Victoria intervened.
—It’s not the right time.
But Eleanor looked at her.
Victoria looked away.
Charles noticed the gesture.
“Mom,” she asked slowly. “What’s wrong with the house?”
Eleanor shook her head.
-After.
-Not now.
Isabella let out a breath.
—My God, Charles. My parents helped with the hitch. I’ve explained it to you a thousand times.
Charles looked at Victoria.
-It’s true?
The woman opened her mouth.
He did not respond.
Eleanor closed her eyes.
She had promised to keep quiet because Isabella had told her that the money was a sensitive matter between her and her parents. Eleanor had never wanted to cause problems between the families.
But now she understood that her silence had allowed something much worse.
“It wasn’t them,” he finally said.
Charles stopped breathing for a moment.
Isabella paled.
Eleanor spoke in a calm voice.
—The money for the down payment on his house came from the farm.
Charles looked at her, uncomprehending.
-What do you mean?
Eleanor
He swallowed.
—I sold part of it.
The noise from the church disappeared for Charles.
—Did you sell land?
—Eighteen acres on the north side.
He took a step towards her.
—Dad loved that part.
-I know.
-Mother…
Eleanor tried to smile.
—You wanted to start a family. I thought it was worth it.
Charles slowly turned back towards Isabella.
The woman he was about to marry had spent six months telling everyone that her parents had gotten them that house.
The house with a marble kitchen.
The house with a terrace.
The house that Isabella showed off on social media, describing it as “a gift from my amazing family.”
Charles had thought he was talking about both families.
Now I understood that it wasn’t true.
“You knew,” he said.
Isabella remained silent.
—Did you know that my mother had sold her land?
—Charles…
—Did you know?
-Yeah.
One word.
But it was enough.
Charles extended his hand again.
—The ring.
And this time nobody in the church
He thought he was joking.
Isabella did not take off her ring.
Instead, he pressed his hand against his chest.
—Don’t do this.
Charles observed her with a calmness that began to frighten her.
—Devuélvemelo.
—We’re five minutes away from getting married.
-Not anymore.
—You’re upset.
—I’m seeing something I should have seen a long time ago.
Victoria approached.
—Charles, every couple has arguments. We can go into an office, talk for ten minutes, and come back when everyone is calmer.
—I don’t need ten minutes.
—Don’t be impulsive.
Charles let out a short laugh.
—I’ve been ignoring things for two years. That’s the exact opposite of being impulsive.
Eleanor wanted to intervene.
She did not want her son to make a decision he might later regret, just to defend her.
—Charles, listen…
He turned towards her.
—Why did you sell that land without telling me?
The question had no anger in it.
That hurt more.
Eleanor lowered her gaze to her
hands.
Thomas had died six years earlier of a heart attack while repairing an old water pump.
Since then, Eleanor had managed the property on her own.
Charles grew up there.
He learned to ride a bicycle on the gravel road.
He learned to drive a pickup truck in the northern pasture.
And there was an old oak tree, near the eighteen acres that had been sold, where father and son used to sit during summer evenings.
Eleanor knew what that land meant.
That’s why he never told her.
—Because you would have said no.
—Of course I would have said no.
—They needed the hook.
—We could buy another house.
Eleanor looked at him.
—Isabella wanted that one.
Charles closed his eyes.
When you heard it out loud, everything sounded worse.
Months earlier, Isabella had found a property on the outskirts of the city. It cost much more than Charles considered reasonable, but she insisted it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Charles had said they would have to wait.
Two weeks later, Isabella arrived excitedly saying that her parents would help with the hitch.
The purchase was made.
Charles thanked Victoria and her husband, Daniel, during a dinner.
He remembered the reaction perfectly.
Victoria raised her glass.
—That’s what family is for.
Now he understood why Eleanor remained silent that night.
“How much?” Charles asked.
Eleanor hesitated.
-Mother.
—One hundred and forty thousand dollars.
Isabella closed her eyes.
Several nearby guests managed to overhear.
Charles looked at Victoria.
—And you let me thank you?
Victoria straightened her back.
—Isabella told us that Eleanor didn’t want to talk about the matter.
—That doesn’t answer the question.
—It wasn’t our money. We had no obligation to explain it.
—But they accepted the loan.
Victoria did not respond.
Charles turned back towards Isabella.
-Because?
She seemed more annoyed than embarrassed.
