug me tightly. “How are you, sweetheart?” She touches my hair. “I love those waves, and I like those lowlights you added. They blend well with the natural dark tone of your hair.”

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