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“You came to a place that just hosted a serial killer. What did you expect, Selestino?”
“That name is so cool,” Ruben said, and Sel knew it was more of a way to change the subject than a compliment. He appreciated it more. “Where did you get it?”
As Ruben started for the kitchen, they both followed him, and Ruben started pulling out hamburger and vegetables.
“Well, my dad’s name is Antonio, and my mom is Selena. I became Selestino, kind of like a junior for my mom and my sister is Antonia, for my dad. My youngest brother is Cesar, after my grandfather.”
“Family names. What is it with Italians and Hispanics?” Ruben asked, before pointing to himself, “My great grandfather, Ruben Ortiz. My middle name is Running Bear, after my other grandfather. His Creek name anyway.”
Marius chuckled and added, “Marius, for my favorite uncle, who is Barry’s father. Barry’s name comes from Dex’s dad, and Dex came from his mother’s brother.”
Sel laughed and pulled the vegetables over to him with the knife and cutting board. “I’ll help, if you’ll let me eat here. I need a break from the family stuff, if you don’t mind.”
“Already?”
“It’s not them, per se,” Sel started, searching for the right way to phrase it. “I’m just always with family when I’m not at school.”
Marius laughed and empathized. “I have so many cousins, uncles, distant cousins, and aunties. I felt like that in Ohio.”
Ruben chided them both as he started making hamburger patties. “All I really have is Bonita. My sis and me always had each other, even when we didn’t have anyone else. I guess I’m jealous of you guys.”
“You have a grandfather in New Mexico. I hear you chattering away with him.”
“He’s been in a wheelchair for like thirty years, so he couldn’t ever take custody of us. My parents were in and out of our lives. I love my mom, but she had issues, you know.”
“I know, baby,” Marius said.
The way they gazed at one another left Sel wanting. He’d wanted a guy for as long as he could remember, and had plenty, of course. But not one that ever looked at him like Marius looked at Ruben in that moment.
“You eat meat, right?” Ruben asked Sel.
“With my family? I think I’d be disinherited if I stopped eating meat.”
“Mine too,” Marius agreed.
“Where’s your other guy, and don’t you have, like fifty people staying here with you?”
Ruben growled, “I’m so sick of it. I don’t mind the guys, but some are such slobs.”
Sel could imagine. He’d gone to safe houses with his father after they’d been abandoned, and the stench was amazingly horrible. “Who all do you guys have here?”
“Three in the basement on cots, two each in the two spare bedrooms and two or three that crash either here in the living room or at the bunkhouse. It’s mostly the bikers now. Some are really nice,” Ruben said as Sel cut the last bit of tomato.
“Broil them, Ruben. They’re better that way.”
“I thought you were going to grill,” Ruben said with his lashes fluttering.
“I never said that.”
“But you will, right? Because you are so good at the grill.”
Marius laughed and got up, taking the plate of raw burgers from him. “If you wanted to get rid of me, you could have just said so.”
“I’m trying to get rid of you and not to have to turn on the oven. It’s hot enough in here.”
After the backdoor closed, Sel watched Ruben lean over the counter. “Okay, now that he’s gone, what is it with you and Indio?”
“What do you mean? The guy hates me.”
