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"I don’t know. Before, when my dad was in charge, he wanted me to come help run some of the businesses. Car wash, dry cleaners, a shipping company. Every time I ran away, he would find me and make my life hell until I ran again."
Miranda raises her hand to stop me before I can respond. "I run the shipping company now. It isn’t used for laundering anymore. The feds got too close, so we cleaned it up. It became a hassle to keep up the laundering facade with all the tracking. Gas receipts, odometers, maintenance records... it was just too much. It's for sale now. If we can't use it, we sell it."
I ignore Miranda and move closer to Tilly. "What happened with your dad to get him to leave you alone?" Of course, I'm trying to make a plan, something to get this Tia person off her back like she did with her father.
"When I moved to Costa Rica, he never found me or maybe stopped searching,” Tilly says. Maybe no one else notices, but I can hear the hurt in her voice. Considering that her father is now gone, I can understand the confusion with how he treated her.
I stand up, almost energized by the news. "Costa Rica? That's easy then. We'll go back. You can move in with me and work at the bar, just like before." Both Miranda and Tilly are shaking their heads.
Tilly is the first to speak. "I can't," she says softly, then lifts her chin. There's resolve in her eyes now and it makes my chest inflate. Seeing her like this, it's how she was meant to be. Defiant. Strong. I don't smile, but I want to. "I won't. Sam's having a baby. I need to be around for that. For her. I'm not leaving the country."
Miranda shakes her head. "And it wouldn't work anyway. He always knew where you were. Sent people to check on you countless times. I think... towards the end, he was trying to make it right, in his own way. That’s why he put me in charge of the shipping. He knew its days were numbered and wanted me out too."
Tilly looks unconvinced, her skepticism clear.
Mack, who had been quiet, finally speaks up. "Enri mentioned they threatened to burn her house down. Is that something they would actually do?"
Tilly and Miranda exchange glances, obviously hesitant to divulge more. I can feel my anger rising. If my mom is in danger because of this, they need to tell us.
"What are you hiding?" I ask, looking straight at Tilly.
"Grayson," she starts, her voice trembling. All that confidence that was there while thinking of Sam is now gone. Poof. Like it was never there to begin with. "His wife disagreed with them, and then... she just disappeared."
"He’s convinced our family had something to do with it. They have a kid; he says she'd never leave him," Miranda chimes in, her eyes misting over. "But there’s no proof. She’s just gone."
The more I hear, the angrier I get. Sitting around, lamenting at the sins of their family’s past is getting us nowhere. We need action. "Here's what we're going to do. Ma, you’re staying put. Me and Tilly, we're leaving for San Diego. That should get them off your back."
Miranda’s head is shaking before I even finish. "You don’t understand. If you’re with Tilly and she doesn’t comply, they’ll just come here."
I've had enough. "Then we'll go to the feds."
Miranda leaps to her feet. "No! That's a death sentence. The best thing is for you two to lay low or split up."
"Sorry, Andy, but screw that. I'm not letting some make-believe cartel threaten me."
Miranda’s scoff is sharp. "Make-believe? You think this is some amateur operation? This isn’t a game. Talk to Grayson or any number of former enemies of our family!”
Tilly's face goes white, and my own rage boils over. "Then let's do something, Andy!" I say.
Henrietta stands too, trying to calm the storm. "Tommy, sit down. Andy, is there really no way to use what you know to make a change?"
Miranda shakes her head, her face a mask of resignation, and I take a step towards her, but Tilly beats me to it.
“You realize what you're asking Miranda to do. This isn't just about making a choice; it's about turning against our entire family— aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, everyone involved. They could all end up going to jail!”
Henrietta shakes her head, her voice full of sorrow. "I'm sorry, my dears, but this doesn’t sound like much of a family to me. Family doesn't do any of this."
"But it's all we've ever known," Miranda says, her voice stronger. "Our mom died, and these people, flawed as they are, were there for us. It might not be perfect, but it's all we have."
"This is them being there for you?" I yell out. I’ve held my tongue as long as I can. "They ruined your home, destroyed your clothes, took pictures of—" I pinch my nose, trying to calm down. “You’ve had to run and hide all over the world, Tilly.”
The room falls silent, my words cutting deep. But it's Miranda who looks the most affected, her gaze fixed on the floor, a shade of shame coloring her cheeks. She finally speaks, her voice a whisper. "It was never like that for me, only for Tilly." She locks eyes with her sister, tears welling up. "You've always been the brave one, and I was always the coward. Losing you when you finally ran away, it broke me, Matilda. But I've always admired you, admired your courage."
“Then do something about it, Andy!” It comes out in a roar, but Miranda is shaking her head. “I can’t, Tommy. I really, really, can’t.”
I cross my arms against my chest, my whole body shaking. “Then get the fuck out of my mom’s house.” The words are oddly calm.
“Tommy,” Tilly says. But I’m not going to budge. As far as I’m concerned, Miranda is now a part of the problem.
