Thank you for beta'ing, MsSchneeheide!

I am so happy that Trump the Orange Dump Truck is out of office and we have a WOC Vice President! An inspiration to little girls everywhere. Both Kamala and Joe made great speeches last night (November 7th)! Actually sounded presidential and mature, and their families looked so real instead of the fake Trumps who looked so stiff lmao

malyshka-baby

nietas-granddaughters

While sighing exasperatedly, Maritza stares up at the ceiling in annoyance. "What do you mean you can't find it, Katie? I swear, I left it at your house!"

"All this over a scarf, really? Don't you have others?"

"My lucky blue one is missing!" Maritza protests. "I need it...or real bad things can happen in the winter."

"Okay, drama queen, I searched for it everywhere, and it ain't here. You wanna come over and check? I have worse vision than my sister, except I wear contacts instead of glasses."

"Didn't you ask your mom and dad to help you look? It's bigger than life!"

"They haven't had much time, honestly...my father just got back from being away on business and my mother's so busy during this time of year. I wanted to try helping you out myself," Ashley-Katherine says.

"Oh, well gracias, but I can quickly see if it's at your place. Y'all left for Fahri's yet?"

"Nah...we still got thirty minutes, but hurry!"

"Alright, bye!" Maritza hangs up before her friend can respond.

Fortunately, her mother understands her situation and asks Gloria to take them to the Ford home. "I'm more than happy to drive, finally, I haven't been allowed to in such a long time!" Gloria squeals as she gets behind the wheel of Karla's car. Blanca sits in the passenger seat with the pies and bottled wine while in the backseat, Maritza situates the kids in their car seats and straps herself in.

"Oh, that's awful, it's great that you have your freedom now, though!" Blanca tells her.

Gloria starts the vehicle and steps on the gas pedal." Yep! Hey...Benji doesn't have ansiedad de separación," she points out. "Julio doesn't either, but Benny's got it big time. How about your Raiza?"

separation anxiety

"Not as much as she used to...mi angelita knows Mami will always come back," Blanca answers. "She's taken the cross-country move pretty well."

little angel

"Yeah!" Raiza pipes up. "I'm a big girl!"

"Sí, you are!" Blanca agrees.

"That's fantastic! Alright, Maritza, dame las instrucciones."

give me the instructions

"Okay, turn here," Maritza directs her. "Take a right...then a left...and it's just down the street. It's a white house with a dark red door."

"Gracias." Gloria does as she says and they're at the Fords' driveway in ten minutes. Maritza is glad they're on the way to Fahri's, so it's convenient.

Maritza climbs out and practically runs to their door where a dark-haired white woman, probably in her thirties or late twenties, is ringing the bell. She's wearing a red top with black fishnet sleeves, blue jeans, and stilettos, many bangles are around her wrists, and she has a large violet suitcase next to her, signaling that she's just gotten home from a trip. She's resting her elbow on the handle of her bag and then she rubs her red-rimmed eyes under her glasses, smearing her winged eyeliner.

Maritza knocks a few times. "Long flight?" she asks conversationally. "Totally dig your whole edgy look, makeup, tattoos, clothes, and blue tips in your hair and all, by the way."

"Mm-hm. Thanks," the lady says shortly and sniffles. She rubs her ruby-colored lips together and the door opens. "Hey, Mom..."

"Oh, my baby!" Diane puts her hands on either side of the woman's face and beams at her daughter. "Alex, you must be tired..."

"I am..."

"Diane, hi, lo siento for interrupting, but I just need to grab something! Is Katie in her room? She's expecting me."

"Yes, darling, go on up." Diane turns her attention to Alex. "Where's Piper? I thought she was coming home with you?"

"She's not here, we broke up," Alex says stiffly. Maritza can tell she's on the verge of tears. Diane just holds her and strokes her hair while rocking her from side to side. The crying starts when Maritza is halfway up the stairs.

"Oh Allie, I'm so sorry..."

