Thank you for beta'ing, MsSchneeheide!
A change: Benny is 7 while Julio is 3. Benny stayed back and is repeating the first grade. Julio is NOT in kindergarten like I said before. Sorry for this confusion!
Horns are blaring now as Blanca runs to her daughter. Her heart beating frantically and her body in a cold sweat, she skirts around stopped cars as quickly as she can. "Get that kid the fuck outta the street!" someone yells. "Crazy homeless bitch!"
"Don't you see what I'm doin', hijo de puta, ¡carajo!" Blanca screams back and flips them off. "Basta ya..."
"Mama!" Raiza cries as Blanca gently eases her off the pavement and into her arms, nearly squeezing her to death. The little girl holds onto her as she hurries off the road and Blanca doesn't breathe until they're both safely standing on the sidewalk. "Mami, lo siento, lo siento..." she cries into Blanca's shoulder.
"Never do that again, do you understand?" Blanca tips her face up and cups her chin. The little one is quivering with fear. "Eso es tan inseguro. ¡Podrías haber muerto!" Blanca's voice cracks and she gasps sharply. "I could've lost you forever..." She whimpers, covers her mouth, and wipes at her eyes which are filling with moisture.
That's so unsafe. You could've died!
"I know, Mommy...pero, solo quería helado." Raiza sniffles as tears fall down her cheeks. She points at Baskin Robbins which is far off into the distance. "It's right there!"
but I just wanted ice cream.
Blanca shakes her head as she strokes Raiza's hair back from her dampened forehead and returns to the laundromat. "No, bebé, it's much farther than you think. We would need a cab to take us there."
Raiza's eyes widen. "Really?!"
"Sí." Blanca nods and exhales shakily, starting to relax now. "The highway is so big and dangerous, okay? Not good for tiny children!"
"I was so scared," Raiza whispers, burying her face into Blanca's shoulder again.
"Lo sé, that's why you need to stay with me, nena." Blanca kisses the top of Raiza's head a few times. "I love you so much. No more running off, ¿entiendes?"
"Sí..." Raiza mumbles.
Blanca hoists Raiza further up onto her hip. She feels so wobbly on her feet because she's always weak nowadays. It's why Raiza rides in the cart. She blames herself for not making her stay there in the first place, but Raiza had begged to walk around while promising to keep a tight hold on Blanca's hand or just stay by her side if Blanca needed to let go of her. She plops her daughter into her cart and wheels it into the Butterfly Studio Salon next door.
"You have appointment?" a worker named Mei asks in a strong Chinese accent.
"No, I got no moolah. I...I just need to rest here until my laundry's finished," Blanca murmurs as she sits on the orange backless seat. "I hope that's okay...it'll be maybe twenty more minutes."
"There is Ralph's Coffee Shop nearby. Go there. Not here," Mei instructs her. "You both dirty and homeless. No want mess."
Blanca rolls her eyes. "Okay...gracias." She leaves with Raiza. "Too expensive there, anyway! A hundred and twenty dollars for a haircut and seventy for a blowout," she mutters to herself. "Fuckin' ripoff!"
"Six hot older women actresses born in the sixties." Poussey points at Flaca with a smirk. "Go!"
"Cynthia Nixon, Salma Hayek, Lea Thompson, JLo, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Kristin Davis." Flaca sits back in her pink beanbag chair and folds her arms across her chest. "Boom." She's having some of the girls for a sleepover and is seriously considering the fact that she's bisexual. She can't stop thinking about Maritza for obvious reasons, but her latest fantasy about her shorter best friend had been rather steamy. She's smiling so hard and her cheeks feel warm.
"Didn't even try to put 'em in age order, did ya?" Elena teases her. "Lea's the oldest, Catherine and JLo the youngest. The rest are good. Alright, seventies. De mayor a menor."
Oldest to youngest.
"Taraj P. Henson, Carla Gugino, Elizabeth Reaser, Sarah Paulson, Holly Marie Combs, and Rosario Dawson," Flaca answers quickly. "Yo, but what's the purpose of this game? I find a lot of people attractive, famous and not, and you straight as fuck chicas do, too. This don't prove shit, just that y'all ain't blind."
