Gloria was beaming with pride as she navigated through the crowded gymnasium at her daughter's school. They had arrived about an hour ago and had enjoyed some refreshments while taking in the paintings, sculptures, and photography put out on display. Now, it was almost time to take their seats for the performative part of the night. Ceci had been asked to read a paper she had written about ethics and advocacy in healthcare, which had earned her a top grade for her senior project.
"Look! There's two chairs," Gloria rushed ahead so that she could claim them before somebody else tried to. They were close to the front and would give her a clear view for her daughter's presentation.
"Elena and I will sit here and watch you," Gloria said happily. Her eyes scanned over the crowd her youngest daughter had disappeared into shortly after they'd arrived. She had found some friends who were the younger siblings of some of the students being honoured tonight. Gloria had made her promise to find her again though before the show began.
"Can you hold this please," Ceci held out a paper cup full of fruit punch for Gloria to take. Then she sank down onto the hard wooden chair and buried her face in her hands. "I was afraid I was going to spill it all over myself. I'm shaking so hard."
"That would be a tragedy," Gloria agreed, taking a sip from the cup herself while Ceci smoothed a wrinkle out of the skirt of her blue dress.
She had treated both her girls and herself to new outfits once Ceci had shared her exciting news about her speech being selected out of the whole student body. It had been expensive and more than Gloria could afford, but she had done it anyway. Bribing Lourdes to come mind the store for a few hours so she could take the girls shopping. They had gotten manicures that afternoon as well. Somewhere in this crowd of people, Elena was showing off her pink sparkly nails that matched her dress to perfection. Ceci had opted for french blue tips and Gloria was sporting purple full nails, which was her favourite colour.
"I am so proud of you," Gloria reminded her, as Ceci pulled a stack of cue cards from her purse and filed through them.
She had written her notes and key points for her speech in alternating colourful gel pens. She had been rehearsing all week. Facetiming with her Grandmother back in Puerto Rico as well to get pointers and practice in front of an audience. Milagro's had returned home a few weeks ago and her absence was strongly felt by everyone, especially the girls. Perhaps that was why Gloria was compensating so much with new clothes and bonding. She just wanted her daughters to be happy with her.
"I just hope I don't freeze on stage in front of all these people," Ceci said quietly.
"You won't," Gloria said confidently. "You know it by heart."
Ceci shrugged her shoulders uncomfortably and continued to flip through her cards. Gloria sat down in the chair beside her and slung an arm over her daughter's shoulder.
"I'll take you both out to dinner after this to celebrate," Gloria said conversationally. "Where would you like to go? You get to choose."
"I don't know, mom," Ceci replied. "My stomach is in knots right now."
Gloria gave her some quiet to review one final time. Ceci's anxiety was tangible right now and catching. Gloria took out her phone and rolled her eyes at a text from her mother. Milagro was reminding her to video the speech and send it to her immediately. Lourdes had messaged to report that Benny had bumped his head trying to climb on his toy box. That kid was everywhere these days and it was nice to have a night away.
"Mom, look at all these cupcakes I scored us," Elena said gleefully, emerging as if from thin air with a paper plate overflowing with desserts.
"Did anyone see you swipe that many?" Gloria asked, helping herself to a yellow frosting one.
"I was fast," Elena said nonchalantly. "Do you want one Ceci?" She picked up a blue chocolate cupcake and waved it under her sister's nose.
"No," Ceci replied, batting it impatiently away.
"You probably want to head backstage soon anyway," Gloria said gently.
"Yeah, and I want to sit down," Elena said expectantly.
"Oh, here," Gloria reached for her hand and tugged Elena over to perch on her lap. She was still small enough that it sort of worked. Elena leaned back against her mother's chest and concentrated on peeling the paper off of the cupcake she had tempted Ceci with.
Ceci murmurred to herself for a few more minutes, shuffling through her notes with increasing agitation. Finally she looked up at her mother and shoved them into her purse.
"If I don't know it by now, it's too late," she said.
"You know it," Gloria said calmly. "Now you're just psyching yourself out about it. You're going to do great."
Ceci let out a little moan as she got to her feet and walked away without another word. She was such a perfectionist and she over thought everything. Gloria had complete confidence in her though. She knew once her speech was over, that Ceci was going to be feeling amazing. She wasn't wrong.
A few minutes later the principal came onto the stage to thank everyone for attending this special arts night. The purpose of it was to celebrate their diverse student population and their talents and interests. The principal announced that the paper Ceci's speech was based on had been entered into an essay competition and then told Ceci, in front of everyone for the first time, that she had won and was going to be published in a literary magazine for New York students.
