Page 63 of Counting the Stars

“Immediately after your parents graduated high school, they found out they were expecting. It was a surprise, but they were excited. Everyone knew they’d be together forever. For some reason, Caterina insisted on telling her father without Miguel by her side. I think she was worried her father would go after him. As you can imagine, King didn’t handle the news well.”

A somber silence falls between us as I absorb what Lucia has told me.

“I remember the sounds of the sirens a few blocks away.” She hangs her head. “We knew. We all knew it was Caterina. My parents, Miguel, and I couldn’t get to the hospital fast enough. It was touch and go for a while. It was a miracle the baby survived. Do you need me to stop?”

“No.” I wipe the tears streaming down my face. “I need to hear this.”

“Entiendo.I understand.” Lucia nods. “When the police came to take Caterina’s statement, they took my parents aside and told them they believed King intended to kill her. As you can imagine, he was no stranger to the local law enforcement. Thankfully, some neighbors heard the screams and intervened. We knew King would never be in jail for long. He had too many connections on the outside.”

I make a mental note to ask her about these connections, but I don’t want to interrupt Lucia in her story. I have to know everything.

“That's why they ran away?” I manage to squeak.

“Si. According to witnesses, King repeatedly told Caterina that she brought shame upon their family and that he’d right her wrong. It was all about control with that horrid man. Everyone knew it would only be a matter of time before he was released and attacked her again. My parents adored Caterina. They couldn’t bear to see anything happen to her or their unborn grandchild. So that night, they took out most of their savings, handed it to Miguel, and told him to take Caterina and drive for as long as they could. The farther away they got the better.”

“Did they contact you after they got away?” My body shakes with a combination of sadness and anger.

“Not for a while.” Lucia stands and places a warm hand on my shoulder. “No one could run the risk of King getting wind of where they were. It was also a way to protect our family. Hecouldn’t extract secrets from us if we didn’t know where they were either.”

“The baby…” I trail off as I try to do the math. My brain is too scrambled to think straight. “Was I the baby?”

Lucia reaches over for a kitchen towel. She kneels before me and begins wiping away my tears. “Yes,mi sobrina. They left so you could live.”

32

Gabby

“Man, this dog is the best!” Alex’s voice echoes from the living room. He walks into the kitchen, unclips Rex’s leash, and hands it to Lucia. “He took me down this side street. I didn’t understand what he was up to, but then, I kid you not, there was this gang of pigeons trying to bully a squirrel. I didn’t even know squirrels lived in the city. But anyway, the squirrel was holding on to a bagel for dear life. With one menacing growl, Rex scared those winged rats off. You should’ve seen all the loose feathers floating in the air as they tried to fly away. This guy is a hero right here and oof—”

I jump up into Alex’s arms, unintentionally knocking the wind out of him. As soon as I feel the comfort of his body flush against mine, I lose what little control I have left and cry into his chest. I’m so sick of crying, but I guess that’s what happens when you bottle up your emotions for over a decade.

“Hey.” He gently strokes my back. “Don’t be sad. The squirrel got to eat his lunch.”

My sobs turn into laughter at the ridiculousness of what he just said. Behind me, I hear the sound of Lucia trying to compose herself. Then Alex’s chest begins to vibrate.

“You’re such a goof.” I pull away from him.

“But I got ya to stop crying.” He winks.

“That you did,” I agree, feeling lighter than I did before.

“I figured things would be tense when I got back, but the story of the pigeons is true. This guy is a superhero.” He reaches down to pat the top of Rex’s head.

“I have no doubt about it.” Lucia smiles and hangs the leash on a hook. Rex lies down in his crate as if he’s worn out from his heroic efforts.

Alex excitedly recants his adventures of exploring the neighborhood and visiting the local firehouses. He met one guy who was a fourth-generation firefighter and worked at the same firehouse his great-grandfather did. “It’s like they were born with it in their blood, but I’m babbling on. Do you need more time? Should I go wander around some more?”

“No. It’s all good, Alex. My aunt has filled me in on everything and you won’t believe it when I tell you.”

As we move into the kitchen, I reiterate what Lucia told me about my parents. My heart melts as he listens intently to my story. He’s invested and wants to know my history.

“Your parents sound like amazing people,” he says in awe when I finish.

“They really were.” I slide my seat up closer to him and rest my head on his shoulder.

“I do have one question, though.” Alex turns to Lucia. “You said you knew Gabby existed. How did you know that if they never came back?”

“Ah!” Lucia taps her head. “We were so emotional I forgot about that part. Hold on a moment.”

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