Thank you for beta'ing, MsSchneeheide!
Happy New Year!
Warning: mentions of abuse and pedophilia (but not graphic at all!)
"Glo, you're more skittish than Karla's gata today," Aleida points out on Thursday. "You mad at me or somethin'?"
It's true. All of this morning in the kitchen's backroom, Blanca has noticed Gloria avoiding Aleida's gaze and rushing to do another task whenever Aleida comes near her. She's also been very quiet, which is unusual. "Oh, no," Gloria mumbles. "It ain't you. Lo siento, I guess I'm just having an off day. I'm really concentrating on my work so I don't gotta suffer from flashbacks. Acabo de tener uno realmente malo esta mañana."
I just had a really bad one this morning.
Blanca gives her a knowing glance. "Es así para nosotras a veces."
It's like that for us sometimes.
Gloria nods and gestures to her with a faint smile. "¡Exactamente!"
Exactly!
Aleida purses her lips, considering Gloria. "Oh, okay!"
Red comes over to them with Claudette, Gina, and Norma in tow. "Are you sure you don't need a break?" the head cook asks.
"Positive."
"Okay, let's get back to work, ladies!" Claudette directs them, and they do. They're making pancakes. The three older women and Gina go to serve the students the first batch of breakfast while the Latinas cook the second. Then, they're going to work on cereal, milk, and cut-up fruit in bowls.
"I've also been thinkin'...Margarita ain't all that bad." Gloria pours three-inch circles of mixture into the frying pan and they start to bubble.
"You kiddin' me?" Aleida hisses, giving her an incredulous look. "She's so fuckin' disrespectful, humpin' Cesar...¡en mi cama! She was a willing participant and everything!"
in my bed!
"It seems like you and Margarita were both sorta swept off your feet and manipulated by him into doing things you shouldn't necessarily have done, like in your case, the drug packing and putting your kids at risk!" Blanca points out.
"Yeah! Maybe you could try being amigas for real and get along well...see how life is without him in the picture," Gloria recommends, but Aleida glowers at them.
"You know we're right."
"You can go back to ignoring me," Aleida mutters. "I got this." She flips the pancakes over, flattens them so they cook faster, and steam hisses from the pan as the piles of mixture solidify. She quickly lays a stack on the paper plate that Blanca is holding out. Blanca puts a small square of butter on top of it. They repeat this about five times, and then bring them to their co-workers.
She waves at Maritza, Flaca, and some of their friends. The Russian puts each girl's meal on her tray as Gina, Norma, and Claudette hand out strawberries, bananas, peaches, and tiny cups of syrup. It's quick and efficient.
It's not until after her work at the bodega, that Gloria decides it's time to confess to someone what she's done. She invites Blanca to Karla's house and the three women are sitting on the couch, with Gloria between them. They're all sipping mint tea. "Creo que hice algo realmente estúpido."
I think I did something really stupid.
"¿Qué?" Blanca and Karla ask at the same time.
"Don't judge me or nada, pero besé a Leon," Gloria admits softly. Not only is she ashamed of herself, but she also doesn't need her sons to hear it. The women gasp and shock is written all over their faces. "Fahri saw us...he looked kinda sad...like, crestfallen! Leon kissed me back, but we both separated quickly."
"Ay dios mío," Karla murmurs.
Blanca still hasn't stopped gaping. Her widened eyes soon narrow and she closes her mouth. She purses her lips as if she's deliberating what to say. "Shit, Glo," she finally blurts out. "Ain't he like a hermano to you?"
Gloria nods. "Por supuesto. De todos modos, no se sentía bien. Uh...what should I do, like tell Aleida, or nah? She'll be pissed...even though they're not together, the breakup was fresh..."
Of course. It didn't feel right anyway.
Karla shrugs. "I dunno, it doesn't feel right to keep that big a secret from your best friend either. Maybe you could tell her that you thought they were done and that she wouldn't ever give up on Cesar?"
"I know she'd hate it if Leon moved on with me or anyone we were close to, though," Gloria insists.
"If Diablo and I called it quits...that would never happen, but hypothetically speaking...I'd be heartbroken. It would make things so awkward between all three of us. Since Aleida isn't monogamous...it might not hurt as bad," Blanca chimes in. "Especially since your beso only lasted for a split second! You and Leon should both come clean to her. Quién sabe, podría fortalecer su relación."
