Page 22 of Blue Sky

Ten minutes later Declan showed up. I quickly debriefed him about Sky, who was still asleep.

“We will be back in an hour. Call if you need anything.”

The second we left base, I was struck at once by the poverty around me. I had noticed it last year, but it had seemed less heartbreaking. But now, with Paloma by my side, the barren landscape was painfully in focus. There were so many empty businesses with boarded up windows and chained off buildings littered with graffiti. An elderly man pushed a cart of food down the road and a young woman clutching a baby begged on a corner. It was around seven at night and the wind had kicked up the despair with the dust.

“Turn here. It’s that one there.”

I turned to an apartment building which looked more like a prison than a home. Was this where her uncle lived? Where her sisters were staying? And she walked here every night? Hell, I didn’t even want to park my SUV out here. I’d even considered packing my gun.

She opened the door. “I’ll go and grab them.”

“I’m going with you.”

She shook her head. “No, that’s fine. I won’t be long.”

“Paloma, he hit you over the head with a liquor bottle. I’m going in.”

We walked up the stairs and Paloma pushed the door open.

Her sisters were cuddled up on the lumpy sofa, but her uncle wasn’t in the room.

“Beck, meet my sisters, Mónica is the older one and Ana María is the younger one. Girls, this is Beck. Gather your things. You are going to stay with us.”

Ana María’s eyes opened wide and Mónica’s mouth gaped open.

“En serio?”

“Yes, I’m serious. Come on, let’s go.”

I heard a door open and some middle-aged man walked over to me, his face red and his eyes blood shot. “Who are you and what are you doing in my house?”

I didn’t want to fight with him, though he deserved to be punched in the face. But I didn’t want the girls to see any more violence or this loser to press assault charges on me. I just wanted to get out of this house as soon as possible. “I’m Paloma's boss.

Her sisters stared at me. Ana María’s hair was braided, and she had big brown eyes and a sad smile. Mónica was wearing a tight shirt and shorts.

I knelt down to Ana María. “Do you girls want to go to McDonalds?”

“Yes!” Ana María jumped up and down.

Her uncle walked up to me and the stench of the liquor on his breath made me recoil. “The girls are my family. They stay here.”

“Yeah, well I’m going to take them with me. Looks like you got your hands full here. Is that weed I smell?”

“Yeah. What’s it to you? It’s California. It’s legal.”

“I’m aware. But you shouldn’t be smoking around young kids. Come on girls, let’s go.”

Paloma gathered the girls’ clothes. I grabbed their bags and we went to my SUV. Her shoulders slumped, and she looked almost embarrassed.

Mónica stood next to me. “I can’t believe you are going to let us stay with you. Is it true there is a pool on base?”

A pained expression crossed Paloma’s face. She turned to me. “I’m sorry. They are just excited. They don’t know how to swim.”

Ah, fuck. I had no idea how much the little things I took for granted would mean the world to these girls.

Once we got into the SUV, I turned to them. “Yup, there sure is. And there are even swim lessons. Would you girls like to learn?”

Ana María’s eyes became wide. “Are you serious? Did you hear that Mónica? We can take swim lessons!”