Antonia rushed home from work. It was Friday and the week had been long and frustrating at the dentist’s office. She’d been working there for about five years and even though it wasn’t the hardest job she’d ever had—that honor belonged to the job she had assisting her brother with his auto repair business—but dealing with customers was draining. She lived on the Eastside of Charlotte, North Carolina, but the dentist’s office was located in South Charlotte and most of the dentist’s clientele were well to do people with superiority complexes. Some would insist on walk-in appointments despite the dentist’s policy forbidding them and the clear indication of this policy that was found on the office’s website and on a prominent sign on the door.
Traffic was thick after five in the afternoon, but Antonia was determined to get home and she took back roads that the gps of her smartphone helped her to navigate. Her phone started to ring and she groaned out loud as she answered.
“Javi is crying for you,” her husband said. “Your mom called me, I’m still at work.”
“I’m rushing home as fast as I can,” she sighed. “I’m just about to pull into the driveway. What time are you home tonight? Don’t forget…”
“I didn’t forget,” he interrupted, “I know tonight is important to you. I’ll be home. I love you.”
She hung up before she could say it back and she dashed from her car to the front door where she struggled with her keys. Her mother opened the door before she found her keys. Javi’ cheeks were wet and the old woman was rocking him in her arms. He quieted when he saw Antonia and she took h into her arms.
“I’m sorry to worry you, hija, I know your work is stressful, but Javi has been disagreeable all day. I don’t know what came over him.”
“Don’t worry, Mami, I appreciate you being here.”
She kissed her mother and then rocked the baby to the couch we’re she sat. Javi smiled and cooed at her. He ran his tiny fingers through her hair.
“So beautiful,” her mother said. “How do you ever leave that adorable boy? If he smiled at me like that, I’d be here all the time.”
Antonia understood the urge. Javi was almost year old and since his birth, Antonia hadn’t been able to be away from him for extended periods without missing him terribly. Javi was her first child and he was precious to her. When she first went back to work, she only did half days, but eventually she was forced to do full time because the small family’s expenses increased.
And after almost a year as a dotting mother, Antonia hadnt had a minute to herself. It seemed that she gave every waking moment of her life to someone else, whether at work or at home, and her husband felt that she deserved time away from her responsibilities.
“I got tickets for you and your best friend for the concert on Friday,” her husband told her on the Sunday before. “I know how much you love that music, and I wish I could go with you, but I don’t want you to be worried leaving Javi with a babysitter. I’ll be here with him and your mom is coming over to help you out. You can go out wit your friend and dance the night away.”
Antonia loved dancing and it had been a while since she was able to enjoy a night out. After expressing her reservations at leaving him with the baby, and her husband calming all of her worries and fears, Antonia relented. She allowed herself to get excited at the thought of going out and spoke to her friend on he phone everyday until Friday finally came.
The first bad news came from her friend who called her shortly after she arrived home.
“I’m so sorry, Tonia, but my pipe bursts on the second floor and now we have to move all this stuff out. I promise to make it up to you, I’ll buy tickets myself.”
Then her husband called and they told her about the horrific accident at the construction site that had left more than one employee badly injured.
“I’m gonna be home a few hours late,” he said apologetically, “but there’s enough time for you to get to the show.”
“Don’t worry, amor,” Antonia said with a sigh. “My friend already had to cancel. You take your time there. I’ll send my mom home.”
Antonia wasn’t disappointed, though she had been looking forward to dancing. She out in music that immediately put Javi to sleep.
“I can dance by myself,” she said and twirled, shook, and twerked until her husband was home. She was sweaty but happy, and there was a big smile on her face that he hadn’t seen in months.
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