Who knows, it might make their relationship stronger.
Gloria sighs. "He didn't even have a boner!" They laugh at this. "¡Nos sentíamos más culpables que lujuriosos! I enjoyed the idea of him, but actually putting my thoughts into action...just was wrong!"
We felt more guilty than lusty!
"Tell that to Aleida!" Karla advises her.
"We will."
"Yeah, it would probably make her feel better if you didn't love it," Blanca adds.
"I hope so! One good thing did come out of it, though." Gloria smiles to herself. "Fahri and me finally admitted our feelings for each other! He really thought I moved on from him...of course I didn't!"
The ladies lean in excitedly. "Where did this happen?" Karla asks. "When?"
"Después del trabajo en la escuela. We went to Central Park, sat on the swings, and talked our shit out! Seems like he assumed I wasn't into him since I never said nothin' before, and he didn't want to freak me out and ruin our friendship by coming on too strong. So, he tried to find someone else to get over me...and it just so happened that Vee faked her pregnancy to get him into her life, she picked the perfect moment, when he was feeling lonely. He wasn't even vibin' her that much at all! Once he noticed Leon and me smoochin', he realized that we were always meant to be together. We're planning to go to La Rica's on Valentine's Day for our first official date!"
After work at the school.
Blanca smirks, happy for her close friend. "Wow, that's terrific!"
"Mm-hm, up top, chica!" Karla holds up her hand and Gloria slaps her palm. She does the same thing with Blanca's.
"Now, me and Daya can work on gettin' Aleida back with Leon!" Gloria claps a few times. "It may be easier now, since Cesar's gonna be in the big house for at least a decade."
Blanca cracks up. "He fuckin' deserves it!"
"He's a dumbass, too, the sentence for trespassing is only fifteen days in jail, but he decided to beat up those officers!" Karla rolls her eyes. "I'm just glad that toxic bastard is away from Aleida and her niños."
"Yeah!" Blanca and Gloria agree.
"How'd you sleep last night?" Elena wonders aloud while she and the girls stand in line at Red's Russian Market after school.
"Terrible, like all the ones before it since Saturday," Daya mumbles. "I'm all shaky if I think too much about it, sweaty, too...and sometimes, I hallucinate him standing in front of me and lookin' like a zombie. I often wake up in a cold sweat from nightmares of shooting him."
"That just means you're hella guilty about gettin' rid of that asshole, and you shouldn't be. He was about to do who the fuck knows what to Mari, and he did cut me good." Flaca adjusts her hair so it's like a curtain around her face. "Seriously, you're badass, Diaz. More people oughta call ya that. Or, Cold Ass..."
"Sexy-Ass Diaz," Maritza puts in. "That should be your nickname."
"Yeah, but that doesn't prove she's tough. No one is afraid of a hot chick. The Dominator!" Flaca says brightly.
"Nah, that's perverted!" Maritza counters her girlfriend. "Try somethin' else..."
Daya rolls her eyes. "I don't need to be anything! I saved you idiots, that's all."
"How 'bout Cold Hard Diaz?" Ceci suggests from behind them.
"Yes, girl!" Taystee cheers.
"You bitches are relentless," Daya mutters. She looks slightly panicked. "I'm here tryin' to keep my cool, but you gotta go bring it up like this..."
"They're attempting to compliment you, okay?" Cat tells her sharply.
Daya scoffs and shakes her head. "Look, it's awesome that you girls are proud of me...my mom congratulated me that I took down another pedophile out there, but what y'all ain't realizing is the more it's discussed, the bigger my anxiety gets about the whole thing." She lowers her voice. "I could go to prison for this if the truth ever comes out. It'd ruin my life."
"Uh, for defending a friend?" Daisy raises an eyebrow. "I think not."
"Well, just in case, I ain't gonna tell my dad shit," Katie murmurs.
"Yeah, you probably shouldn't either way," Poussey recommends.
