Page 140 of The Odds of Happily Ever After
I opened my eyes and stared at my brother.
“Maybe he isn’t an asshole who’s taking advantage of you. He could even be as great as you two claim he is. But we already lost Ate to Jason—and I like him, don’t get me wrong. I just don’t want to lose another sister to some guy who’ll keep you away from here for good.”
Of all the reasons I’d come up with to explain his animosity toward Gabe, this one had never crossed my mind. “Lonzo . . .”
He pressed his lips together and stared past the screen.
“I had no idea you thought that about Ate,” I said. “You know she’s not going to abandon our family, right? Even when they get married and they decide to move elsewhere, she’ll always come back to Manila. That’s the same for me.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Swiping his hand through his hair, he blew out a breath. “I know it’s stupid. It just sucks being the one always left behind.”
My lips parted as understanding slammed into me. I always figured I knew my brother well, and yet I’d been clueless about his feelings all this time.
“I have to help Mama with lunch.”
“Wait,” I blurted out. “What did you want to talk to me about?”
“It doesn’t matter now,” he muttered.
“Okay.” I bit my lip. “Please don’t tell Mama and Papa about Gabe yet. I want to talk to them myself.”
He clenched his jaw. “Yeah, yeah. Bye, Ate.”
We hung up and I slumped back onto my pillow. It was ironic how I’d brooded over my middle child issues without considering that my siblings might have their own problems too.Even though I didn’t get to be with them often, I could have put in more effort to check in with them.
Exhaustion pulled my eyelids closed, but before I nodded off, I shot Lonzo a message:
Luna
I know I don’t say this often, but I love you Lonz. No guy is ever going to change that.
gabe
My father letout a heavy laugh that reverberated through the living room, setting off a round of barks from the dog, squawks from the parrot, and more laughter from the guests.
Despite the chaos that rocked my system, I smiled. My father was in his element here, his joy palpable. Seeing him surrounded by family and friends, I finally understood what he meant when he said that Rio was home. I could no longer fault him for needing to return here when he was at the lowest point of his life. This was his anchor, the place where he felt most alive.
Just like Luna was mine.
“Gabriel!” Tia waved me over from the kitchen entryway.
I hurried there to find her lighting the candles on a massive chocolate cake. She gave me a pointed look, which I took as a prompt to carry the cake outside. As she swung the door open for me, she began shout-singing the lyrics to a Portuguese song I vaguely remembered from my childhood birthdays.
Other voices joined in and soon the house shook with the force of their singing and clapping. At the center of therevelry, my father grinned, his eyes bright as he watched me approaching him. The song ended with his name yelled out, and since I was setting the cake on the table in front of him, the roars came at me too.
“Parabéns, Pai,” I greeted him.
He barked out a laugh and blew out the candles, then he made quick work of slicing a generous portion of cake. Transferring it to a plate, he held it out to me.
I blinked at him. “Go ahead. It’s your birthday.”
But he shook his head. “You’re my son and you’re here. Finally. This is for you.” His eyes were glassy as he spoke, and the emotion in his words made my chest swell.
“Obrigado,” I said, accepting the plate with hands that weren’t quite steady.
“Thank you for being here, Gabriel. This is my birthday wish come true.”
Leaning over, I embraced him, absorbing his claps across my back. The last-minute travel preparations and separation from Luna was worth it for this moment alone. I couldn’t imagine missing this, and as I pulled back from my father to grin at him, I promised myself I wouldn’t miss more.