"We don't grin that much when talkin' about other gals and ladies," Cat points out.
"What?" Flaca places her hand over her mouth to hide her apparently giddy smile. "I love the girl power they bring to the screen, they a bunch of badass bitches! They're hella pretty, too!"
"Daaaamn, you got a thing for other Hispanics, brunettes and gingers, huh?" Ceci waggles her eyebrows and Flaca giggles softly while blushing. "You're deeply questioning your sexuality, you seem to dream about you and Maritza making out quite frequently, and look at you! Mira...damelo." She gestures to the small makeup mirror and Daisy hands it to her. Ceci takes Flaca's hand off her lips. "You're beaming with delight! Your entire face is absolutely glowing, honey."
Look...give it to me.
"Dude, you're having a bi awakening. Embrace it," Franziska murmurs. "I've been through the exact same thing, but it was lesbian."
"Alex would complain that this is Cate Blanchett erasure," Katie states. "My sister loves her! Like, that's her celebrity crush."
"Can't believe you forgot about Alyssa Milano!" Poussey chimes in.
"Hey, you and Ellie said six! Those are my faves, sorry." Flaca presses her lips together and then purses them. "Well, that does it...I really am bi. Wow..."
"Aw, that's amazing!" Daya exclaims. "It's so sad, though, because the girl you want is so far away..."
Flaca nods. "It ain't the same without her. I can't imagine never seeing her again. When she sends me letters, it's the best part of my day."
"I hope she comes back soon!" Daisy murmurs and the others agree.
When Maritza shuffles back into the lobby, she finds Nicky and Shani eating potato chips on the couch while Brook is playing the piano. "Hola, chicas..."
"Hey!" Nicky waves her over. "Siddown!"
Maritza plops onto the cushion next to her and buries her head in her hands while groaning out loud. "Ay dios mío...every part of me hurts. I got the fucking Nazi and then Hellman! I hope I don't look too beat up..."
"Not really, your costume, the heavy eyeshadow, blush, and lipstick cover it good, but...I'm so sorry," Shani tells her sadly. "That's what they do to all the favorites. They wanna see how far they can push us. I used to be the most wanted one, but since I don't put out..." She doesn't finish.
"I know...they said I'm the prettiest sex worker. Lo siento, I hope nobody's jealous, it's not fun to be popular among the scumbags," Maritza says glumly.
"Nah, don't worry about it, we know," Nicky assures her. "At least my girl thinks I'm hot, it's all that matters!"
"Yeah! Who cares what these fuckheads say," Shani mutters, pulling Nicky into her lap. They start making out and moaning softly. Maritza suddenly wishes that was her and Flaca, but in Flaca's ultra-cool bedroom instead of this dirty place. She smiles down at her lap and blushes as she stands. She turns away, giving them their privacy.
"Did you want anything?"
Blanca glances over at the woman speaking to her in Ralph's Coffee Shop. She's young, around twenty, and she's pulling out her wallet. "Oh...no, gracias...it's too late for coffee, anyway."
"Mamá, I want something yummy!" Raiza protests, bouncing in her seat.
"It's totally fine, I'll get you some tea, because it's so damn cold out there, and a treat for both you and the little one! Trust me, ma'am, I got the cash." She holds up a twenty-dollar bill and Blanca eyes it enviously. "The winds are howling, it's gonna be a bad storm tonight," she predicts.
"Oh okay...gracias."
The lady smiles at Blanca. "You're welcome."
About ten minutes later, Blanca's sitting at a table with Raiza in the cart beside her. She's grasping a steaming cup of peppermint tea and it's warming her hands immensely. The sleeve around it and her gloves prevent her from burning herself, though. It's too hot to drink, so she just holds it under her chin and lets the heat fan her face. Raiza is eating a pink vanilla cake pop while Blanca has one in a chocolate flavor. She suddenly thinks of Diablo, because he'd once offered to make her peppermint tea when he'd been at her apartment and replacing her window, but her electricity had been shut off. She can't help but beam with delight at the memory.
