The clothes Rosalía’s mother had gotten for James didn’t exactly fit him.
The white shirt left his forearms exposed and the pants barely managed to close around his waist.
And by the time both of them came back down to the ground floor, Rosalía was already waiting with dinner served.
Dinner passed with an almost unexpected calm.
However, just as James was about to get up after finishing his food, Rosalía’s mother set her spoon down on the table.
"So, handsome, where are you from?"
James noticed Rosalía also look up from her plate.
She didn’t say anything, but the curiosity in her eyes made it clear she’d been wanting to ask the exact same question for a while now.
"Honestly, I don’t know."
"What do you mean you don’t know?"
"I can’t remember anything," he replied with a shrug. "The only thing I’m sure of is my name."
"What an awful situation... you must feel completely lost."
"Yeah..."
James decided not to add anything else.
Not because he didn’t want to, but because he couldn’t think of anything else to make up.
Fortunately, that answer seemed to be enough to close the topic.
"But don’t worry... I think I have the perfect solution," the mother announced with obvious enthusiasm. "If you have nowhere to go, why don’t you come live here?"
Rosalía, who had stayed out of it up to that point, nearly choked on what she was drinking.
"What?!"
"You heard me."
"Mom, you can’t just go around inviting strangers to live in our house."
"He’s not a stranger, he’s the boy who saved your life," her mother replied firmly.
"I know, but... don’t you think this is a little sudden?"
"Look, Rosy, let me explain it calmly," her mother said, folding her hands on the table. "I’m already old."
"You’re only forty-two..."
"And I’m not going to be here forever."
"You’re perfectly healthy."
"Today. And tomorrow?" she countered, raising a finger. "Something could happen to me any day and you’d end up living alone, no husband, no children, talking to the walls."
James simply stayed quiet, watching the argument unfold.
"Here we go again..." Rosalía murmured.
"I just want to leave this world knowing you’re in good company," her mother continued, bringing a hand to her chest. "And a couple of grandchildren while we’re at it... two or three would be nice, even four, if God is feeling especially generous."
"I’m not having four children."
"Start with one and we’ll see."
’Being honest, this isn’t a bad offer’ James thought. ’A roof, hot food, and a beautiful wife... What more could I ask for?’
Then his gaze drifted toward Rosalía’s neckline.
’Yeah... there are definitely worse ways to start from scratch.’
"And what do you think?" Rosalía’s mother said, turning toward him.
"Huh?"
"My daughter is quite the beauty, don’t you think?"
James looked over at Rosalía.
She met his gaze with an expression full of embarrassment, silently begging him not to say anything.
"Well, yeah... she’s pretty cute."
Rosalía’s eyes went wide, completely surprised by how easily he’d said it, while her mother gave a triumphant clap.
"And look, so you know I’m being honest," her mother added, leaning toward him conspiratorially. "My daughter isn’t perfect, you know. She has her little things."
"Mom..."
"She likes to drink."
"Mom"
"And gambling."
"Mom!"
"But those are silly little things," the woman said, waving her hand. "The wine hides itself, and so does the money... Nothing that can’t be fixed with a firm hand."
"I never lost the house, not once."
"You came two cards away from losing it."
"Two cards away is not losing it!"
James rested his chin on his hand and watched the exchange without a word, enjoying it more than he probably should.
"What I’m getting at is that the perfect woman doesn’t exist," the woman said, turning back to him. "We all have our flaws."
Then, without the slightest embarrassment, she pointed her thumb at her own daughter’s chest.
"Though, to be fair, those two right there aren’t exactly a flaw," she added with a smile. "On the contrary, they’ll be perfect for feeding my future grandchildren."
"MOM!"
"And don’t even get me started on her hips," she went on, unfazed. "Wide, and the kind that give birth without any trouble."
Rosalía turned so red that James genuinely thought smoke was about to come out of her ears.
"You... what kind of mother says things like that?!"
"One who wants grandchildren."
James almost burst out laughing more than once, though he managed to hold himself back.
And once he regained his composure, he picked up his plate with both hands and got up from the table.
"Well, I’ll go wash this and—"
"Don’t even think about it."
Rosalía shot up and took the plate from him before he could take a step.
"You’re injured. Or did you already forget?"
"Honestly, it’s no trouble at all—"
"Go up and rest," she said firmly. "I’ll take care of the dishes and then I’ll come up to change your bandages."
"Alright, alright, I’m going," he conceded as he climbed the stairs.
However, the moment he entered the room and closed the door behind him, that smile began to fade.
Then he sat on the edge of the bed, let out a long sigh, and stayed for several seconds with his eyes fixed on the floor.
"Damn, I was so close..." James muttered.
If Rosalía hadn’t pulled away at the last instant, the quest would already be complete, the penalty would be gone, and that damn problem would be a thing of the past.
’Well, it’s not that big a deal,’ he thought, dropping onto his back on the mattress.
After all, things were still working in his favor.
Rosalía had said she’d come up to check his bandages, which meant that in a few minutes they’d be alone again.
’She’s practically handing it to me on a silver platter,’ he thought, staring at the ceiling. ’I just have to wait.’
James settled more comfortably on the bed and crossed his arms behind his head.
And so, with his gaze lost on the ceiling, he let the minutes pass one after another.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
"James?" Rosalía’s voice came from the other side. "Can I come in?"