corazón-heart

What happened to Blanca during making love, actually happened to me lol don't worry though, I'm fine!

Warning: mention of abuse

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to Diane, happy birthday to yooooouuuuu," Alex, Michelle, Charles, Frieda, and Diane's friends croon. They're at the American Dream Diner on an outside patio since it's an unusually nice day and the sun is out.

She giggles when they're done and starts clapping. "Whoohoo! Thanks, guys! I'm the birthday biiiiitch!" she announces and everyone cheers.

"Yaass, you can order first!" Gloria exclaims after the song. "It's your special day after all!"

"Okay, girl, thanks!"

"What would you like for brunch?" the waitress asks them.

That morning, Charles had woken Diane up with sweet, soft kisses. "Happy birthday, sweetie," he'd whispered into her ear, in a way that had made her melt.

In the present, he keeps his arm around her and pecks her temple. She smiles hugely as her eyes scan the menu. "Um...an egg and cheese omelet with sausages, please." She notices Aleida press her lips together, unsuccessfully hiding her grin as she snickers under her breath. Aleida mutters something in Spanish and Gloria, Theresa, Juliana, Trina, and Michelle chuckle softly. Gloria rolls her eyes while shaking her head. Diane stares at the rest of them in confusion, as she, Alex, Frieda, Red, and the men don't understand the language, except basic terminology, and then she shrugs at her daughter.

Diane had invited Blanca, too, but the girl didn't come, as she was with Diablo. No teenager would want to come to some quiet gathering with just her mom, a bunch of other adults, and the girl who was in love with her bully at one time, anyway. Diane understood that perfectly well. She'd told Blanca that she was more than welcome to bring Diablo along, but Blanca had said they wanted to do their own things today and spend more time with Karla and Weevil. However, Blanca had given her some nice bling around her wrist last night and they'd hugged tightly. Diane is wearing it today and she has more presents to open later.

"Potatoes and a cheeseburger with tomato on it, please," Alex says politely.

Everyone else orders soon after and then Diane turns to Trina while showing her Blanca's gift. "Your girl is too sweet. She didn't have to get this for me..."

"Well, it's your cumpleaños and you're her favorite teacher." Trina beams, as does Diane. "She never told me why, exactly, but she asked me to let you know."

"Mom's like, everyone's favorite teacher! She's cool," Alex pipes up.

"That's right, honey." Diane hi-fives Alex. She focuses her attention back onto Trina. "Tell her I said gracias."

"I will."

"You should be awarded Teacher of the Year," Charles compliments her.

Diane raises her eyebrow at him. "Seriously?"

"For real, baby." He takes her hand and kisses it. "You're the best."

"Ay, we work at that school too, and it all goes to the white girl?" Aleida wonders aloud while pointing at her, but Diane can tell she's joking and not really hurt.

"Cheers to you, chiquita blanca!" Gloria raises her glass of orange juice in the air and they all toast Diane.

Frieda points to herself while raising her eyebrows. "Hey, uh, I made that teacher, and I'm one myself!"

"Yes, congrats to you for being so wonderful too," Red praises her, and they all beam at Frieda.

"Well, what the hell. We should toast Frieda, for creating such an awesome human being!" Fahri declares.

"Also, for finding me in that nightclub," Diane chimes in.

"Yeah!" everyone agrees and lifts up their glasses. "To Frieda!"


"Come on, Franny, it wasn't my fault!" Lorna whines. "Nicky and the rest of them overreacted! They're looking at Shani through rose colored glasses!"

The sisters face each other with their arms crossed over their chests. Franny stares at Lorna incredulously and grits her teeth. "Don't you even start with me, you're grounded for real this time! Quit gripin' or I'll make it a month that you live with me," she hisses warningly.

"I've been grounded before..."

"Yeah, I let you off too easy." Franny glares while Lorna pouts. "Look, I know we were taught different than your friends, and mine, too. I just learned from Lida that illegal alien is the wrong term for an immigrant. They come to this country in search of a better life or safety, or both. Lorna...when your girls are trying to tell you something, you need to listen to them and respect their wishes. That's like, rule number one in friendship!"

"Wasn't it to not steal her boyfriend or date her ex?"