Maritza rolls her eyes at the mention of Piper. If that's the same idiot who verbally crapped on Red's food and completely ignored her last week, then Alex isn't missing much. There are probably tons of girls who would love her. Alex is way too pretty for Piper. Suddenly, Maritza wonders if this Alex is the same one Nicky had mentioned at the brothel. There aren't a lot of ladies she's heard of that go by Alex. Then that would mean she fooled around with the father of the woman in close proximity to her. Ugh, Maritza thinks with a shudder.

"Your sister's home," Maritza lets Katie know as the slightly younger girl lets her in. They exchange a one-armed hug and then Maritza begins to hunt for her scarf, rummaging around Katie's tornado of a room.

"Really?"

"Yeah, she got here when I did. Dude, your clothes are tossed like, everywhere. No wonder you haven't found-here it is!" she exclaims triumphantly, holding up her favorite winter accessory.

"Wow, you're amazing! Hey, at least I made an effort, though."

"Eh, you could've cleaned up first, missy, that's how we find things," Maritza tells her teasingly while wagging her finger at Katie.

Katie puts her hands on her hips and purses her lips. "Yo, I get lazy! I apologize!"

"Hey, nerd bomber," Alex greets Katie.

"What's up, bitch, holla at me!" The sisters fist-bump and share a sweet hug, with the older one picking the younger one up a little. They look nothing alike, so Alex must be from Diane's first marriage to a white guy.

"You gotta neaten up your fuckin' room before Mom and Dad yell at ya, squirt," Alex tells Katie affectionately.

Katie crosses her eyes and sticks out her tongue. "Aw, shut yo ass up, mind yo beeswax! Maritza told me most of that just now. Ain't you the one who arrived just minutes before we gotta go to Fahri's? So damn last minute, homes."

Alex throws her a dirty look as she almost trips over a pair of brown leather boots. "My flight was late, punk. I'm ready, just had to touch up my face."

"Yeah, we should all skedaddle!" Maritza cuts in as she wraps the scarf around her neck and lets the rest of it hang down in a fashionable manner. She links arms with Katie and they go downstairs, followed by Alex.

"Glo? Where the fuck you been all this time, bitch?" Aleida nearly hollers as they hug and squeeze each other tight on Fahri's curb where all of their cars are parked in a long row. It brings tears to Blanca's eyes since it reminds her of when she and Karla had reunited.

"I lost my way, puta...lo siento for never reaching out," Gloria apologizes as they go up Fahri's steep walkway.

"Well, I'm glad you finished bein' stupid and left that cabrón. Nice to have you back, girl!"

"Es muy lindo estar de vuelta."

It's so nice to be back.

"Check it out, bitches, this my bestie from high school, Gloria!" Aleida announces to her children, a teenage boy standing next to her eldest daughter, and Leon. "Gloria, Blanca, Maritza...the mini Diaz crew, Daya's novio Adarsh, and my man for the occasion, Leon," she introduces them. "Of course you know that dude..."

"Hell yeah!" Gloria exclaims. "¡Hola, chico!" she greets Leon happily and they wrap their arms around each other while beaming. "Pleased to meet y'all," she says a few moments later as she shakes each of the kids' hands. Blanca does the same thing. Leon quickly scoops up Aleida's toddler before she runs off.

"You too," the teenage girl tells her kindly and her companion gives her a polite nod of acknowledgment.

"Hi," the younger Diazes mumble shyly.

"Heyyy," Maritza and Daya murmur in unison while embracing and smiling. They have the littlest of Aleida's cherubs in between them, as Daya is holding her. "This is Lucy, she's six months old...and we got Christina, who's six, Emiliano's five, and Eva is two." Daya gestures to each of her siblings as she mentions them. "I also brought my boyfriend."

"Cool! I've never seen you guys together, though," Maritza comments.

"We eat lunch in a different part of the school sometimes," Adarsh informs her.

"Yeah, we often double date with Claire and Paolo, our couple friends. He has lunch with his own buddies while I'm with you and the other girls," Daya explains.

"Oh, okay!"

"Hello!" Raiza shouts joyfully as she runs to Eva and Farah, linking arms with them. It's so cute. They're friends in school already.

"Hello!" the other tiny humans echo, and then Benji lets go of both of his parents' hands and joins Raiza and her mini clique. Everyone goes up to Fahri's front door and Gloria rings the doorbell, but quickly ducks behind Aleida and Leon, who are holding hands.

