couldn't. After many "oohs" and "aahs," several soft strokes across the colors and textures, they returned to the kitchen, overwhelmed.
"These are all lovely." Papi kissed Tessie's cheek. "I'm proud to know a woman with the ability to bring such joy into the world."
She blushed. "Oh, Antonio."
Ana watched her father in amazement. Around Tessie, he was different. She slanted a glance at Mike to see if he was as amazed and amused as she at the relationship between their parents. He didn't seem to have a problem with it at all. Did she? She'd thought she would. With his mother's criminal record, she hadn't been too excited about Tessie, but she made his father happy. He hadn't smiled for such a long time, but he did around Tessie.
Was Tessie a widow? What had happened to his father? From the way they never talked about him, he must have been gone or dead for a long time. What had Mike done when his mother was in prison if his father was gone?
None of your business, Miss Nosy, she lectured herself.
"I brought dinner," Quique called from the living room. He entered the kitchen and dropped a bag of chips on the table.
"Thank you, Quique," Tessie said politely.
"Nice thought, mano. " Raúl laughed.
"Quique knows only three food groups," Ana said. "Fat, carbs and sugar."
"Hey." Quique held his hand up. "I was being thoughtful. I could have just brought myself, which you would also enjoy greatly."
"You're a perfect guest," Tessie said. "I appreciate the addition. Thank you, again." She opened the sack and poured the chips into a bowl.
"De nada," he said with a bow. "You're very welcome."
When Francie and Brandon arrived a few minutes later, Tessie introduced them. Francie seemed interested to meet Ana, smiled and asked her a few questions. Brandon, who was tall, blond and very handsome, hovered around his pregnant wife.
"Why don't you sit here?" He took his Francie's hand, led her to the sofa and helped her get settled. "I'll bring you something to drink."
"He spoils me." Francie grinned as she watched her husband go into the kitchen.
After Luz arrived, everyone grabbed a plate and walked around the kitchen table to load them up. They could chose from the tender brisket, Mike's favorite corn pudding, green bean casserole bubbling under onion rings, bread, tortillas, guacamole, biscuits, salad, and more.
Plates filled, they crowded into the living room to eat. When Ana entered, she saw the four younger ones on the floor, legs crossed, chatting and joking. She was too old to sit that way and much to old for their conversation. Tessie and Francie sat on the sofa with a space between them. Thinking if she sat there, she could get to know both women better, Ana headed in that direction. Before she could sit, Francie scooted into the empty space faster than Ana had ever seen a woman that pregnant move.
Ana turned toward the now-empty place on Francie's left.
"That's for Brandon," Mike's cousin said with a sweet smile.
"Okay." Ana turned toward the folding chair next to Tessie.
"That's for your father." Tessie smiled, also.
Very suspicious, all this smiling and scooting. The only other seats were the two folding chairs in the corner. With a sigh, she gave up and took one of those. This reminded her of the time everyone had pushed her and Mike together on the swing at her family's house. Here, the room was so small they wouldn't be isolated, just extremely close together.
Brandon left the kitchen, handed Francie her drink and plate before he went back to get his own. As he did, Papi sat next to Tessie.
Almost last to come into the living room was Mike. He saw the place next to Francie and headed toward it, but his cousin said, "It's for Brandon. Sorry."
"You might as well give up," Ana said. "They want us to sit together."
Mike stiffened and turned toward the only empty chair before he walked across the room to sit next to her.
"Sometimes," he mumbled, "they are so obvious. I'm sorry."
He was embarrassed and had
"These are all lovely." Papi kissed Tessie's cheek. "I'm proud to know a woman with the ability to bring such joy into the world."
She blushed. "Oh, Antonio."
Ana watched her father in amazement. Around Tessie, he was different. She slanted a glance at Mike to see if he was as amazed and amused as she at the relationship between their parents. He didn't seem to have a problem with it at all. Did she? She'd thought she would. With his mother's criminal record, she hadn't been too excited about Tessie, but she made his father happy. He hadn't smiled for such a long time, but he did around Tessie.
Was Tessie a widow? What had happened to his father? From the way they never talked about him, he must have been gone or dead for a long time. What had Mike done when his mother was in prison if his father was gone?
None of your business, Miss Nosy, she lectured herself.
"I brought dinner," Quique called from the living room. He entered the kitchen and dropped a bag of chips on the table.
"Thank you, Quique," Tessie said politely.
"Nice thought, mano. " Raúl laughed.
"Quique knows only three food groups," Ana said. "Fat, carbs and sugar."
"Hey." Quique held his hand up. "I was being thoughtful. I could have just brought myself, which you would also enjoy greatly."
"You're a perfect guest," Tessie said. "I appreciate the addition. Thank you, again." She opened the sack and poured the chips into a bowl.
"De nada," he said with a bow. "You're very welcome."
When Francie and Brandon arrived a few minutes later, Tessie introduced them. Francie seemed interested to meet Ana, smiled and asked her a few questions. Brandon, who was tall, blond and very handsome, hovered around his pregnant wife.
"Why don't you sit here?" He took his Francie's hand, led her to the sofa and helped her get settled. "I'll bring you something to drink."
"He spoils me." Francie grinned as she watched her husband go into the kitchen.
After Luz arrived, everyone grabbed a plate and walked around the kitchen table to load them up. They could chose from the tender brisket, Mike's favorite corn pudding, green bean casserole bubbling under onion rings, bread, tortillas, guacamole, biscuits, salad, and more.
Plates filled, they crowded into the living room to eat. When Ana entered, she saw the four younger ones on the floor, legs crossed, chatting and joking. She was too old to sit that way and much to old for their conversation. Tessie and Francie sat on the sofa with a space between them. Thinking if she sat there, she could get to know both women better, Ana headed in that direction. Before she could sit, Francie scooted into the empty space faster than Ana had ever seen a woman that pregnant move.
Ana turned toward the now-empty place on Francie's left.
"That's for Brandon," Mike's cousin said with a sweet smile.
"Okay." Ana turned toward the folding chair next to Tessie.
"That's for your father." Tessie smiled, also.
Very suspicious, all this smiling and scooting. The only other seats were the two folding chairs in the corner. With a sigh, she gave up and took one of those. This reminded her of the time everyone had pushed her and Mike together on the swing at her family's house. Here, the room was so small they wouldn't be isolated, just extremely close together.
Brandon left the kitchen, handed Francie her drink and plate before he went back to get his own. As he did, Papi sat next to Tessie.
Almost last to come into the living room was Mike. He saw the place next to Francie and headed toward it, but his cousin said, "It's for Brandon. Sorry."
"You might as well give up," Ana said. "They want us to sit together."
Mike stiffened and turned toward the only empty chair before he walked across the room to sit next to her.
"Sometimes," he mumbled, "they are so obvious. I'm sorry."
He was embarrassed and had
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