"Holy shit, really?" Elena asks, her eyes wide.

"Sí." Blanca nods and sits down between her boyfriend and Maritza, exhaling loudly. "Karla's nursing her right now in the car ahead of us."

"Pobrecita," Diablo murmurs, shaking his head and exchanging a somber look with Blanca while she nestles into his side. He stretches his arm over her shoulder and keeps it there, his fingers toying with the bottom ends of her curls. "At least she's being fed..."

Julio taps his mother and Gloria looks down at him, smiling. "Mamá, can we see the baby?"

"You can when Karla comes back with her in about ten or fifteen minutes...she's starving and won't want to meet anyone right this minute, I don't think."

"What's gonna happen to little Vanessa next, Mami? Is Karla gonna adopt her like you did me?" Maritza looks from Blanca to Ramón. "Hope you'll be cool with it if she does."

"No sé, she's just taking immediate action because the baby's very hungry...the proper procedure is to take her to the police or a fire station." Blanca sits Raiza on her lap and quickly kisses her cheek. Her youngest daughter beams as she hugs Dora close and sings a playful melody to herself.

"If mi Karla wants another child, I won't object to it." Ramón rubs his sleeping son's back.

"That's sweet of you, but what about him?" Gloria smiles slightly as she gestures to Benji with his eyes closed and his thumb in his mouth. She ruffles her own son's hair and Benny looks up at her questioningly and then goes back to leafing through his SpiderMan comic book. "I know this one doesn't love to share me..."

Ceci rolls her eyes. "Es verdad, he's such a drama king!" Elena nods while stifling a giggle beneath her palm. Flaca and Maritza exchange a grin.

"Be nice," Gloria scolds her oldest, but she's still smirking.

"Benji's excited about Abel coming, so I don't think he'll mind another sibling," Ramón murmurs. "We'll play it by ear."

"That'll be so cool if Vanessa's your new daughter," Flaca states, and he nods.

Seated on the other side of Diablo, Laronne glances up from his book about Percy Jackson the Lightning Thief. "Why do people leave their kids behind, Dad?"

He purses his lips and threads his fingers through his son's hair. "No clue, mijo. There can be millions of reasons...like, they can't afford them and don't know what else to do, or they're just plain mean, or they don't know how to take care of their niños..."

They all switch their attention to an emotional Karla when she returns, holding the infant, who's now wrapped securely in her blanket. Blanca smiles warmly at Karla; she's always been such a nurturer. She looks like she's Vanessa's mother already. "I keep telling myself not to get attached," she mumbles as she places herself beside her husband and son. Sniffling, she wipes her eyes and rests her head against Ramón's chest as he embraces her, running his fingers through her hair. "We have un hijo already, got another one on the way...I...I have to turn her in...into the authorities...one of her relatives could be out there, but we got no idea. So, I called nine-one-one and the operator told me to stay where I was, wrap her up, keep her warm, and check her vitals, like her pulse...they're going to send an ambulance to the next station we come to. We can't just keep her...that'd be child abduction..."

"I know, baby, lo siento..."

Maritza nudges Blanca. "Sí, you're lucky no one came for me. Dean would've found a way to make it look like you kidnapped me as a baby."

A shiver creeps up Blanca's spine. "Mm-hm, and since he's a cop, he'd ensure that he wouldn't get in trouble, pero lo haría, y probablemente nunca te volvería a ver, Maritza."

but I would, and I would probably never see you again, Maritza.

The others gaze at her solemnly and Diablo holds her hand, running his thumb over her knuckles comfortingly a few times. Maritza lays down, her legs stretched across Flaca's and her head on Blanca's knees. She clutches Blanca's free hand. "I can't imagine myself with anyone else as my mom except you."

"Oh, mi nena..." Blanca squeezes Maritza's hand softly, peering down at her with adoration. "Te quiero mucho."

"Te quiero mucho también," Maritza tells her, grinning. Flaca reaches over to caress Maritza's hair.

Blanca glances over at Karla. "Carajo, espera, what if someone was holding the mother or father and their baby hostage and they were forced to leave her there, too afraid to scream for help?"

