GIANNA
I don’t know why I’m so nervous; I just am. I keep expecting Gabriel to jump out at me any second. I don’t know what possessed me to think I could do something like this. I heard the others coming and checked on the children one last time before going to answer the door. “Oh, you’re all here, come in, come in.”
“You’ve met Natalia!”
“Yes, come in.” I stepped aside to let Sofia, the twins, and Natalia inside before closing the door.
“Well, did you hear back from them?”
“Yes, but I’m still not sure what they’re planning to do, and we have no idea where he might be.”
“Natalia, you might be of help here.”
I looked at the beautiful young girl I’d almost hated on sight. I should’ve known better than to doubt Gabriel’s word when he said she was his sister, but at the moment, I didn’t think about the man who was his bio-dad, and that whole thing just went right over my head.
But now, since hearing her story in the last couple of days, my sentiment towards her has changed significantly. My childhood trauma pales in comparison to hers, and I can only feel very sorry for the poor girl who’d endured so much at the hands of the ones who were supposed to protect her.
I’d listened to her story, first from Gabriel and then from her and Sofia. Gabriel and Sofia had had their own reasons for sharing her story with me. Gabriel, because he wanted to quell the jealousy that was rising in me each time her name was mentioned, and Sofia because she wanted me to help the twins accept Natalia. Jr. was under the care of Gabriel and Lance, who was drawing the aloof boy out of his shell. When this is all over, maybe they’d get the help they need through therapy.
“So, you’ve told them?” I knew that tonight was the night Sofia was going to tell the twins the truth, but there was also another meaning behind it. In the days since we’d been talking to the women on the island, she’d seemed to find her inner strength. She said it had even helped her to open up more to Natalia, to see her more as a fellow victim than the daughter of her abuser.
The two of them had spent more time together commiserating about their shared pain, and out of that, this hair-brained scheme that has me on edge for the past few days had been born. It was only the three of us that knew anything about it, about what they were planning, but Sofia decided she needed the twins to know as well.
“What’s going on, Ma? Why did you want us to come here?” I felt bad for Sofia; it was obvious she was trying to put on a brave face, but knowing what she’d just come from, I was sure she was feeling anything but. Still, she put aside her fears and spoke. By the time she was done talking, I needed a drink, and I’ve never had so much as a beer.
“Gia, when did you know about this?”
“I, I was told when my cousin came to bring me back.”
“So, it’s true, Gabe was going to take his own life?”
“He never said it outright, but we think so, yeah.”
“And you think he might still be planning to go ahead with it?”
“Yeah, I do. But I don’t think it’s a good idea that he be the one. You know how he is; it’ll change him and not for the better, I don’t think. In any case, I don’t want him to have to live with this for the rest of his life.”
“But what can we do? He’s not going to tell us anything. And why did Pop say he was dead?”
“Maybe because he doesn’t want you two to worry.”
“Has Lance said anything?”
“No, he hasn’t. I’m not even sure he knows, and even if he did, he wouldn’t say.” Anna looked more worried than I’d ever seen her.
“But even if he is, what can we do about it?” And here comes the hard part.
CATALINA
“Okay, grandpa, let’s try it again. See if you get them right this time.” I passed him a gummy.
“Catalina, I remember this one. This one is a keeper. It keeps me energized, makes me want to do stuff, and my mind is clear.”
“Ah! We’ll call that one jet fuel. Don't eat anymore of that one grandpa.”
“Now try this one!” I shushed Nia and Lily, who were giggling in the corner. “Shh!”
“Now, this one makes me want to do everything while keeping me from doing anything. That is to say, my head is full of all the things that I could and should be doing, but I don’t want to. I just feel euphoric, happy with not a care in the world. I’m energized but still not enough.” He waved his hands around like a musical conductor.