Maritza, Elena, Ceci, and Daya exchange smiles and waves with their respective mothers. Blanca and Gloria turn around and disappear into the backroom as they're running low on piroshkis. As Maritza's gaze passes over the row of ladies slopping makarony po-flotski on trays, she spots one of Vee's former employees. Maritza does a double take just to make sure it's actually her. Realization crosses over her face and she grins slightly and winks. The urge to meet up with her later, ask where Nicky is, and congratulate her for getting this job is strong. Aleida, Norma, and Gina don't notice, much to Maritza's relief. Also, it's not like she knows Gina, and Norma is mute; Aleida is who she'd need to worry about. She has to go before her mother and Gloria return, or at least pretend nothing's wrong.
It's strange to see Shani in non-revealing attire and she wonders what's up with Nicky. They share awkward stares and she freezes in place for a second before Ceci shoves her slightly. "Yo, move along, Maritza!" At her name being spoken in front of them, she immediately glances over her shoulder to gauge Shani's reaction. Her head is down, her eyes focused on the food she's serving. Maritza hopes her older friend didn't have to hear second-hand that she has been lying about who she is all this time.
"You holdin' up the line, nena, what you standin' there for?" Aleida points ahead with her slotted spoon.
"You okay? Mari..." Flaca waves a hand in front of her face and she blinks as she continues shuffling forward, feeling as if she's in a daze. It had been such a close call with Cesar, and now Shani's working here. Luckily, she's not going to announce that Maritza was ever in the sex industry like Cesar would.
"What's up with you, it's like you saw a ghost or somethin'!" Elena adds.
"You know this newbie from somewhere?" Daya wants to know.
"Oh, nada, I'm fine. I guess I thought she looked familiar. I've seen her around the streets before. She gave Mami moolah. Remember, she was also on a missing person posters, well, she's been found, I guess! Yay!" She does a tiny jig in place and chuckles.
The girls seem satisfied with that answer. "Whoo-hoo!" Elena and Ceci clap in unison.
"That's right, I can't believe we didn't even think of that." Taystee lays a hand over her forehead. "Well, good for her."
Poussey beams. "I'm glad she got a happy ending."
"Me, too!" the other girls chorus. Maritza is fully able to relax now.
Meanwhile, Aleida has decided to pay Margarita a visit because she needs to talk to someone who's also dated Cesar. She's also doing this to make Gloria and Blanca shut up about burying the hatchet with Margarita once and for all. She's seriously considering dumping him. Hesitantly, she rings the doorbell. It takes a while for the other woman to come to the door, so Aleida knocks a few times. "Yo, open up!" she mutters.
Margarita does, moments later. "Hola, Miss I Got a Stick Up My Ass Herself. You here to return my wedges?" Her eyes scan Aleida as she chews gum and blows a pink bubble until it pops. "Guess not."
Aleida rolls her eyes and sighs impatiently. "Swing by and get 'em if you feel like it. My mind's totally not on shoes ahora, especially yours."
"Okay, then what you interrupt my nature documentary for?" Pursing her lips, Margarita places one hand on her hip and cocks her head. She looks over her shoulder. "They talkin' about leopards mating, before that was a segment on leopards keeping their prey from lions-"
"Mira, I don't care." Scowling, Aleida holds up a hand to stop her. "I just need some advice."
Margarita raises a skeptic eyebrow. "Really? From moi?" She gestures to herself.
"Sí, I'm shocked, too. Anyway, I was thinking, like...how'd you throw Cesar outta tu vida without missing him sometimes and shit?"
your life
"I just did." Margarita shrugs. "I know he's good in bed, but RJ is too, and he's a way better person in general, ¿sabes? It's cool havin' a friends with benefits thing, but it ain't that fun when you know he's doin' everybody else, so I was done with that shit." She lowers her voice, cups her hands around her mouth, and leans closer to Aleida. "I'm too old to be sharin' mi coño!"
my vagina
Aleida glares. "You callin' me a vieja? I'm twenty-five forever just like you, pendeja."
"Nah, see, this is what I'm sayin'. You're in your thirties, for me, it's twenties! It's okay to never settle, but this loser homeboy we been dating ain't somebody I want around my baby, and from the looks of it, yours aren't too happy with him either. Yo, I'm finding you another man, you need to get the fuck over Cesar like I did! I know you ditched that gringo idiot rent-a-cop who shops at Walmart, but is Leon still on the market?"