Karla's face tightens in more anguish and her eyes well up with a new set of tears. "That's a very dark possibility, and when I was checking her diaper to see if she needed a change, because I smelled somethin' funky and there was nothing, I searched for the source of the stench and found a packet of powder taped under her little dress, like drugs. Maybe crack cocaine or heroin...like the asshole made whoever she was with, hide it there."

"What a fucked up mundo we live in," Gloria mutters, shaking her head exasperatedly.

"Yeah," the others agree mournfully.

"I can't get my mind off her...Vanessa. She deserves a loving home...Ramón and I could've provided that for her..."

Blanca frowns and rubs Karla's arm soothingly. "There's always time to apply to be foster parents...and Charles will give her to some good people, I'm sure of it! Puede que tenga otros miembros de la familia además de sus padres, pero no lo sabemos."

She might have family out there besides her parents, but we just don't know.

"Ella tiene razón, mi amor," Ramón chimes in and then kisses her temple. Karla beams faintly as she stares off wistfully. They're visiting Blanca and Diablo while Maritza is at Ceci's birthday lunch. Their other children are keeping Benny and Julio company under Lourdes' watchful eye.

She's right, my love.

"Oye, ¿no están Joe y Natalie solicitando ser padres adoptivos?" Diablo asks. "Or, did they already? They're friends with Charles...they used to work together, anyway."

Hey, aren't Joe and Natalie applying to be foster parents?

"¡Oh, sí, es cierto!" Karla exclaims, pointing at him. Her smile gets bigger. "They'd be perfect parents for her, if she really has nobody else who can care for her. They've visited some adoption fairs, but haven't yet found their match. They want a boy two years old or younger, but I'm sure they'd love a girl, too."

Oh yeah, that's right!

Blanca crinkles her brow in confusion. "¿Quién? You mean our boss and the, uh, kinda strict vice principal?" She motions between herself and Karla.

Who?

"Sí," Diablo confirms.

"I didn't know you were in regular communication with them," Blanca comments.

"I'm not, really, but Charles talks a lot about 'em...él y Diane tienen citas dobles con ellos con frecuencia ahora," Diablo lets her know. "I've also seen them at my past concerts and Joe has a band, so we used to bond over that, pero como él es tu jefe, no sé si estarías bien conmigo saliendo tanto con él."

he and Diane have double dated with 'em frequently now. But since he's your boss, I don't know if you'd be okay with me hanging out with him that much.

"It's totally cool!" Blanca shrugs. "Quiero decir, sé que están juntos, por la forma en que coquetean tanto, y los han visto besándose un par de veces, pero todo lo que sé de él es que tiene una tortuga como mascota y soy consciente de que ella tiene un ex marido gay que se postula para senador estatal, but that's only because Aleida tells me all of Fig's gossip...that's what she calls Natalie. Also, we're all aware that the principal dated Gloria before, so..." Blanca trails off with a short laugh. She lifts her shoulders up and down. "I guess I'm just surprised Aleida never mentioned the aspiring foster parents thing."

I mean I know they're together, the way they flirt so much, and they've been spotted kissing a few times, but all I know about him is that he has a pet turtle and I'm aware that she's got a gay ex-husband who's running for state senator

"Maybe it wasn't that juicy to her?" Karla suggests.

"Yeah, and it's not even my business...lo siento, I just wondered how you knew."

"A couple weeks ago, I saw her coming out of Dr. Hakakha's office as I was going in, I suppose we have the same gynecologist. She asked me on Facebook for advice on how to be more maternal. Sometimes, Natalie randomly confides in me. It's like, she thinks she owes me that." Karla looks to one side, appearing to be suddenly uncomfortable.

"Sí, ¿por qué?"

Yeah, why?

Karla waves dismissively. "It was a while ago...four years, maybe five. Can we please talk about this later?"

Blanca nods, pursing her lips. "Sure. I won't bring it up again unless you do, lo siento."

"Gracias."

"I'm so glad it's a long weekend!" Flaca announces at the tea place where part of Ceci's birthday is being held.

"To the power going out and bathrooms being flooded, starting after school Friday and taking 'til Tuesday to fix!" Maritza adds cheerfully. The girls hold up their white and gold cups of now warm liquid in a toast, sip the drinks, and then set them down again. "Most of all, ¡felíz cumpleaños, Ceci!" The others echo her.

