Thank you for beta'ing whenaspritemeetsaunicorn. You go through these chapters with a fine-tooth comb and I appreciate it so much.

Chapter 4

Unravelling

"What the fuck is all this?"

Gloria jerked awake as the front door slammed. Her racing heart slowed as she saw Arturo burst through the door, but her stomach dropped as soon as she saw the expression on his face. If she hadn't already been feeling under the weather, she would have jumped up. As it happened, her whole body ached.

He flicked the mobile above the crib, sneering at her. "Where did you get all of this stuff? I told you, I was sorting it. How much did you pay for all this shit?"

Gloria dug her fingers into the arm of her chair as she tried to heave herself up. When she righted herself, she rushed over to him, her hand massaging his forearm. He shrugged her off.

"Nothing, baby," she soothed. "It was all free. Galina gave it to us. She kept all her baby things. Wasn't that nice of her?"

"Galina?" he said mockingly. "Does she see that you're useless too? Can't even provide for your own kids. She must think you're a joke."

"She was just being nice," Gloria said quietly. "It saves us hundreds of dollars, can't you see that?"

"Tell that Russian bitch we don't need her charity," he spat. "You're always telling my business to everyone. First your aunt, and now her."

"Arturo, it isn't like that," Gloria cried.

With Lourdes and Arturo hating each other, Gloria constantly felt as if she was being pulled in two. She already cut back the amount of times she saw her, and their long chats had been pared down to quick debriefs on Julio, whilst Gloria rushed to get back home. She didn't think she could take it if Galina was on his hit list too.

"Please try to—" She gasped, clutching her bump as a lightning bolt of pain shot through her pelvis.

"What?" Arturo said, his head snapping up as she winced. "Is it the baby?"

Gloria nodded swiftly, letting out a sharp breath. When she looked up, her face was contorted in a mixture of pain and terror. "Yeah. I think it is."

Natalie shrugged off her coat and handed it to Galina. Without being asked, she made her way into the living room and settled down.

"So," she said, making herself at home on the sofa and throwing her bag down next to her. "How is everything going?"

"Well, I think," Galina said. She looked at Dmitri and raised her eyebrows. "Don't you agree?"

Dmitri nodded easily. "Oh, yes. Nicky fits in easily here. She seems like a sweet kid. What's the deal with her, anyway?"

Galina glared at him, elbowing him in the ribs. "What did you need from us today, Mrs. Figueroa?"

"Oh, call me Natalie," she said with a wave of her hand. "And this is just a placement meeting. Standard, nothing to worry about. It's about you as much as it is Nicky. So, before she gets home from school, is there anything you wanted to ask me?"

"What the plan is, going forward," Galina said, her forehead creased. "I know you were in a rush the other day, but I'd like to know so I can explain to my children."

"Of course," Natalie said. "That's only natural. Well, as I explained to you, the goal is to get Nicky back to her mother. We're keen to keep the bond between Nicky and Mrs. Nichols strong, so the two will be meeting three times a week for an hour. As there are no child protection concerns, these sessions don't have to be supervised. Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays are when she will be seeing her."

Galina nodded and made a mental note.

"As far as the timeline goes, well that really depends on Nicky. What I don't want is to rush the reunification and then have Nicky land back into foster care again. That really would be the final nail in the coffin for their relationship."

"I see."

"I have a suitcase in the car," she continued. "Mrs. Nichols packed the rest of Nicky's things. I think it'll be good for her to have familiar things around."

Galina nodded again, more slowly this time. How agonizing, having to pack up your precious child's possessions, and bundle them over to a complete stranger. Her heart clenched for the whole situation.

"Will I get to meet Nicky's mother?" she asked. "I know if the shoe was on the other foot, I would want to meet me."

"I'm sure you'll meet her at some point. She's very busy, though."

"Too busy to meet the family her daughter is living with?" Galina asked incredulously. "We can do any time. If it helps Nicky, then I will clear our schedule."

