Cade was right. Today they were heroes.
Her face brightened in a smile. "Yeah, itwas a good day. Wasn't it?"
Chapter7
Sitting on the rim of the tub, Maritzia stareddown at her phone and ticked the checkboxes on the quiz.
There was a rapping knock on the bathroom door."Babe, are you ok?" Victor called out through the white paneled door."Everyone is here."
Looking at the door, she could imagine himstanding on the other side with a worried frown and she wondered if the frownwas for her or just how her being in the bathroom while guests arrived made himlook.
"Yes, I'll be out in a sec," she calledback as she checked another applicable check box.
Scrolling down, she reached the end of the quizand pressed the pink button for "find out your score." Exiting out ofa few pop-up ads, Maritzia stared down at the result. This was the fifth quizon the fifth website, and they all said the same thing—break up with him.
Hearing the talking from the other side of thewall, Maritzia listened to the faint familiar voices of her brothers andcousins in her living room and took a deep breath. Today was her birthday, shedidn't have to think of this right now. Standing up from the tub, she turned tothe full-length mirror and stared at herself. On the outside, she looked normal.Her skin was actually behaving for once, clear of acne and smooth. Her blackhair was loose and curly around her shoulders and shined under the light. Herblack leggings and silvery gray tunic hugged her body perfectly, making herfeel a little bit sexy. Overall, she looked good. It was only when anyonelooked at her eyes could they see her happiness. Thinking of the long lunch shehad with Valerie yesterday, she recalled her cousin's beseeching words.
"Please, Ritz, please just break up with himalready. Everyone can see that you're miserable. This makes no sense," shehad pleaded with her over their shared Caprese salad.
Fashionable and exceedingly cute, Valerie hadbeen dressed in a black floral dress over a pair of black tights and a cutegray cable knit crop top sweater that gave a preppy look to her already cute,round face.
"I'm not miserable," Maritzia had triedto argue, but she knew her words sounded tired. "I'm just…"
"You're just not happy?" Valerie hadcut in angrily.
Maritzia had looked away from her cousin'spenetrating gaze and sighed. "Yeah."
"Semantics," Valerie had shot back."My point is youshouldbe happy."
"I know, even Cade said that," Maritziahad poked at her salad, pushing it around her plate as she thought of Cade'sset jaw and searching eyes when he caught her wrapped up in her thoughtslately.
"Cade is right!"
Cade wasn't just right—he was pissed. Even thoughshe tried really hard to push away the growing feeling of misery before shewent into work, it only took one look at Cade's piercing eyes for him to uprootthe emotions she tried to hide. And he was less than pleased with what hefound. Each day she could feel his anger towards Victor grow. The once somewhatcivil relationship the men had was long gone, replaced by open hostility onboth sides which only fed into her already growing stress. The urge to screamand just run away was becoming more than just a passing fantasy for her.
Just how in the hell were they going to make itthrough tonight with everyone under the same roof?
Resisting the urge to run a hand through her hairand messing up her for once good curl pattern, she took a deep fortifyingbreath and left the bathroom.
Her apartment was packed. With nearly all ofVictor's cousins and her own family, that being just her brothers and her fourcousins she grew up with at Tremont place, Victor had it in his head to haveher birthday party be like a fun night out with just people their age,something her parents were less than thrilled about. Traditionally, everyone'sbirthdays were celebrated at their family apartment on Tremont. With everyone'sfront doors open, including Mrs. Moore's, it was a giant celebration thatspanned both floors. It was a way for everyone to spread out and just have funand relax. Children and teenagers usually stayed downstairs between her AuntAgatha's and Aunt Maya's place while the older people milled around upstairs.That was her family's tradition and Victor was going against that. No matterhow many times she tried to gently sway him against the idea, he would notbudge. Determined to do things his way, he had assured her over and over againthis night would be fun and that they could celebrate with her parents onanother day. She should have pressed further on the matter, she knew herbrothers and parents wanted her to without them even having to say anything.But she was so tired of arguing with Victor, and though the past few weeks hadhad its own tension with him trying so hard and his forced grins, it had beenbetter than fighting. Maritzia just needed a few more weeks like this. Sheneeded time to sort out her feelings without being under constant pressure.