"¡Oh, no te escondas!" Blanca playfully scolds Gloria.

Oh, don't hide!

Fahri opens up and lets them all in. He quickly catches sight of Gloria and astonishment clouds his face. "Oh my god!" he exclaims. "Gloria, I-I'm so relieved to see you again, I thought we lost you for good!" The two join hands.

"Nah. You look good, dude," Gloria compliments him.

"So do you, wow."

"Really?"

"Yes, you're beautiful, you always have been," Fahri assures her, and she reaches out for him, as if she's silently asking him to hug her. Taking the unspoken message, he draws her into his arms. "I can't imagine life without you. The past fourteen years have been unbearable."

"You seem to have survived." They separate after a few seconds and the guests follow him into the kitchen where he says that Red is busy cooking because she loves doing it-no surprise there. Her husband Pavel is making green beans. They pass the living room where two of her three now full-grown sons are using their phones on the couch and sitting near them is a small blonde girl with two French plaits on either side of her head. Vasily, Red's middle child, is making out with Lida. Blanca is amazed they're together as an actual couple, based on how much they'd squabbled in their teenage years.

"Mm-hm, but I went down a really bad path and am just now trying my best to get out of it. I guess you could call it self-destruction because I didn't know what to do with you gone. I'm not blaming you, this is all on me."

"I'm still sorry I fucked up," Gloria mutters.

Red is switching between mashing potatoes in a pot and chopping sweet potatoes, but she turns around when she hears them all come in. "Oh my, it must be twenty-three now," she points out as her blue eyes pass over the group. "Hold on a second, Gloria?!" With widened eyes and her jaw hanging open, she speedwalks towards Gloria and the two ladies lean in with their arms holding one another. "This is a total surprise! Nobody told me you were coming, or that you were back..."

"I didn't know I'd show up either, Blanca and Karla invited me! I ran into 'em shopping." Blanca keeps silent about the last part, which is obviously a lie, to prevent the Diazes, Adarsh, Leon, and Red from knowing that Gloria had been found in a homeless shelter. She knows Gloria probably wants to keep that private.

"Well, I'm happy you're here now, malyshka."

"Me, too."

Red then introduces twelve-year-old Tricia Miller to everyone as her new adopted daughter and then they say hi to Lida and the Reznikov brothers, Vasily, Maxism, and Yuri. Red's youngest, Maxsim, has returned from college for the holidays. Apparently, he's staying with her, Pavel, and Tricia until January, and she's more than pleased about this.

"So Sparkle Tits didn't make it this year, huh?" Aleida asks, probably referring to Yuri's girlfriend. "I was looking forward to her crazy-ass outfit of the day."

Red shakes her head no. "She's visiting her family in Sheepshead Bay...even took their kids and the guinea pig with her."

The doorbell chimes and Fahri gets it while Gloria, Aleida, Daya, Maritza, and Blanca help Red cook.

"¡Mamá, Mamá!" Two small boys come running over to Gloria and she quickly bends down and envelops them in her embrace.

"Oh, mis bebés, come here," she murmurs as she kisses the tops of their heads and then their cheeks. "Mami missed you tons." She wipes her knuckles under her eyes.

"We missed you too, a lot."

"Were you telling Santa Claus what we want for Christmas? We wrote him a letter last year, but ol' Saint Nick didn't give me SpiderMan and Julio asked for a Zorro superhero action figure, but he never got it!" Benny frowns. "Whyyyy?"

"Sí, I had to go all the way to the North Pole and remind him again. He's been very forgetful lately, hm?"

"Yeah, maybe he should be on the naughty list!" Julio mumbles and the boys giggle along with Gloria.

Blanca, Red, Karla, and Ramón share a smile at their exchange. It's obvious that they love their mother and she adores them just the same.

"Gloria!" Lourdes, another older woman, and two teenage girls come up to her and her sons. She stands to her feet once her name is called.

"Tía Lourdes, Mamá, Elena, y Ceci, hola, ¡os extrañé mucho!"

I missed you so much!

"Nietas, say hola to your mamá. Ay dios mío, niña." Her mother tsks and shakes her head, but she still embraces Gloria with tears shining in her eyes. "You're all in one piece, eso es todo lo que importa."

that's all that matters.

