They Erased Me, So I Rewrote My Life Chapter 13

They Erased Me, So I Rewrote My Life Chapter 13

Leo’s uncle, Manuel Hernandez, was a quintessential Texas rancher. Old flannel shirt, mud-stained jeans, and a laugh that boomed.

“Eliza! Good to finally meet you!”

He gave me a solid hug, then immediately turned and yelled at Leo.

“Boy, you finally did something right. To get Eliza here on time today, you did the work of three men by yourself yesterday.”

“Uncle!” Leo’s face instantly went beet red.

That afternoon, for the first time, I existed in an atmosphere free of calculation.

No one here cared how many votes my last name could bring.

No one was studying my expression to see if it was appropriate.

I was just the girl Leo brought over, someone who had come to help with the work.

Dinner was simple. Barbecue, beans, cornbread.

I had eaten meals far more expensive than this, but none had ever felt so relaxing.

During dinner, Uncle Manuel suddenly asked me, “Eliza, your family doesn’t mind you coming to a place like this on the weekends?”

Under the table, Leo lightly bumped my leg, as if warning his uncle not to pry.

I swallowed the cornbread in my mouth and answered calmly.

“They care more about whether my public image looks the way they want it to.”

The table was quiet for a few seconds.

Uncle Manuel didn’t press.

He simply speared the largest piece of meat from the platter and put it on my plate.

“Kid,” he said, “our door is always open. Not because of your name. Just because you’re you.”

At that moment, something shifted very lightly in my chest.

It was small.

But it was real.

Maybe I hadn’t completely lost my ability to feel warmth after all.