Forget to Remember

before it opens at five, to help set up.” He saw a stricken look on Carol’s face. “It’s okay. My parents should be home by six. My mom will feed you dinner.”
    “Look, I really appreciate what you’re doing for me, but do they really know about me or were you just making that up?”
    “No, no.” He stopped, realizing how badly she must have wanted to get away from the shelter, in spite of her hesitation. “Everything’s cool. I talked to them. They’re good people. You can stay on the computer until they get here.” He hoped his mother would talk to his father before they got home, so Carol wouldn’t come as a complete shock to him.
    Carol sighed. “I don’t think anybody’s looking for me.”
    Rigo wanted to give her a hug, but he didn’t dare. “I care about you, and my parents will, too.”
    “Thank you. I don’t think I want them to first set eyes on me while I’m using your computer in their house. It will look as if I’ve moved in for good. This is too discouraging, anyway.”
    “All right, you can read a book in the living room. They have a big library.”
    Rigo didn’t want to leave. He still had the feeling, however irrational, if she were left alone, she might evaporate like the morning dew. She must have sensed this, because after he showed her the books in the living room, she gave him a smile and told him to go. She would be fine.
    He drove to the restaurant with mixed feelings he couldn’t put into words.
    ***
    “Have some more food. Chicken, beans?” Tina Ramirez waved her hand at several platters sitting on the antique dining room table with high-backed chairs. A matching sideboard dominated one wall.
    “No thanks. It’s all delicious, but I’m absolutely stuffed.” Carol placed her hands on her belly to indicate how full she was. She had been very careful of her table manners, not wanting to spill something in such an elegant setting.
    “But you’re so thin. You need to gain weight.”
    “If you don’t eat, you’ll waste away to a spot of grease.”
    Ernie Ramirez had a wide grin, much like that of his son. He was tall and thin, but not as tall as Rigo. Tina was elegant; there was no other word to describe her. Of the three, only Ernie had a Spanish accent.
    Carol wanted to express her gratitude. “I’m so appreciative you two are allowing me to stay in your beautiful home. I don’t know what would have happened to me, otherwise.”
    Ernie’s eyes twinkled. “You can thank Rigo. It was his idea. He has an eye for—”
    “We’re glad to do it.” Tina frowned at Ernie. “Rigo is a sensitive young man.”
    “I know. I was fortunate he was the person who found me—in more ways than one. Of course, this is temporary. I’m hoping to discover my identity soon.”
    “Don’t worry about having a place to stay.” Ernie gave an expansive gesture. “You can stay as long as you like. Tina was upset when our last daughter got married and left. You can replace her.”
    “It’s true. I don’t like to see them leave the nest. Only Rigo is left now. He went away and then came back after he got his master’s degree. I’m sure he’ll be leaving when he gets a real job.”
    “ If he gets a real job.” Ernie frowned. “What can he do with a master’s degree in psychology or whatever they call the program? He can’t be a therapist unless he puts in several thousand hours of internship. He did a few hundred when he was in school, but he hasn’t done any since.”
    “He’ll do something. We invited him to join the business, but he says he doesn’t want charity. He should have gotten an MBA.”
    Carol suspected this discussion was ongoing. Ernie and Tina were much more informal than their dining room had led her to believe. She started to relax. “I don’t want to freeload. I’d like to help around the house.”
    “Do you know how to make tamales?” Ernie smacked his lips.
    “I think I can cook, but I don’t know about Mexican food. I can learn, however. Maybe I can make dinner, so it will be ready when you get home.”
    “We eat lots of things besides Mexican. Ernie’s a joker.” Tina looked at Carol’s ill-fitting top. “We have to get you some clothes. Tomorrow’s Saturday. You and I are going shopping.”
    “I couldn’t ask you to do that.”
    “It’s okay. We’ll use Ernie’s credit card.”
    “Mine? You’re the one who’s rich.”
    Carol tried to say again they didn’t have to buy her clothes, but then they quit kidding and