"He better be, 'cause I got some Julieting to do. Tell him how much I love him and all that mushy crap. He'll, uh, also want me to have broken things off with that motherfucker, so could you go to the prison with me, we'll do it together like two kickass bitches who get shit done?"
"I didn't verbally push him away...I just straight up ignored him, ain't callin' or textin' him back o nada. He got the idea, hopefully. He tried to worm his way into my heart again when he saw that I was pregnant but I said no, he doesn't even deserve to be a papi, I'm raisin' this baby with RJ. I was friends with Cesar for a while, though...I let him live with me in my mom's house, but then I kicked him out when RJ asked me to move in. He was being an ungrateful prick, anyway...complaining about my mom's typewriter and how she'd read bits of her romance novel starring Rodrigo and María Elena, his one true love! She emphasizes the glistening abs part a little too much, but it was like, dude...at least you ain't homeless!" Margarita wears a frustrated expression.
"Well, now his casa is prison." Aleida and Margarita share a smirk. "It's like, yeah, our ex is good at fucking me, but Leon's the same way and so much more."
"I can see that! It's how I feel about RJ."
"I wanna rub it in Cesar's face that he don't get to jerk us around like muñecas sexuales no more. He can't go near my kids neither." Aleida smirks. "You down?"
sex dolls
Margarita considers her and wears a thoughtful expression. "Sí. You did my cousin Trina's acrylics when you was in high school, she was your first customer...so I'll do you this favor in return."
"Gracias!" Aleida beams.
"¡De nada."
"Karla's aware of this already, but Margarita went with me to dump Cesar's ass!" Aleida announces on the way to the kitchen Thursday morning. "So I guess she's not that horrible after all."
"Told ya," Blanca teases her. "She's my prima segunda...first cousin once removed, if you wanna get technical. How'd it go?"
second cousin
"Excelente." Aleida wears a proud smile. "He said it was like an ambush and that she didn't need to come along, but she told him to shut the fuck up and listen to what I had to say!"
The ladies crack up. "¿Then qué sucedió?" Gloria wants to know.
what happened?
"I said, 'you god damn fuckin' airhead, I've had it! After what you did the other day, that was the last straw! We're more done than a cake that was left in the oven for too long! You ain't gonna be eyeing my teenage daughter's butt no more, yellin' at my babies, or leanin' in front of me so I kiss you. I did that begrudgingly, by the way!' and as promised, le conseguí un gorro de hélice...it was cheap looking as hell! I said if he wants to be like a child, I'll get him babyish regalos!"
I got him a propeller beanie
"Oh, burn! Good, 'cause that ain't right to let Cesar look at your girl inappropriately, scare your niños half to death, or fuck around with other women, since it doesn't make you happy!" Gloria states.
"¡Sí! Did he like his present?" Blanca presses her lips together, stifling a giggle.
Aleida cackles aloud. "No! He ripped it right off his bald head after I put it on him. Stupid-ass cabrón. The only thing he missed about me was the Christmas butt sex I used to give him. That's past tense, bitches! My ass is only gonna be tight for Leon from now on." She winks suggestively.
The three of them link arms and cheer together.
Strolling up to the counter at Barney's, Maritza, Flaca, Elena, Ceci, Katie, and Daya hear Polly chatting with a black-haired girl who has her back turned to them.
"You were a hooker?" the brunette asks, wrinkling her nose. "Ew."
"Shhh! Not so loud. It's sex worker." Maritza halts since she thinks she recognizes the voice.
"Okay, well, regardless, you need to get tested before you start working here," Piper says.
"For your information, I have been! I'm not infected with any diseases if that's what you're unsettled with...the customers did use condoms."
"Yeah, Pipes, just because you're jealous that Brook and I get along so well, doesn't mean you can be judgmental!"
"Look who's talkin', Pol." Piper shoots her a dirty look.
Flaca raises her brows. "Oooh, drama!" She bumps her hip against Maritza, who giggles.
"Enough of this shit," Elena murmurs and taps the counter and the two white women look over at them.
"Oh, sorry!" Piper gives them a fake smile and starts ringing up their items. Daya folds her arms and both Katie and Ceci appear to be impatient.
"Yeah, we were distracted." Polly shrugs.
