Page 34 of My Debacle with De Lorenzo

Of all the things he could possibly say. If there was a knife close by, I would stab him, stab him in his stupid face. “What do you mean it’s not a real thing?” I shout. “You really don’t see what you’ve put us through.”

“I see it. I just don’t think you can put a price on it, especially such a big price.”

While my eyes scour the kitchen for the sharpest object, my mother is still trying to digest all this information. “So, your lawyer friend said that if this went to court, you would have to pay us more than that...but you don’t want to pay more because you think the hurt you caused my daughter isn’t worth anything?”

“Of course, it’s worth something. It’s worth my time. I’m here every day helping her with whatever she needs.” Scott shrugs. “And I just want to point out that we didn’t go to court, so I’m doing this out of the goodness of my heart. That’s got to count for something. And honestly, more than thirty thousand is extortion.”

Every word that comes out of his entitled mouth infuriates me more. “Extortion?” I ask, aghast. “How do you think that’s extortion when you’re not even giving us what a lawyer would deem fair compensation?”

“Ugh, fine!” He says, finally conceding, but his tone is still that of a spoiled brat. I don’t care, though. I just want him to acknowledge what he did to my sister. Whether it’s with money or actions, I want him to pay for what he did to her. “You know what? Why don’t I pay forallCat’s medical bills, including any follow-up appointments,andgive the five thousand dollars every month? Would that be good enough for you?”

Considering what he put her through, that offer is still him getting off too easy, and I’m about to tell him that when Cat intervenes again.

She still isn’t happy to accept anything from him. “Mom—” She only gets that word out, then stops herself short and my mother takes over.

“And how will you pay for this,SeñorCarter? Your mother warned us about trying to get money from your family.”

“Please call me Scott. And my mother will never know. I’ll pay it all out of my allowance. They don’t track my account.”

After some of the penises I’ve seen, I’m not easily shocked anymore, but this guy is slapping me with a reality I didn’t even know existed to kids our age. “Holy crap! You get that as an allowance? Every month? Why would anyone give you that much money?”

“Uh...I need things,” he replies with his usual flare of arrogance. “Just last month, Peter bought a pair of sneakers for two thousand dollars, so obviously I had to get something better and more expensive. If I didn’t get an allowance, how would I be able to pay for that? I mean, my parents know that having money at my disposal is an absolute necessity for emergencies like that.”

“Take the money, Ma.” I shake my head, not understanding how someone so undeserving can have that kind of wealth. “Just take it.”

My mother mulls it over before she finally answers. “Okay, you have a deal,Señor...I mean, Scott. But I want you to know that this in no way means that we are going to forgive and forget what has happened.”

“Understood, Mrs. Diaz.”

“Good, and seeing that you bought us all this food, please stay and join us for dinner. I need to get to know you better if you’re going to be coming here every day.”

Cat immediately intervenes. “Mom, no. Scott needs to go home now.”

“No, I don’t. I’d love to stay for dinner.”

I don’t care about this squabble and I’m sure Cat will get him to leave. “I’m going to take a shower,” I say as I leave the kitchen. “Call me when dinner’s ready.”

The second I’m alone again, Dylan creeps back into my mind. As I shower. As I change. As I text Tommy. He’s just there. My mother calls me down for dinner half an hour later, and my giddiness is instantly overshadowed by annoyance when I walk through the kitchen and spot Scott sitting next to my sister in the dining room.

“I can’t believe he’s still here,” I grumble and my mother scolds me in Spanish, telling me I should be civil at the dinner table.

Steaming chicken enchiladas are already on the table and my mouth waters. It’s been so long since we’ve eaten a decent home-cooked meal, and just the aroma is comforting. I suffer through dinner with this douche all the while wondering why my mother is entertaining a conversation with him. She asks him about his parents and his hobbies.

I honestly don’t know why she’s being so nice to him. He doesn’t deserve it, but that’s who she is. She will always make anyone feel welcome in our home. And it is feeling like home again. It’s odd to think that because we’re here every day, but today it feels different. I absolutely loathe the fact that Scott is responsible for this, but he took a burden off my mother and the impact was immediate. The tension has eased a little. The worry has dissipated. The overwhelming weight on our shoulders just doesn’t seem so heavy anymore.

After dinner, he stays to help us wash up. When he leaves, my mother makes us hot chocolate like she used to, and Cat and I climb into bed with her. Cat and my mother continue talking about Scott. She tells me not to tell anyone at school that Scott is coming over every day. He’s apparently lying to all his friends, saying he’s going for guitar lessons every afternoon because he’s too embarrassed to admit that he’s fraternizing with us, the social scum, the rats (his special term of endearment for us). He’s a disgusting person, and I can’t believe he’s going to be part of my sister’s daily life now.

My mother tries to take Cat’s mind off her tormentor and changes the subject. The conversation somehow moves to my father. I don’t say much because I’m not here to reminisce about a man who abandoned us. I’m here for the woman I’ve missed for the last ten months.

Today my mother reminded me of her strength. I saw her fierce firmness. I saw her compassion and kindness to welcome my sister’s tormentor into our home even though he deserves nothing but our animosity. Instead of stooping down to his level and degrading him, she spoke to him, tried to get to know him. Today I saw all the reasons why I love my mother. They may disappear tomorrow. Scott has only eased some of the financial burden. He can’t reverse the true source of our pain. But for now, I relish in the feeling of having her and my sister back—even if it’s just for tonight. I snuggle up against my mother like I used to when I was a kid and fall asleep on her shoulder.

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