After Blanca has told Diablo the whole truth about Piper's last night in New York, she bursts into tears. "Lo siento mucho, Diablo, sé que lo llevamos demasiado lejos, pero ella me torturó hasta el punto de querer suicidarme y comenzó un grupo de poder blanco, ¡que me empujó escaleras abajo!"

I know we took it too far, but she tortured me to the point of wanting to kill myself and started a white power group, who pushed me down the stairs!

"Entiendo," he murmurs, holding her gaze. He draws her into his arms and kisses the top of her head and then her cheek. "I will never think differently of you. Tu eres mi amor, siempre."

You are my love, always.

Blanca's heart squeezes and expands at his calm assurance. "Pero...¡permití que sucediera! ¡La secuestré!"

But...I allowed it to happen! I kidnapped her!

Diablo brushes her tears away with his knuckles and she sniffles as she snuggles impossibly closer to him. "Baby, she means nothing to me. She's just someone who bullied you. If we crossed paths, I would hate her on sight."

"Well..." Blanca gives a shrug. "Now conseguí servicio comunitario...recogiendo basura en la calle. Las chicas están bastante enojadas conmigo. Piper's friends, I mean."

I got community service...picking up trash on the street. The girls are pretty mad at me.

"Give 'em time to cool down," Diablo recommends. "Meanwhile, you got me and the rest of our friends. I promise, I'll be with you through this whole ordeal and whatever comes after." He tips up her face with his finger under her chin and presses his lips to hers gently. She chews on his bottom lip and melts into their intimate makeout session. "Forever, my darling."

"Muchas gracias, querido," Blanca mumbles between repetitive kisses, blushing all the while.

"De nada."


As they stroll along the streets of Queens on Saturday, Diane and Alex see a gray-haired woman wearing glasses and pushing a cart full of coffee and waving a stick around at some cops who are telling her to put down her weapon. She's yelling at them that she refuses to. Diane's heart goes out to her. "Hey, what's that stick for?" she asks loudly.

"I need it to stop the voices! Especially that little girl whispering in my head! Get them away from me!" the lady hollers. "They're trying to take me to the CIA, then FEMA, and NRA...they're all gonna kill me! Even Starbucks wants me to die, the police are working with them!"

"This woman has a mental illness," Diane cuts in. "We can talk her down, officers! She needs to see a therapist, not be arrested."

"You have a minute."

"Who said that?" the lady asks, covering her ears tightly. "Shut up!"

"What are you talking about?" Alex wants to know. "What's your name? We're only gonna help you. I'm Alex, and this is my mom, Diane," she says calmly.

"Lolly Whitehill…I'm selling coffee, but those cops think I'm panhandling. I'm not homeless, I live in a shack nearby." She puts down the stick. "Finally, they stopped."

"Okay, good. I know someone who can help you, Lolly. We'll take you to her on the bus."

"Yeah, we can skip yoga," Alex chimes in.

"Thanks," Lolly mumbles. My old co-worker Ann-Marie was pregnant and she couldn't take care of me."

"That sucks," Diane says.

After bringing her to Berdie Rogers' office, they try to make it for the last half hour of yoga. "I have a soft spot for her...that could've been Lorna, had her erotomania never been discovered until it was too late!" Alex points out.

"I agree...that was a great deed we did, helping her."

"Yeah, I know."


"I been through hell and back these past few months and what I've come to realize is…a bitch is invincible, to be quite honest!" Gloria announces at the Sparrow Tavern that night.

"Fuck yes, girl, own that shit!" Aleida hollers and holds her hand up for a hi-five, as does Diane. Gloria smacks their palms and the three of them cheer wildly between giggles.

"So, how are things with you and Fahri?" Diane asks.

Gloria takes a swig of her piña colada. She's had two now and is feeling tipsy, but she loves the buzzing sensation flowing through her. "Wonderful, he's the sweetest man I've ever been with! It's kinda strange, honestly. Not that I don't love his constant displays of affection he bestows on me, but I dunno, I guess I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop. He's so perfect...like, what's his flaw?"

"The god damn drug cartel," Aleida mutters right away, pursing her lips.

