Thank you for beta'ing, MsSchneeheide!
Happy Thanksgiving to those of you who celebrate! Also it's the second anniversary of this story :)
When Blanca returns to her job at Martin Van Buren High, she's greeted with hugs and hellos. She's happy to see the new cafeteria lady in the kitchen's backroom-Aleida. She turns to Gloria. "¿Qué le pasó a Louise?"
What happened to Louise?
"She got offered a better position...she's now the director of our little kids' elementary school. No te preocupes...Natalie seems brisk, but she's got a kind soul. She'll make a great vice-principal!"
"Mm, okay!"
"What's up with this flush of new people, Red?" Gina wants to know. "I saw this tall black lady in the office when I checked in...she's also about to get hired to work in the kitchen." Norma appears to be perplexed, too.
The red-haired Russian shrugs.
"Oh, Jesus, please don't say who I think it is..." Gloria winces. "Does she got fancy fuckin' designer clothes and a body and good lookin' hair like a model even though she's fifty years old?"
Aleida scoffs and folds her arms across her chest. "It's a wig. That skinny ho wears one, I'm tellin' ya!"
Gina shakes her head. "This woman wasn't anywhere near thin."
Gloria breathes a sigh of relief. "Good."
"Is there somethin' you ain't sayin'?" Blanca wonders aloud.
"I've given up on Fahri...Vee's got her hooks into him and he's of course gonna stay with her 'cause he got her preggo." Gloria can barely meet anyone's gaze. "She called him to let her know this like, a couple weeks ago."
"Hey! Bull fuckin' shit. I bet he was never even aware she was still in the drug cartel or the madam of a brothel. The only thing inside of that sleaze was a shriveled, dried-up heart and a black hole where her soul should've been. She croaked. I killed that psycho in self defense yesterday morning just before noon, okay?" Red explains in a hushed voice as Gina and Norma flip bacon. She smirks as she sprinkles cheese and frozen chopped bell peppers on the bubbling egg mixture in the large frying pan.
A jolt of surprise goes through Blanca. "Maritza's boss is dead? That snake had a few shady side businesses? I knew she was fishy..."
Red gestures to her. "Yes. She's been lying to everyone, including the man she claimed to love! She, Alex, and Fahri all worked under Kubra until he got killed, but I suppose Vee started something of her own."
"Sí, a cleaning company...I guess to look like a regular human being in society. My daughter worked under her..." Blanca grabs a spatula and pushes it under the cooked egg omelette. She turns it over a few times until it's golden brown. Her heart pounds erratically and she tries to catch her breath.
"As a maid?" Aleida wonders aloud, sounding incredibly confused.
"Mm-hm. I would've never let her be around Vee if I had a clue of the other things she's been involved with..." Blanca needs to sit down; this is overwhelming. Switching off the stove, she perches herself on the counter and hopes that if Vee introduced Maritza to anything skeevy, her girl turned it down right away. She plans to talk to Maritza about Vee and her demise later after school. "Ay dios mío...Fahri seemed to like you a lot at Thanksgiving, okay, Glo? Who cares about this mujer muerta..."
dead woman
"Even so, he's probably mourning her death...he never really saw the bad in her," Gloria mutters. "He'll find someone better than me anyways...I've got scars everywhere and I look exhausted a lot." She sags against the wall, wearing a defeated look. "I'm a bad mother to let my kids around that abuse even for a second. I let it get so far that my little boy was hurt! No wonder he ain't even tried to make any moves yet. He probably wants someone normal...like Vee, not traumatized and shit."
"Wake up, woman!" Aleida shouts. "Bitch, please, I'd fuck you if I didn't have Leon and we was lesbian for each other, I mean, look at that ass!" She slaps Gloria's bottom and all of the ladies giggle.
"Carajo, she's right! Don't ever blame yourself for the horror that pendejo made you suffer through!" Blanca scolds her fellow domestic violence survivor. "You are beautiful, ¿lo entiendes? Fahri will get over that puta...but he was a complete mess when you were gone. Querida, the way he looks at you, it's like he's in love. I can tell, 'cause Diablo has the same expression in his ojos when he so much as glances in my direction."
do you understand?