"That falls under the category of considering her feelings, and you didn't. You had no regard for anyone's feelings, you only concentrated on yourself, so I don't blame Nicky for ending it! If you are a red state in the middle of a bunch of blues, you need to go along with them. I support marching to the beat of your own drum, but not in this case. Unless..." Franny shrugs. "You wanna lose 'em for good and hang out with those Nazi girls? They watch Fox News and everything!"

"Stop it, Franny!" Lorna shouts and pushes her older sister. "Just shut up. I hate those cunts. They go too far with their racism."

"So did you." Franny scoffs. "Going through their new friend's purse was not appropriate. You ain't some security guard, and you ain't allowed to ruin other people's property."

"I was afraid she would blow up the party!" Lorna protests and they both sit on Franny's bed.

"Who the fuck did that to some innocent girl who was dating some random boy you happened to think was your soulmate?"

"I didn't actually do it, they got rid of the explosive before they could get killed. The difference is, I'm not a terrorist and I wasn't on medication yet. Flaca wouldn't let me call ICE, what else am I supposed to do?"

"Grow an open mind. I did. We don't live with Dad anymore and Ma may be a religious freak, but she ain't an overzealous bigot. Lida, Joy Hayes, and I...we're like the Three Musketeers. The way I was raised is so different from how they were...but I followed the crowd and sucked it up. I suggest you do the same. The other side ain't so bad...more peaceful, not much hatred."

"Easy for you to say, you're not mentally ill!" Lorna furiously taps her temple as her eyes well up with tears. "There's somethin' wrong with me up here!"

"That is no excuse for being a narrow-minded monster and you know it!" Franny snaps. "Don't you dare use your delusions as an excuse for bad behavior. You got that?"

"Okay..."

"You better apologize to your group on Monday. It's the only sociably acceptable thing you can do at this point. I dunno if they'll forgive you, but at least you'll have looked like a bit less of an asshole."

"What if they don't even wanna hear it?"

"You gotta show you're sorry."

"I didn't ruin Blanca's party that bad, Franny...Daya's family's stalker did. He caught everyone's attention, I didn't."

"I ain't comparin' you to some creepy-oh." Lorna raises an eyebrow at Franny's words, which die on her tongue. "Um, well, he doesn't have erotomania, so he's doing it deliberately, but you can control your jealousy and anger better with these pills, right?" Lorna nods. "Medicine does not fix your political views or make you a nicer person or whatever...that's gotta come from your heart."

"I helped Blanca last year when she was being bullied...risked the wrath of Piper, too."

"Well, that's good, so I need to see that kindness from you again. I know you can be a sweet girl with or without your antispyschotics. Show me, make me proud to be your sister instead of ashamed of your nasty side, capiche?"

Lorna nods silently. She lets Franny's lecture sink deep into her and starts to realize her sister and her friends could be right. Losing Nicky as her girlfriend had been shocking and she misses the blonde, but it has given her a wake-up call. She never once imagined Nicky would reach her limit. Lorna isn't even sure she's bisexual anymore. She often wished Nicky would use a strap-on, she has to admit, because fingers just aren't enough. She never had expressed the desire to Nicky, worried it would insult her. She just hopes she can repair the friendship between herself and Nicky. They had a good bond without it being sexual or romantic. She now knows she loves Nicky platonically, and she hopes Nicky feels the same way.


That same afternoon, Karla is at Lourdes' apartment with Weevil so she can give Blanca and Diablo privacy and still feel safe in America. She and Weevil are also practicing with Lourdes for what they'll say when the immigration people would question them on everything they should know about each other, since they're supposed to have been dating for awhile and then getting married. Karla and Shani had both met Lourdes through Gloria before the quinceañera since they need some good luck on their sides and Blanca told them all about Lourdes' Santería practice. According to Karla's texts to Blanca, she and the older woman have been getting along extremely well. Blanca isn't surprised; both of them radiate such positive energy and Karla is a lot like Gloria.

The doorbell chimes and Blanca peers through the peephole in the front door. She beams when she sees that it's Diablo holding a bouquet of flowers, and then she lets him in. He gathers her in his muscled, tattooed arms, squishing the baby's breath, red roses, and white and yellow daises between them, but not so much that the petals get ruined. They make out passionately and then draw back from each other, still smiling with bliss.