"I'll let her know," Natalie said diplomatically. "So. Any problems with Nicky?"

"Problems," Galina echoed. "No. I don't think so. Dmitri?"

He shook his head. "No. But it's early days. Should we be expecting any?"

Natalie mimicked scales with her hands. "There's only so much kids can take. Sometimes, they lash out."

"Is that what Nicky's been doing?" Galina asked in concern. "We haven't been told much about her history. I feel like I'm going in blind."

"Kind of. But she seems to have calmed down here. No concerns, right? That's what you said," Natalie answered.

Galina's lips pressed together. It seemed like Natalie was trying to trip her up, and she didn't like it. "I suppose so," she said, feeling duped. "But as Dmitri says...it's early days."

"Well, that's good. Now, we'll get some more of the formalities out of the way before Nicky gets home."

Gloria's head lolled back on a crisp white pillow. Her hands were clasped tightly around one another at the base of her bump, and she tried to remember when he had last kicked. The pain was still there, and she had told Arturo that it was probably just Braxton Hicks, but he had insisted on bringing her in. Now she was here, her nerves were mounting. Anxiety prickled at the back of her neck, beads of sweat forming.

"Are you okay, my love?" Arturo's soft voice came from the chair under the window. "You look tired."

"I am," Gloria replied. "I'm scared."

"Don't be," he replied. He stood up and went to her side, one hand taking hers and the other coming down to rest on her bump. "I'm right here."

Gloria swallowed. "I don't want him to come yet."

"Just relax," he said. He sat on the edge of her bed and squeezed her hand. "Close your eyes," he said, and when she did, he continued. "Imagine you're lying on a beach. White sand, crystal clear water...you can hear it rushing toward you."

"Cerro Gordo Beach," Gloria said, smiling. Her eyes still closed, she could picture the scene perfectly.

They'd visited last summer, taking Julio to see his sisters in Puerto Rico. Drinking from coconuts from the beach bar and hiking up rocky cliffs, it had been perfect. One day she'd taken Ceci and Elena down there, just the three of them. Julio had stayed with her mom and Arturo had visited an old friend.

It felt like old times again. Her girls had laughed with her. They'd whispered secrets in her ear; boys they liked, the times they'd sneaked out against their abuela's wishes. It had taken a few days but they even loved Julio. They'd been so good with him, teaching him games and desperate to be the one to help him eat, or dress him. They'd hugged her easily, and she'd slipped back into being their mama...and then she left them again.

Getting on that plane had been the hardest thing she'd ever had to do. It was even harder than the first time because then she had been so full of hope for the future. Now, that hope was all but lost.

The store was meant to be her ticket to getting them back. After a few weeks, she'd realized why Mr. George had retired. Business was slow and with every day that passed, she felt her girls slipping further and further away. When she'd found out she was expecting Julio, the guilt had been almost too much to bear. But his arrival also healed old wounds, and she hoped that this baby would do the same. Just not at the expense of her girls.

"I miss them so much," she croaked. She tightened her grip on his hand. "I don't deserve them. Or Julio. Or this baby."

Arturo shook his head and leaned down to press his forehead against hers. "They're lucky to have you as their mama. We're all lucky to have you, Gloria."

Before she could say anything, the door opened, and a nurse wearing purple scrubs came bustling into the room. She smiled reassuringly at Gloria as she flipped through the chart at the end of Gloria's bed and slid onto the rolling chair next to the ultrasound machine.

"Hi, Miss Mendoza," she said brightly, looking at her notes. "I'm Nurse Jones. I'm here to check you over. You've been having some pains?"

"Mhm," Gloria said. "It's nothing, I'm sure...but he hasn't moved in a while either. He's usually so feisty."

"Let's get a monitor on you," she said. "Have you tried drinking something cold and sugary?"

Gloria nodded. "I did on the way here. It didn't really help."