A growl rises out of Gloria. "Okay, then why's he stayin' with this cunt?"
"He's too good of a man, I guess. I'm positive he would've broken it off with her eventually, once he realized she was, one, never pregnant and two, only using him for his money. Plus, he was never into her to begin with!" Red answers and the rest of the ladies nod their heads in agreement. "It seemed like he only wanted to be her supportive friend because she led him to believe that she's carrying the child she had with some deadbeat loser."
"She's the one who was after your man. He was just trying to be nice...and you and him ain't together, simply because you've never told him straight out how much you wanna be his novia!" Aleida chimes in.
"Oh, so it's my problem?" Gloria asks roughly. "He's the one who let that homewrecker walk all over him! You know what? I ain't gonna talk about this no more. We gotta work." She furiously rips a few knives off the rack and slams them down. "I'mma cut some fuckin' onions so Mr. Caputo doesn't think I'm cryin' on the job for a reason that is totally unrelated to what we're supposed to be doing right now!" Her loud tone is almost tearful.
Norma steps away from her, appearing to be slightly nervous. The speechless lady and Red exchange a worried glance and start washing potatoes they're going to boil. They cut out the bad parts. Blanca gets out the peeler and potato masher.
"Hey, you better start cooking pancakes! Kids are starting to line up and ask for them," Gina says crossly.
Aleida rolls her eyes. "Who made you la jefa, Grumpy?" She begins putting the ingredients together anyway.
the boss
Red gives the clean potatoes to Blanca, who dumps them all onto a cutting board. Gina fills a pot with water and gently places it on top of one of the burners. She switches it on. Blanca hums to herself while working on the food.
The lady who Gina had been talking about earlier, makes her appearance. "Hello, my name is Claudette Pelage...I'm ready to work," she announces briskly in a Creole accent.
"Hey," everyone greets her in unison.
"It's very nice to see you again! Why don't you slice and dice the fruit?"
"I'll do more than that, Red...you know I've been working in school cafeterias for twelve years now! I'm quite skilled in the kitchen."
"I remember, you've said!" Red wears an impressed smile. "It's splendid! Do you have a specialty?"
Claudette nods. "Coconut cake. I'll make it today for the dessert."
"Sure, that would be so nice of you! Thanks!"
"You're welcome." The dark-skinned woman appears to be pleased. "I want you all to be aware that I don't like messes. Please clean up spills right away as they happen, or it'll leave a stain or a lot of stickiness."
"I completely agree," Red murmurs. "Do you want to be my top assistant?"
"I would be delighted!"
"Thank you!"
Gloria folds her arms across her chest. "Hmph. I thought that would be my position someday," she complains. "I do cooking for quinceñearas all the time. It was on my résumé."
Aleida nudges her playfully. "Maybe when you're older, Glo, but don't worry, you can order us younger people around."
Blanca nods in concurrence. "You are like our mom friend, after all!"
"Damn right, gracias, chicas." Gloria strikes a pose and continues chopping the onions and wiping her eyes with her sleeve.
Pressing her hand to Karla's huge belly, Blanca smiles when the fetus kicks. "I feel him! He's really in there!"
"Yep..." Karla groans as she stretches and yawns. "I'm so tired and my lower back aches...I can't wait for him to come out."
"One more month, mi amor," Ramón murmurs as he massages his wife's sore spots.
"Oh, sí, that's it, right there," she mumbles, leaning back against him and putting her feet up and across Blanca's lap. She exhales loudly. "We're going to Lamaze class again!" she informs Blanca.
"Dean never thought it was necessary, así que no me dejó ir. He couldn't be bothered to go with me, but he didn't trust me out there alone."
so he never let me go
They look at her sadly and both Diablo and Karla squeeze her hands in support.
"Oh, mi querida, I hate him for making you suffer," Diablo tells her sympathetically. He's on the other side of Blanca. The four of them are having an impromptu double date since Gloria has taken her kids to Aleida's place and Maritza and Laronne went with her. Benji and Raiza prefer to stay with their parents.