The newcomer, dressed in a blue Polartect jacket that's zippered to her neck and gray jeans, spins around and waves at Maritza. She falters back a step and her heart nearly stops beating.
Brook...she should've known it was her.
"Oh my god, hey, Yessica! How are ya?" the former Asian sex worker asks.
Maritza continues staring at her like she's from another planet.
"No, this is Maritza! I don't know no Yessica," Flaca jumps in, much to her relief. She gets quizzical looks from everyone, including the ladies at the front.
"Yeah, whatcha talkin' about?" Daya asks.
"Nothin'," Maritza blurts out. "She crossed me on the sidewalk one day and asked me for my name for some petition she was doing on how many homeless teenagers there were in Manhattan alone. She interviewed me a few times, actually, and we sat next to each other on the subway. That was like, her side job, I guess. I told her a fake one in case it was a scam or whatever." Mentally, she's praying that her friends and Flaca believe her and Brook doesn't contradict anything. "¡Ella también estaba en esos carteles de personas desaparecidas!"
She was also on those missing people posters!
"Oh, yeah!" Ceci gestures to Brook. "Awesome for you, getting back on your feet and all."
"Mm-hm!" the others agree.
"Thanks!"
"Anyway, Brook, I'm good, ¿y tú?" Maritza questions her.
"I'm feeling much better. Peace out!" She holds up the peace sign as she leaves.
"Thanks for your resumé!" Polly calls out to her and she turns with a wide grin. "Meet up for coffee later? We'll both talk to you about having a job here."
"Sure! Does this weekend sound good?"
"Fab!" Polly gives her a thumbs up and Piper nods, beaming. Friend whore, the blonde mouths, her expression turning sour as she glances down at the counter. She returns the girls' cards and Maritza's cash. They exit the store and notice Brook boarding a bus.
"I wonder how she got out of her shituation," Elena states as they walk to the subway station. "Shani, too."
"This is supposed to be confidential, so don't repeat this to anyone besides other members of our crew, okay? Only if they ask." Katie clasps her hands, her face grave. "Alex told me that she reported that brothel they were at to Red, which prompted her gang to step in. You can probably assume what happened after."
"Ohhh..." Realization and surprise pass over the rest of them and Maritza pretends to be just as shocked.
"Yeah, so you might run into more ladies who used to be missing around here." Katie lifts her shoulders up and down. "It's just weird that two of 'em now seem to know who you are, Maritza, or they've seen your face at least."
Maritza feigns a grin. "Not really! Ay, you're so naive. I lived en la calle for a while, duh! Ever heard of streetwalking prostitutes? Mujeres de la noche. They exist, ya know."
on the street
Flaca rests her elbow on Maritza's shoulder. "She's absolutely right."
"Sí, don't be stupid!" Ceci grumbles.
Katie rolls her eyes. "Sor-ry!"
Maritza doesn't think she's taken a proper, unshaky breath until now.
Later, as she, Diablo, and Maritza are sifting through baby boy onsies with a merry Raiza sitting in the shopping cart and swinging her legs back and forth, Blanca sniffles and stares sadly at the tiny outfits. Noticing her distress, Diablo puts his arm around her and holds her close. "What's wrong, baby?"
Blanca shakes her head slowly and blinks her budding tears back. "Nada, lo siento, it's just...I haven't gotten this exact kinda stuff since my son was growing inside me. Eso fue hace dieciséis años y medio, no esperaba que me doliera tanto."
That was sixteen and a half years ago, I didn't expect it to hurt so much.
He gives her a sympathetic look and kisses her temple as he rubs her back soothingly. Maritza leans her head on Blanca's shoulder and they link arms. "Entiendo," Diablo murmurs. "Podemos comprar algo más que no te recuerde a Darío, como pañales."
We can buy something else that doesn't remind you of Darío, like diapers.
"Okay," Blanca mumbles, wiping her eyes.
"Yeah, Mami, I'm real sorry that this is so hard for you."
The three of them are quiet together for a few moments.
"This the kid?" a rough male voice asks, breaking the silence.
"Yes, sir!"
"She's as pretty as my niece, that's for sure!"