"He got outta that!" Gloria hisses. "Anyway, I don't care what dumb shit he chooses to do, as long as it doesn't affect me and my boys, like put us in danger. He realized things could get scary if he didn't quit working under Kubra, so that was smart of him to leave the business."

"Yeah, good thing you got his head on straight about that! I'm happy for you that he's a great man!" Diane says with a smile.

Aleida beams and clinks her glass of orange soda against Diane's small bottle of beer. "Me too, bitch."

"I was horny with a capital H the other night...he took off his shirt 'cause I spilled some wine on him, we ended up passionately kissing and there was some serious cuddling on the couch, but no boning! That can wait."

"Whoa, chica! So you made some moves, huh?" Aleida presses.

Gloria nods and her cheeks warm up. "I couldn't help myself...I got a bit brave, especially because the kids were out of the house. It was only us two!"

"Well, that's the best time to do whatever you desire with your man!" Diane points out.

"If I didn't have all these scars and traumatic memories, I'd have banged him." Gloria lets out a few giggles and then waves over the bartender. "Hey! Could I have a vodka soda on the rocks, por favor?"

"Really, another one?" Diane asks concernedly.

"My last, I promise. I love to get smashed from time to time, it's fun!" Gloria protests.

"Damn, girl! Yo, I'm curious...we know who Elena and Ceci came from, but who gave you Benny and Julio?" Aleida wants to know. "If it's private, you don't gotta share."

"Ay dios mío..." Gloria laughs boisterously. "Um, so my speed skater calves aren't really from dancing. I used to give this dude foot jobs, he had a fetish...and he's their father."

"Ew, gross! Didn't that give you foot cramps?" Diane asks while Aleida cracks up loudly, leaning her head back and clapping.

Gloria nods. "That's why I broke things off with him! Also, his, um...obsession with my feet got weird. It's like he was more into that part of my body than me."

"What's his name?" Aleida presses.

"You're gonna fall off your barstool if I answer that...but you still need to be sitting down for this." Gloria holds both of her friends in place and takes a deep breath. "Joe Caputo."

Diane's jaw drops. "Oh my god!"

Aleida's eyes widen as she pushes her hand through her hair. "As in...the principal? Our boss?"

"Yeah, but before he was...that."

"Jesus fuck! Who knew?" Diane shakes her head and laughs with her hand over her mouth.

"Not us, that's for sure," Aleida says before giggling hysterically. "It must be awkward seeing him and working under him!"

"She already did the latter," Diane jokes and Gloria flips her off.

Aleida smirks and reaches across Gloria to hi-five their older friend. "Good one, Di!"

Gloria rolls her eyes. "I just choose to ignore the fact that we were ever an item! It's weird to think about. Oh well, at least I got my boys."

"Are you ever gonna tell 'em?" Diane wonders aloud.

"Maybe, if they ask...I just ain't gonna say shit about his strange fetish!"

"Yeah, that's a good idea!" Aleida states and Gloria guzzles her third alcoholic beverage.


The next day, at an ice cream shop with Aleida, and Daya, Gloria spots Elena and Ceci with Flaca's younger brothers, Grace, and Brad. She also notices Flaca and Maritza a little ways away from them. "Are they...dating?" Gloria asks Daya in a quiet voice. "I assume Flaca would tell you if they were..."

"Nah, they're just tight."

Gloria is right behind Ceci, who's ordering a mint brownie ice cream with rainbow sprinkles. After receiving it, Ceci thanks the girl behind the counter and starts to walk off, but not before turning and smiling at her sister and their friends. "Hey...you got lipstick on your teeth," she informs Ceci cautiously.

"So? What about it?" Ceci snaps, wiping it off with a napkin. "It's gone now, happy?"

Aleida sets her jaw. "Yo, she's just trying to help, you ungrateful-"

"It's okay, Aleida," Gloria interrupts her. "Let's just get our food."

"Oh my god, Elena, you need to get a boob job! Your chest is like, so flat, it's basically a boy's! You should have 'em like mine." A rude tween girl is standing at their table and smirking. Elena looks down self-consciously as Grace scowls at her. The minute Gloria pays for her cookie dough ice cream with chocolate sprinkles, she marches over there and sends Elena's offender a glare.

