Page 65 of Amor Prohibido

Mum and Miri were the first to crack, clinging to each other while screaming in excitement. Likewise, Lozza and Callie were sharing a moment too, but added jumping up and down to their celebratory screams. Darren came powering across the room, gunning straight for me. I thought he was about to throw down again, so I braced for impact. Instead of a fist, he slammed his chest into mine and hugged me so tightly I could barely bring my arms up to return the embrace.

“Congrats, brother! Twins!”

I couldn’t speak around the wad of pansy-ass emotion lodged in my throat. The best I could do was nod and return his fist bump before he reached for Jax and engulfed her. When he pulled away, a wicked grin spread across his face. He slowly extracted the cigar from his breast pocket again, held it up triumphantly, and pointed at me.

“You and I have a date outside on the end of a big fat one. Five minutes!”

He then stalked toward the bar while tucking the cigar safely away and ignoring the confused glances being aimed his way. I burst out laughing so hard it brought tears to my eyes.

J’s warning broke through my mirth. “Mierda, our mamas are coming.”

I managed to steal a fleeting two-second kiss before our mothers descended on us like Dracula on a vein.

TWENTY-TWO

JAX

After our big announcement, our mamas hadn’t stopped making plans for theirtwograndchildren; right down to what they would wear on their first birthday.

Currently, we were all gathered around my mami and papi’s large dining table for a Sunday lunch of epic proportions.

I danced my fork through the air while finishing a mouthful. “I still don’t understand where the twins thing comes from.”

“I do,” Mama replied simply.

Circling my fork to encourage her to elaborate, I waited as she set down her wineglass and leaned toward me.

“Your abuela Ramos, my mama, was a twin.”

My eyebrows shot up. That was an unexpected revelation. “And how did I not know this already?”

“Well…” Mama took her time chewing down her mouthful of bandeja paisa, and the short wait made me more impatient than ever.

“...She and her twin sister were born at twenty-five weeks. Back then, especially in their little village, the chances of survival when born so premature were extremely slim. Her sister was born first but was the smaller twin. She didn’t survive the day. My abuela Garcia took Mama home and kept her in a drawer. She wasn’t expected to survive either, but somehow by la gracia de Dios, Mama not only survived, but she also grew up healthy and was able to have a familia of her own.”

Ain’t that the truth. Abuela Ramos had a large family. Mama was one of seven children.

“How come no one ever talks about Abuela Ramos’s sister?”

Mama shrugged. “I pray for her soul every Día de los Difuntos [Day of the Dead], but other than that, neither Abuela Garcia nor my mama talked about her. It seemed too painful for them. Mama never stopped mourning the loss of her twin. She doesn’t remember her, of course, but she once told me that it felt like a part of her was permanently missing.”

“If they never talked about her, how did you find out?” I questioned.

A sparkle entered mama’s gaze and she smiled at a memory. “One day when I was a niñita, we had a visitor at the house. The man was an old family friend of my abuela’s, and I overheard him tell my mama that he still prayed for Celestina’s soul every Día de los Difuntos. As soon as he left, I asked Mama who Celestina was, and she sat me down and told me what I’ve just told you. Even almost forty years after her passing, Mama still grieved for her sister. Later that night, I heard Mama crying, so I never asked her about it again.”

Weight settled over my heart. It ached for my abuela Ramos. Despite never knowing my great tía [aunty], the loss weighed heavily on my soul.

“Celestina.” I rolled the name around on my tongue. It’s not a name I’d heard before.

“It means ‘Of the Heavens’,” Mama explained, as if reading my thoughts.

How appropriate.

“This is all so…” Feeling both saddened and scared, I trailed off while blinking back an unexpected rush of tears.

Papi didn’t miss a beat. He clasped my hand and squeezed affectionately. “Neonatal care is excellent nowadays, J. Even if they come early, your twins will have the best care. But there’s no point in worrying over maybes, so don’t dwell on the worst-case scenario when there’s a brighter one to picture.”

I smiled and squeezed back. “Thank you, Papi. I love you.”

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