Chapter 12: Hope

It was easier than I expected to adjust to the new normal of just Anita and me at home. Without Bernardo, and probably as a result of some trauma from the rumble, the Sharks didn't show up very often. They were, in fact, almost non-existent. Even the Jets who showed up were less obnoxious, going about their business and not picking fights. The streets were quiet and calm, and I'm not sure what to make of this new way of life. The tension was still there, as I expected it to be. But it was unusual for the Sharks and Jets to simply avoid each other.

It had been two days since we'd seen Bernardo and three days since I'd seen Riff. The more time passed, the more concerned I became. He had stated that they would only keep him at the station for two days, but it had been more than two days. I couldn't just go to the station and check. And I wasn't going to go out of my way to ask any of the Jets.

"Isa, ¿dónde está tu cabeza?" asked Manuel halfway through my shift at the bakery, "You have been in the clouds all day."

He was correct. I'd been daydreaming about Riff all day. Where had he gone? Perhaps he was mistaken. Perhaps Lieutenant Schrank did arrest him, and he was on his way upstate with Bernardo, and I'd never see him again. My entire body ached, and my chest felt heavy. My fingers fiddled with the bracelet that was wrapped around my wrist.

"Lo siento," I finally answered after a while, "It has all been a lot." I was certain he thought I was referring to Bernardo. By this point, word had spread about the stabbing and his time in prison. Some couldn't believe Bernardo would ever go that far, while others felt Riff had gotten exactly what he deserved. I tried not to pay too much attention to the whispers. After all, none of them had the full picture.

Manuel was sympathetic, holding and patting my hand. "Aye, mija, it'll be alright. Bernardo is strong. He will get through this."

I nodded, which did nothing to alleviate the turmoil in my mind. "Si. I know. I just miss him."

Manuel took a look at the time. It was a little after noon, but I felt like I had already had a long day. "Why don't you take the rest of the day off? Give you a chance to clear your head, huh?"

I sighed deeply. In fact, I needed to work in order to clear my mind. It was the only thing standing between me and a nervous breakdown. Still, my current state of inattention was probably not good for Manuel's business. As a result, I accepted his offer and left the bakery early. I didn't want to return home. I was aware that Anita was not there, and that sitting in an empty apartment would cause my mind to wander once more. Instead, I went to Doc's, assuming Valentina would have some work for me to do. She would also understand how I felt, and I needed to be around someone who did. I walked the short distance to Doc's Pharmacy, letting the sound of the front door bell alert Valentina that I had arrived. When she saw me, she came out from behind the counter, a smile on her face.

"Aren't you supposed to be at work?" she questioned with a raised brow.

I shook my head. "I've been distracted and Manuel got tired of it. He thinks I'm worried about my brother and perhaps I will be one day, but I'm worried about Riff."

Valentina nodded in understanding. "Haven't heard from him since the police took him away, eh?"

"Si and he said two days and it's been three. What if…" I took a deep breath before resuming my spiral. Valentina seemed amused, which puzzled me. I knew she understood what I was going through, but why was my predicament amusing to her? "So please tell me you have something for me to do."

Valentina shrugged and pushed her glasses back on her face. She began to turn the pages of a book. "I wish I did, mija. But I finally hired someone to help me with all the heavy lifting."

"Really?"

The basement door opened as if on cue, and a familiar tall, skinny white boy walked into the shop carrying a cart full of cans. Riff's eyes caught mine, and I swear I felt my heart stop. It was like that first day, that hypnotic trance that had appeared out of nowhere. The world came to a halt, and there was only him and me. I had so many questions and so many things to say, but they were all drowned out by an overwhelming sense of relief and joy.

Riff placed the cart on one of the tables. His entire face was covered in a grin. "Well ain't it just like you to ruin a surprise?"

My legs finally began to work again, and I leapt into his arms. He caught me, but it made him stumble backwards a little. He clung to me tightly, only moving back slightly to meet my lips with his own. The familiar sensation of butterflies and the feeling that my heart was about to burst were welcomed. One kiss felt like it erased the previous three days of worry. I wrapped my arms around his neck, as if we could get any closer.

"Take the smoochy smoochy somewhere else, you two," Valentina reprimanded, a hint of teasing in her voice, "This is still a public store."

We drew apart, laughing and smiling. "Aw, come on, old lady, it's a happy reunion," Riff responded, setting me on my feet with his arms still around me.

"When did you get out?" I asked.

"Last night. This mornin' I walked in here and asked the old lady if I could have a job. She's a tough old bird. It took a lotta convincin'."

"A job? You?" If there was one thing I'd learned about Riff, it was that he didn't value hard work or being told what to do. He'd also been stealing from Valentina for years.

"I told him, the first time I catch him stealing something from me, he's out of here," came Valentina's voice from behind me, "He says he wants to turn over a new leaf, but I'll believe it when I see it."

"New leaf?" I looked at him, perplexed.

For the first time, I noticed Riff's cheeks flush with embarrassment. He drew his lips into his mouth before shrugging his shoulders casually. "I told ya, ya know? I'd do anything for ya. Even go straight edge so you ain't gotta worry. I figured gettin' a real job is the first step to that. Though it's gonna take some gettin' used to."

I didn't think I could look at him with any more awe. He had done everything for me so that we could be together. It was like something out of a fairytale, like Romeo and Juliet. Without dying, thank god. "You did this for me?"

"Look, I ain't got a lot of good things in my life. Everyone I ever care about ends up leavin' me and I've had to deal with bein' alone. But…I don't think I could ever deal with you leavin' me. I wanna make sure there ain't no reason you have to."

I drew him down to me and kissed his lips gently. Despite the obstacles we had faced and would face in the future, there was hope with him. I'd rather have had a glimmer of hope with him than more with anyone else. "Te quiero, Riff."

"I love you too."

Despite myself, I laughed. "I thought you didn't understand Spanish."

"I got enough."

Enough. That's exactly what this was. Enough...and everything. Broken but whole. Wrong, but oh so beautiful.

THE END