“Brady, my man.” A thick Spanish accent greets us, and a man walks in from outside. He’s about Brady’s age, with clean-cut brown hair and dark eyes. Dressed in khaki shorts and a blue T-shirt, he looks casual. His smile is friendly.
He and Brady slap hands and exchange a bro hug. “What’s up, mi amigo? I haven’t seen you in a while.”
“Yeah, I’ve been busy. I’m home for the summer, though, so I’ll be around,” Brady explains.
“That’s good to hear,” the man replies. His eyes meet mine, and I smile. “Who is this lovely señorita?”
Brady introduces me to the man. His name is Rodrigo and he runs the Center. I shake his hand and say, “This must be very rewarding work.”
“It is. I love these kids.” He spots the bags at our feet. “What did you bring us today, Brady?”
“I brought three bags of clothes,” Brady answers, and my smile grows. I’m not sure I know Brady at all. Really? Bringing clothing to orphans? Who is this guy?
“Thanks, man.” Rodrigo slaps Brady on the shoulder. “We can always use them.”
Brady shakes his head as if no thanks are needed. “I’m happy to help. You know that.”
A little girl bursts into the room. She must be about three. She grabs hold of my leg, hugs it, and smiles up at me. Her hair is in pigtails, and she is even more adorable than Paco. She’s giggling like crazy through her crooked teeth, and I think I’m in love.
Rodrigo says something to her in Spanish that I think is him telling her to kindly let go of my leg and introduce herself.
She releases my leg, an
d beams up at me. She starts speaking fast in Spanish and I try hard to follow along. I make out that she’s telling me her name is Camilia and it’s very nice to meet me.
In my best attempt to remember conversational Spanish, I respond. “Hola cariño, mi nombre es Tori. Es un placer conocerte también.” I’m fairly confident I said, “Hello, sweetheart, my name is Tori. It's nice to meet you, too.”
She giggles and runs off.
“Your Spanish is pretty good, señorita, but don’t let her fool you – she speaks English.” Rodrigo looks at Brady and nudges him in the shoulder. “You should keep Tori around, Brady. I’m thinking she’s the reason you look so happy.” He winks at me and then looks at Brady. “I have a few things to do. Feel free to show Tori around the place.” Turning to me, he kisses me on the cheek and says, “It was very nice meeting you. I’m sure I’ll see you around.” He ticks his head toward Brady. “Keep him in line, will you?”
I smile and nod. Little does Rodrigo know keeping Brady in line is a nearly impossible task.
Rodrigo leaves, and Brady is beaming. It’s apparent how much he loves this place.
“Camilia is so cute,” I rave.
“She is.” Brady smiles. “She’s Paco’s little sister.”
Now that he says it, I can see the resemblance. “What happened to their parents?”
Brady looks directly at me. His fingers curl around my ear, tucking away some loose strands of hair. His smile is feeble, warning me that what happened to their parents is something awful. “Their father was involved with the drug cartels. He was accused of stealing from them. He and the kids’ mother were gunned down in the street in front of their home. Paco and Camilia saw the whole thing.”
My heart swells. They’re only children. “God, Brady. That’s horrible.”
“Yes, it is. Thankfully, though, they have Rodrigo.”
When my eyes water, I let the tears fall. They’re too young and sweet to have witnessed such a horrifying scene. I can only imagine the terrifying nightmares they must have. “How long will they be here?”
Brady holds my hand, and I let him. It calms me. “Sadly, most of them will be here until they’re adults.”
“Don’t they have any other family?” I ask.
“A few do, but most of them don’t, and because of their age, no one wants to adopt them. People tend to want babies.”
I shake my head slowly. “That’s crazy, Brady. How can no one want someone as cute as Camilia?”
“That one’s tougher. She refuses to leave Paco. The families that want to adopt her don’t want both of them.” Brady smiles ruefully. His fingers trail down my cheek, and he cups my chin. “They have Rodrigo. He’s amazing with them. They are wanted and loved, despite what they’ve been through. While it’s not ideal, they have a home here.”