She runs straight to me, and I swing her up on my hip, hugging her as she squeezes my neck with all her four-year-old strength.
“Oh!” I grunt playfully. “I missed you, too!”
She sits back on my arm. “I started camp on Monday and we went to the museum, and I saw some arts, and I told Mamma none of them were as good as yours. And Mamma said we needed to come see you to see your art, and I said I wanted to see you because I didn’t want you to go to Ursula after Uncle Beto broke all your stuff—”
“My goodness, Soph!” Lourdes cries. “Take a breath.”
I’m smiling so much my cheeks hurt, listening to all her words with big eyes. “You’ve been a busy little lady!”
“Come here.” Valeria pulls me and her littlest daughter into a hug. “I haven’t seen you in so long. Not since the accident. Where have you been?”
“Working… here…” I’m stalling.
“Lourdes said Juliana took over at the coffee shop for you.”
“You know I’ve been working on that portrait.” My hand rubs circles on Sofia’s little back as she puts her head on my shoulder.
I notice Lourdes’s eyes widen, but it’s too late. Valeria catches my hand, pulling it to her face. “What is this?”
“Ahh… Haha…” I force a fake laugh. There’s no getting out of this one. “It’s ahh—”
“It’s an engagement ring.” My cousin’s eyes narrow, and her lips press together. “You’re engaged, and you didn’t bother to tell your family? See what this boy is doing to you?”
Sofia’s head pops up. “I want to see your ring.”
I move my hand around to show her while keeping my eyes on my cousin. “It just happened a few days ago.”
I’m hesitant to say it was over the weekend. I know exactly where that will lead—to her pointing out I was getting engaged while my brother was in the hospital. Instead, I state the obvious.
“If my family acted a little more civilized, I’d be more excited to tell you these things.”
“You’re really going to marry that boy?”
“Deacon is a man, and yes. I’m really going to marry him.” Sofia slides down my waist and trots to the small living room and turns on the television.
Valeria catches my arm and pulls me towards the door. “Come with me.”
We go outside, and my arms cross automatically. Valeria looks at me and shakes her head. “Don’t be like that.”
“I’ve said all I have to say about this.”
“You’re acting like Lola.”
“I’m not acting like Lola. I didn’t come to your house looking for a reason to criticize you, yet here you are.”
She exhales heavily and rubs her forehead. “You need to go back to Beto’s. He needs you.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“Why?” She extends her hand, then slaps it down against her thigh. “Why are you doing this to your brother? He’s weak. He’s been shot—”
“For his own actions.” I can’t listen to her defend my brother anymore. “Where’s Mateo?”
“Mateo?” Her brow furrows. “Why do you care where he is?”
“He has a gun, and he told me he’s looking for Deacon.”
“A gun?” Valeria shakes her head dismissively. “Boys get heated up during fights. I’m sure he’s cooled off by now.”