"¿Me tienes flores?" Blanca asks while filling a purple vase with water. "No tenías que...it's not even my birthday anymore!" She removes the flowers from their package, cuts the stems that are too long for the vase, sprinkles the flower food into the water, and sticks the flowers inside.

You got me flowers? You didn't have to...

"Es tu fin de semana de cumpleaños." He smirks. "You deserve some more good birthday sex, too."

It's your birthday weekend.

Blanca giggles. "¡Ah, me malcrias tan bien!" She kisses his cheek, rests her head on his shoulder, and closes her eyes. "Remember, I'm just a lost little sprite in the dark forest...and I need my big, strong unicorn to come rescue me...and take me home," she whispers seductively and then leans up on her tiptoes to nibble on his earlobe. He groans lustfully and scoops her up bridal style as he rushes them into her bedroom. "Estoy muy sucia también."

Ah, you spoil me so well! I'm hella dirty, too.

They rip their clothes off and throw themselves at each other. Her bed with red silk sheets is better than the chaise lounge they did it on previously, but that nasty old lady who ran over the mailman and acted like such a bitch to Blanca, needed to be taught a lesson. They were both completely naked that time, just like they are now, and they're grunting and moaning together as Diablo thrusts into her again and again, giving her a fabulous orgasm. It reminds her of their first sexual encounter, only she's not surprised that he wants her this badly. When they'd stripped in front of each other for the first time, she started giggling as soon as she laid her eyes on his penis. She'd never seen one before, at least not in real life, and she wanted to jump his bones. He felt the same way about her and his hands fit perfectly around her boobs and his fingers, tongue, and dick inside her were like heaven. They still are. She loves giving him blowjobs and handjobs, too. His hard cock is so delicious and firm that it makes her melt. He even insists on wearing a condom, although he's been infertile since the pool incident. He has stated numerous times he doesn't want to get her pregnant, as they're only in high school. It's quite a responsible thing for a boy his age to be careful of.

He laps up her juices while massaging her breasts and her vaginal walls clench around his face. He glances up at her and slides his fingers into her, replacing his tongue with them, rubbing his thumb around her clitoris, giving her another powerful orgasm.

"Ohhh!" she cries, meeting his gaze with a crazed grin. She throws her head back, laughing, her bare boobs bouncing. "Ayyyyyy, ay dios...mi Diablo! Señor Unicorn!"

"Mi pequeña y hermosa duende...¡oh, mi Blanca!"

My beautiful little sprite...

"¡Si, siiiii, siiiii!" She floats through her orgasm and screams as it explodes inside of her.

They have rough sex with her on top and riding him a while later, but discomfort shoots into Blanca's lower region. "Ow!" she shouts suddenly and gets off Diablo, whose condom is still on him, but wrinkled and red.

"¡Oh no, estás sangrando! Mierda, lo siento mucho ..." Diablo looks extremely guilty and sits up immediately.

Oh no, you're bleeding! Shit, I'm so sorry...

Blanca winces and gasps as she feels something wet plopping on the backs of her legs. Sure enough, it's blood, and it's dotting the sheets, too. Her excited pants turn to nervous ones as she starts hyperventilating. "¡Tenemos que lavar la ropa y limpiar ahora!" Quickly, she presses a tissue to her private area to halt the bleeding so it doesn't get anywhere else. They both run for the shower and start taking one together, washing themselves off. "Ugh, that was a real mood killer..." she mumbles as the water runs over their bottom halves.

We gotta do laundry and clean up now!

"I'm sorry..." Diablo apologizes. "Fue bueno mientras duró."

It was good while it lasted.

"Lo sé, me encantó el sexo duro ... pero tal vez fue demasiado."

I know, I loved the rough sex...but maybe it was a little too much.

Diablo nods sheepishly. "Estabas temblando, ¿estás bien?" he asks in a concerned voice.

You were shaking, are you okay?

"Sí, just didn't want my mom to find out." Blanca cackles hysterically. "I can't believe that actually happened, what the fuck?! You probably tore something in my hoo-ha." She can't stop snickering despite being a little sore.