"Don't you dare make fun of my daughter, you little brat!"

"Jesus Christ," Ceci whispers, hiding her face. Elena raises an eyebrow, seeming surprised, while Marco and Pedro appear slightly amused at the bitch's discomfort. Flaca and Maritza look impressed.

"This is your mother? You said you didn't have one that you could count on!" The bully scoffs and leaves quickly while rolling her eyes.

"I guess it's all sunshine and roses from here on out, we can eat in peace now!" Grace says brightly and starts sharing her banana split with Brad.

"Thanks for getting rid of her, Gloria." Elena mumbles shyly. "Can ya let us get back to eating now?"

"Sure, you're welcome." Even though Elena hasn't even come close to fully accepting her, she'd acknowledged that Gloria was making an attempt to be friendly by sticking up for her. Just that alone makes Gloria's heart feel a little lighter.

Flaca and Maritza wave her, Daya, and Aleida over to their spot. "Hey, that was awesome!" Flaca compliments her.

Gloria smiles. "Gracias. I hope I run into 'em a lot more than then!"

Daya gestures to Ceci burying her face in her arms. "I remember when that was me when my estranged ma embarrassed me in front of the most popular girl in school."

Aleida playfully pushes her shoulder. "We much better now, though!"

"Yeah, I know!" Daya says through a giggle.

Later on, Leon joins them after dropping the kids off at a birthday party. Elena, Ceci, Marco, and Pedro are gone at this point. "Well, good, now that you're here, babe...I'm thinkin' of quitting the GED program...it's hella stressful!" Aleida complains.

"No!" he, Gloria, and Daya almost shout in unison.

"Yeah, you can't do that, we want you to succeed!" Flaca adds.

"You're doin' so great!" Maritza chimes in.

Leon throws an arm around his fiancée and kisses the top of her head. "Don't give up, we're here for you, sweetheart," he encourages her.

"Aaahhh, but there's so much pressure..." Aleida groans. "I power through it, but the workload! Surmountable!"

"I know, but think of it this way, chica, it's almost over!" Gloria assures her, squeezing her hand softly.

"You got this, Ma!" Daya grins at her. "You'll be in charge of a nail salon in no time!"

"I can only hope," Aleida murmurs.


Meanwhile, Diane and Charles are just laying in bed and relaxing. "Diane Lauren Vause...will you marry me?" he asks sweetly.

She's speechless and her heart goes into overdrive. "Are you serious?"

He grins. "Dead. Even though I don't have a ring for you yet, I mean my proposal. It doesn't have to be now, but whenever you're ready."

Diane nods and her smile gets bigger. "Okay, then, yes, I'd be honored! I'd love us to be husband and wife!"

Charles grins and caresses her hair. "You sure?"

Diane nods in affirmation, beaming. She combs her fingers through his prickly beard. "Is six months okay to prepare for everything?"

"As long as you need," he tells her.

She exhales. "Okay, thanks babe!"

"No prob, darling!"


When she leaves the bathroom stall at Little Caesar's Pizza, Alex notices Neri, one of Tricia's best friends, trying to apply makeup in the mirror, but she's doing it incorrectly. "Hey," Alex greets the younger girl as she washes her hands.

"Hi," Neri murmurs shyly. She brushes eyeshadow on, but it creates tiger stripes around her eyes. "God damn it..."

"Girl, no, that's not how you do it," Alex mumbles.

"Well, I'm sorry, but unlike Tricia, I don't have a mother nor a big sister to teach me how to do this! I'm trying to look beautiful for Cal...we're going on a date tonight! I'm kinda going for smoky eyes."

"That's great, but you're already pretty, Neri. If you want my help, I'd be glad to give it to you."

"Sure, thank you!"

"First of all, just fill in those tiger stripes. You might wanna avoid putting eyeliner right in the corner of your eyes...and it's completely uneven because you keep closing both of your eyes. Try keeping one open so you can see what you're doing and make a nice, straight line over your eyelid. It also helps if you raise your eyebrows, but don't pull the skin taut. Good job," Alex says as Neri follows her advice. "Remember, less is more, and really blend that eyeshadow!"

