Page 121 of My Debacle with De Lorenzo

“Good morning, Mrs. Diaz.”

“Good morning. I tried to get her out of bed early, but you know Isa.”

I nod. “Yep, the movie is only in two hours, but I came early to make sure she’s ready before the rest of them get here.” I check my phone for the time. “Hey, aren’t you supposed to be gone already...on your weekend getaway?”

She tries to contain a smile and fails. “Change of plans. I have some things I have to sort out at the hospital, so Keith is going to pick me up from there in an hour.”

Ever since Bella told me about her mother dating Keith, I’ve been nagging Mrs. Diaz to meet him. I have to see for myself if he’s okay after that fall. “So, we’re not going to meet him today either?”

“Unfortunately, not. I told you I will only introduce him to my girls when I trust him enough. I can’t let them get close to another man for him to just up and leave them.” She shifts around me. “But I have to get going. All of you stay out of trouble until I get back on Sunday.”

“Scott didn’t tell you about the raucous party we’re throwing here tonight? We got about a hundred and fifty people coming over.”

She pinches my cheek then lightly slaps the same spot. “Behave.”

She sticks her head back in the house and yells something to the girls in Spanish. They yell back in Spanish and then she’s off. She honks and waves as she reverses out of the driveway, and I wait for her to disappear around the corner before I head inside.

Cat is at the dining room table, sculpting another piece.

“Hey, Cat.”

“Hi, Dylan.”

“Is your sister ready?”

“She just got out of the shower.” She giggles but doesn’t look up.

She works on this stuff day and night. This is more than just passion, she’s obsessed, sculpting until two, three in the morning sometimes. She usually sculpts superheroes, but today I can see the basic outline of a pair of cupped hands holding the tree of life. It’s very different from the normal orders she gets from the gaming nerds, who are her biggest client base at the moment. My cousin, Connor, buys from her the most, so much so that they’re now best friends.

“Who’s this one for?” I ask.

“This one...is for me.” She finally stops to give me her full attention. “The tree of life obviously symbolizes growth and life, and no one can predict how or in which direction it grows. It’s affected by outside factors, but I’ve put in a pair of hands to show that there is a substantial part that is within our control. Despite those few unexpected events in life, we still hold our futures in our hands.”

“That’s pretty deep. Very different for you. Don’t you specialize in superheroes?”

“I had to change it up for this one.” She reads the question on my face and answers it without me asking. “So, I still wasn’t sure about college because it doesn’t come cheap. We’re almost done paying off all our debts, so I’m very reluctant to take on more, especially because the stats show that forty percent of artists are still successful with no tertiary education, but one of Connor’s mom’s friends saw my work and she was very impressed. She works for a company called Heimzim, which is an international toy company, and she told me they have an intern program where they select five students a year and pay for their tuition fees. I’d have to work part-time for them while I study and then for another year after I graduate. They extended their deadline for applications because they’re still looking for two more people. I also missed the application deadline for the actual degree, so they spoke to the dean on my behalf, and he’ll only make an exception if I can prove my talent. So, now I have to submit an action figure, a piece that depicts my view on life, and a motivation letter before next Wednesday. I have to put my everything into this because there is no downside to this. At the end of it, I’ll have a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, a more in-depth knowledge of different techniques and materials,andI’ll have a really fun job.” She is so passionate about it, I can’t help but smile. “I’m excited but I’m so nervous?”

“And you shouldn’t be,” Scott says. “They’re gonna love your work. That internship is as good as yours.”

Both Cat and I look toward the door to see Scott and Peter strolling in.

“Are you ever going to knock instead of waltzing in like you live here?” she asks.

“Nope.” He leans down to kiss her. “Are you guys ready to go?”

“We’re still waiting for Bella,” I answer as Cat disappears to wash her hands.

“Yo, Isa!” He hears her annoyed groan and chuckles.

“Shut up, Scott. I’m coming.” Her aggravation is carried in her heavy footsteps when she comes down the stairs a minute later. “You know, you’re like the brother I always knew Ineverwanted.” Her annoyance is replaced with a wide smile when she turns to me. Twisting my new chain around her forefinger, she pulls me closer. “Did you have fun this morning, De Lorenzo?”

I wrap my arms around her and kiss her neck. “I did. Thank you. I love the gift.”

“And what about me?”

“Meh...you a’ight.”

She shoves my shoulder but doesn’t get a chance to say anything because Peter starts complaining.

---