"That scared me, baby...I thought you were gonna bleed out!"

"No, estoy bien, solo tengo que usar una almohadilla ahora como si estuviera en mi período. También me asustó un poco, pero tiene más sentido ahora que lo pienso."

Nah, I'm fine, I just gotta wear a pad now as if I were on my period. It kinda frightened me too, but it's making more sense now that I think about it.

"I promise I didn't mean to hurt you. Nunca lo haría intencionalmente."

I never would intentionally.

Blanca shuts off the water and they get out. They dry themselves off with a towel and then get dressed again, him in his blue jeans, gray shirt, and black hooded sweatshirt, and her in her casual red dress and black cardigan sweater. "¡Yo sé eso!" She's already tossing the ruined sheets in the washer with a bunch of dark clothes and he helps her make the bed with fresh, clean sheets. "Gracias."

I know that!

"De nada."

"Shame on us for not using lube!" she mumbles while laying down on her bed and curling up. He joins her and becomes her big spoon. Diablo just holds Blanca around her waist, her back pressed tightly to his chest and his hands around hers. She relaxes while closing her eyes. She can feel his heartbeat and both their breathing is slow and even.

"I know baby, I'm sorry, I just got so excited..."

She nestles into his massive arms and puts her legs in between his. "I did too, it's okay...it's neither of our faults. I should go to my gynecologist tomorrow."

"Yeah, I hope you don't have cervical cancer."

"Yo también."

Me too.

She turns around in his embrace and revels in the soft kisses he places on her lips. He strokes his hand through her hair and all down her back and they cuddle some more. She hums with satisfaction at how gentle he's being with her. At the end of a hard fucking session, they always do aftercare.

"How's your pussy now?"

"I love how you say that word," she murmurs with a smirk. "Todavía duele, pero no está tan mal."

It still hurts, but it's not too bad.

"Eso es bueno. ¿Qué tal si te llevo al ginecólogo para que tu madre no se entere?" Diablo offers, and Blanca smiles widely. "Most importantly, though, I'm worried about you, sweetheart."

That's good. How about I take you to the gyno so your mom doesn't find out?

She nods happily. "Bien, gracias, ¡eso sería genial!"

Okay, thanks, that would be great!


"Y'all are my loyal bitches for life!" Aleida tells Gloria and Diane as the three women come out of the bathroom together and back to their table.

"You know that's an oxymoron," Diane teases her.

Aleida playfully pushes her away while giggling. "Yeah, I agree with the birthday girl," Gloria chimes in. "Put your English teacher side away for now, though, Di!" They crack up as they sit down and start eating cake with the rest of Diane's guests.

Conversation flows amongst the group, but Theresa is the only one not saying anything. She's just smiling and nodding, but Diane can tell something is wrong with Flaca's mother.

When the lunch is over, Alex and Michelle excuse themselves and Diane is fine with it. They'd been there long enough and they probably want to do teenager things rather than hang out with a bunch of adults for another few hours.

"Theresa...what's up?" Diane wants to know after they leave.

She shrugs and shakes her head. "Nada..."

"It's okay, you can talk to us," Gloria tells her.

Theresa sighs. "Okay. Well, first my earrings got stolen. They were really nice, expensive ones, too."

"Oh, no," everyone murmurs in unison. Juliana squeezes the other woman's hand in support.

"Then, my daughter...she made a poor, stupid choice...talking to a stranger online and got swindled out of nine-hundred and thirty dollars!" All of them gasp out loud except for Gloria and Charles. Diane wonders if Flaca told them already.

"Ay dios...how did she get scammed?" Juliana asks.

"The person blackmailed her into sending money...he said she had to give him all kinds of gift cards to support his fake child, otherwise he'd release her private information online. He knew everything about her...he's got our address, her social security number, where she goes to school, her phone number, email, and her part-time job at my nephew's store, which was short-lived."

"That's terrible!" Ray Nichols, Juliana's boyfriend and Nicky's uncle, exclaims.

"Such a pig-fucker he is," Red mutters.