"Thanks! Isn't it funny that we're each other's best friend's sister's best friend?" Neri asks.

Alex smiles. "Yeah, that's hilarious!"

"You know what else is? Carol Chapman's doilies!" Neri pretends to gag and then she and Alex burst into giggles.


"Are you sure you want to do this, honey?"

Daya nods her head yes at Lourdes' question, although her heart is pounding and her hands are shaking with nerves. "I need to get closure, or answers, at least." She spots Nicky going into the juvenile center with Red. "Yo, whatcha round this desolate place for?"

A toothy grin comes across Nicky's face and her dimples show on her cheeks. "I owe Jade a visit, I already saw Drew and Isaac. Ma's been driving me around today so I could say hi to 'em and wish 'em a Happy Hanukkah."

"Oh, okay! Hey, Red." Daya waves at Nicky's foster mom.

"Hello, sweetheart. Lourdes." Red smiles at them in acknowledgment and gives them a head nod.

"Galina, how are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you. Doing well, I can imagine?"

Lourdes beams. "Extremely!"

Daya goes to sit across from Tamika in the visitation room while Nicky practically knocks Jade over with a hug. "With heroin, we thought our eyes were clear, we thought our hearts were full, and we thought we couldn't lose!" Nicky greets her, and both girls laugh hysterically.

"God damn, we were stupid," Jade mutters, rolling her eyes.

"What you doin' here?" Tamika asks roughly as Lourdes joins them. Red takes a seat beside Nicky as she talks to her old friend.

Daya clasps her hands in front of her and places them on the table. "I wanna know why you kicked my ass."

"It's been forever, we oughta just bury the hatchet. Taystee convinced me I was bein' dumb...I suppose I was...I used to go out with George, but he broke up with me for you. I hated you because he fucked you."

"You will not speak to my granddaughter that way, young lady!" Lourdes nearly growls.

"It's cool, Lourdes, let it go," Daya mumbles, waving her off. She redirects her attention to Tamika. "Your ex actually raped me! I didn't want any part of him touching me or inside me. Do you understand?" She clenches her hands into fists.

"Completely. I'm sorry, alright? It was a petty move."

"You and Hellman almost killed me. Even if I do accept your apology, I hope you're suffering in here," Daya snaps before getting up and walking away. "I never wanna see or talk to you again!" she calls out over her shoulder. Lourdes follows quickly behind her.

"Good job, nena," Lourdes compliments her as soon as they're out of the building.

Daya grins. "Thank you."


"Can I talk to you, kitten?"

Alex glances at her mother, who's making cheeseburgers with tomatoes. "You're serving us my favorite meal. Must be important."

Diane beams and a faint blush colors her cheeks. "Oh, it is. I wanted to wait until you were done with your eyeliner so you wouldn't mess up. Um...so, Charles asked me to tie the knot...but I wanted to check in with you, is it okay if we get hitched in, say, half a year from now?" Alex beams, laughing a bit in delighted surprise. "I'll take that as a yes?"

"When you took that trip with Frieda to her dad's funeral, Charles offered me to hang out at a friend's house for a sleepover but I was fine with just having dinner with him and watching a movie, which means I'm totally comfortable having him around regularly. He's like my dad. For the love of God, Mom, please, just get married to him. You didn't need to ask my permission!" Alex shrieks and throws her arms around Diane's waist.

"Oh, good! I'm relieved you're cool with it!" Diane laughs gently and returns Alex's hug.

"Aw, I'm so happy for you both!" Alex gushes and then they separate. "Yay! I'm over the fuckin' moon!"

Diane cups her chin and kisses her forehead. "Me, too, sweetie."

"Who's gonna be your maid of honor? Or, would you let Gloria and Aleida battle it out?" Alex wonders aloud.

"No, I wanted you for that position...because you're my little girl. From the first day I held you in my arms, we've been pretty damn close. Why would I not choose you to stand by my side while I join my main man in holy matrimony?"

Alex suddenly gets choked up; she hadn't been expecting that. "Wow, thank you, of course, I would be thrilled! Mom, whatever you need, I'm one hundred percent there for you, okay?" She squeals. "I'm so ecstatic!"