"Hey, birthday girl. What you doing lockedin the bathroom for so long?" Victor's cousin Sam called out as she walkedinto the living room.
Glancing over to her family sitting along thecouch, she caught the worried looks on some of their faces. Smiling to reassurethem, she scanned the people in the room and stopped, her smile nearly falteringwhen she realized Cade wasn't here. She needed him here. Where was he? Tryingnot to let her disappointment show, she smiled and greeted a few more ofVictor's family as she walked around the sectional.
Maritzia could feel the same disquieting pressurethat had built within her when Victor announced his plans for her birthday. Thesame coiling strain of ire when she imagined going through this whole nightwithout her best friend at her side—it was unthinkable. She was about to askCarlos where Cade was when she heard the front door open and a few of hercousins called out in greeting. Spinning around she let a relieved smile spreadacross her lips at the sight of Cade stepping through the door. Wearing a whitefitted crew-neck sweater, jeans, and a pair of worn brown boots, he steppedinto her apartment holding three big shopping bags dangling from his grip.
"Hey, there," he said, coming closer toher, ignoring everyone else in the room. "You were in the bathroom when Ifirst came in so I went and got your gifts from the car. You okay?" heasked, his eyes tracing over her in worry.
Reaching out, she intended to squeeze his arm insilent assurance, a silent gesture to convey her thanks, but her hand was metwith the solid wall of his bicep. Blinking, she looked at the swollen bicepunder her hand and up to him again. Just how much did this man work out? Whenwas the last time she actually touched Cade? She couldn’t remember. She knew hewas ripped, but Jesus Christ, there was no give under her hand. It was liketouching pure stone, not flesh and bones. For a brief second, he looked at herwith the same confusion before understanding dawned over his eyes. With apurely wicked grin that has sent many women into frenzies, Cade flexed his armunder her hand, somehow turning the stone-like feeling of muscle under herfingers into solid steel while giving her a roguish wink.
Pulling her hand away, she burst out laughing.Instantly the lingering fear and worries that seemed to cover her like a shrouddisappeared. Spirit lifted, she turned back to the party with reneweddetermination. This may not be the exact party she wanted or how things hadalways been done, but it was fine. The people she loved most were all here andshe would allow herself to enjoy it.
After a few games of the world's worst charadesthat made Maritzia’s sides hurt from laughing so much, Victor announced it wastime to open presents. Forcing her to sit down on the ottoman in front of theTV so that she faced everyone gathered on or around the sectional, Maritzia wasthe center of attention. Receiving a stack of various gift cards from Victor'scousins, Maritzia laughed and openly predicted she could probably haveStarbucks twice a day for a year and still have some credit left over.
Her cousin Angel gave her what he gave her everyyear for her birthday, which was free automotive work for another year.Grabbing his face with both hands, she planted a happy, grateful kiss on theside of his cheek and he beamed at her. This was a tradition between the two ofthem that Maritzia loved. Each year he gave her free access to his mechanicshop and every year she gave him her police card with a handwritten note on theback that stated:To the officer pulling over my cousin, please kindly givehim a warning for speeding or parking offenses only. This flagrant nepotismwill not cover any other crimes. Valid in The Bronx only.It was a card heused at least three to four times a year and sang its praises accordingly.
Valerie and Pedro gave her a spa package shecould not wait to use, while Luis gave her stocks and bonds, something he alsodid every year. It was only Carlos and Cade she could never quite predict. Oneyear, Carlos had rented a bouncy house and like the fools they were, her, Cade,Valerie, and Carlos jumped around in it for nearly two hours in a nearby park,laughing as they made nearby children jealous and their parents confused. Aftertheir fill of enjoyment, they had let the kids of the park use the purple andyellow bouncing castle until the rental time ran out.