"Now, he keeps texting her and acting nice, and luckily, she's not responding...but she's still grounded for a month for not telling me in the first place and asking me or any trusted adult for help." Theresa turns to Gloria. "Thanks for coaxing it out of her."

"You're welcome."

"You knew and didn't say nothin'?" Aleida asks her incredulously.

"She ain't my daughter, ain't my place to vent about her," Gloria mutters. "I should've told you right away, though, Theresa...I'm sorry."

"It's okay, it's all over now." Theresa sighs. "At least you both went to Charles for help."

"Yeah, about that, I apologize deeply, but he's just impossible to catch. He's an invisible person behind a computer, using stolen photos and accounts. I'll try my hardest, though," Charles assures her.

"I know you will. Do you think I'm being too hard on Flaca? Was it my fault? I don't wanna victim-blame her...but I thought she would've known better, I raised her right..."

"Don't just blame yourself...I think you're punishing her for a good amount of time. That's how long we grounded Daya for getting high on Oxy and sneaking around behind our backs with some pimp and ratting herself out to Cesar for calling the cops on the motherfucker," Aleida responds.

"Wow...we never know what our girls are up to these days," Trina mumbles.

"They're teenagers...they could be doing anything behind their moms' backs," Leon agrees. "No wonder Flaca and Gloria asked me to install the security system into the Gonzales apartment..."

"I'm grateful that you did it," Theresa murmurs.

"Jesus, and I thought Nicky breaking up with Lorna for Shani was shocking..." Red taps her nails on the table. "Don't get me wrong, Shani is a perfectly nice girl, I like her just fine, but Nicky never even mentioned her until yesterday, and she'd been dating Lorna and at least in love with her for a couple of months."

"Maybe the honeymoon stage was over?" Pavel asks.

Red lifts her shoulders up and down. "I guess. It makes sense why Nicky seems to have moved on. She's young...she's gonna have a lot of girls in and out of her life."

"Yeah, that's normal for teenagers, they don't need to settle down right now," Fahri tells her.

"Blanca and Diablo have only been dating for six months and they think they'll get married as adults...and it may surprise you, but I can see it happening," Trina says. "They seem right for each other. He's very good to her. She wants to live with him, though, and that's where I put my foot down. She ain't allowed to even sleep over at his apartment. I don't wanna be an abuela yet."

"At least we don't have to worry about that," Juliana says, gesturing between herself and Theresa.

Aleida snickers. "Teens sneak around, it's just in their nature. I hope they're being cautious. Make sure your daughta's on birth control, that's what I did not do with Daya, and she got knocked up. Also, give her a condom so her man's got no excuse to not use one. It can open up a conversation about safe sex."

"They're fifteen and sixteen!" Trina exclaims, her eyes widened in alarm. "I thought that would be talked about in Sex Ed, but I guess not enough...or she could've forgotten."

"I had my daughters at seventeen," Gloria admits. "That's only because Lourdes strictly forbade sex until marriage, I wanted to rebel, and I knew nothing about protection since she never taught me, nor let me participate in Sex Ed. Of course, their father took full advantage of it."

"I was fifteen when Daya was born," Aleida chimes in. "You know my kid followed in my footsteps, all the way to getting herself on Oxy. I'mma have a serious chat with her about that."

"Well, Blanca's not with child, so I'm relieved, but I'll still have the talk with her," Trina decides aloud. "The time...is now."

"I love how you paused for dramatic effect!" Aleida comments and then snickers to herself.

Suddenly, the other voices are drowned out by Diane's racing thoughts. She's paranoid about Alex. Her gut feeling tells her something horrible is going down with her own daughter, but she doesn't know about it. She inhales and exhales shakily and tries to expel her worries from her mind. It's her birthday, and she doesn't want anything to ruin it. She grabs Charles' hand from under the table and leans into him. With his free hand, he rubs soothing circles on her back. "Do you think I should talk to Alex?"

"That would be a good idea," Fahri answers, and the others nod their heads yes in agreement.


"¿Quieres que haga Sancocho para nosotros?" Blanca is putting a pan on the stove and getting the ingredients out.

You want me to make Sancocho for us?

"Whatever your corazón desires, sweetie, pero mi sopa favorita es la sopa Olla de mi madre," Diablo teases her.

but my favorite soup is my mother's Olla soup.