"I do, too," Blanca mutters.
"Yeah!" Karla and Ramón agree in unison.
"Mommy has a baby in her tummy!" Benji announces, brightening the mood. He looks up from his collection of Pokémon plushies as Raiza scribbles in an outline black and white drawing of Esmeralda beside him. She doesn't stay within the lines, but that's not a big deal. She's just having fun.
"He always tells people that in school!" Raiza chimes in. "Guess what else?"
"Hm?" The adults look up at them.
"Miss Maureen said she missed me so much while I was absent and gave me a big hug!" she exclaims, referring to her favorite assistant of Karla's. The blonde woman with the Cabbage Patch face seems to adore all the children and Blanca isn't surprised she's taken a liking to Raiza over these past five months. The little girl is easy to love. "I think I'm her best student. I got a gold star for good behavior today."
"Excellent, mija!" Blanca grins at her and Raiza smiles back proudly.
Benji pouts. "Don't brag!"
"Well, she treats me special! She's really nice like your mommy."
"She spoils all you kids, like I do sometimes!" Karla clarifies.
"Exactly," the men and Blanca agree.
"Hi, Nala!" Benji greets his kitten as she pads into the room. Raiza waves at her and giggles as Nala brushes by her. "Mama, is it 'kay if we call her that?"
Karla beams. "You finally named her, sweetheart?"
"Yeah!" he says proudly. "I couldn't think of one 'til I saw Lion King." He skips over to them happily and Nala trails along behind him. "I'm gonna be a big brother!"
"That's right, cariño!" Karla cups his chin and taps his nose, making him smile wider than he had been before. She ruffles his hair and gently scratches Nala between her twitching ears.
"Can we get raspados tomorrow?" he wonders aloud.
"¡Sí!" his parents chorus, and he shouts with glee while pumping his fists in the air. He goes back to what he's doing and Nala makes her smooth, rapid departure. The cat hops onto one of their top kitchen cabinets and rests there, her tail waving back and forth. The adults chuckle together.
"¿Le vas a conseguir una camiseta que diga Gran Hermano?" Diablo asks.
You gonna get him a shirt that says Big Brother?"
Karla nods, grinning. "I'll take lots of pictures of them together, too!"
Raiza gets up and runs over to them, her short curly pigtails bouncing and waving about with each step. She plops down in between Blanca and Diablo. "I gots a question," she starts in a shy voice.
"¿Qué, niña?" Blanca asks, patting her cheek gently.
What, little girl?
"Benji said his mommy and daddy love each other and he got borned by their magic. Did I get here different, 'cause Papá was mean to us and he hurt you really bad!" She frowns, appearing to be confused and upset.
She really doesn't want to explain to her four-year-old the concept of rape. Her heart breaks just thinking about it. "No, absolutely not! I loved you from the second I was aware you were coming. Eso también es mágico," she assures Raiza. Pressing her lips to the little girl's temple, she plays with her hair.
That's magical, too.
"Your mami's right, princesa," Diablo adds. "You got into her tummy because she adores you so much!" Blanca nods in confirmation.
"Oh, okay!" Raiza's face breaks out into a grin, showing her dimples. She jumps back down and returns to her coloring book.
"That went well," Karla states.
"Mm-hm. Lo siento for changing the subject, but where are you two going for Valentine's Day?" Blanca asks.
"¡Estamos viendo una película de terror en el cine! Then, a dinner date at the local taqueria. We usually get piña coladas there, but I'm having a virgin one this year, obviously." Karla answers. She turns to her husband. "¿Quieres ver The Messengers? I thought we can both pick out a movie at the theater. I don't want you to have to watch some chick flick."
We are watching a horror movie in theaters! Do you want to see
"It's pretty terrifying," Ramón warns her.
Karla folds her arms across her chest and pouts. "Are you calling me a wimp?"
"Not at all!" he says.
She chuckles. "I'm not mad at you! I know it's scary, but I guess…" Karla trails off, looking embarrassed.
"You need a strong guy like me to protect you?" Ramón guesses teasingly.