Ceci beams at them. "¡Gracias, chicas!"

"¡De nada! This tea is so good, the mini cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches, too!" Elena comments.

"Yeah, and not to mention the tiny ham and cheese ones, and the scones!" Katie exclaims. "I love tea shops."

"I do, too. Everything's so dainty!" Ceci leans toward her, and they share a smile. "It's the only spot my brothers can't go to, 'cause they'd be like bulls in a china shop!"

"Especially Benny," Elena murmurs, and the girls laugh. "Nah, but I still love 'em."

"Me too, they're cute! I can't believe Julio is a soccer star already," Ceci says. "Following in his big bro's footsteps."

"Sí," Elena agrees with a grin.

Maritza looks over at another table at the far end of the room, where Gloria and Fahri are sitting. "Aren't they adorable together?"

The others follow her gaze. "Mm-hm!"

"Y'all acting like a bunch of white girls," Janae teases them, and they roll their eyes. Franziska and Claire don't look offended, though.

Cat grins. "Yo, I didn't even know this was your scene, Ceci! I thought you were all about running and music."

Ceci gives a shrug. "It's a peaceful atmosphere. What can I say? Besides, who doesn't love a good cup of tea?"

"I'm surprised she came here, like I thought she'd just meet us at Milagros' casa," Flaca whispers into Maritza's ear.

"Maybe them both being into track has somethin' to do with it, she gotta be loyal to her fellow athletes?" Maritza wonders just as quietly.

Flaca nods and they both start eating the last of their scones.

"The bistro with the peach tea is the best! Mark and I own it now, we've taken over his mama's business and turned it vegan! Mackenzie, you should really try our specialty, and bring your husband!"

"Oh, Amanda, I would love to, because Mark and I are on a liquid diet!" Poussey chimes in, raising her cup and lifting her pinkie finger. "Thank goodness we always have sex after nine at night, that burns so many calories! I've also been doing some yoga, would you join me?"

"Of course, my friend!" Taystee checks her French manicure and blows on it exaggeratedly. She splays her fingers out toward Poussey and flutters them. "You like my nails?"

"Yay! Yes, such a beautiful color!" Poussey compliments her, and they're soon back to themselves as they crack up hysterically. The rest of the friends join in. "Nah, T, it really is nice!"

"Thanks, girl!"

"Welcome!"

"You girls are so funny!" Franziska points out and she and her girlfriend exchange a liplock.

"How's your hermanito, Claire, is he still doing okay?" Daisy wants to know.

"After remission, hell yeah! My parents, sister, and I threw Yusef a celebratory dinner. He was so sad that he wouldn't even get to live past eleven years old, and one of his dying wishes was to get a smooch from a pretty girl. That's why he went to your party, Daya, I hope you didn't mind, and you either, Ceci."

"No, it was fine!" Daya assures her. "I'm glad your kid brother's cancer free now, though."

"Yeah, totally! I just feel bad that he thought I was into him...I didn't even give him that much of a kiss. He said he wasn't sick at the time of the fiesta, though...but I guess that was wishful thinking," Ceci says. "Good thing it worked!"

"Mm-hm!" the girls concur.

"He asked me to go to the movies with him shortly after that night...I had to turn him down gently, I was like, 'sorry, kid, I'm too old for you, but you'll find a special person someday,' and then we hugged," Ceci goes on.

"Aw, that's sweet," Elena states, and the others smile.

After Gloria and Fahri take them to Milagros' place in separate cars, they're all sitting around the kitchen table. Everyone watches Gloria bring over the rectangle-shaped confetti cake with pink frosting and seventeen burning candles. ¡Felíz Cumpleaños, Ceci! is written on the top in cursive yellow icing. "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to Ceci, happy birthday to you!" her guests chorus. Smiling brightly, she sits back in her chair as her mother places it in front of her. She closes her eyes, waits a moment, takes a deep breath, and then blows the flames out. It takes her a couple tries, and then her audience claps.

"Benny, Julio, Raiza, Benji, Laronne, you guys wanna help us take the candles out?" Gloria asks.