Blanca gasps while smiling hugely and tosses an oven mitt at him. She trots across the suburban kitchen to where he's sitting on her couch and kisses him, her hands on his cheeks. She squeals happily as she skips back to her cooking."Míranos, we're like a married couple already!"

Look at us

"¡Claro que sí!" he agrees.

Hell yeah, we are!

"¿Cómo está ella, por cierto? ¿Tu mamá?" Diablo's mother, along with his father, had been deported to Honduras before he and Blanca started dating. His mother taught him everything before she and her husband were taken back to their home country. He visited his parents often, once or twice a month, sometimes taking Blanca with him, and they talked on the phone daily. Diablo had gotten emancipated instead of simply living with a friend. He enjoys being on his own, but Blanca can tell he misses his parents deeply.

How is she, by the way? Your mom?

"Creo que ella está bien. Ella y papá comenzaron un negocio de venta de muñecas y juguetes. Gracias por preguntar."

I think she's doing okay. She and Dad started a business selling dolls and toys. Thanks for asking.

"De nada. Oh eso es genial. Podemos planear un viaje pronto para verlos, si lo desea."

Oh, that's great. We can plan a trip soon to see them, if you'd like.

"¡También podríamos hacerlo, para poder contarles las emocionantes noticias juntos!"

We might as well, so we can tell them the exciting news together!

She grins eagerly, pumps her fist in the air, and brings it down rapidly. "Yesss!"

"Gotta watch out for the gangs, though. I'll protect you."

"I know you will."


As soon as they reach their apartment after Diane's birthday brunch is over, Aleida and Leon take Daya, Christina, and Emiliano, to Dave and Busters. Gloria greets her sons with hugs and kisses just before they go back into theirs and Gloria's room and play with a plush soccer ball. It's raining outside, but luckily, the weather had decided to turn bad when they were finished with celebrating Diane's special day and the boys' soccer practice.

"You...you know about your business in the drug cartel?" Gloria asks Fahri timidly. She paces the hall while hugging herself. She's been thinking about this all day and it had kept her up for a few hours last night. She couldn't stop tossing and turning from horrifying images of him being shot through the skull with blood spurting out the back of his head if he did one little thing wrong.

"Mm-hm?"

"Don't you think it's a little shady?"

Fahri runs his hand over his face and wears an anxious expression. "Yeah, but...I can't get out of it now. I'm sorry, Glo, I truly wish I could. My boss...really terrifies me. It's like working with...Scarface. He's a drug lord...you can't fuck with him. You really cannot."

Gloria raises an eyebrow as she finally sits down at the kitchen table across from where he's standing at the counter. "Is there a possibility you can quit if you're so nervous about him? I mean, I've had bitches and assholes for bosses before. They fired me if I couldn't do the job. Can't you just like...be incompetent or whateva?"

"I'm too deep in. I know secrets..."

"So you won't quit your job only because you're afraid of your boss not trusting you?" Gloria scoffs. "You can probably beat him easily, just like you did with that other motherfucker outside that fast food place last week, and get him arrested with Charles's help! Look, I did food stamp fraud, but it was to collect money so I could..." Gloria hisses, but trails off. "I sure as shit didn't hurt nobody!"

"Neither have I, and I never will!" he insists. "You're committing a crime too, you know!"

"No shit, I was! I stopped doing that a long time ago! I was giving you an example, trying to connect with you...but what you're doing...what you're continuing to do...you could get in trouble with cops!" Her tone is as sharp as a knife.

"I can't just leave the drug ring!" His voice rises a little and she jumps. "I need to finish what I started! That was my assignment. They need me! I'm not able to stop exactly when I want to, that's not how life works!" Fahri yells. The volume of his words are not so deafening that they vibrate through the apartment, but she's never seen him get the slightest bit angry at her.

She's utterly shocked he's not even gearing towards hitting her. "What the hell do you mean? What did you start? What the fuck do you even do there?" she hollers back at him while her eyes fill with tears. "Besides sell drugs? Why am I letting you around my kids? What am I even doing?" She holds her head in her hands and groans loudly while whimpering.

