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Rosario says he asks about you all the time.”
    Victoria tried to envision them sitting at a table of their own with a child or two. A lump rose in her chest and she shook her head. “Tia, please don’t start.”
    Marta reached under the table and squeezed Victoria’s knee. “I see the way you look at him.”
    Victoria was in the middle of a pathetic excuse when Marta interrupted, saying, “Maybe there’s hope for you yet.”

 
     
    Chapte r Seven Vic t oria
    Rober t an d Khar a sa t sid e b y side , head s together , oblivious to anyone else at the table. He hung one arm casually on the back of her chair making notes. They hardly touched their food. W ith Rosario and Marta constantly hecklin g eac h other , V ictori a couldn’ t catc h a wor d o f their con v ersation. She pushed her plate a w ay and wondered what kind of progress Robert w as trying to make.
    “ ¿ T equil a co n crema? ” Elia s w en t t o th e dar k rosewood cabinet in the corner and pulled out an amber bottle. He came back with a tray of sil v er-rimmed, glass caballitos and slid one V ictoria’ s w ay . “Th e shap e o f th e glass , yo u see , pay s homag e to the cowboys. They drank tequila from hollo w ed horns so they wouldn’t spill any, e v en when riding.”
    He r uncl e almos t al w ay s bega n discussions , especiall y when h e fel t uncomfortable , wit h som e sor t o f histor y lesson . Not tha t sh e w a s keepin g score , bu t he ’ d use d thi s on e onc e o r twice bef o re. In a d i sc reet vo i c e, he qui c kly c hanged the s ub j e c t. “ Y o u know that Marta only w ants to see you happy. Don’t think that I don’ t kno w th e pressure s an d difficul t choice s tha t fal l on young women these days.”
    She squeezed his hand. “I’m thirty-two.”
    “Nonetheless. ” H e seeme d t o gi v e hi s nex t words considerable thought. “There is so much rhetoric about how to be happy in today’s world, almost as if there w ere a formula. I prefe r t o thin k o f happines s a s a for m o f art . Sometimes disciplin e i s required ; othe r times , a tota l abandonmen t of con v ention creates the true masterpiece.”
    “I’ v e ne v er thought of it that w ay before.”
    “What I’m trying to say is this: become a gifted artist, hija . Find happiness in your own time, your own w ay.”
    Her uncle poured more tequila; Robert politely refused. He whispered in Elias’s ear and disappeared into the dim light of the hall w ay.
    “ T o th e w o n d er s an d m an y a d aptation s o f art, ” E lias toasted, standing with his drink in hand, winking at her.
    Amid the clinking of glasses, Marta nudged Rosario. “What on earth is he talking about ? Por dios , Elias, speak English!”
    Th e mea l w a s almos t finishe d whe n Rober t reappeared, kneelin g bet w ee n V ictori a an d he r uncle . Hi s congenial expressio n betra y e d a sens e o f unease . “ I nee d t o spea k with th e tw o o f you . Pri v ately. ” H e e y e d Khar a curiously , thoug h she w a s fa r to o engrosse d i n con v ersatio n wit h Rosari o t o notice. He hurried to the library with V ictoria close on his heels.
    “I hope you don’t mind, I borrowed you r computer. ” H e peele d of f hi s jacket and flung it o v er a cordo v an leather armchair.
    “ W it h suc h lo v el y company, ” Elia s admonishe d whe n he caught up, “work should be the last thing—”
    I f Rober t w a s listenin g h e ga v e n o sig n o f i t othe r tha n to drum the keyboard so hard it rattled as he del v ed into screen after screen.
    “Wha t ar e y o u lookin g for? ” V ictori a asked . Sh e would ne v er ha v e imagined him capable of such focus.
    “He shook his head and mumbled, “But she used the word “ w adj” to describe paper, W adj? Ne v er heard it before, but just a minute, here it is. But that’s impossible!”
    “N o w there ’ s a w o r d I do n ’ t like, ” s h e a c kn o w le d ge d , leaning o v er his shoulder to see the