Lourdes joins them on Gloria's other side. "Gracias al señor estas bien," she murmurs emotionally while repeatedly pecking her niece's temple. "I love you, Florecita...mi sobrina..."

Thank the Lord you're okay. Little flower...my niece...

"Yo también te quiero..."

I love you too...

"Hey, Mom," Elena and Ceci say together in a reluctant tone.

"Hi, girls!" Gloria says cheerfully. She extends her hands out to them, beckoning them forward to join her and their abuela and tía abuela, but to no avail. They practically run to Maritza instead and put their arms around her. She's in the middle.

"What's good in the hood, my chicas?" Maritza asks them.

"Sit with us, ¡por favor!" Elena begs. "You can be between me and Flaca, I know we're your favorites."

"We won't be able to survive this without you, porque you're the one who brought us here," Ceci puts in. "I don't even mind being next to mi hermanita con mi abuela al otro lado."

my little sister with my grandma on my other side

"Of course!" Maritza tells them amiably. "Hey, good español, Ceci!"

"Gracias. I get it from mi abuela."

"I ain't that bad..." Gloria mutters, probably overhearing the girls.

"I know you're not, you just gotta do your best to show it and make up for your past mistakes," Lourdes soothes her.

"I will." Gloria turns to Fahri and taps him on the shoulder. "Yo, this is my family…I don't think you met any of them except Tía Lourdes." She sets her hands on her sons' heads. "These are my little boys, Benny and Julio." She gestures to her mother and her girls simultaneously. "That's Mami and my daughters, Elena and Ceci." At the mentions of their names, Gloria's eldest child makes a sound of displeasure and her younger sister looks over her shoulder and throws Gloria a quizzical glance, but still ignores her.

"It's been a while, hope you're doing well," Fahri tells Lourdes while shaking her hand.

"I am. Are you?"

"Yes."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Milagros says as she and Fahri exchange a handshake.

"Glad to meet you as well."

Julio and Benny gaze up at Fahri bashfully. "It's alright, guys, you can say hi if you want." Gloria assures them. "Fahri is my friend from school."

"Hey little guys!" Fahri greets them warmly.

They wave at him, but no words come out of their mouths. They're probably nervous around men, too. Blanca can fully understand why.

"Abuela, do we gotta say hi to him?" Elena asks once Fahri isn't able to catch what she's saying. "We got no clue of who he is."

"Yeah, we don't even know Mami that good," Ceci grumbles.

"It would be polite, as he's the host of this dinner," their grandmother says. "You don't need to think of him as being associated with your mami, and she's not forcing you, is she?" They shake their heads no. "You should be respectful to her, though. It's not like she's a stranger."

"She begs for scraps on the streets. It's embarrassing and the weather gets bad," Elena hisses. "That's why I told her to find shelter, so no one from school would see her and so she's safe from the inclement temperatures."

"I thought she was picking through the garbage for something to eat, which is so much worse because it's gross!" Ceci whispers loudly.

"Girls, you need to think about it from her perspective," Blanca interrupts them. "She's down on her luck…so how about helping her get a job, Milagros? You're her mami…simply asking her to live with you won't work, you have to prove it to her that you won't give up on her, she told me herself she thought it was just a pity invite. She doesn't want to burden you or put you in danger. I-" Blanca cuts herself off, not wanting to say the next few words. I've been through the same thing.

Milagros sets her mouth in a thin line. "You're telling me how to parent my own child? That girl got herself into this! She was practically an adult, but still didn't realize that fool was an abuser. She didn't see any red flags."

"Many people blinded by love aren't able to see the truth until it's too late," Blanca mutters.

"She's choosing not to live with us. What do you want us to do, tie her to a chair and make her stay?" Elena questions helplessly.

"Have a long talk with her. She's rooming with Karla for a while, so maybe visit when you get the time," Maritza suggests.

Ceci folds her arms across her chest and frowns. "How did Señora Córdova get her off the streets? Why was it easier for her to listen to a friend rather than her own damn family?"

"Language," Milagros scolds her granddaughter.