"I pick up mules from the airport, too," he informs her, much calmer now. "That's all! I swear. I would never dream of harming a hair on your head or your children's!"

"I just don't want nothin' bad to happen to you!" Gloria cries and then starts sobbing openly. She gets up, walks over to Fahri, and collapses against him, trembling. His arms wrap around her shaking body; steady, comforting, making her feel like nothing will ever hurt her as long as he's around to protect her. His warmth envelops her and the shaking slows to a stop. She needs him on this earth. She has no idea what she'd do if he disappeared. She would survive, but it's just that he's the only good man in her life who isn't taken by someone else.

"I know, I'm sorry! Me neither..."

"So man up...and tell Charles!" she orders him through hiccups and gasps of air and then pounds her fists into his chest a few times. "Call him...right...now!" She bites her bottom lip and a squeak comes out of her mouth. She wipes her wet eyes and cheeks with the palms of her hands as she steps out of his embrace and he lets her go. His arms fall to his sides and then he reaches into the front pocket of his jacket.

"Don't hurt my mommy!" Benny cuts in. She whips around to face him and Julio, who had probably been gaping in the doorway once they heard the brewing argument between her and Fahri.

"Benny! Please..." Gloria begs him, not wanting Fahri to know of her traumatic past just yet. Julio silently toddles to her and hugs her legs while sucking his thumb. She picks him up and strolls around the kitchen, bouncing him in her arms to relax him.

"Are you gonna shoot her?" Benny asks, and Fahri looks over at him with a worried expression. Gloria stops moving and then takes a seat back at the table, as Julio is getting heavy for her to carry for long periods of time. She jiggles him on her lap and watches Benny warily as he interacts with Fahri. The little boy stands in front of her with his arms folded over his chest. He leans against her knees and she ruffles his hair.

"No! Good heavens, no!" Fahri assures him sweetly. He pulls out his phone and shows it to Benny. "See? No gun. No weapon at all."

"Mama's old boyfriend was a bad man, he gave me and her owies! He's in jail now."

Gloria sniffles and pulls Benny to her side. "Shush! I didn't want him to find out..."

Fahri looks from Benny, up to Gloria, and then back down to Benny. Sadness clouds the man's features. "He was a monster, and I'm so sorry you both had to endure such abuse. I'm glad he's locked up now. I hope it's forever."

"Oh, me too," Gloria mumbles. She cannot believe it's really out in the open. For a while, she has needed the fight between them, too, since it shows her now that even if they have tiffs, he isn't going to be abusive. Everyone loses their cool and gets mad sometimes, she knows that, and Fahri is clearly no exception. He just isn't a complete asshole about it.

"I'm sorry I lost my temper for a minute there," he tells them, sounding sincere. "If I scared anyone, I really did not mean to. I won't lay a cruel hand on any of you! Even though I raise my voice if I'm frustrated, that's really all it'll ever get to. You all have my word." His assurance pleases her endlessly and she can tell by the way the fear has been replaced with contentment on her sons' faces, that they're okay now.

"It's okay!" Benny holds his baby finger out toward Fahri. "Pinky swear you won't be mean to us and make me and Mommy cry and give us boo-boos?"

Fahri kneels down to his level and hooks his pinky finger around Benny's. "I wouldn't dare, little man. I swear on my life. I'll protect you guys, okay?"

Benny nods while still smiling. "'Kay."

"'Kay!" Julio echoes his big brother, and it's the cutest thing ever. He jumps off Gloria's lap and her boys quickly scamper off to play in theirs and Gloria's room again. Fahri pulls up a chair next to Gloria and she leans her head on his shoulder once he sits.

"So tell me more about your boss. Like, everything," she says while closing her eyes.

"He's really strict and comes down hard on people who mess up, so it's like I'm walking on eggshells," he answers as they hold hands.

"I can connect with that! Even though it's not a boss in my case, it's my ex and my co-workers who were above me before they got arrested." She opens her eyes to look at him again. "Sorry, am I boring you?"

"Of course not. I want you to feel comfortable talking to me about absolutely anything!" he tells Gloria kindly.