When she glances at the analog clock on the wall, she can see that twenty minutes have passed, so she stands up. "Okay, nena, we gotta go back to the laundromat." Blanca sticks something inside the hole where her lips would go to sip her tea, so it won't spill once she puts it inside the cart. She starts eating her cake pop as she leaves and Raiza is singing some gibberish while swinging her legs back and forth. Once there, Blanca picks up the freshly washed and dried clothes and folds them to the best of her ability before stuffing them into the big black garbage bags.
When Diablo brings Laronne to Milagros' house to play with Benny and sleep over there, Gloria's boys are already shooting each other and Gino Muccio with Nerf Guns and hollering. He pushes up his sleeve and shows off his tattoo of a dove as Laronne rushes off to join his friends.
"Damn, that's a nice one, bro!" Gloria compliments him, raising her voice over the noise of the kids. "It symbolizes...?"
"My love for Blanca," he answers her, beaming. "I call her mi hermosa paloma. Each time I look at it...in fact, every moment of my life, she comes into my mind. She lives there, rent-free."
my beautiful dove
Gloria smiles. "Aww, wow, well, it's pretty neat."
"¡Gracias! I wish she was here physically, too...her and her niñas."
"You and me both!"
"Benny! Get that off your head! What have I told you, rugrat?!"
Gloria closes her eyes in exasperation. "Oh, for fuck's sake. He's always doing this kinda shit. Remind me not to have so many children in my next life," she jokes. "I love 'em, but...I get tired."
"It's not too bad for me!"
"Easy for you to say, you just got the one. Aleida totally understands where I'm comin' from, she's got more than me."
"Hey, it happens! Parent burnout...just as long as you don't give up on 'em."
"I never will!"
"I should go, but I wanted to say goodbye to Laronne first."
"Mommyyyyy! Ceci's being mean to me!" Diablo grins awkwardly at the sound of feet pounding all over the house. Benny shows up, wearing what he guesses is one of his big sister's bras. It's just hanging around his neck. Diablo averts his eyes out of respect for the girl.
Gloria rolls her eyes. "Jesus Christ, of all the days for my mom and Tía Lourdes to go on a double date with their new girlfriends...Benny, devuélvele el sujetador a tu hermana."
give your sister back her bra
"Now, idiot! On the count of three." Ceci shows up behind him. "Uno, dos..." She yanks it off of him and shoves it under her arm. "Tres! Stay outta my room! I'm trying so fucking hard to do my homework!"
"Language, Cecilia," Gloria reprimands her, but she scoffs and toys with her hoop earring.
"Maybe you should watch yours first!" Ceci snaps.
"Ceci and Yusef, sitting in a tree!" Benny blows her a raspberry and runs out of the room.
"Gloria, would you stop that stupid punk?"
"Mom," she corrects her eldest daughter sternly. "My name is Mom." She switches her attention to Benny. "Yo, leave your hermana alone and go play with your friends, huh?"
Benny runs off, cackling. Ceci gives Diablo a once-over. "Dude, you ain't the devil, my brother is," she says just before departing the foyer.
"Bye, Daddy!" Laronne calls out and hugs Diablo's legs. He ruffles his son's hair and bends down so he can kiss the boy's cheek.
"Have fun, kid!"
"Thanks!"
"You're welcome!" Diablo turns to Gloria. "Hey, buena suerte."
She blows out a huge breath. "Gracias. Yo, I'm lucky Fahri's comin' soon to help out."
"De nada. Oh, that's good!"
"I wish you luck, too, in finding Blanca!" Gloria sighs wistfully. "We need her back."
"Oh, lo sé, I've got a plan. A partir de mañana, iré a la ciudad y esperaré fuera de cada hogar de ancianos para ver si sale de uno. I just know she'll be at one of 'em!" Diablo says excitedly. "She takes care of the old folks."
Starting tomorrow, I'll go to the city and wait outside every nursing home to see if she comes out of one.