"I honestly don't mind cursing, it's not the worst a person could do," Blanca murmurs. Her eyes travel back to the girls. "I'm not sure…it took some convincing, we had a long discussion…we were helping Diane feed the homeless in shelters, that's when we saw her, Karla gave her reasons why she wants Gloria and her sons to stay with her for a while…so maybe do that."

"Okay, but we just feel replaced by our brothers," Elena admits quietly.

"I'm sure she didn't have that intention, she seems pretty nice. Why don't you get the story from her?" Maritza recommends in a gentle tone, her fixed stare on them. Blanca somehow feels a change in the air because of their sudden attitude shifts. Their postures get more relaxed, too.

Her friends nod in agreement. "We will," Ceci says halfheartedly.

Blanca and Maritza beam at them. "Good!"

It's so strange how well it worked for Maritza to encourage the girls to get closer to Gloria, like magic.

When Alison and Hassan arrive with their little Farah, Blanca and Gloria enthusiastically reunite with them and are ecstatic to meet their daughter. Raiza gets attached to Farah pretty quickly and Blanca fawns over her, even giving her a squeeze when Farah pokes her nose. She immediately asks if she can babysit the small girl. Alison thanks her and says she'll let Blanca know.

"I'm sure your tiny human would love to play with our Noodle, so we can arrange something," Alison states positively.

"Of course, yeah!" Blanca concurs. "So, you're not celebrating with either of your sets of parents?"

"My mom and dad don't really follow American traditions," Alison responds.

"My dad has six wives, so he's having it with all of them. Too awkward to attend that celebration," Hassan chimes in. "I'm glad they all know about each other and he's not a player. A lot of our friends are into polygamy."

Blanca raises an eyebrow as she processes this strange information. "Wow, okay, I did not know that." She has weird fantasies herself, so she doesn't really judge Hassan's father.

Wild cheering is heard from outside and Blanca rushes to see who it is. She unlocks the door and Alex gives Flaca a piggyback ride into Fahri's mansion. Their mothers, Charles, and Ashley-Katherine aren't far behind. Flaca laughs out loud after her screaming session and Alex puts her down when they approach the kitchen. "Gracias, my ultra-cool friend!"

"You're welcome!" Alex rolls her eyes, but not so Flaca can see her. "Even though you basically just jumped on me and I had no other choice but to carry you..."

Flaca scoffs. "What? We're both skinny and light, who cares? You're like my non-celebrity fashion icon and role model ever since you first babysat me. Also, I gave you some makeovers over the past few years. I'm the one who suggested shorter hair when I was eleven, and you ended up lovin' the job I did. De nada."

"I was being nice! I grew it out and never cut it again for a specific reason!" Alex protests.

"You love me!" Flaca sings over her shoulder as she skips away from Alex and to Maritza. Katie runs after Flaca.

"Don't you have jet lag?" Diane asks her daughter worriedly. She yawns. "I'm exhausted from just thinking about what you've been through."

"I'm sorry," Theresa chimes in. "My daughter is just that way..."

"Nah, I'm fine. I washed my hair last night and took a nice nap before I went to the airport, so I'm clean, groomed, and well-rested," Alex responds. "Sure, Flaca's a little crazy, but we have fun together. We have the same style and everything. She even copied my Morticia look for Halloween, she said. I'm proud of myself that she admires me just like Katie does."

"Well, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," Charles tells her wisely. Diane and Theresa nod their heads yes in agreement.

"¿Dónde están tus hijos?" Blanca wants to know as she guides them into the large kitchen.

Where are your sons?

"Con su padre, celebrando el día," Theresa replies.

With their father, celebrating today.

Blanca then watches Maritza, Flaca, and Katie share a long hug. "Yo, Flaca, where's your Tía Mariana?" Maritza asks. "I thought she was comin'!"

Flaca groans. "My baby cousin got a bad case of worms crawling out of his butt, so she had to take him to the hospital."

Maritza wrinkles her nose. "Ew! Lo siento, I hope he gets better soon!"

"He should!"

Blanca beams when the taller Latina lifts her daughter in the air. Maritza cackles as she swings her legs off the crook of Flaca's arm. She almost sounds like a witch.