"I'm lucky to have such a supportive daughter!" Her eyes fill with tears.

"I heart you, Mom."

"I heart you too, Allie," Diane murmurs, sniffling and playing with Alex's hair a bit.


The week before New Years Eve, Nicky, Shani, Alex, Michelle, Flaca, and Maritza take a short vacation to sunny Mexico, accompanied by Red, Tricia, and Mercy. Apparently, Nicky's foster mother had gotten a large sum of money from her former boss Ganya, probably thanking her for keeping quiet about the mafia business. The teens are laying face down in a grassy field by their hotel pool in their bright-colored bikinis, getting tan, and enjoying the breeze.

"Ahhh..." They roll over onto their backs. "The rest of the chicas back home probably hate us," Michelle says. "So do Gloria, Aleida, and your mamí, Alex."

"You know what, they've got their whole lives to relax like this. Not our fault that Nicky chose to invite her girlfriend, me, Flaca, and our babes," Alex says nonchalantly. "Besides, they seemed pretty happy to stay at home and cuddle under blankets with their favorite people."

"I'm just thinking of the poor folks who could be in a dark basement right now and held captive for years, not ever getting to enjoy fresh air and sunshine," Nicky remarks sadly.

"Yeah, that was almost us..." Flaca trails off glumly and gloom crosses her face for a second, but then it's gone. "Could you not get morbid, though? We are literally in one of the best places in the universe. No depression talk."

"Sorry..." Nicky exhales loudly. "I only wish I could save everyone."

"I feel the same way, baby," Shani sympathizes with her.

"We're not that powerful, unfortunately," Michelle says sullenly.

Alex sits up on her elbows. "Hey, good news...my soon-to-be stepdad is a cop, he rescues people all the fuckin' time!"

"He's a hero," Nicky murmurs with a toothy grin.

"Sure is," Shani agrees, beaming.

"Right, as long as he catches the actual bad guys and doesn't hurt the good ones, he's excellent," Maritza points out.

"Charles is great at his job." Alex clasps her hands, places them behind her head, and leans on them while staring at the white clouds in the otherwise clear blue sky. "Those criminals don't stand a chance against him. I feel like everything in this world is good now, and whoever is in pain at this moment, will get justice."

The six of them exchange smiles. They put their sunglasses in their beach bags and do cannonballs into the pool. There's a swim-up bar and they each get a virgin Pantera Rosa with Red's approval. Tricia and Mercy are already in the water and splashing each other while laughing. Red is lounging on a chaise on the sand with a white floppy hat draped slightly over her eyes and a yellow towel draped over her shoulders so they don't get burnt. She has a dark blue sundress on and is reading a book with her legs crossed at her ankles while Pavel sleeps in the hammock next to her. Loud music is playing and it's so peaceful here.


"What are we celebrating, Di?" Aleida wants to know. They're at the Sparrow Tavern with Gloria.

Diane sets a glass of warm apple cider in front of Aleida and hands Gloria a piña colada. "Ladies, I've invited you here to our usual stomping ground because...da-da-da-da-daaaa..." Gloria sips her alcoholic beverage and Diane shows them the sparkly gold engagement ring that Charles has given her. "He popped the big Q!"

Aleida gasps loudly and her eyes widen. "No. Fuckin'. Way. Yes, chica, get it!"

Gloria beams and wolf-whistles. "Damn, congratulations, honey!" They scream giddily and after Gloria puts her drink down, they squeeze Diane tightly while giggling.

"Thank you, I've been dreaming of this moment!" Diane says elatedly. She clasps her hands together and spins in a circle, her brunette curls fanning around her. "Oh, I'm shocked that I didn't faint!"

"When you gonna do it?" Aleida asks, smiling.

"Maybe around June!"

"Wait, it's not just because you got hot and heavy, right? That's the worst time to propose, right after you do the nasty," Gloria points out.

"No!" Diane rolls her eyes and laughs. "It didn't happen like that. He ain't a sleazebag. We've been in a relationship for three months, we're taking time to plan the wedding, it's fine! He's perfect. I made sure Alex approved, and she was in high spirits about the whole thing."