Nurse Jones nodded as she hooked up the monitor, and Gloria held her breath as she placed it on her stomach. Within a minute, a strong heartbeat filled the room and Gloria let herself laugh in relief.

"Thank God," Gloria breathed. She turned to Arturo, a smile breaking out on her features. He was grinning too, and she leaned against him. "He's okay. He's okay, right?"

"Sounds like it to me," Nurse Jones smiled. "It's always best to get checked out, though. The doctor will give you the once over in a bit. I'm just going to leave this monitor on you to keep an eye on baby's movements, okay? Just stay calm and relaxed, just like now. I'll be back soon."

As Nurse Jones left, Arturo planted kisses on Gloria's head. He squeezed her into a hug, pressing his face against hers.

"From now on you won't lift a finger, baby," he promised. He rubbed across the scratchy stubble on his chin. "I don't want you going through this because of me. You're everything to me, Gloria. Everything. Julio and I need you."

"Nicky, do you have any questions for me?" Natalie asked once they'd been through the basics. More paperwork had been signed and Nicky's bags were stacked by the door. It hadn't gone unnoticed by the teen as she'd come in. Her face had fallen just a tiny bit, imperceptible if you weren't looking hard enough.

Galina had been looking hard enough, and her heart broke a little for her.

"Not really." Nicky shrugged. "Is Marka gonna give me my credit card back?"

Galina raised her eyebrows and waited for the response as Dmitri frowned.

"I'm not sure," Natalie replied. "I suppose that would be up to your mother."

"I'd rather she didn't," Galina interjected. "Anything she needs, we can buy. Of course, she'll get an allowance like the boys do, but I don't think teenagers need a credit card." In fact, she thought it could lead to an awful lot of trouble.

Nicky frowned, and for the first time, Galina saw a little of the Nicky that she'd seen when she'd first arrived.

"Looks like that one's been decided," Natalie quipped, shrugging at Nicky. "Sorry, kid. Anything else? How have you been settling in?"

Nicky said nothing for a moment, and Galina wondered if she was going to complain, but she just shrugged. "It's nice here."

Galina couldn't help but smile. It wasn't the impression Nicky had given, so she was glad to be getting some feedback. Even if it was given under duress.

"Good," Natalie said. "You have my number if you need anything. I think that's everything. I'll leave you to unpack your things, okay?"

Nicky nodded and looked down.

Whilst Galina stood to see Natalie out, Dmitri hung back. He watched Nicky pick at her fingernails. Neither said anything, and a few minutes ticked by in uncomfortable silence, narrated by the steady beat of the clock.

"Come on," he said finally. "I know somewhere we can go to take your mind off all this."

When they arrived at the park, Dmitri clutching two baseball gloves and a ball in his hands, Nicky kicked the ground. A frown darkened her face.

"Won't your boys be mad that you didn't bring them?"

Dmitri laughed, tossing the ball from one hand to the other. He wiggled his fingers in the glove and shook his head. "They think they're too cool for their old man," he said, sighing. "Even Maxsim now. They don't want their friends to think they enjoy spending time with their father."

He held out a glove for her and she took it.

"I don't care what people think."

"That's good," he said encouragingly. He threw the ball toward her and nodded, impressed when she caught it with ease. "Did your dad take you out to play catch?"

Nicky shrugged. "He's not really a sporty guy."

"Neither am I," Dmitri laughed. "It can still be fun to take the kids out though."

He'd found that they were much more likely to chat and share things that were worrying them if they were doing something at the same time. Driving in the car or throwing a ball, it didn't matter. Taking the focus off of them meant they could open up. He first heard about Vasily's girlfriend, Lida, when they were on a road trip and his brothers were in the other car. He also found out that Yuri flunked his math exam when they were fixing the wallpaper in the living room.

"Dad lives in Canada now," she said quietly, rolling the ball between her fingers. "With his new wife and baby."