They turn around to face Stratman, a shady, corrupt cop named Herrmann, and a blond creepy-looking middle-aged guy, whose beady blue eyes are fixed on Raiza. He's also hovering almost too close to her for comfort. Blanca starts getting a bit queasy and both Maritza and Diablo give them uneasy glances. Raiza is innocently eating mint oreo ice cream in a cone.
"Hey there, little girl, what's your name? I think I've seen you around before. I'd recognize those pigtails and that cheery smile anywhere. I'm Pete Nichols! I like the way you lick that-" He doesn't even get to stroke her hair before Blanca pushes the cart away from him while shuddering and Diablo saunters over, getting in his ugly face. With a death glare, he knocks the mini frilly dresses out of Pete's hands. "What, I was making conversation! Your daughter's gorgeous. I wanted to get to know her more."
"Why was he asking me my name? I'm not 'apposed to talk to strangers," Raiza mumbles, suddenly looking shy. Her eyes are round as saucers and somewhat fearful.
"I know, nena, he's a bad man," Blanca lets her know. "Mister Diablo will take care of him, termina tu helado antes de que se derrita, ¿de acuerdo?"
just finish your ice cream before it melts, okay?
She nods and then both Blanca and Maritza stand in front of her so she's out of view. They keep their eyes on her, but also watch Diablo defending Raiza like the hero he is.
"You ain't gonna lay one gross finger on her or give her what you think are compliments!" Diablo hisses, balling his hands into fists and raising them. "You ever go near that child again-"
"If you punch him, you will regret it," Herrmann threatens him with a sneer as he gets between Diablo and the pedophile. "I'm an officer, I could beat you up and take you right to jail. I got this black woman behind bars for life. My son Natoli fucked up and killed the captain of the guards, but we blamed it on her," he brags.
"Your horrible friend there was lusting after my baby!" Blanca growls.
"Mm-hm, we're not okay with that!" Maritza chimes in angrily.
Diablo pushes Pete backwards a few inches, making him stumble, but he catches himself. "You see this?" He shows Pete the three sixes on his right hand while gritting his teeth. His eyes darken and his face grows red as he traps the asshole against one of the clothing racks and it's the most frightening that Blanca has ever seen him, but it turns her on immensely, the way he's protecting her baby. "Stay the hell away from her, you monster!"
"Or what?" Pete asks cockily. "Look, I'm not afraid of some spic in a gang, Herrmann busts those idiots all the time. I bet you don't even have a gun on you."
Scowling, Diablo, Blanca, and Maritza all stare him down until he rolls his eyes, grabs his things from the carpeted floor, and stalks off. Blanca sighs disappointedly, she wishes he could've just kicked all three of their asses, but then again, she doesn't want him in the slammer for assault.
"How you doin', Maritza?" Stratman drawls, licking his lips. Maritza flips him off and dumps the clothes in the cart.
"Better, now that you ain't my boyfriend no more," she quips.
"Oooh, she got you, bro!"
"Shut up, Herrmann!"
Diablo grabs Stratman by his shirt and shakes him. "You disgusting freak!" Stratman shrugs him off while grimacing and he points at Herrmann. "The both of you!"
Herrmann shoots Diablo a snide smirk while spreading out his arms. "Maritza dated Biff here because she wanted to. He left her alone when she broke up with him. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Pete hardly touched the brat-"
"Yeah, 'cause I stopped him in his tracks! As for Maritza, she's only sixteen-"
"I'll write you a restraining order if you try to confront any of us again," Herrmann interrupts him rudely, jabbing a finger into his chest. Flashing a menacing grin, he and Stratman abruptly leave, and Diablo winces.
"God damn it! I swear to Satan I'll get 'em one day!" Diablo punches his palm and turns to Blanca and her girls, his expression softening. They appear to be incredibly pleasantly surprised. He strides over to them and holds Blanca's hands. Though her chin is quivering and she's about to cry with relief that they have him to protect them, she smiles. With a touched look, she wraps her arms around Diablo and kisses him. He cradles her face, and they pull back, holding each other's gaze. "I won't ever let harm come to any of you, lo juro."
I swear.
Blanca nods. "Lo sé, querido, muchas gracias."
He grins down at her, caressing her cheek. "No es nada, amor."
Her heart bursting, she leans up on her tiptoes and pecks his chin.
"Mm-hm, thanks!" Maritza says and gives him a quick side hug.
