Page 33 of Freeing Ruby

I grab his bowl, dish out his dinner, and set it on the floor. As usual, he pounces on it.

I pull up a stool so I can watch Miguel make enchilada sauce. It’s quite a production as he toasts several different types of dried peppers in a skillet. After he sets those aside, he toasts tomatoes, garlic, and onions.

My stomach is already growling. “This is going to take a while, isn’t it?”

He grins at me. “Are you hungry?”

I nod guiltily. “Yeah.”

Smiling, he grabs a bowl and dumps in some tortilla chips. “Here, snack on these. This should tide you over until dinner is ready.”

After preparing the peppers, he soaks them in boiling water to soften them. After half an hour of soak time, he adds the softened peppers, tomatoes, onions, and garlic to a blender and purees them. He puts the pureed sauce in a pot, adds some oregano and ground cumin, and puts the pot on the stove to simmer.

While the sauce simmers, he cooks some ground beef with onions and garlic, mixing it with shredded Mexican cheeses before rolling the ingredients into the corn tortillas. Finally, he lays the enchiladas in a baking dish and pours the sauce over the top. “It won’t be much longer now,” he says.

“You make that look so easy,” I say, shaking my head in amazement. “From now on, you’re in charge of cooking. I don’t think my kitchen has ever smelled this good.”

He laughs, clearly pleased by my reaction. “This is nothing. You should try my grandma’s cooking. Have you ever been to a Mexican restaurant—an authentic one?”

I nod. “A few times, when I was a kid. My parents loved trying different cuisines. I’m afraid I was probably too young to appreciate it.”

“My uncle and his family own a restaurant. I used to work there in the summers with my cousins. Their food’s amazing—you should try their tacos al pastor. Or the tacos carne asada. They’re so good. I’d love to take you there.”

My smile falls as my heart starts hammering against my ribs. I shake my head. “I’m sorry, but I can’t.”

He winces. “Ruby, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s okay, really.” I hop down from my stool. “I think I’ll go work on my painting until dinner’s ready. It looks like you’ve got everything under control.”

He watches me walk away. “I’ll call you when it’s time to eat.”

Dinner is absolutely delicious, of course. No surprise there. The enchiladas are flavorful and tender, practically melting in my mouth. “Mmm, I think your grandmother would be proud of you.”

Miguel smiles as he chews. After he swallows, he says, “I’m glad you like them.”

After we finish eating, we clean up the kitchen together. We seem to have developed a comfortable routine. I’m not used to having help. It’s nice.

“How about ice cream for dessert?” he asks.

We dish up two bowls of mint chocolate chip ice cream and get comfortable on the sofa. Pumpkin curls up between us.

Miguel picks up the remote and skims through the offerings on Netflix.

“The new season of Stranger Things just dropped. Do you want to watch it?”

“That’s the show with the kids and the creepy stuff in the upside down? Sure.”

He smiles. “Yeah, that’s the one.”

Chapter 13

Miguel

We’re seated side-by-side on the sofa, with our feet propped on the coffee table, eating our ice cream, when there’s a knock at the door.

Ruby jumps.

“It’s okay. I’ll get it,” I say. I pause the show and walk to the door so I can look through the peephole. I’m surprised to see who’s here. Since I started picking up Ruby’s mail and taking out her trash, we haven’t seen Darren. “It’s Darren. Do you want me to open the door?”

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