Page 17 of Keepsake

“Thank you, Mrs. Castillo.”

She looked painfully misplaced. Awkward to the bone, so I nodded to the chair vacant just beside Vienna. “Sit, Logan. We were just talking to the kids about you.”

“Oh.” Logan hurried to the chair, talking a place and smiling to Vienna, who was watching her too closely.

“I like your nails,” Vienna offered.

I looked down at Logan's nails. They were long, but not too long, and painted in bright orange. I frowned. That was very different from the rest of the business attire she was wearing.

“My work clothes are kind of boring, so I have fun with my nails,” Logan told her.

Vienna reached for Logan’s hands over the table. Her little pinky touched Logan’s nail tip. “Pretty,” she whispered.

“So, we are going to live with you? Where do you even live?” That was Dash, of course, not in the mood to be beating around the bush, I guessed.

I sighed, but Logan replied. “You don’t need to move in with me.”

“How can you take care of us if we don’t live with you?” Vienna asked an excellent question.

Logan bit her cheek, shaking her head. “You can if you want. What I am saying is it is up to you.”

“If we agree to go with you.” Dash waved off like Logan being kind was something he hadn’t any time for.

Mamá cleared her throat, her back turned to us as she poured the hot water over the cotton filter.

“I live in the city,” Logan said. “I have a…” She looked at Mamá’s back and then practically whispered, “I live in a penthouse. And I have four bedrooms, so.”

Papá whistled, and I felt the rage energy coming off my mother. I paid attention to the kids, though. Dash’s eyebrows rose and Vienna looked excited.

“That’s so cool,” the little girl exclaimed. “And you live there all by yourself?”

“I do.” Logan nodded. “But it will be a full house if you come to live with me.”

“You can’t raise kids in Chicago,” Mom said at once, placing her faithful big thermos on the table.

“Why not?” Vienna asked, genuinely interested.

“People raise their kids everywhere,” I argued.

“You don’t need to come with me. I can get a house here,” Logan rushed to say. “I can… rent first, but if you all liked it, we can buy something.”

“So you’re rich,” Dash bluntly said.

“I’m comfortable.”

Things that rich people say.

“If we’re going to live with you, we can have all kinds of stuff, then?”

“Dash…” I asked under my breath.

“What, tío? I want to know what she’s offering.”

“You’ll have anything you want, regardless.”

Mamá made a face as she slammed a cup in front of Logan.

“Not everything.” Logan tried to change things. “I mean, I’ll pay for your college, Dashiell. If you live with me or not. For all of you.” She cleared her throat. “Regardless.”

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