"You're welcome!" He pats her shoulder with a kind nod and then looks over at Raiza, who's clapping with glee.
"Yaaaay, Mister Diablo, you made the mean men go away!" Raiza cheers.
"Nuestra superhéroe personal," Blanca murmurs. She's beaming so much her cheeks hurt.
Our personal superhero.
"We've always wanted one of those," Maritza lets him know, admiration shining in her eyes.
"I wish my daddy was nice like you," Raiza mumbles wistfully.
"Aw, me too, squirt, I'm so sorry he wasn't," he tells her sadly. "Do you want a hug?"
She nods and reaches her sticky hands up now that she's finished with her treat. He lifts her out of the cart and squeezes her softly as she winds her arms around his neck. She rests her head on his shoulder and her legs dangle off his sides. Blanca swallows the lump in her throat. Following them and strolling along beside Maritza, she wheels the cart to the aisle where the diapers are. After their shopping trip, they go home.
"I couldn't find the right time to tell you, Maritza...but, um...el lunes por la mañana, descubrí que Roja mató a Vee en defensa propia," her mother reports quietly as she sits on the edge of Maritza's bed. Diablo is reading to Raiza and Laronne.
on Monday morning, I found out that Red killed Vee in self defense.
Maritza resists laughing out loud. Instead, she pretends to look surprised. "Wow, really?!"
Blanca nods. "She was, uh...well, también era madame de burdel y traficante de drogas...did she ever try to introduce either occupation to you?"
She was also a brothel madam and a drug dealer...
"No..." Maritza stammers as her heart skips a beat. Then, it starts pounding and she pinches herself. "I...I guess she didn't want to get in trouble! I live with you, and I could've easily blabbed."
"You didn't, though..."
"No, 'cause I needed that job, Mami...I couldn't have anyone call the police on her...anyway, I'm glad I'm out of it now...I'm making plenty of money babysitting and giving people makeovers at school!" Maritza grins.
Blanca smiles back at her. "That's good, nena, I'm happy that she didn't bring any of that dirty shit around you, but...if she was nice to you at all, then I'm sorry for your loss."
"She was okay." Maritza shrugs. "Like, she didn't hit me, but whenever I'd try to make a connection, she'd be cold toward me. Most bosses I've had were like that, so I was used to it. I won't miss her, really."
"Está bien." Blanca toys with some of Maritza's curls.
With a light feeling in her heart, Maritza watches Diablo making funny faces at his son and her baby sister as he recites their bedtime story with lots of feeling behind it. Fully engrossed, they all laugh together and Blanca looks over in their direction, too. "How'd we get so lucky to have him?" She doesn't mention the fact that she's a bit jealous of Raiza because she's now too old to do kid things with a father figure who isn't tainted.
"Lo sé, he's amazing," Blanca gushes.
"Before tú y Diablo reunited, I used to daydream about this noble Latino man being in our lives, but I didn't know who he was. I'm glad I do now. I only would hear his voice, but his face was blurred out. Raiza called him Daddy, but you and I referred to him as Papá."
"Oh, princesa, that sounds like you saw our future without knowing it!"
"Sí, but at the time, I brushed it off as nada...I thought it was just maladaptive daydreaming."
"¡Menos mal que no lo fue!"
Good thing it wasn't!
"Mm-hm! What he did for us earlier today, Mami...that was beautiful! Por favor prométeme que siempre estarás con él."
Please promise me you'll always be with him.
"No te preocupes, mi niña, I love him too much to let him go." Beaming at her, Blanca hugs and kisses Maritza good night. "¡Mmm, te quiero!"
Don't worry, my girl
Maritza pecks her cheek. "¡Te quiero también!"
Then, she moves on to Raiza.
"Buenas noches, Mari," Diablo tells her in passing and they fist bump as they exchange a smile.
"You too!"
Later that night, Blanca climbs under the covers and settles in next to Diablo, who's finishing up a text. He puts down his phone and curls up behind her, wrapping an arm across her hip and leaning his chin against her shoulder. She sinks into his embrace and rolls over to face him. Their eyes meet and they start making out until their door opens. "Mamá, Señor Diablo, can I sleep with you? I had a bad dream!"