Everyone dissolves into laughter and Karla punches his arm playfully. "I'll be fine, mi amor!"
"Lo sé..."
"No offense, pero no creo que sea necesario ver una película de terror en el día de San Valentín," Blanca points out. "There's romantic comedies, like Daddy's Little Girls, Norbit, Because I Said So, and Music and Lyrics."
but I don't think a scary movie is necessary to watch on Valentine's Day.
"I know, but..." Karla glances over at her husband again. "Would you be interested in those? I don't wanna bore you..."
"Daddy's Little Girls sounds good to me! I was gonna suggest that, but I wanted to let you choose."
"You're sweet!" Karla smirks. "Probably just 'cause Gabrielle Union's in it. Whatever, though, I've always had a thing for Idris Elba."
"Really? ¡Apuesto a que su polla sería demasiado grande para ti!" Blanca jokes softly. Karla nudges her and rolls her eyes.
I bet his cock would be too big for you!
"I'm never gonna meet him anyway."
"I'm more a Taraji P. Henson kinda guy," Ramón lets his wife know.
Karla hits his shoulder, her eyes wide and mouth agape. "Actually, I can see why! She's beautiful."
"Not as much as you, my darling." Ramón caresses her hair and they kiss as she lifts her legs off Blanca and cuddles into him. They gaze into each other's eyes with so much passion. "You actually look like a Latina Carla Gugino!"
"That's why it's kinda fitting my mother named me Karla, but it's a different spelling 'cause she's cool like that!"
"We'll give you privacy," Diablo tells them as he and Blanca stand up and walk over to the kids while Karla and Ramón make out in the background. Blanca assumes they've needed some alone time for a while now.
"Welcome back to school, Flaca! You must be feeling better."
"Yep! Yo, it's Taco Tuesday, of course I am!" Smiling slightly, she gives Blanca a thumbs up. "Hey, who's ojos are you drawin'?" Flaca wonders aloud as she joins her friends at a nearby table.
Daya sits there, bent over and sketching six pairs of eyes on a sheet of lined paper. They display various emotions, such as angry, scared, sad, surprised, happy, and confused. She gazes at her own artwork as Flaca and the others stroll up to her and take their seats. Tapping a pencil on her paper, Daya looks over her shoulder.
"No one's, really." Daya shrugs and closes her notebook, her lips pursed. "Good seein' you again, Flaca!" She straightens and arranges her long, curly hair to frame her face and end at her chest.
"Likewise! Where's your breakfast?"
She jerks her head at Adarsh, who's walking over with two bowls of cereal adorned with slices of bananas, strawberries and peaches. He gives her a nod and beam in return. "I had a strong urge to draw, since I haven't in a while, and he offered to buy me some food with the money I gave him."
"That's so sweet!" Maritza gushes.
Daya sets her chin atop her fist while propping her elbow up on the table. She grins. "One of the many reasons why I love him."
Adarsh places a tender kiss to her cheek as he sets down the food. Her smile gets wider and she turns her head to peck his lips.
"Thanks!" she tells him.
"You're welcome!"
Taystee leans on the table, frowning. "Hey, y'all! Flaca, what happened to your face, yo?"
Turning, Flaca knits her brow. She taps the spot across from her and Taystee plops down there. Poussey and Franziska join her. Flaca climbs up to sit on the table, her feet on the seat below her. Everyone around gazes at her in interest. "Okay, so I got slashed with a pocketknife 'cause I was savin' my best chica Mari over here!" she announces proudly, staring lovingly into her girlfriend's eyes. "Some thug was about to hurt her really bad, but I got in the way...there's gonna be some scarring, but you ain't gonna see it until I can get this gauze off in about a week!"
"Whoa, holy shit!" Ouija exclaims.
"Yeah, that's so cool!" Pidge chimes in.
"Damn, it must hurt, though," Poussey murmurs, her eyes wide.
"Nah, not too bad anymore," Flaca informs her. "I just gotta keep up with my painkillers and not forget to take 'em."
"I bet it was worth it, yo, protecting your lady," Taystee says.