"I remember when that was you, Karlita," she tells her best friend with a wink and a nudge. "The shortie of the bunch."

Karla grins. "It still is me," she murmurs. "Except that if anyone but my husband tries to pick me up, I will demand to be put back down!"

Blanca cracks up. "I know."

"Oh, well in that case, if you don't mind..." Ramón hugs his wife around her middle and lifts her up off the floor, making her giggle and squeal while kicking her legs. He quickly sets her down again and steals a kiss. "I can't help it, sweetie, you're just so dainty! My small and pretty girl..."

"Aww..." Karla blushes and smacks his chest with the back of her hand. "Stop, ¡callate! You'll make me breathless from swooning."

"I love giving you compliments, querida. You deserve all the praise en el mundo."

in the world

"¡Lo sé! You always make me feel like melting into a puddle as if I were a giddy schoolgirl."

I know!

"The romance emanating off of you two is amazing, I'm living vicariously through you, Karla! So keep it up, bein' cute," Blanca says. Through the large kitchen window, a blue pickup truck comes into view. Blanca gasps when she notices Diablo inside of it. "Fuckin' finally!" she whispers to herself and opens the window to wave at him. He returns the gesture. She bounces on the balls of her feet, her excitement mounting from merely seeing his face. "Should I go to him or wait for him to come to me? Hold up...I don't wanna look desperate..."

"¡Vete a él!" Ramón insists anyway.

Go to him!

"Espera a que venga aquí," Karla suggests. "You can answer the door and let him in, go."

Wait for him to come here.

"Homeboys!" Ramón waves Diablo and his son over and points to those making dinner. "Here's where the party's at!"

"Well, hey, it's about time!" Karla adds. "Blanca's dyin' over here!"

"Karla!" Blanca hisses, shocked. "She's joking, no estoy tan desesperada," she tells Diablo in a louder voice.

I'm not that desperate

"¡Bueno, estamos aquí ahora!" Diablo grins broadly. "Lo siento that I'm late!" He lets Laronne scamper ahead of him and then he trudges through the snow until he disappears. She runs to where he would ring the doorbell, swings open the door, and watches him walk toward her with Laronne tagging along. After saying a quick hello to Blanca, the boy rushes past them into Fahri's home. "May I hug you?" Diablo asks cautiously as he reaches her.

Well, I'm here now!

"Sí, por favor," Blanca permits him, so he does. "You didn't have to ask," she murmurs while cuddled in his arms for a few moments, completely unaware of anyone around them. Being held close, she's aware of each heartbeat and this brings her more comfort and solace than she has known for a long while. Of course, she's felt this same emotion with her daughters and her female friends, but she's never experienced it with a man this many times within just one and a half weeks.

"I wanted to, porque I care about you and I want to make sure you're comfortable with me abrazándote. ¿Cómo estás?"

giving you hugs. How are you?

"¿Estoy bien, y tú?

I'm fine, and you?

"Bien. I always feel safe with you, Diablo. Me encantan tus abrazos, son tan cálidos," Blanca confesses.

I love your hugs, they're so warm

"Me alegro, porque esa es siempre mi intención."

I'm glad, because that's always my intention.

They stare longingly into each other's eyes and then her gaze flickers to his lips. He starts to lift his hand to her cheek until someone clears their throat nice and excessively loud.

"Cierra la puerta, you're letting all the heat out!" Gloria complains. "Hey, Diablo." They share a short but sweet hug while Blanca shuts the door. "What took you so long to grace us with your presence? I didn't even know you were out of the clink! Felicidades."

Close the door

"Gracias, I was released early for good behavior! I was stuck in traffic, is all!"

"Okay, looks like the whole gang is here, forty of us, whoa!" Blanca points out as the three of them go into the kitchen where the turkey is sitting on the counter, ready to be cut.

"Wow, that's a lot!" Maritza comments.

"Yes...now the only one missing is Nicky. I wish she was here," Red murmurs.

Pavel wraps his arm around his wife and gives her a sympathetic smile. "I know, Galina, lyubov' moya."

my love

Thank you for reading and reviewing, A Star in my Universe, Juliette45, and MsScheehieide (congratulations for being my 80th reviewer!