"You wanna get married along with Leon and me, or is a double ceremony too tacky?" Aleida wonders aloud. "Once you told us, I was goin' back and forth with the idea. It would save money, but...I dunno."

Diane shakes her head. "Nah, we should do individual nuptials, Lei."

"I agree!" Gloria murmurs. "The attention should just be on one couple at a time, and maybe space out the weddings."

Aleida gives a halfhearted shrug. "Okay! You bitches got good points. I wanna get married sooner rather than later anyway. Like January or around Valentines'.¡Felicidades, Diane!"

"¡Gracias!" Diane pours herself some wine and raises her glass in the air. The other two women copy her with their drinks.

"Cheers!" they shout jovially and enjoy their beverages.


Oh, the weather outside is frightful
But the fire is so delightful
Since we've no place to go
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

It doesn't show signs of stopping
And I brought some corn for popping
The lights are turned down low
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

At Fahri's mansion, everyone is snowed in with the ones that mean the most to them. He's having a New Years Eve party and it looks like they'll have to spend the night. There's no reception. Shani and Nicky, Flaca and Maritza, and Alex and Michelle are back from Mexico and cuddling on the sofa in front of the fireplace and they're covered with blankets. Blanca and Diablo are making out in one corner of the living room while Lorna and Vinnie also canoodle, but on a loveseat. Gloria, Diane, Aleida, Franny, and Red are cooking along with their boyfriends, and Daya and Adarsh are helping them. Karla, Alison, Hassan, and Weevil are frosting cookies with pink, blue, red, and green icing. The little ones, Benny, Julio, Farah, Michaela, Christina, and Emiliano, are having fun decorating them with colorful sprinkles. Between the baking and frying, the adults, sans Aleida, drink champagne and let the teenagers try some of it, with the exception of Daya. It's a big gathering and some people couldn't make it. Taystee, RJ, Margarita, Tricia, and Mercy are with the Washingtons, Gina is just celebrating at home with Norma. Maria, Yadriel, Pennsatucky, Nathan, and Boo are out at a wild bash. They're still waiting for Lourdes and Celeste. "Let it Snow" is playing and then later, Blanca and Diablo will do a karaoke rendition of "Baby it's Cold Outside".

"When Diane and Charles get married in the summer, which I'm sure they will, no matter how much you spin it, Daya and Alex are gonna be step-cousins through friendship!" Aleida whispers to Gloria.

"Really?" Gloria thinks about it and then nods, chuckling. "Oh, yeah...'cause Charles is like your brother and Diane is like your sister, and Alex is Fahri's niece figure and now she's mine, too, as well as Daya!" The doorbell rings. "Hey, that's them!" She's told her closest family members and friends that Lourdes has a special someone, but since she doesn't want to out her aunt, she won't mention who it is; she'd rather they find out for themselves.

"Want me to come with you?" Fahri asks.

"Nah, I'll get it! Keep makin' stuff."

When we finally kiss goodnight
How I'll hate going out in the storm
But if you'll really hold me tight
All the way home I'll be warm

The fire is slowly dying
And, my dear, we're still goodbyin'
As long as you love me so
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

"¡Hola!" Lourdes greets her once she opens the door.

"¡Tía!" Gloria hugs her and Lourdes returns the gesture, even though her other hand is wrapped around Celeste's. "Hey, y'all, check out who's here!" she announces, leading the pair down the hall and to the kitchen. The guests beam and wave hello. Red and Pavel don't seem surprised to see Celeste and Lourdes holding hands, and Gloria wonders to herself if they've known all this time, or if they're just very intuitive.

Benny and Julio barrel over to Lourdes and she bends down and wraps her arms around them, even though it kills her knees and she's groaning as she stands back up-with Gloria and Celeste's help. The couples in the living room come through the swinging door that opens to the kitchen. "Hey..." they chorus.

"Hello!" Lourdes and Celeste respond at the same time and then giggle. The others embrace Lourdes and wave shyly at Celeste; they've only met Piper's grandmother a few times.

Lourdes turns to Celeste and touches Gloria's shoulder fondly. "Darling, this is my niece, Gloria." She redirects her attention to Gloria. "Mi florecita, this is mi amor, Celeste." She kisses the slightly older woman's cheek and both their faces are flushed at this moment.