"Mm-hm, ¡era!" Flaca confirms.
it was!
"Where was this?" Franziska asks.
"I dunno exactly," Maritza responds.
"Yeah, it was near some cross street," Elena chimes in.
"As he was attacking Flaca, we came up behind him and Daya got him in the nick of time!" Ceci goes on.
"Nice job!" Maria praises Daya. "You too, Flaca, even though you got injured, you distracted that lunatic from doing whatever he was gonna do to Maritza!"
"Yeah!" Adarsh agrees, exchanging a smile with Daya.
"Thanks, guys!" Daya and Flaca beam pleasantly.
"¡Flaca y Daya son mis heroínas!" Maritza murmurs, taking both their hands and squeezing. Flaca keeps smiling at her warmly and Daya's grin just gets bigger and more pleasant.
Flaca and Daya are my heroines!
"It was crazy as hell that night on our end, too...we found a sex worker and at first, we thought she was dead, but nope! So, we put her in an ambulance and away to the hospital she went!" Katie says.
"Damn!" the rest of the girls and Adarsh chorus.
"Yep! Even weirder than that time we snuck into the Indigo Club and partied," Cat mumbles, keeping her voice low.
"Mm-hm..." Daisy nudges Maritza and points at Flaca. "She thought she saw you."
"Ella hizo," Maritza lets her know. She grins brightly and Daisy gapes.
She did.
"We gotta get our asses to New York City more often. Everything seems to happen there, we miss all the good shit!" Adeola Chinede mutters as she rests her elbow on Tali Grapes' shoulder. They approach the group with broad smiles.
"Yeah. I'm feeling left out, too!" Zirconia grumbles.
"Lo siento, but this was just a thing Flaca and her close friends did in order to find my mom, me, and mi hermanita when we were homeless...but we're good now, so...it wasn't like they were just chillin', they had some work to do!" Maritza winks at Flaca, who giggles.
"You could've kept pleasuring me...would've gotten your whole family enough to stay off the streets!" Ian licks his lips at a nearby table, his disgusting gaze fixed on Maritza as he comes toward her.
Maritza pales. "I ain't no puta, you fuckin' scumbag!" she hollers at him, flipping him off.
"Maybe you both can screw me, Two Girls, One Cup style, right?"
Flaca jumps down, suddenly feeling so angry and grossed out. She grabs her bottle of Sunny D, unscrews the cap, and dumps the orange liquid on his head, making him groan miserably. "I just washed my hair!" he complains as he becomes sopping wet. It feels good to make him upset and she smirks at him whining about how she's messed up his outfit so badly.
"That drink wasn't healthy anyway, I got real OJ!" She tosses her empty container at him. Spinning on her heel, she returns to her place beside Maritza. They all cackle hysterically and boo loudly at him, giving him a thumbs-down.
As soon as Blanca starts working at Red's Russian Market that same day under the name of Soleia Kahlo, just in case, she notices one of the two sex workers who had tried to ask for her services while she'd been homeless. Her name tag reads Shani, but Red still introduces her to the others, putting her hands on the tall brunette's shoulders. She looks a bit different in her conservative uniform and she's not wearing as much makeup. Her big locks are stuffed into a hairnet and she has plastic gloves on. She waves hello to everyone in greeting, and Blanca returns the gesture along with her fellow employees.
"Wipe that shocked expression off your face," Red mutters. "Coming in off the streets doing that..."
"Lo siento, I didn't know I was making one." Blanca averts her eyes to the egg she's cracking into a bowl. "I just didn't expect to run into her aquí...I barely knew her when we were niñas."
"No one thought we'd see you either, but we all gave you a warm welcome instead of bein' judgemental," Gloria points out.
"I didn't hit on any of you for cash, even when I was desperate for it," Blanca hisses, running a whisk through the mixture. "You gotta admit, it's a bit jarring at first...but I'm real pleased for her at the same time."
Gloria and Red nod in understanding.