"The money from my food stamp fraud...I wrapped wads of bills in rubber bands and kept it in a wooden box behind the cash register so I could get away from...him." She blows out a huge gust of air. "I'm just lucky I was never caught for it!"

"Yeah, you are. How did it work, exactly? What'd you do?"

"Customers would give me EBT cards and buy beer, but you can't get alcohol with food stamps. So, I'd give them half the money on their card and tell the government I sold, let's say, a hundred dollars worth of food, but I didn't. The government paid me back the hundred. I had a close call, but Flaritza got my abusive ex taken to the big house instead."

"Oh, good!"

"Mm-hm...so about that phone call to Charles..." She cocks an eyebrow up at him and stares at him expectantly.

"I'll report the boss right now!" He starts dialing and she gives him a pleased look.


Fortunately, Gloria decides to check up on the kids before Fahri can say Kubra's whole name to the cop on the other line, so she doesn't hear Fahri. He explains everything and Gloria appears to be so relieved that he's done as she's requested. He feels so much more free too, with Kubra finally going to prison. Another plus is that Alex will no longer be involved with the drug cartel either.

She returns when he's about to hang up. After doing so, he grins at her. "Well, he's gonna have his door busted down any minute now. I couldn't get Charles...he's probably busy with Diane, anyway, but Hopper sent two guys out to make the arrest."

"Thank you so much!" Gloria exclaims and they hug each other tight.


The minute Charles and Diane are alone together in his room, he presents her with a bouquet of flowers, pink, white, and red roses. Diane puts her nose into them immediately and wraps her hands around the purple glass vase he'd already put them in. "They're so pretty," she gushes.

"For my special girl on her birthday. Also this..." He gets something else out of his pocket.

She shakes her head with a chuckle as her cheeks flush. "Don't tell me you're proposing, it's too soon," she jokes. "Besides, my daughter and my mother aren't here to hear the big news..."

Without a word, he hands her a pair of diamond earrings in gold and silky box. "Just for you. Do you want to put them on?"

Diane laughs breathlessly. "Sure, thank you! I'll let you see what they look like on me." She does so, and she's amazed at her appearance in the mirror. This jewelry makes her really glow. "Wow, thank you, you didn't have to spend so much on me..."

"It wasn't too expensive. Only twenty-five bucks...because wait, there's more. I probably spent just like, a hundred dollars on all of your presents, including your brunch and dinner!"

She gapes. "Just a hundred dollars?"

He nods. "I'd buy you the world if I could."

"Oh!" Diane gasps dizzily. She can't stop fingering her new necklace and earrings. They really do complete her green dress. She bounces up and down on Charles' bed in excitement and then squeals into her pillow nice and loud. She bolts up again and jumps into his arms. He spins her around and she giggles. "I feel like I'm smashed, but I haven't had any alcohol yet."

"Drunk on love, huh?" He chuckles. "Me, too."

They smile against each other's lips and then their mouths mold together countless times. She can't believe she's found someone as great as Charles. No other boyfriend of hers has ever given her so many presents or even acknowledged her birthday. She feels like this is all a dream come true and prays that the giddy feeling he always gives her will never go away.


Diane blows out her candles at her birthday dinner with just Alex, Charles, and Frieda. "I can't believe I'm forty...holy shit!"

"It's not that old," Charles assures her.

"Yeah, Mom, you're hella young!" Alex insists.

"If you think the big four-oh is ancient, then I'm insulted," Frieda grumbles. She then smiles. "Wait 'til you hit your sixties...really lookin' forward to that next year."

"Well, thanks, you three!" Diane exclaims, beaming. "Y'all made me feel better about my new age. I really enjoyed today...it was fun with my family, my boyfriend, and my friends."

Charles pats Diane's hand and squeezed it. "We loved today, too."

"Mm-hm," Alex agrees with a grin.

"Certainly, and what a treat it was to finally spoil you after all these years of being apart!" Frieda tells Diane. "I felt like a mother at last."

Diane smiles for about the thousandth time that evening, basking in happiness. The best gift she'd gotten that day, besides Charles', was Alex swearing up and down that she wasn't doing anything horrible.

Thank you for reading and reviewing, VeraRose19, Juliette, and A Star In My Universe!