"Aww, that's so romantic and very sweet of you! ¡Espero que lo haga! Let's pray she doesn't get fired, or worse, found by that monster. Gracias a Dios he's been taken to the clink after invading your home!"
I hope she will!
Diablo nods in agreement and his heart rate goes up a notch at the very thought of catching even a glimpse of her again after so long. "Sí..." He doesn't even care about the mess he'll have to eventually straighten up at his place because of Dean moving things around. The asshole didn't break any of Diablo's possessions, but his fingerprints are everywhere. Diablo has no idea how Dean had even gotten into his apartment, but it makes him queasy.
"So, girl...since Maritza's not here, who's your next favorite out of us single pringles?" Cat wiggles her eyebrows suggestively.
Flaca groans. "Nobody, holy shit! I only have a crush on Mari, I swear. Don't be a fuckin' dumbass."
"No, like...you know how on Sex and the City, Charlotte was gonna have a threesome with that guy and another chick, and she and her friends were discussing which one of them it could be, who joins Charlotte and her boyfriend. They said Carrie, then Samantha, but not poor Miranda," Daya elaborates.
Elena guffaws and Katie joins in, as do the other girls. "I cannot believe you watch that show, bitch!" Daisy exclaims. "What...is-is that like your guilty pleasure or somethin'?"
"Nah, nah, I actually enjoy it," Daya admits. "Um...Claire got me into it, so...Samantha reminds me a lot of my ma. Miranda's like your sister, Katie, except for that she's bi, not lesbian. Flaca...I know you love it 'cause of half the cast! You little freak."
"¿Pequeña? Cállate." Flaca flips her off. "Okay...so like, you're asking, which one of you would I want to join a threesome with me and Mari? If we were up for it, of course!"
"Mm-hm!" Cat nods excitedly and the others lean in closer.
"Elena," Flaca murmurs, unable to stop the blush from creeping up her cheeks. "Cat's been mi amiga since we were in diapers, so that'd be weird."
"You and your excuses!" Cat frowns. "Aw, what, me and Daisy and Katie ain't hot enough for you?"
"Hey, you asked! Of course you are, it's just...you said threesome, not orgy."
Elena fans herself and bats her eyes. "Babe, I'm flattered!"
"It's my pleasure, hottie." Flaca winks at her mock-suggestively and they all crack up.
"Okay, which dude would you bring in?" Katie wants to know.
"Nah, see, that's stereotypical...just because we bisexuals like both genders, doesn't mean we wanna fuck the two of 'em at the same time," Flaca says. "'Cause like, what if she thinks the chico's hot and starts banging him and they're locking lips and all and then I'm left out, or what if it's her who is...because that happened to Charlotte. There's always gonna be somebody who's the preferred one."
"Yeah, but you'd go in there knowing that," Franziska points out.
Poussey raises an eyebrow and smirks knowingly while keeping her arms around her girl. "That's why we prefer monogamy. It's less jealousy and heartbreak. Even during meaningless sex, you don't wanna be the one they're paying less attention to."
"That's true," Flaca says, falling back on her bed. She doesn't even want to think about Maritza losing interest in her when their romance hasn't even started yet. "Yo, too bad Ceci is missing this convo!"
"I know, Mami was on her ass about lagging on homework, though, she had to go home," Elena mutters. "Don't worry, I'll catch her up on it."
"Oh, good!" Daisy breathes out, and everyone giggles.
"Holaaaa," Maritza greets her mother and Raiza as she and Vee come up to them in an almost empty train station, holding takeout from Pizza Hut. She tries not to limp; if Blanca catches her doing so, she'll just say she tripped and Vee caught her, but she pulled a muscle in her leg. As for her welts and bruises, they're well hidden under all her clothes. She'd checked for a black eye or a split lip in the mirror at the brothel, but she has neither. She's surprised because Anders had hit her pretty hard, enough for her to crumple to the ground in agony. There may be a red mark on Maritza's cheek, but Blanca doesn't notice it; probably because it's so frigid and the weather is making all of their faces flushed.