"Yeeeeeaaaaah!" the kids cheer.

Maritza grins at her baby sister and the other little ones. "They just wanna lick the cake crumbs off the wax! I don't blame 'em."

"Me neither," Ceci tells her, and the others concur.

After Fahri cuts the cake into equal squares, Gloria, Milagros, and Lourdes put the pieces on purple paper plates with a party theme. "Birthday girl goes first!" Gloria says as she hands Ceci her slice.

"¡This is so good, Abuela!" Elena praises her grandmother as they all dig in.

"¡Sí, muchas gracias!" Ceci puts in.

Milagros beams. "¡De nada, pero tu mamá también ayudó a hornearlo!"

your mom helped bake it too!

"Gracias, Mami," they tell her, and Gloria smiles pleasantly.

"De nada, mis amores."

It is indeed delicious, and when they finish, Ceci opens her presents on the living room couch. She gets jewelry, makeup, gloves, nail polish, a new leather jacket, and CDs by Shakira, JLo, and Christina Aguilera from the girls, and she thanks every one of them profusely with a hug. Her brothers have given her a drawing of them with her, Elena, Gloria, and Fahri and titled it Familia, and she grins while gathering them close and kissing the tops of their heads, What makes her squeal the loudest, though, is a black, shiny guitar from her mom, Fahri, Lourdes, and Milagros.

"¡Ay dios mío, you chipped in for this!" Ceci exclaims. "Gracias, todos..." She wraps her arms around each of the women and fist-bumps Fahri. Then, she holds up the guitar and strums it. "I can finally delve into my passion and quit pretending to play this thing! I love all my regalos so much...y'all did so good at keeping them as surprises..."

Gloria runs her fingers through Ceci's hair and pecks her cheek. "I'm glad, mija!"

Ceci beams up at her mom, and then the girls assist her in carrying her gifts to her room. "Such a fun birthday so far!" she gushes as she shuts the door behind them. She puts on her leather jacket over her fitted red shirt and replaces her gold hoops for the new silver fake diamond earrings from Katie.

"I know!" Flaca says cheerfully.

"Ellie, did you know about the guitar?" Ceci asks, and her sister shakes her head no. "Yo, the coolest thing about having a birthday during the school year is when you get to tie colorful balloons to your backpack and have everyone tell you felíz cumpleaños or happy birthday!"

"Yes, bitch!" Daya high-fives her.

"You said it, queen!" Taystee agrees. She, Poussey, and Janae do their handshake and then bump hips with Ceci and Daya.

"My mom said it right when she served you yesterday!" Maritza comments, patting Ceci's shoulder. "You got so much attention, in fact!"

"Lo sé, it was really awesome, and then Karla passed our table and nearly shouted the sentiment over the cafeteria noise!" Ceci smiles proudly.

"It ain't fair we don't get that luxury," Maritza states, pouting a little, until Flaca kisses it away. "Aw, babe, at least you and Elena are doing yours together and having a big summer bash!"

"That's right!" Flaca and Elena then exchange happy smiles.

"Yep!"

"You want me to French braid your locks?" Katie asks the hostess.

"Sure!"

"Hey, I'll do yours!" Flaca tells Maritza, who smiles as she squats down. Elena turns on music and she and the other girls start dancing and giggling together to That La La La by Rihanna. The remainder take their spots on the floor.

"Mmm..." Ceci sighs as she sits in Katie's lap so the taller girl can do her hair. Maritza beams as she settles back against Flaca. The way her girlfriend's nimble fingers work her curls around each other and how she's so gentle, fills Maritza with the most joyful butterflies.

The last of Ceci's friends to leave, are Maritza and Flaca. Their moms, plus Karla, come at the same time, and they talk to Gloria for quite a while as the kids continue playing with the older women and Fahri.

"¡Felíz cumpleaños otra vez!" Gloria, Blanca, Karla, and Theresa tell Ceci in unison an hour later.

Happy birthday again!

"I hope you had a great birthday!" Blanca exclaims.

"¡Sí, lo tuve, gracias!"

Yes, I did, thanks!

"That's spectacular!" Karla clasps her hands and smiles. "Did your wish come true?"