"Aw, you two are so sweet!" Gloria gushes. "How lovely to meet you as la novia de mi tía!" She shakes hands with Celeste.

my aunt's girlfriend

"Thank you for accepting us, sweetheart." Celeste grins at her. There's a twinkle in her blue eyes and Gloria has never seen her aunt so happy with a romantic partner.

He doesn't care if it's ten below
He's sitting by the fire's cosy glow
He don't care about the cold and the winds that blow
He just says, "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow"

Let it snow

Oo-wee goes the storm
Why should he worry when he's nice and warm?
His gal by his side and the lights burn low
He just says, "Let it snow, let it snow"...

Lourdes clears her throat and taps a glass of bubbly that Fahri has poured out for her. "I have something to tell you all!" She takes Celeste's hand and kisses her girlfriend's knuckles. "I believe I am bisexual...Celeste and I are...how the children say...an item."

"That's fantastic!" Fahri smiles in their direction.

"Whoo-hoo!" Lorna cheers. "You're too adorable!"

Flaca and Maritza start clapping. "Yay!" they shout gleefully.

"Congratulations!" Blanca and Diablo shout in unison.

"I'm really happy for you," Karla comments with a broad smile, and the rest of the girls and boys verbally concur.

Aleida smirks. "Nice! About time you got hooked up with somebody."

"This calls for a toast!" Leon says.

"Hell yeah!" Charles agrees.

"Cheers!" Diane raises a bottle of bubbly. "To Lourdes and Celeste!"

"Cheers!" they all echo her.

I don't care!

The weather outside is frightful
But that fire is mhmm, delightful
Since we've no place to go
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

It doesn't show signs of stopping
And I brought lots of corn for popping
The lights are way down low
So let it snow, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

"Neither you nor Pavel look shocked, Ma...why?" Nicky asks, only within earshot of Gloria. "Not even I suspected it, and I can catch sapphic vibes off anyone I pass!"

Shani giggles. "That's true. In fact, she flirted with me and she somehow knew for sure that I was a lesbian!"

"I saw them going full-on lip-lock," Red admits.

Gloria cackles out loud; she can't help herself. "You serious? Where?"

"At a club that Pavel took me to. I thought it was just a drunken kiss, but this looks like it's leading someplace! That's not the only reason I didn't tell you...I felt like she should talk to you about it since she's your tetya."

"That's aunt in Russian," Nicky says proudly. "Hey, Fahri, I'll do a little piano recital whenever people wanna slow dance! I volunteered for the job when Red hosted that adult dinner party once. It was fun!"

"She really impressed me!" Shani adds brightly.

Nicky winks at her. "That was the idea, babe!"

"Sure!" Fahri allows. "Thank you."

"You're so welcome!"

When we finally say goodnight
How I'll hate going out in the storm
But if you'll only hold me tight
All the way home I'll be warm...

The fire is slowly dying
And, my dear, we're still goodbyin'
Long as you love me so
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

A sad feeling settles itself in Gloria's heart; she knows who's missing. "Elena and Ceci...I wish they were here, too," she whispers to Lourdes. "The last time I saw 'em, it was at the gym. I told 'em they could swing by if they wanted to. They resent me too much...they stares they gave me were so icy that I froze for a second. Elena thanked me for standing up for her against some little cunt who was bothering her at King Kone, but that was about it."

"Oh, mi amorcita...I will try talking to them, okay?" Lourdes chucks Gloria's chin.

"Gracias, pero...how? They don't even know you."

"I'll find a way."

Gloria chokes up and nods. "I believe you on that." She sniffles. "Ya sabes te amo."

You know I love you

"Sí, y yo también te amo. Plus, el milagro de diós will help us." Lourdes grins widely.

miracle of God

"Also, they might go to Martin Van Buren High in a couple of years," Gloria puts in hopefully.

"Oh, sí..."

"Okay, karaoke time!" Karla waves them all into the living room while the meals are cooking.

