Page 3 of Damián

“Why does it look like he’s grounded?” I laugh and give her back her phone.

“He is grounded. He figured out how to unlock her phone and send pictures.”

“A prodigy! What did I tell you?”

“An evil prodigy. The little menace took a photo of Fernanda sleeping with her mouth hanging wide open, and sent it to her boss.”

“Hahaha! Of course, he’s a menace. He’s my nephew. I bet he’ll be running a baby black ops ring on the playground by age five.”

“Diosito santo, I hope not.”

“Hey! That talent for trouble paid for this house.”

“I would be happier if it paid to upgrade your apartment to a bigger house with, I don’t know… five rooms?”

“Five rooms? Who do you think I am, Goldilocks? I live alone, Ma. I don’t need more rooms.”

“You would if you had others to fill those rooms with.”

“Others? Now you want me to kidnap people?”

“No. You know, others… like a grown-up other and maybe some little others?” She grins, and I shove food into my mouth.

“I’m not interested.”

“But… what if I know a very nice, handsome man who is very interested in meeting you?”

“Is he a nice man?”

“A sweetheart.”

“Oh, in that case, I’m definitely not interested.”

“I’m serious, Dami. Man or woman, mijo, I don’t care. As long as they are a good person, you’re happy, and it’s a real, committed love.”

“Can I just eat my pernil in peace? Besides, I do meet other people; it’s not like I’m locked in a cave.”

“You are already thirty-five, but you keep living like you’re in college. This sleeping-around lifestyle is not healthy.”

“I’m always careful.”

“Careful with your body, maybe.” She points her spoon at me and glares. “But it’s not healthy for the soul, mijo.”

“I don’t need a commitment or to build a new family. I have you, sis, and Carlitos. And I have my brothers at Harknett. I already have a family.”

“That’s different.” My mother reaches across the table and pats the back of my hand with the infinity tattoo, a tattoo everyone in the Harknett 8 has.

Only mine has a mix of black and red.

“Finding a partner to love… that is one of the biggest wonders of this world, Damián.”

“Until it almost kills you when you lose them… I’ll never allow myself to go through that.”

“Loving your father… was the best thing I have ever done. Even though losing him to cancer nearly killed me, I would do it all again.” She squeezes my hand. “Besides, how can you be afraid of loss when you get shot at every day at work?”

“Ah, that’s different.”

“How?!”