"¡Por supuesto que llevarías pizza! I know you, mija!" Blanca teases her. Maritza giggles softly and opens the box as soon as she takes it out. They kneel down and stretch their legs out. "I love it as much as the next person, but you really don't need to do this anymore...we could've gone to a food bank!" She looks over at Vee. "Gracias otra vez for bringing her...home...you know what I mean!"
Of course you'd get pizza!
The black woman shrugs. "Yeah, no biggie." She puts her hand on top of Maritza's head. "Your daughter got some extra money today! That's why she was able to afford this...besides, my Taystee girl works there, so I was able to get her the employee discount!"
Blanca grins at Vee and squeezes Maritza's hand fondly. "How neat!"
"Yay, pizza!" Raiza shouts, clapping her hands.
Vee's eyes flicker over to Raiza disapprovingly. "Children. They get excited over the most mundane things. At the end of the day, pizza's just full of calories. It's fine for when you're homeless, though. Anything in your stomach is good."
"Yes, it is," Blanca says in a tight voice as she gives Raiza a slice of plain cheese pizza. Maritza takes her own, but hers has sausage, bell pepper, pineapple, ham, pepperoni, pesto, tomato, and extra cheese. It smells so good and it's still warm, fresh out of the oven.
"I'll let you enjoy your dinner." Vee leaves them at once.
Maritza rolls her eyes. "Gracias a Dios, I thought she'd never go away."
"Sí, I didn't like that crack she made about Raizita," Blanca mutters. "Pero ella es tu jefa...we gotta be fake nice to her. Does she pay you enough?"
But she is your boss
"Mm-hm."
Blanca pats her cheek fondly with love swimming in her eyes. "Well, that's great!"
That Monday morning, Taystee walks up to the girls with a broad smile on her face. "Yo Flaca, I saw your girl in the city where I work at Pizza Hut! She's got a career as a maid there...nice of her to help her mama with the income!"
Flaca gasps and her heart goes into overdrive. "No fucking way! I mean, I knew about her job, she's told me before in her letters, but...I dunno the company or who her jefa is."
"Vee. Maritza seems to like her a lot-"
"Did she ask about me?"
"Or any of us?" Elena asks.
"Yeah, I told her y'all were missing her badly, but you're good otherwise."
"Oh, shit, if she works under Vee, that's bad news," Poussey mutters.
"What? Why?" Ceci wonders aloud. "Mami's been bitching about her lately..."
"I'd trust your mama over Vee any day of the week, fool," Poussey snaps.
"Yo, that bitch don't mess around, she's like Barb and Carol, so I hope Maritza's never pissed her off in any way, shape, or form," Daya murmurs.
"Me neither," Flaca mumbles. "I can't stand to think of Mari being all alone with her, getting hurt..." She remembers the story of Barb throwing hot Milky Way at a girl's face and how the poor thing had shrieked in pain. If that ever happened to Maritza, or something even worse, she would be devastated and want to fight Vee to the death. "Does she go there a lot, Pizza Hut?"
Taystee shakes her head no. "First time I saw her, yo. I even asked her if she's been at the place while I wasn't working, but she said nope."
"Damn, we gotta head back there this coming weekend," Daisy comments.
Cat adjusts her red beanie so her long bangs can peek out and she pushes her glasses further up on her nose. "Maybe we could split up and go to all different places she could be at."
"Yeah, but in pairs," Flaca states, twirling the blue strand in her hair. "That would be a hell of a lot safer."
"Mm-hm," the girls agree.
"I'm almost sure Vee is running a prostitution ring, so I hope Maritza doesn't get tangled up in that bullshit," Poussey mutters.
"Oh, god, no! She cleans rich people's houses, that's it," Flaca says. "I can't imagine her selling her body for money, it's too horrifying...girls in that situation gotta be really desperate, and she ain't nothin' like that. She got too much pride in herself...I know it's a choice for some, but she's too young, for one thing! One of those old bastards could really mess her up...Midaq Alley taught me that. Pimps are super dangerous, so are clients..."
