Chapter 20

"Mom, can I stay over at Grandma's tonight? She's going to teach me how to make fried plantains," Julian asked.

"Of course. And pay attention because her fried plantains are the best on the planet."

"How come you never make fried plantains Mom?"

"Because I can't beat your Grandma's. And the last time I made them, Uncle Marco spit them out."

"They sucked, Buff."

Buffy stuck out her tongue. "That's why you never get fried plantains at my house."

"I don't get fried plantains at your house either," Antonio chimed in.

"And you never will."

Antonio snapped his fingers. "Damn the bad luck."

Buffy looked at her Mother. "I'll run home and get him a change of clothes."

"I have clothes for him here," Carmen said.

"Since when?" Buffy asked.

"Since the day he was born."

"I wasn't living in Chicago when he was born."

"No, you weren't. You were in Seattle. But that didn't stop me from buying him clothes. He's a boy, Grace Margaret, he's going to get dirty. And when he gets dirty, he needs clothes. I've got this covered, don't worry."

Buffy sighed. She was out mothered by her own mother. "Ok, well, since I don't need to do that, I'm going to go for a walk."

"I'll come with you," Antonio said quickly.

As they walked down the street, Antonio slipped his hand in hers. "I hope you don't mind that I invited myself."

"No. I was hoping you would. Sometimes I just need a time out from them."

"How so?"

She sighed. "Marco's busting my balls about my plantains and won't let it go. That, of course, makes me look like I'm a lousy cook right in front of you, giving you more ammunition to not want to see me anymore. Mom keeping a stash of clothes for Julian that I had no idea about. It just gets so overwhelming sometimes."

"Hey, hey, hey," he said softly. He stopped and turned Buffy to face him. "Whoa. Slow down, Graciela. One thing at a time."

"Graciela?"

"I know you hate your name."

"I do. I always have."

"Graciela is a pet name of Grace."

"Ok, so it's a term of endearment."

"Only for you." He took a step toward her. "Don't you remember what I said earlier? About it would take a lot more than diarrhea to make me walk away?"

She nodded.

"It' s going to take a lot more than lousy fried plantains to make me walk away too."

"For real?"

"For real. And the reason why I tagged along on your walk is because I think it's time you meet Eva and Diego."

"You sure they're ready for that?"

"I think so."

"You know best," she conceded. "If you think they are ready, then let's make it happen."

"I'll get it worked out and let you know."

"Ok."

He gave her cheek a kiss before they resumed their walk.