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“I figured you’d need brand new brushes for the East Coast adventure,” Tracey told Noa.
“They’re really good ones,” Noa said with a laugh as she sat back down.
The last gift left was mine. I hadn’t wrapped it.
She thumbed the box, flipping the lid nervously. When she saw what was inside, she gasped.
Tracey moved toward me, smiling.
Noa finally looked up at me. “What is this, Dexter Andrews?”
“A ring,” I answered carefully, and everyone gasped around us. “Wait, it isn’t that ring. Not yet.”
Noa placed her hand over her heart and I took the box, removing the diamond infinity ring and slipping it on the ring finger of her right hand.
“I guess this is me letting you know that one day it’s going to happen for us.” I hated that everyone was staring, holding onto our words. But I knew Noa needed security from me. This was the only thing I could think of that she’d really want from me on her day.
She flew from her seat, wrapping her arms around me. “Thank you, Dexter.”
“For what, the ring? Do you like it?”
She chuckled. “For what the ring means.” She was still hugging me when I felt her stiffen.
I pulled back and looked at her. “What’s wrong?”
But her eyes were still focused just past me.
I turned and saw someone in the grass below us. It was dark, but the light from the porch made it obvious that it was a woman. “Who is that, Noa?”
“Our mother,” Tim said before running down the steps to her.
She emerged from the lingering shadows, and her face didn’t hold any of the friendliness or love I’d come to see on Tracey’s.
Noa followed Tim slowly, not as eager to face the woman who’d abandoned them.
And because Noa went, I followed.
“You came,” Tim said, sounding breathless.
“You invited her? You’ve been speaking to her?” Noa was instantly furious. “And you never told me?!”
Tim tried to speak but their mother interrupted. “I drove all this way and that’s how you greet me?” Her voice held a thick Spanish accent and her eyes were hard. Hair grew in gray, and a face that was once beautiful looked down at Noa without a whisper of a smile.
“You never should have come,” Noa said, adding a few words in Spanish.
“I don’t know why I did.” Her mother turned but Tim grabbed her, begging them to talk.
Noa stood shaking. “I willnevertalk to her. She left us, Tim. What kind of person leaves their kids alone without even caring if they eat or not?” She backed up until she stood in front of me.
“You look like you’ve done well enough for yourself,mija. Isn’t it amazing what bright opportunities are afforded to a young woman once she lies on her back?” She looked around and nodded. “Be careful. A man can love your body, but he’ll just as easily love another’s in the next moment.”
Noa scoffed and I stood closer to her. “Leave it to you to come here and assume that I could only be this happy, this fortunate, if I fucked my way here. I am not you and Dexter is not Dad. He left you because you were evil!”
Their mother pushed past Tim and walked up to Noa, rearing back to slap her until a hand grabbed it.
“You are on my property, Mrs. Cruz, and I will not tolerate physical violence,” Tracey said, her voice brimming with anger as the woman tried to wriggle free.
“Let go of my hand,gringa. This is between me and my children,” she shrieked. “Timothy,ayudame. Help your mother.” She finally pulled free and glared at Tim.