"Now, don't go makin' up rumors about Vee," Taystee lectures Poussey gently. "You're scaring Flaca! The woman's like my mama. She'd never rope innocent people into dark shit they don't wanna do, let alone allow a sixteen-year-old chick to be a sex worker."
"That woman's got serious issues!" Poussey points out. "I wouldn't be surprised if she was up to somethin' shady, is all I'm sayin'. I ain't naive to her tricks."
Flaca sets her hands on her hips and glares at Taystee. "Why didn't you follow 'em to see where they were goin'?"
"Who said I didn't? I only saw 'em 'til they reached her car in the parking lot and then they drove off. Ain't like they was on foot."
"Don't worry, Flaca." Elena puts a supportive hand on her back and smiles faintly. "La encontraremos. We gotta."
We'll find her.
"We better, 'cause she's the girl of my dreams, yo!"
"Whatcha readin'?" Karla puts her hands on Ramón's shoulders and squeezes them gently while giving his cheek a kiss from behind. He quickly flips over the piece of paper and turns to look at her with love in his eyes, but she can see that he's also upset. He cups her chin and kisses her fully on the mouth. "No, really, ¿qué es?" she insists, reaching for the thing he's hiding, but he moves it farther away from her.
"Baby, no es nada," he tries to assure her, but Karla isn't convinced. "Just somethin' I gotta take care of, ¿ya sabes?" He gets to his feet and holds her while caressing her hair. "Te amo mucho, mi reina..."
"Yo también te amo, pero..." She hooks her finger and thumb through his belt loops and yanks him closer. "¿Por qué estás siendo tan misterioso? You better not be cheating!"
Why are you being so secretive?
"No, I would never do that to you, querida," he insists. "Not in a million years, I swear! It's not something you need to know, that's all."
There's a beat and then Karla ducks out of her husband's arms, her curiosity piquing. She grabs the object of her concern before he can even reach for it.
"Karlita, don't, por favor..." he begs.
She holds up her hand in front of his face. "Basta ya, no más. ¡Voy a leer esto!"
I'm gonna read this!
She scans the letter from Maritza and her heart pounds faster and more frantically with each second.
Ramón,
While I was out getting groceries for Mami, Raiza, y yo, these gross pendejos started harassing me and they seemed to know your wife or at least have seen her around. Long story short, you gotta uninstall the camera from the shower, 'cause they're watching her. Gracias. Karla don't deserve this and I know you gonna protect her.
Best wishes to y'all,
Maritza
She's panting and gasping with tears blurring her vision. Some drop on the note and it falls from her hands. Karla collapses, but he catches her. She starts trembling and clutching onto his shirt with all her might. Her privacy had been violated before and she'd thought it was over, but it's apparently not. She's scared to find out exactly how long she was exposed to these unknown creeps. "Ramón..."
He carries her to the couch and kisses her forehead. "Lo sé, preciosa, lo sé, I'll go remove it right now!"
"No, no, quédate conmigo..."
Stay with me...
"Okay, I will...pero la sacaré justo antes de que te vayas a la ducha."
I'll take it out just before you go into the shower.
She manages to smile up at him. "Oh, gracias..."
He holds her face in his hands tenderly and gazes at her with adoration. "De nada, baby, of course! I'm always with you. I hope these voyeurs get thrown in the big house!"
"I do, too!"
"I'll cut up your green card, you stupid bitch!" Litvack threatens her, wagging his finger in her face. "You'll go back to El Salvador!"
Karla glares at him as he's dragged away by the police. "I'd like to see you try, you motherfucking rapist asshole!"
He turns around one last time and smirks. "I'll completely tear apart your tasty cunt next time, and I'll make sure you're sober enough to feel it. More fun that way."
Fear overtakes her and she stumbles backward into Blanca, Gloria, and Aleida's collective embrace. "Sweetie, it's gonna be okay, he'll be locked up and we'll get a restraining order against him when he gets out," Gloria assures her.
"Yeah, we got you, chica, you ain't never gonna be alone!" Aleida chimes in gently.