At the Gonzales apartment, Flaca opens the door to her bedroom and guides Maritza in. The shade is drawn and it's dark. Different colored lava lamps shine all around and candles are placed on the floor in a large circle. "Cuidado, princesa." They sit down in the middle of it carefully and Maritza sets her purse in between her legs, squinting in the dim area.
"Who are we cursing? You some kinda bruja?" Maritza wonders out loud. It'd be cool if they have this in common.
"Nah girl, that's Gloria! I'm holding a seance, which is similar to Santería because of las velas, but Glo does Catholic plus shit. I'm totally Wiccan. Durante una sesión, te comunicas con los muertos. I also like the aesthetic."
the candles. During a seance, you communicate with the dead.
"I've always wanted to speak to mi hermano I never got to meet...but he's just a baby. I dunno if he grew up in the spirit world."
"You can try! Just concentrate really hard and call for him. You may feel his ghost in the air or something."
Maritza nods in understanding. "Can I ask for mi abuela too?"
"Sure!"
She takes a deep breath and blows it out. "Dario? I hope you're okay in heaven...are they treating you nice up there, bro?" Flaca squeezes her hand in support and she scoots closer to her new girlfriend. "How's angel life goin'?"
There's suddenly a mild chill in the air and the couple shivers together, despite the heat from the candles surrounding them. "Abuela, please take care of him, okay? I wish I knew you guys. Mami loved you both so much. Sé que no soy de la familia biológicamente hablando, pero me siento tan cerca de ustedes dos, gracias a las historias que he escuchado de mi mamá." She feels a lump in her throat and blinks budding tears away. "I'm sorry you're not here to enjoy la vida en la tierra." Maritza rests her head on Flaca's shoulder. "Y'all saw what went down the other night, I bet!" The shade flutters against the windowsill. "Flaca's my heroine. Not the drug, but the chick version of hero. Like my own personal Wonder Woman. She really saved me." She looks over at the taller Latina. "Wanna say somethin' to 'em, querida?"
I know I'm not family biologically speaking, but I feel so close to you both, thanks to the stories I've heard from my mom. life on Earth.
"Muchas gracias por cuidar de mi Maritza, su mamá y su hermanita mientras han pasado por momentos tan difíciles," Flaca murmurs. Maritza sniffles and wipes her hand under her nose.
Thank you for watching over my Maritza and her mom and little sister while they've been through such difficult times.
The unspoken response is a whoosh outside and a light aura surrounding them. "Well...¡adiós!" Maritza says.
They lock eyes and then they start making out.
Later, at Diablo's apartment, Blanca curls up against him on his couch, her head on his shoulder. They're cozy in their pajamas and waiting for Diablo's leftover frozen enchilada casserole to reheat in the oven and Maritza, Raiza, and Laronne are in their room, most likely getting ready for bed.
"¿Cómo fue trabajar en la bodega y Red's Russian Market?" Diablo asks.
How was working at the bodega?
"Bien, querido," Blanca murmurs. "I've been thinking more about our date on the fourteenth, though..." She smiles dreamily up at him. "Trying on vestidos...but I can't tell you what I'm gonna wear yet! ¡Tiene que ser especial!"
It needs to be special!
"I'm looking forward to it, but anything you wear is going to be special, my darling." His lips ghost along hers softly at first, and then their smooch grows more intense. She moans into his mouth and then their lips separate. He still has his arms wrapped around her and she swings her legs over his lap. She practically sits on him as she snuggles into him.
"Gracias." Suddenly, though, a lump grows in her throat and tears build up behind her eyes, thinking about a particular piece of jewelry that would've gone perfect with her neon pink floral patterned dress with the sweetheart neckline and long lace sleeves. Her breath catches and she chews on her bottom lip.
"What's wrong?" He can read her so well. It makes hiding things from him difficult, but at the same time, she finds it easy to confide in him. He's always there for her and he's made it clear more than once now that he doesn't think of her as a bother at all.
"I wish I could tell you nada, but that'd be a lie..." She gasps shakily and blows out a huge gust of air. "Ummm...¿Dean rompió mi collar favorito?" She poses it as a question and for a second, she's not sure if she should continue, because Diablo has already gotten her a beautiful necklace.