Gloria could tell that Ceci was standing a little bit taller when she got up to take her place behind the podium. She spoke clearly with confidence and her passion for her chosen subject bled through every single word. Her mother was so proud, she had to dab a few tears discreetly from the corners of her eyes as she listened. This was the sort of moment she had imagined when she decided to bring them to New York in the first place. Even if it hadn't gone as smoothly as she'd wanted; the school and opportunity Ceci was achieving was exactly what Gloria had wanted for her.
"I think I want to be a nurse," Ceci shared joyfully, linking her hand through her mother's arm as they walked down the sidewalk later that night.
"I think you'd be amazing at that," Gloria smiled at her. She had lightened up considerably once she'd shined in the spotlight and did as well as Gloria had been sure she would. It had taken them a long time to leave at the end of the event because everyone, teachers and students alike, kept coming up to congratulate her.
"When you come to my school play next week, I get to choose the restaurant," Elena told them.
"Are you still thinking about your tummy after all those cupcakes?" Gloria teased.
"You ate them too," Elena pointed out. "I just don't get why Ceci picks a basic diner to eat at when you told her we could go anywhere."
"All I want right now is a burger and a vanilla milkshake," Ceci replied. Her appetite had returned with abundance.
"Then that's exactly what you're going to get," Gloria promised.
She was all about spoiling her daughters tonight and not thinking about anything much else. She felt like dancing as she sent the girls off to claim a booth in the corner of the busy diner and then went to join the line to place their order. She had been afraid that Milagro leaving would break everyone apart again, but it really was okay. The girls facetimed nearly every day with their Grandmother, and though the pain of having their family split by such a distance was a painful cross to bear; they were at home in New York. Maybe they were starting to forgive her.
"What is it?" Gloria asked, when she came back over to their booth with a tray laden with burgers, fries, and milkshakes for them. Ceci and Elena were both looking across the restaurant with sour expressions on their faces. Unlike the giggles they had been in when she left. Elena looked to her sister for guidance and Ceci leaned in quietly to speak in Gloria's ear.
"Those guys over there at that table are some of the people Nicky was hanging around with when she got in trouble," Ceci confessed.
Gloria's eyes narrowed slightly. "They look too old to be in high school."
"Some of them are in their twenties," Ceci conceded, "but they hang around outside the school still anyway."
"Because they're losers who have nowhere else to be," Gloria said bluntly. She set a vanilla and a chocolate milkshake down in front of each daughter and then started to distribute the food.
"Do you promise to tell me if Nicky starts talking to people like that again?" Gloria asked them seriously. "Not to get her in trouble-"
"I know," Ceci replied quickly. She took a long sip of her milkshake. "Yes, I would tell you."
Gloria's heart fluttered inside her chest. "I'm relieved to hear you say that."
It was all she ever wanted. To have children who knew they could trust her with the hard things. Nicky was due to be released from juvenile detention in a few short weeks, which was much sooner than her five month sentence had stipulated. She was getting out for good behaviour and everyone could only hope that she would continue on that streak in the real world.
Galina could hardly contain herself and Gloria just wanted it to be everything she was hoping for. They had been one another's support through everything and Gloria wanted that to continue. She thought there was a very meaningful reason that they both had wound up with two daughters of the same ages. They were going to stick together, and if anything concerning came up about Nicky this time, Gloria knew that Galina would listen.
"Tricia said that Nicky is going to have to go to summer school," Elena announced.
"That's just because her mother doesn't want her to have any free time," Gloria replied, recalling a conversation she had shared with Galina only last week. "Nicky is all caught up on her credits, from my understanding."
"I don't know if she's going to be pleased about that," Ceci smirked, but she was just grateful she'd be getting her friend back. She and Nicky would still be able to do things together after school and it was a million times better than juvie.
"Me and Tricia are still going to take swimming lessons in the park together, right?" Elena asked.
She was very excited about their summer plans. Gloria was moving heaven and earth to try and get a week or so off so she could take them out of the city for a vacation. She wanted them to have fun when she was working too though. Elena and Tricia were already registered for swimming lessons and their moms would surely come up with more stuff to keep them occupied in the next few weeks.
"Of course," Gloria replied. She nibbled on a french fry as the conversation returned to lighter things.
Their evening still felt very surreal to her. To be enjoying one another's company and celebrating life and things in general. When the girls had first gotten off the plane, neither one of them even wanted to look at or speak to her. Now they were just together and it was great. She was a blessed mama, and she appreciated all of it.
