Page 51 of Guarded

When night falls, and Nero still isn’t back, I’m glad I have Lucia to snuggle with. After eating our weight in iced oatmealcookies, and ice cream, we build a pillow fort on my bed. I listen to her give me all the chisme she’s accumulated over the months.

She starts to yawn halfway through, telling me the names of all the new chickens on her dad’s ranch. I pull her close to me and hug her tightly. I hope she never grows up. I whisper silent prayers over her that her life is never as complicated as mine. Guapo snuggles between us, and we are all fast asleep within minutes.

I like to think I’m a deep sleeper. That chaos can be happening around me, and I would sleep right through it. Tonight, however, I learn that’s not the case. Not when I hear gagging. Not when I feel liquid in my hair and smell the stench of it. I wake up and see Lucia crying on the bed beside me next to a puddle of vomit.

Oh, hell no.

I want to throw up myself, but instead, I grab Lucia and rush her to the bathroom.

She relieves herself again in the toilet, and I hold her hair back. Thankfully, she doesn’t have any vomit in her hair. I run a washcloth under some warm water and clean her face.

“You’re okay, Lucy Loo.” I hug her tightly, and she begins to sob.

“I want my Papi.” She cries out, and my heart breaks.

Me too, Girl. Me too.

I know I’m supposed to be the adult right now, but I can’t help feeling the same as Lucia. I think for a second about calling my dad and asking him what to do, but then I remember she wants her dad, not mine. Dialing Thalia this late, I’m surprised she answers on the first ring.

“¿Que paso?” she says in a panic.

“Lucia’s sick, like really sick. I cleaned her up, but she’s crying for her Papi.” I say while I start a bath for Lucia.

“Well, her Papi is currently vomiting his brains out. I’ll call and see if Olivia can get her.”

“No- I’m gonna. HUUUUGEH go. HUUUUGEH,” I hear Silas saying in the background.

“¿Como pendejo si ni puedes caminar?” Thalia yells back at him.

They continue to argue in the background while I get Lucia into the tub.

“Okay, mamas, just sit right there while I get everything cleaned,” I tell her.

Guapo paces around like a fucking Karen by the door, making sure Lucia is alright. Like, at any moment, he’ll ask to speak to a manager if I do something wrong. Thalia finally stops cursing at Silas, and her voice calms when she returns to the line.

“Ay voy. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” She says before hanging up.

I go into mom zone. Even though I never had a child, I have been caring for children my whole life. Adan and Axel often relied on me to cook for them, iron their clothes, and clean up after them. More than once, I got stuck nursing them back to health after a man cold almost took their lives.

I roll my eyes at the memory as I pull my crusty hair up and rip the sheets off my bed. I walk past Nero’s room and see the light on under his door. Balancing the laundry basket on my side, I hold my fist at his door.

My mouth feels dry, and my mind goes blank. What was I going to even say when he opened the door? “Hey, Lucia’s sick, just thought I’d let you know?” then do some shit like finger guns and embarrass myself more.

No gracias.

I let my fist fall to my side and walk to the washing machine. This pang in my side tells me I need to check on him, but I push it down.

I get Lucia cleaned up and out of the bath. Her clothes are dirty so I put her in an old T-shirt of mine. I brush out her hair and put on Encanto while we wait for her mom.

Lucia snuggles into Guapo on the couch while I check on her clothes. When I return, she’s fast asleep, and Thalia is knocking on the door.

“Olivia said Luca’s throwing up, too,” she explains.

“You think it was something at Grandpa’s party?” I ask.

“I don’t know. About four or five men from Los Peregrinos are sick, too. Could be something from the hospital they picked up.” she explains.

“Did Lucia go to see him?” I whisper.

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