meet me. Arturo shakes my hand and looks down at Julie. “
Muy bonita
,” he says. “She must be much like her mother.”
“Come! Come get something to eat,” Mrs. Cardenas shouts, pulling Arturo toward the kitchen.
Someone with a broad, red-lipstick smile shoves a loaded plate into my hands. There’s a fragrance of spicy meat and flaky piecrust, and moist cake and buttery chocolate frosting. “Eat up! Enjoy the good food,” she says. “I made the
empanadas
, which, between you and me, are a lot better than Carmen’s.”
Dave squeezes through the front door and searches the room until he sees me. Suddenly, surprisingly, I’m glad he’s here. He works his way to my side and takes a piece of cake from my plate.
“Hi,” he says. “I know you’d want me to help you eat that.” He looks down at Julie. “Are you having a good time?” he asks.
She doesn’t answer, so he adds, “Tomorrow I’d like to take you and Dina down to the river walk, Paseo del Rio. Have you ever been there?”
“No,” Julie says.
“Would you like that?” Now he’s looking at me.
“Yes, I’d like that very much,” I tell him. “I was there once, a few years ago, and I’d like to see it again.” I glance at the green circle on Julie’s right hand. “It’s where I bought that little jade ring.”
Dave grabs the arm of a small boy who is wriggling past. “Ricky,” he says, “take Julie to the other kids. She wants to play, too.”
Ricky makes a face. “Do I gotta? We’re going to play ball.”
“Julie can play ball with you. Where’s your sister, Estella? She’s Julie’s age.”
“She’s in the kitchen, stuffing her face.”
“Okay. Take Julie and go find her.
¡Ahora!
”
Julie looks less eager to comply than Ricky does. “Where are you going?” she asks me in a voice filled with suspicion.
“I’m not going anywhere. I’m here enjoying the party. I think it’s a good idea if you have fun with the other children.”
She moves away, and once more I am myself.
I hold my plate out to Dave, and this time he takes a sandwich from it. Someone small dashes between us, stepping on my toes. “I seem to have a lot of foster relatives,” I say.
“I think you’ve got a good deal,” he answers, licking some cheese spread from his finger. “If I were picking a foster home, I’d check on the cooking first. Mrs. Cardenas is a good cook.”
As though on cue Mrs. Cardenas makes her waytoward us. She is carrying a platter filled with some kind of little sausage buns. Dave takes one in each hand, and begins to eat them.
“I’m glad you came, Dave,” she says. “This house is too full of people, and it’s gonna make Dina tired. She met everybody, and now she needs to get out. Why don’t you take her to a movie?”
I can’t look at Dave. I’m so embarrassed I wish I was on the other side of the room.
“I was thinking about that,” Dave says easily. “I like your relatives, Mrs. Cardenas, but you know I come to your parties just for the food.”
She laughs loudly. “Then, get some punch and cake before you go.”
“Wait a minute.” It’s time for me to break in. “I can’t leave. I told Julie I’d be here.”
“Why should Julie care if you and Dave go to a movie?”
“She wants me around. She’s unsure of herself. She’s—well, she’s unsure of me.”
Mrs. Cardenas gestures with the large platter, nearly spilling the contents. “Look at her. She’s having a good time. Carmen’s little girls are keeping her busy.”
Dave nods. “I think it would be better for Julie if you didn’t worry about her. Let her play with the kids her age.”
Guilt slides away like a shadow at noon. They’re right. And I need to be away from Julie. “You talked me into it,” I tell them.
“I’ll go home and get my father’s car and themovie listings in the newspaper while you get ready,” Dave says.
He makes his way out of the house. Julie looks up, watches him leave, then goes back to
Muy bonita
,” he says. “She must be much like her mother.”
“Come! Come get something to eat,” Mrs. Cardenas shouts, pulling Arturo toward the kitchen.
Someone with a broad, red-lipstick smile shoves a loaded plate into my hands. There’s a fragrance of spicy meat and flaky piecrust, and moist cake and buttery chocolate frosting. “Eat up! Enjoy the good food,” she says. “I made the
empanadas
, which, between you and me, are a lot better than Carmen’s.”
Dave squeezes through the front door and searches the room until he sees me. Suddenly, surprisingly, I’m glad he’s here. He works his way to my side and takes a piece of cake from my plate.
“Hi,” he says. “I know you’d want me to help you eat that.” He looks down at Julie. “Are you having a good time?” he asks.
She doesn’t answer, so he adds, “Tomorrow I’d like to take you and Dina down to the river walk, Paseo del Rio. Have you ever been there?”
“No,” Julie says.
“Would you like that?” Now he’s looking at me.
“Yes, I’d like that very much,” I tell him. “I was there once, a few years ago, and I’d like to see it again.” I glance at the green circle on Julie’s right hand. “It’s where I bought that little jade ring.”
Dave grabs the arm of a small boy who is wriggling past. “Ricky,” he says, “take Julie to the other kids. She wants to play, too.”
Ricky makes a face. “Do I gotta? We’re going to play ball.”
“Julie can play ball with you. Where’s your sister, Estella? She’s Julie’s age.”
“She’s in the kitchen, stuffing her face.”
“Okay. Take Julie and go find her.
¡Ahora!
”
Julie looks less eager to comply than Ricky does. “Where are you going?” she asks me in a voice filled with suspicion.
“I’m not going anywhere. I’m here enjoying the party. I think it’s a good idea if you have fun with the other children.”
She moves away, and once more I am myself.
I hold my plate out to Dave, and this time he takes a sandwich from it. Someone small dashes between us, stepping on my toes. “I seem to have a lot of foster relatives,” I say.
“I think you’ve got a good deal,” he answers, licking some cheese spread from his finger. “If I were picking a foster home, I’d check on the cooking first. Mrs. Cardenas is a good cook.”
As though on cue Mrs. Cardenas makes her waytoward us. She is carrying a platter filled with some kind of little sausage buns. Dave takes one in each hand, and begins to eat them.
“I’m glad you came, Dave,” she says. “This house is too full of people, and it’s gonna make Dina tired. She met everybody, and now she needs to get out. Why don’t you take her to a movie?”
I can’t look at Dave. I’m so embarrassed I wish I was on the other side of the room.
“I was thinking about that,” Dave says easily. “I like your relatives, Mrs. Cardenas, but you know I come to your parties just for the food.”
She laughs loudly. “Then, get some punch and cake before you go.”
“Wait a minute.” It’s time for me to break in. “I can’t leave. I told Julie I’d be here.”
“Why should Julie care if you and Dave go to a movie?”
“She wants me around. She’s unsure of herself. She’s—well, she’s unsure of me.”
Mrs. Cardenas gestures with the large platter, nearly spilling the contents. “Look at her. She’s having a good time. Carmen’s little girls are keeping her busy.”
Dave nods. “I think it would be better for Julie if you didn’t worry about her. Let her play with the kids her age.”
Guilt slides away like a shadow at noon. They’re right. And I need to be away from Julie. “You talked me into it,” I tell them.
“I’ll go home and get my father’s car and themovie listings in the newspaper while you get ready,” Dave says.
He makes his way out of the house. Julie looks up, watches him leave, then goes back to
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