Dean broke my favorite necklace?
He nods, his expression pained as he combs his fingers through her curls. "What a bastard!"
"Like, he broke the clasp, stepped on the pendant, and threw it away, because I'd bought it for myself...at the mall..." Blanca trails off and breaks down weeping as he holds her. "I-I saved up for it for about a few months...it was-wasn't that expensive to a-a middle class p-person...but to s-someone like me, i-it was a fortune!"
"¿Cómo se veía, mi amor?" he asks gently, running a soothing hand up and down her back. "Hm?"
What did it look like, my love?
She shakes her head and her voice is soft and gloomy against his shirt as her damp face moistens the material. "N-no importa..."
It doesn't matter.
"Baby, solo dime, por favor...was it gold, or silver? ¿De qué color era el colgante?"
just tell me, please...what color was the pendant?
"¿Qué?" Blanca lets out a whimper. "¿Por qué me estás preguntando esto, cariño? I'm getting emotional over una pieza de joyeria, lo siento..."
What? Why are you asking me this, dear? a piece of jewelry, sorry...
"You don't need to apologize, mi hermosa paloma. El regalo que te compraste era muy valioso para ti y Dean lo destruyó como el monstruo que es."
The gift you bought was very precious to you and Dean destroyed it like the monster he is.
Blanca shrugs helplessly. "It doesn't matter, since it's gone...lo compré hace mucho tiempo. I'll never get it back! Why do you wanna know so bad?"
I bought it a long time ago.
He lifts her chin and rubs his thumb against her cheek. "Sólo me pregunto."
I just wonder.
She rolls her eyes and waves him off. "Let's not think about the past."
"Okay, I'll drop it," he says agreeably.
"Oh, come on, Mami, just tell him!" Maritza urges her. Standing across from them in a cropped magenta hoodie and high-waisted gray sweatpants with white stars on them, she glances over at Diablo. "It was a silver box chain with a hot pink pendant."
Blanca chuckles and gestures to her. "Happy now?" She moves her hair to one shoulder. "He yanked it off me in his usual rough manner. The shit scraped my skin, leaving a red mark for a few days, I felt a burning sensation...there's no scars, except emotional ones."
Diablo lightly traces invisible patterns on the side of her neck and bends his head down to touch his lips against it a few times. She doesn't flinch; she knows he's gentle, and she wouldn't even mind a hickey from him. He's sucked that particular spot before- with her permission, of course. "Mi princesa, lo siento..."
"Gracias..."
When Diablo is coming out of the bathroom after a shower and shave, he finds Maritza standing in the hall with her arms crossed and her brow cocked. "¿Por qué preguntabas cómo era su collar?" she asks in a hushed tone.
Why were you asking what her necklace looked like?
"Voy a intentar encontrar exactamente el mismo en línea, y será una sorpresa para ella para que pueda usarlo en el Día de San Valentín a juego con su vestido," he whispers so that Blanca can't hear him. He'd had the idea ever since she told him about the necklace that she valued so much.
I'm gonna try to find the exact same one online, and it'll be a surprise for her so she can wear it on Valentine's Day to match her dress.
Maritza beams. "Oh, that's so sweet...she'll be pleasantly shocked! Good luck on actually finding it, though."
"¡Muchas gracias! Can you keep this a secret, por favor?"
"Sí, por supuesto," Maritza promises him. She gives him a salute and heads off.
Diablo goes to his and Blanca's bedroom and finds her reading Black and Blue. He takes his spot beside her and she puts her book down. "No he leído en tanto tiempo..."
I haven't read in so long...
"Oh, don't let me stop you! Está bien."
She lifts her shoulders up and down. "I just needed to finish that chapter, and I did." Smiling, she places her hand on the side of his face and leans up to kiss his lips. "Smooth, I like it...that sandpaper on your cheeks was starting to give me a beard burn!"
"Oh, no!"
She laughs gently. "It's okay, don't worry about it." They slide under the covers together and cuddle before going to sleep.
Thank you for reading and reviewing Juliette45!