"Oh," Dmitri said. He caught the ball as she tossed it toward him. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Nicky said, gesturing for him to throw it back. When he did, she missed. Bending down to pick it up, she shrugged. "I wouldn't really have wanted to stick around either."

"Why not?"

Nicky shrugged again. "Mom threw him out when she found out he was cheating on her. But they never really got along anyways. And let's face it, I'm not exactly the dream kid, am I?" She let out a little snort. "He said Mom hated him anyway, and he didn't want to see me going down the path I was going. So I guess it shouldn't have been a surprise."

It had been, though. To come home one day and find every item that her father owned plucked from the house had been unsettling, to say the least. She'd walked from room to room, staring at the empty spaces on the wall, on the shelves, in the closet. He'd taken the framed diploma from the wall above his desk, but left the school photo of Nicky right where it always was. Pretending that hadn't stung had taken a lot out of her. She'd been pretending ever since.

Dmitri watched Nicky roll the ball in her hands, her lips pressed together. The reasons for Nicky coming into foster care were unraveling and he was quickly realizing that a life of privilege didn't necessarily bring happiness. He never thought he would feel so sorry for a poor little rich kid.

"You know," he said, looking up to meet Nicky's eye. "He should have stayed anyway. For you. And that was on him, not you."

Nicky nodded. "You would have stayed."

It wasn't a question, but Dmitri nodded anyway. It seemed like the right thing to do.

"Yeah." Nicky lifted her chin. "Sometimes I wish he had too."

Gloria shuffled through the front door. As soon as she crossed the threshold, Julio came running toward her. He grabbed hold of her legs, holding on tightly. She looked down and smiled through her headache. Though she'd been given the all-clear, the whole ordeal had taken it out of her. She placed her maternity notes down on the counter and leaned down to pick him up.

He pressed his face against hers and she breathed in the smell of his bubble bath.

"He's supposed to be in bed," Lourdes called, trudging into the room. "But he insisted on waiting for you."

"That's okay, baby," she said. "Mama's okay. I missed you!"

Julio snuggled into her, letting his head rest against her chest. Gloria took him over to the armchair, where she sat with him. His thumb now in his mouth, she knew it wouldn't be long before he dropped off to sleep.

"How was it?" Lourdes asked, letting the anxiety seep into her tone. "Is everything okay with the baby?"

Gloria nodded. "They think I was just dehydrated, that's what caused the pain. He started moving as soon as they scanned me," she said with an eye roll. "Typical." She rested her head back against the chair and held her bump tightly. "I'm just glad he's okay."

"I'm glad you're home," Lourdes said, leaning against the countertop. "Although, why the hell did you have to bring yourself home? Where is Arturo?"

Gloria sighed. "He said he had a surprise for me."

"A surprise? You need stability, mija, not surprises." Lourdes clicked her tongue, but then leaned over. She placed her hand on Gloria's bump and then gently brushed the hair out of Julio's eyes. "I am glad everything's okay, though. You scared me a little with that phone call."

"Sorry," Gloria said. "It's just-"

A key turned in the door and Gloria stopped. Lourdes watched, her anger growing as her niece tensed the second it opened.

"Gloria," he said sharply, and though neither could see his face, his tone was clear.

Gloria's shoulders hunched and she looked at the doorway, holding her breath for whatever he had to say.

He swaggered into the room, his face darkening as he saw Lourdes. "Still here?" he asked. "You can go now, you know."

"I'll leave my niece's house when I'm ready," she snapped back at him. "Or when she asks me to."

His eyes flashed with rage, but he pushed it down, instead choosing to turn to Gloria. A Grinch-like grin lit up his face.

"I organized your surprise," he said, voice full of excitement. He sounded like a little kid on Christmas morning. "I called your mom," he continued. "I told her that enough's enough, that Elena and Ceci should be with their family, with us. They should be home. Your girls are coming home, Gloria. They're coming home next month."