"Mm-hm. Part of it, anyway." Ceci feels a blush come to her cheeks as she mumbles that last bit. "Anyway, um...I'll see you in school, Flaritza! Adiós, gracias for coming!" She gives them each a hug, and then the families depart. Once it's just her, Elena, and Gloria by the front door, she turns to them. "What a fantastic celebration!"

Gloria chucks her chin and gives her forehead a peck. "¡Espero que hayas conseguido todo lo que querías y más!"

I hope you got everything you wanted and more!

Ceci bounces on her toes. "Yeah, I told y'all I did! I really appreciate the guitar! Gracias."

"Excellent! You're very welcome, mi nena. Who did your hair? It's pretty."

"Katie!"

The sisters dash into their room again, Ceci pulling Elena behind her. "Oye, ¿qué pasa, what's wrong?"

Hey, what's going on?

"¡Nada! It's just...I think I'm having feelings for Katie," Ceci admits softly as they both sit on her bed. Her heart is pounding at full speed and she can't meet Elena's gaze. "Cuando me senté en su regazo, algo se agitó dentro de mí...like a longing...I wanted to seriously turn around, grab her face, and kiss her...Ellie, her breath was so close to my face...and she's got such strong hands, yet tender, at the same time. Whenever she touches me, it's like magic...a spark I never felt with boys. I'm...I'm into chicks. When I fantasize about my wedding, it's always with some girl I see on the streets. I'm crushing on Katie, though..."

When I sat in her lap, something stirred inside me

Elena waits for her to stop speaking, and for that, she's grateful. "I wish you all the luck in the world with her! You and Katie would be an adorable couple." Her younger sister squeezes her hands and then embraces her tightly. Ceci squeezes her back as a lump forms in her throat. "You know I'm gonna be fully supportive in all this, right? I love you so much, hermana. I'm proud of you...and opening up to me, that must've taken so much courage. You constantly remind me of why I look up to you a lot."

Ceci nods and sniffles as happy tears come to her eyes. She wipes them away when they start trickling down her cheeks and onto Elena's blue shirt. "That's why I felt the most comfortable coming out to you. I love you too, Ellie, muchas gracias."

"De nada."

At Karla's baby shower, there's a jungle theme and the room is decorated with blue balloons, matching crepe paper, and a white banner reading Oh Boy, It's a Boy! The block letters are filled with various animal prints such as giraffe, zebra, and leopard. A backdrop nearby for photos shows a cartoon drawing of monkeys in treetops with a giraffe, a pink flower, and a blue butterfly. Maritza watches from a short distance as the hostess lets Red in with Shani, Tricia, and Allie in tow. The two older women embrace and Shani gazes around the space uncertainly. Maritza is surprised to see not only her there, but Raiza's temporary babysitter while they were homeless, too. She and Allie wave at each other.

"Hi, Red, Tricia!" Karla greets them while giving the blonde girl a side hug. She waves the newcomers further inside so they're standing in the middle of the foyer. They put their presents on a large mahogany table. "Are you Shani? I've seen you working at Red's Russian Market and Gloria's bodega. I also used to babysit you, I'm not sure if you remember, you were just seven." Karla lowers her hand to the ground. "You were this tiny!"

The comely brunette nods with a smile. "Yes, hello, it is a pleasure meeting you again, Karla." They shake hands. "I wanted to go to a safe party for once. I have never been to a baby shower. Congratulations on your pregnancy!" Shani grins even wider. Maritza locks eyes with her and discreetly tilts her head toward the bathroom. The Egyptian nods slightly as she takes a few steps forward while Tricia and Allie scamper over to the huge art project the Diaz children are working on.

"Thanks! You'll have fun," Karla assures her.

Christina giggles when Daya playfully pokes her in the side. She looks up from the giant mural that she and her siblings are marking with their handprints using different colored paint. Raiza squeals upon seeing Allie and nearly knocks her over with a hug. "Thank you for inviting me. Allie and I are staying with Red and Tricia, so we would've had to come anyway. We'd be lonely at her place by ourselves."

"It's no problem!"

Shani chuckles. "I'm blessed to be around people who welcome everyone with open arms. Do you have tater tots?"