"Eres mi mejor amiga, Karlita, nunca dejaré que te vuelva a pasar nada malo," Blanca promises her, curling a lock of Karla's hair around her finger. "That cocksucker gotta get his ass kicked in the slammer! In fact, the second he's released, I'll take a hammer to his cara fea, right between his ojos!"
I will never let anything bad happen to you again. ugly face
Karla is so overwhelmed by their love and support, that she starts crying into their group hug. "Muchas gracias..."
She hums softly as she comes out of her flashback. Ramón is rubbing her back in soothing circles and whispering sweet nothings into her ear. Karla feels like she should tell him everything now. So, she takes a deep, quivering breath. "God damn it, Karla, I wish I knew what these creeps look like so I could bash all their faces in!"
"Same here." Karla sighs. "Ramón, I never told you this before, lo siento, but I...before you came into my life and blessed me with your existence, I-I was gang-raped in high school, shamed for it, and labeled a slut by a lot of jerks." She closes her eyes and shakes her head slowly as she swallows hard. He tenses and she sneaks a peek at him. Anger is evident on his beautiful features, his eyes narrowed into slits, his nose flaring, his mouth in a thin line, a hiss coming through his gritted teeth, but he holds her hands and kisses them tenderly. His irate expression melts into one of pure love and devotion and she knows he's not mad at her; he never is. It's just the disgusting situation she was put into all those years ago. He'd gone two decades with not having a single clue of what could've happened to her. He's very quiet except for his even breathing, which she's thankful for. Karla just wants Ramón to listen to what she's saying. She needs him to hear the whole story.
"It was at this fucked up party that Blanca and I went to. We got drunk, she was with Dean, he didn't let her rescue me o nada...I-I was completely trashed, so I don't remember any of their faces except Litvack's...I'm five feet, he's a whole foot taller and said he wanted to taste me...he slapped my butt..." She gulps, squeezing his wrists now, and forces herself not to break down into tears. "He was sent to prison, but Linda paid his bail and had her parents hire a fancy lawyer to get him off. I went through a traumatizing sexual assault exam...I sat in the shower, curled into a ball, and let the water run over me...I couldn't remember how I was raped...anally, vaginally, orally...but my girls had my back through it all. So, I was lucky to have them...but now you know why I was so standoffish when meeting you at first. Thank you for not forcing me into anything and letting me go at my own pace...and loving me the way I deserve." She sniffles and chokes on a sob.
"Oh, my darling Karlita...siempre te voy a querer, " he murmurs, stroking his knuckles up and down her cheek. His lips brush against hers and she swoons, growing weak in the knees. "Lo siento mucho que te haya pasado. Nunca te obligaría a hacer nada que no quisieras hacer. It breaks mi corazón that you were violated like that!"
I will always love you. I'm really sorry that happened to you. I would never force you to do anything you don't want to do.
She leans further into him, almost sitting in his lap, and he tucks her into his strong, secure embrace, his chin in her hair and his arms wrapped around her pregnant belly. Their cat curls up next to them and meows a few times. They stay like that for a while until little Benji wakes up from his nap.
"Nah, she won't wanna take us again."
"Have you even spoken to her about it?"
Katie lifts her shoulders up and down in response to Elena's question. "We don't need a cool adult this time, 'cause we ain't gonna be drinking." She turns to Taystee. "Did you ever get a glimpse of Cindy?"
Taystee shakes her head no, appearing glum. "Maybe we could ask Joy. I'm afraid she won't wanna face her ma if we actually found her."
"Last time I checked, she ain't too tight with her sister, either," Poussey mutters.
"I'd say Alison since she was always fond of Cindy, but she's having so much fun reconnecting with Michelle...so, how about Debbie Denning?" Flaca suggests.
"The kids' therapist?" Daya asks.
"Also ours and Katie's moms' friend. Why not, it's worth a shot," Ceci says, and Flaca shoots her a thankful smile. "She barely knows Blanca, Maritza, Raiza, and Cindy...so they wouldn't be embarrassed if she saw them homeless."
"Sure!" the others agree happily.
Thank you for reading and reviewing, Juliette45!