Chapter 6 - YOLANDA’S NOTICE
Six months later, Yolanda gave notice.
Alio stared at the letter.
“No.”
She raised an eyebrow.
He corrected himself.
“Why?”
Better.
“I got into nursing school.”
He stopped.
“What?”
“Bridge program.”
Yolanda had been a pediatric nursing assistant before Mercy’s father left.
She had dropped out of an RN program because childcare and overnight shifts became impossible.
Now Mercy was nearly four.
Yolanda had saved.
Received a small scholarship.
And wanted to return.
Alio looked at her.
“That’s good.”
“Yes.”
“Then why do I hate it?”
She laughed.
“Because you finally learned where the bottles are.”
“Exactly.”
Mrs. Ariyaga had announced retirement two months earlier.
Now Yolanda.
Alio suddenly understood why wealthy men built retention bonuses.
Fear of learning new people.
“Tommy loves you.”
“I love Tommy.”
“Mercy—”
“Will still see him.”
Alio stopped.
“You mean?”
Yolanda smiled.
“Children can remain friends when their mothers change jobs.”
Right.
Of course.
He looked at the notice again.
“When?”
“Eight weeks.”
He nodded.
Then:
“Can I help?”
Yolanda gave him the look.
Alio sighed.
“With permission.”
“Maybe.”
“Tuition?”
“No.”
“Childcare?”
“School has subsidies.”
“Books?”
“Alio.”
He stopped.
She smiled slightly.
“You can write a reference explaining I managed your household through a medical emergency.”
“That’s all?”
“Yes.”
He looked offended.
She laughed.
Eight weeks later, Yolanda left the Baranti payroll.
It changed something between them.
Until then, whatever friendship existed was complicated by employment.
Afterward, when she brought Mercy for Saturday visits, they spoke differently.
Equal ground.
Not romance.
Not yet.
Alio did not recognize it at first.
He simply noticed Saturdays became his favorite day.
Mercy and Tommy on the rug.
Yolanda drinking coffee.
No staff hovering.
No legal crisis.
One afternoon, Tommy took his first steps.
Three unsteady movements from the sofa toward Mercy.
Mercy screamed so loudly Daniel entered thinking something happened.
Tommy fell.
Then laughed.
Alio stood frozen.
Yolanda looked at him.
“You okay?”
“He walked.”
“Yes.”
“I saw it.”
“Yes.”
The grief in his face surprised her.
“You missed Elise.”
He nodded.
“She should have seen it.”
“Yes.”
Yolanda did not say:
She did.
She’s watching.
Everything happens for a reason.
People say terrible things around grief because silence scares them.
Instead she said:
“That hurts.”
Alio looked at her.
“Yes.”
“Still good though.”
He looked at Tommy.
“Yes.”
Both.
That became a theme.
Grief and joy did not cancel each other.
May you like
They simply learned to share rooms.
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