"You're in luck, Red told me those are your favorite appetizers, so I made them en la mañana," Karla informs her brightly. Shani's smile gets wider. She licks her lips and smacks them. "I'm sorry again that Nicky couldn't be here! I wanted to apologize in person."

in the morning

"For what? At least she's getting clean," Red murmurs.

"I'm happy she is! I just needed to tell her I never meant to leave her, I quit before her parents could fire me."

"It was her father's fault for putting the moves on you, it was just an unfortunate situation," Shani assures her. "She understands why you had to go."

"Yeah..."

"I agree. Where are your husband and son?" Red asks. "Mine are on their way...they had a boys' fishing trip this morning and are just picking up Lida, Theresa, and Flaca now."

"In the kitchen...Benji's helping him with the food! We're still waiting for more people to arrive, so don't worry, you're not late and neither is the rest of your family."

"Oh, good!" Red scans the room and waves at the other guests, who return the gesture. "I see that!"

It's time now for Maritza to interrupt. "Ay dios mío, Mami..." She sighs dramatically, her gaze flickering to Shani for a quick moment, but then back to Blanca. "Since Karla and Ramón are busy hosting, I figured maybe I should give the new chick a tour around this place. Like, el baño, so she doesn't get lost tryin' to look for it."

"There's my sweet girl!" Blanca pats her cheek and kisses her forehead. "How kind of you to volunteer."

"Yes...I would love that," Shani murmurs as she approaches them. Maritza grabs a tray of tater tots and holds it out to her. She takes a few. "I appreciate this treatment!"

"I'm glad!"

"Mama, who's that lady?" Raiza asks loudly.

Maritza quickly leads Shani to the bathroom before Blanca answers and closes and locks the door behind them. "So, I wanted to explain some shit, first of all, as you heard before, my real name is Maritza, but I had to pretend I was Yessica, 'cause I...I didn't want any of those creeps lookin' me up and shit. I didn't mean to lie, I hope you understand..." She clasps her hands in front of her, shaking a bit. "Por favor, don't be upset..."

"It's okay, I do...I'm not mad, I just...well, when Red took Nicky and I out of the brothel, we were worried that something happened to you." Shani engulfs her tightly and Maritza nearly cries in relief as she wraps her arms around the taller woman's waist. "Mmm! Are you all okay?"

"Sí," she mumbles, nodding against Shani's chest. They separate and she can see that Shani's eyes are red and she's on the verge of tears. "We live with my mom's boyfriend now."

"Is your monster still out there?"

Maritza sniffles and blinks rapidly a few times. "Yeah. Diablo protects us real good, though. He and Mami were talkin' about gettin' a guard dog last night. They gonna call him Mojito!"

Shani giggles. "Like the drink?"

"Mm-hm."

"That's a funny name for a dog, no offense."

Maritza shrugs. "I know, they're kinda weird, but in a fantastic way! Hey, where's Nicky?"

"Rehab...on her way to sobriety, finally! Red is paying for it out of her pocket, so I hope she isn't wasting her money."

"Me neither." Maritza crosses her arms over her chest. "Any idea when she's gonna be back?"

"Hopefully before I'm deported, 'cause then it would be like a Romeo and Juliet type situation," Shani tries to joke.

"That ain't funny, ICE raids are scary as shit."

"I know, I use humor to cope. Sorry...it'll be three months, so I'm missing Valentine's Day with her. I don't get to visit her for two whole weeks!"

"Aw, that sucks!"

"Yeah, she said we could do something for it when she returns to Red, but I also miss her like crazy. We only keep in contact by writing letters to each other and have ten minute phone calls." Shani exhales sharply. "Nicky wouldn't die, just...I would. I can't represent myself in court...Red will help me get a green card since she's gotten one for herself before, but what if I'm detained before I can apply, or while I'm waiting? I can only stay for six months with my tourist visa...I've just got thirty days left."

"You should talk to Karla, she's got a law degree. She could be your attorney...or at least tell you what to say to the judge."

Shani nods, her chin quivering. "I will."

"They gotta grant you asylum...that's your right! You're safer in this country."

"I know."

