"You're supposed to be in your room, young lady. What are you doing?"
Facing off in the hallway between the two bedrooms, Iliana set her jaw and glared at her Mami, who glared right back with mirror-image dark eyes. "I had to make a phone call," she said defiantly.
"Who did—you know what, never mind. Get back in there, sit down." She stood back and waited for her daughter to walk past her and flop down on her bed, skinny little arms crossed stubbornly over her chest.
"Do you have anything to say for yourself?"
"About what?"
Santana rolled her eyes. "You know about what, Iliana, don't play games with me. I'm not in the mood."
"I'm not either."
"Watch your mouth. I've heard more than enough backtalk out of you for one day."
"You say it's backtalk but I say it's just talk. How do I know which is which?"
"Iliana Marie, do you want to do this the hard way? Because we can do this the hard way, that's up to you."
Ily bit back a smart reply because she didn't know what "the hard way" was but she didn't think she wanted to find out.
"Mama said I should apologize," she said instead.
Mami's eyebrow went up. "Ah. Yes, I assumed that was the 'phone call' you had to make."
"She said I should apologize to Aunt Rachel and to you."
"That sounds like pretty good advice, for a start. What do you think?"
"I'm too mad to apologize to you right now."
Santana eyed her daughter carefully for a moment, then nodded. "That's fair," she said. "I know it's hard to say you're sorry when you're angry, and we'll talk more about that in a minute. But you're going to apologize to Rachel the second we're done here, and you're going to make it good. You will not make it sound like I forced you to apologize. If you do that, it doesn't count and you're back at square one."
"What's square one?"
"Sitting in your room until I say you can come out."
"How long would that be?"
"As long as it takes for you to give Rachel the apology you owe her."
Ily frowned, considering. "I have school tomorrow."
Santana studied her daughter as if she were trying to decide if the girl was being a smartass or just an eight-year-old. Finally she gave up on that and sat down next to her on the bed.
"Ily, I know you're mad and confused and upset. And sad. I know that. It's a hard time for our family right now. But there are things that are just not ever going to be allowed, even when you're super upset and super angry. And some of those things happened down in the kitchen earlier."
"You hit me," Ily said, still hanging on to her righteous anger over the fact. "Hitting's not allowed, is it?"
Santana shook her head. "I smacked your butt because you were screaming at me and you had it coming. You know the difference."
"So you're not going to apologize?"
"Oh, you better be joking. You think you're gonna turn this around on me?"
Ily shrugged and bit her lip. "I thought I'd give it a shot."
Smirking slightly, Santana gently bumped Iliana's shoulder with her own. "Not on your best day, newbie. Now I want you to tell me something. Why are you so angry at Rachel? She has never done anything but love you and spoil you and be kind to you. What did she do to make you so mad?"
"I don't know."
"I think you do."
"I don't want her here."
"Her new show opens in a week, and then we won't get to see her much at all. Besides. You've always loved it when she comes to visit."
"It was different before."
"Why?"
"I don't want her here," Ily repeated, getting frustrated. "I want Mama here."
Santana's expression didn't change, but she nodded slowly, as if this confirmed her suspicion. "Baby, I know you miss Mama. I know things suck right now, but we're going to get through it, okay? I promise."
Iliana pulled away when Mami tried to wrap her arm around her shoulders. "I don't want to get through it," she said, her pulse starting to pound in her ears like it did when she got really upset. "I want it to go back to the way it was!"
"Oh, honey."
"No! No, don't touch me. I want my mama."
Santana blinked rapidly as Iliana scooted away from her, retreating to the head of the bed and out of reach. The girl's eyes were flooded with unshed tears and the air in the room had turned heavy and volatile in a span of seconds. Santana tried to gather her own emotions, forcing out a steady, soothing tone. "You have the whole weekend, Ily. You'll be with her all weekend."
Frustrated and out of words, Iliana curled onto her side, her back to her Mami, and gave in to the tears. She sensed Mami standing over her for long moments, as if trying to decide what to do or say. A soft hand brushed some stray locks of dark hair out of her face and she flinched and fought the urge to swat it away.
Finally, Mami found her voice. But all she said was "Dinner's in half an hour. You need to apologize to Aunt Rachel before then."
And she left the room.