"Espera..." They sit up in bed together and see Raiza rubbing her eyes and looking absolutely exhausted and upset. Blanca wants to let her, but she glances at Diablo for approval. Dean would never be okay with this. "¿Puede ella?" Blanca whispers. "She doesn't do this very often..."
Can she?
"Por supuesto que puede," Diablo reassures her, tucking some hair behind her ear. "We'll comfort her together."
Of course she can.
"Sure, bebécita, ven aquí." Blanca waves her over and she climbs in, crawls over Blanca, and settles between her and Diablo. Her locks a rumpled mess, Raiza shoves her thumb in her mouth and sucks for a few seconds before pulling it back out.
"Nena, ¿quieres hablar de eso?" he asks as Blanca rubs her little back soothingly.
do you wanna talk about it?
Raiza opens her mouth to speak, then pauses. She shakes her head and her face crumples as she begins sniveling and sobbing. Blanca can't understand what she's trying to tell them, if anything at all. It's incredibly devastating to hear her baby in such distress. "Alright, nena, use your words, you don't gotta cry..." She holds Raiza and waits for her to talk coherently. "It's okay if you can't, though..."
"My daddy touched me in my private parts...he kissed me here." Raiza's breath catches as she pats her own lips and Blanca's heart cracks for her little girl. "It was at school...he did it while he was counting my class in a silly voice. Miss Karla wasn't there, I don't know why! Then, he took me to an empty room and locked the door. I was kicking, screaming and crying, but everyone thought I was throwing a fit...he said not to say anything, or I'll get a boo boo!" Tears roll down her cherubic cheeks.
"Oh my god! Mi niña, lo siento..." An ache in her chest, Blanca shares a worried frown with Diablo. "That wasn't real, okay? It wouldn't happen...you're safe at escuela...your Tía Karla would make sure of it! She doesn't let strangers into the classroom and she always keeps a close eye on you kids."
Raiza peers over her shoulder and stares at Diablo with quivering lips. "Would you ever do anything icky like that?"
"No, nunca, I swear!" He holds his hand up and his facial expression is solemn and sincere.
"When are you going to?"
"I won't, I promise," he tells her, his tone grave. "I'll protect you from all kinds of monsters, okay?"
"Okay," she echoes him softly. "Like today?"
"Sí," he murmurs, nodding.
Raiza flips herself so she faces him fully. She bats his beard and manages a smile. He chucks her chin and she lets out a short giggle. Blanca gets closer to them and she and Diablo cuddle on either side of Raiza so she's almost squished in the middle. She plants a kiss on Raiza's cheek and then Diablo's lips before singing Raiza the Spanish version of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. It's so good they're going to therapy tomorrow.
"Estrellita, ¿dónde estás?
Me pregunto qué serás.
En el cielo y en el mar...
Un diamante de verdad.
Estrellita, ¿dónde estás?
Me pregunto qué serás," Blanca croons and Raiza sways to her voice.
Little star, where are you?
I wonder what you are.
In the sky and in the sea
A real diamond.
Little star, where are you?
I wonder what you are.
Catching on, Diablo continues the song. "Cuando el sol se ha ido ya...
Cuando nada brilla más...
Tú nos muestras tu brillar...
Brillas, brillas, sin parar...
Estrellita, ¿dónde estás?
Me pregunto qué serás."
When the sun has already gone,
When nothing else shines,
You show us your shine.
You shine, you shine constantly.
Little star, where are you?
I wonder what you are.
"Yaaaay!" Raiza claps for them, much more cheerful. "¡Me encanta esa canción! ¡Muchas gracias!"
I love that song!
"Aw, de nada, bebé," Blanca murmurs as she combs the little girl's hair with her fingers. Uncertain, she switches her attention over to Diablo. "Lo siento, no soy tan buen cantante como tú."
I'm sorry, I'm not as good a singer as you are.
He takes her free hand and presses his lips to her knuckles, his eyes fixed on hers with so much love and devotion that she swoons. It's like he's gazing deep into her soul. "You did a beautiful job, mi amor," he assures her.
"You're a sweetheart," Blanca tells him, grinning so hard her cheeks hurt.
Then, they all fall asleep together. With her eyes closed, she keeps beaming, extremely lucky that he's always been a good person for her to have in her life.
Thank you for reviewing, Juliette45!