Since there aren't enough seats for everyone, some have to stand. Blanca and Diablo perform "Baby it's Cold Outside" in perfect copy of Esther Williams' and Ricardo Montalvan's choreography of the song. Blanca pretends to be leaving a party while Diablo feigns convincing her to stay and they fake slowly falling in love with each other, while attempting to keep the smiles away, but it's impossible. They're met with cheers and applause. Blanca curtsies as Diablo bows.

"Mommy, Fahri, we wanna play hide and go seek!" Benny tugs on both the skirt of Gloria's dark green dress and Fahri's black dress pants. His dimples are evident as he presses his lips together and beams.

"Can we, pweeeeease?" Julio asks, making his eyes innocent, big, and round.

"You sure?" Fahri asks cautiously. Gloria's eyes well up with tears, but she wipes them away with the pad of her thumb, being careful not to smear her makeup.

"We found you last time, Mister Fahri, so now we want you to find us!" Benny informs him. "Both you and our mama."

Gloria peers down at them and ruffles their hair with a laugh. "Of course, niños, we'd love to!"

"Yeah!" Fahri says excitedly. "Now, go find a place to hide and we'll look for ya!"

"Yaaaaay!" All the kids start scampering off to different spots in the house and then the other adults and teenagers join in on the fun activity. Each couple teams up and starts hunting around after fifteen seconds. Blanca and Diablo quickly find a giggling Michaela in a closet, while Alison and Hassan encounter their daughter in the small space behind a chair in a corner of the family room. Aleida and Leon discover Christina beneath one of the guest beds while Daya and Adarsh lift a pile of blankets off of Emiliano. The only two left are Benny and Julio.

Gloria frowns, puzzled. "Where's the one place we haven't looked?"

"My bedroom..."

"You think they're in there?"

"Let's check...if they aren't, we'll search for them again!"

"Alright..."

They go into the place where Fahri sleeps and Gloria is in awe. "Whoa, I gotta say this again, babe, but you got a great house!"

"Thank you, sweetheart! Unfortunately, I'm going to lose it at the end of the year."

"That sucks, but it was fun while it lasted, right?"

Fahri links his arm through hers. "Oh, yeah! Certainly!" They both glance around under his bed, but don't see anyone. Light snickering can be heard from his closet, though.

"Aha!" Gloria tells him in a hushed voice, grinning and trying not to cackle out loud and scare them.

"Yes!" Fahri does a victory fist pump while beaming.

Gloria twists the knob and opens the door. At first, nobody is there, but as soon as they start shifting through Fahri's clothes that are hung up, there are squeals of surprise and her two small boys hurry out. She gasps exaggeratedly and tickles their tummies, making them shriek with laughter. "Would ya look at that? There you guys are!" Fahri is just standing beside her and smiling. "Gotcha!" she continues playfully.

"Hooray, you found us!" Benny hops on one foot and then the other.

"Yay!" Julio shouts cheerfully.

Fahri puts his hands over his eyes and then uncovers them. "Peek-a-boo!"

The tiny boys giggle together and jump up and down.

Soon, it's a delicious dinner of pasta with pesto sauce, zucchini, and chicken topped with black pepper. Following that is a dessert of tasty decorated cookies that the kids and some of the teenagers made. While waiting for the ball to drop on television, all the adults but Aleida drink champagne to ring in the New Year, and the rest of them have apple cider or eggnog.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four..." everyone chants. This is a countdown Gloria absolutely doesn't mind. "Three, two, one..."

"Happy New Year!" they belt out in unison.

"Yaaaaaay!" the children shout together.

Each couple shares a sweet peck on the lips. Some make out for a few seconds after, like Aleida and Leon, Blanca and Diablo, Nicky and Shani, and Lorna and Vinnie. Michaela hugs Christina and Farah. Julio dances in his spot to the music. Benny grins and kisses Christina's cheek and she giggles. Emiliano touches his closed mouth to Farah's and this time, there's a lot of laughter and teary eyes, especially from Gloria. It's adorable. Her babies, her friends, her man, the older girls who look up to her, and the boys who are with Blanca, Lorna, Daya, and Alison, have been happy and safe for the longest time in what felt like eons. It's strange, but she's enjoying her new, normal life, and so are the rest of the guests.