There's a knock on the door and Maritza jumps sharply. Both of them quickly wipe their eyes free of budding tears. "Sorry!" Maritza calls out. "I was helping Shani with her makeup."

Shani quickly grabs red lipstick out of her black purse with decorative silver chains and reapplies in the mirror. Maritza wets a tissue and dabs away Shani's slightly smudged eyeliner and then her own. They step out and see a small line by the door, consisting of Ceci, Elena, and Gloria.

"Ay nena, we been waitin' forever," Gloria says disapprovingly as Ceci skirts around Maritza and Shani, dashes inside, and shuts the door. "She was about to piss her pants! I told her not to drink all that water at once..."

"Lo siento," Maritza tells her sheepishly. "Shani needed a lotta help."

"¿Con qué?" Elena bounces in place. "Yo, hurry up, hermana, Mami and I gotta go, too! Not as bad as you, obviously, but-"

With what?

"Cállate, I'm concentrating," is Ceci's annoyed response.

Shani gulps, appearing to be anxious. "You can trust them," Maritza soothes her.

"Keeping myself from getting kicked out of the United States," Shani whispers nervously. "If I'm forced to return to Egypt, that's basically a death sentence since I'm a lesbian." She heads over to Karla and they gaze after her sympathetically.

"Shit," Gloria and Elena murmur in unison.

Maritza sees Flaca and rushes up to her, suddenly feeling excited. They wrap their arms around each other and then lock lips, but they make it short and sweet since they're not in private. They hum happily while resting their foreheads together and then pull apart. Flaca still holds Maritza's face, her girl's thumbs stroking her cheeks. They gaze into each other's eyes dreamily. "I've always wondered, mi hermosa princesa, how tall are you?"

"Five feet, two inches!"

Flaca shrieks and fans herself. "So is Salma Hayek! I can really imagine our height difference now!"

"If we took a picture with her, you'd be between your two favorites! 'Cause you're like, five-ten, right?"

"¡Sí! It'd be the most amazing foto." Flaca giggles.

"I know! Yo, babe, I'm totally diggin' your fashionable black hat with the silver beaded strap!"

"¡Aw, gracias, chiquita!"

"¡De nada!"

They look over to see Blanca and Diablo cuddling on the couch and Margarita in RJ's lap beside them while the Diaz children, Benny, Julio, Tricia, and Allie paint with Lourdes, Fahri, Pavel, Red, Lida, Vasily, and Maxsim. Gloria and her daughters soon join them. Yuri and Theresa share a flirtatious glance and laugh a few times, having a conversation Flaca and Maritza aren't able to really decipher. Gloria and Fahri hold hands and she giggles when he steals a kiss. Aleida scowls as she watches the cute couples interact with each other, so Maritza goes up to her with Flaca trailing behind. The girls hold hands.

"Why didn't you bring Leon? Ain't you back with him yet?" Flaca wonders aloud.

"Nah, I haven't found the right time to confess the undying love I have for him. It's also that I can't figure out the words I should say." Still frowning, Aleida stretches her legs out in front of her and leans back on her elbows. She shrugs a hand. "¿Algunas ideas? The deadline is the twelfth."

Any ideas?

Daya looks up from her work. "Ma, Gloria and I already told you, just apologize for acting like you were leading him on and say you choose him and only him."

"I prefer to hear thousands of opinions! I gotta put together a monologue. Also, I need a location."

"Go to his job. Totally surprise him...not while he's working with dangerous machinery, obviously, but maybe when he's telling the other dudes what to do. Scream that you love him and shit," Maritza advises her with a sly smile. "Give all those white people romance movies a run for their money!"

Aleida grins. "Actually, that ain't a bad idea!"

"Maybe you could also propose some makeup sex," Blanca chimes in, smirking. The other ladies giggle.

"TMI," Daya complains, but her friends snicker.

"Me aseguraré de que él es preparado, just lemme know when you're coming!" Diablo adds. "I won't spill the secret, don't worry."

I'll make sure he's prepared

"I really appreciate that!" Aleida exclaims.

"¡No hay problema!" Blanca and Diablo say in unison.

Thank you for reading and reviewing, Juliette45!