Page 59 of Loco

Roque was at the stove, sleeves pushed up, a wooden spoon in hand, stirring something in a deep pan. I spotted the cans of crushed tomatoes on the counter, the diced onions in a bowl, and fresh basil next to a parmesan block.

No jar sauce. No shortcuts.

“You’re actually making spaghetti,” I said, half-surprised, half-impressed.

He didn’t look up. “What, did I seem like a jar kind of guy?”

I remembered Cody telling me how he’d consistently burned his toast, then turned his scrambled egg brown the one time he’d made it for him.

“I did that once,” Roque groaned, reading my twitching lips and raised eyebrow correctly. “My sister has a big mouth.”

“It was your nephew who ratted on you.” I leaned against the counter and smiled, the nerves slowly unraveling into something lighter, something steadier.

After dinner was left to simmer, I handed over the bag with the wall decals. Kaida’s chubby hands grabbed at it immediately, fingers twitching with excitement. Her eyes lit up like fireworks, and she let out a high-pitched squeal.

“Shwek!” she babbled, bouncing on her toes. “Shwek, Shwek, Shwek!”

Before I could respond, she grabbed my hand in her tiny, sticky one and tugged. “Come!” she demanded.

She half-led, half-dragged me down the hallway to her room, and pointed proudly at the blank wall. “Dere,” she said, her face serious. “Shwek dere!”

I laughed, set the bag down, and started with the castle decal. She watched with wide eyes and an open mouth, occasionally clapping her hands and saying, “Wowww,” in that long, breathy way toddlers do when the world is justsobigand exciting.

I stuck the onion carriage next to it, then laid the green rolling hills along the baseboard. She toddled back and forth behind me, trailing a stuffed bear and narrating quietly in her own language, somewhere between words and sounds.

Then, it was time for the big one—Shrek himself. I peeled back the backing, my arms stretched awkwardly around the giant green ogre.

“Roque?” I called out, laughing. “Gonna need back up here!”

He appeared moments later, sleeves rolled up and hands slightly damp from whatever pasta operation he’d left in the kitchen. “This him?” he asked, taking half the decal.

“Yep. Kaida says he livesright there,” I said, pointing to the space above her toy shelf.

“Of course he does,” Roque muttered with a smile.

Together, we stuck him up, smoothing him across the wall. As soon as he was in place, Kaida toddled over and threw her arms across Shrek’s legs.

“Shwek hug!” she giggled, cheek pressed to the wall.

I couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up.Note to self: find Shrek bedding.

Roque gave her a gentle pat on the back, then looked at me. “I’m gonna help Kairo with his decals.”

“Go,” I urged, already reaching for Donkey and Fiona. “We’ve got this.”

Once they were on the wall, I stepped back and looked around. A handful of characters were still left in the pack, but we still hadspace for them. I hadn’t realized howmanyor howhuge they’d be, but the room looked like a storybook now.

As I reached for the next one, I heard a squeal from down the hall.

I wandered over to Kairo’s room and stopped in the doorway. Half his car decals were already up, winding like a racetrack across the wall. Bright reds, shiny blues, and sleek blacks zoomed across the imaginary pavement.

Kairo was sitting on his bed with his small hands in his lap and an excited smile on his face.

“Fank you,” he said shyly, glancing up at me and making my heart melt.

“You’re very welcome, sweetheart. Is there anything else you want?”

He looked down, his shoulders dipping. He didn’t answer, just shook his head a little. That look, that quiet sadness, settled deep in my chest. I glanced at Roque, and he met my eyes. I could see it in his face, too—that ache of knowing and not being able to fix what hurt.

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