Page 53 of Unbreakable Thread

“Thank you, Sunny, for allowing me to spend some time with you,” he says, peering at me with soft eyes. “You know I’ve never been so scared in my life like I was the day of your accident. I thought you might die, and I feel you might have if I hadn’t shown up. I’ll never forget the face Max had that day. It was haunting.” He swallows and averts his gaze. “I thought about you. If you were in a good family. I wondered how Max was. I wanted to find him, to adopt him. I looked for you both to see if you were in a good home. But came up empty.”

My shoulders sag, and a tear slips. He might appear an unhinged man, but his heart is made of gold. I take two steps toward him and wrap him in a brotherly hug. His back stiffens, then relaxes, as he embraces me in a hug. By the tightness in his grip and the sigh exhaling out of him, it’s as if he’s releasing years of guilt and wonder.

Chapter 16

Rainey

This time around, I didn’t have to pick at my thoughts. Leo’s mouth rumbles like a motorcycle on the way to the rehab center. We’re twenty minutes away. I’m excited to see Hector’s progress.

“I don’t see how you can eat that.” Leo keeps gagging when I dip my Cheeto puff into a can of bean dip I bought at the gas station on our way up here.

“Just try it.” I push a Cheeto to him, covered in beans.

And there he goes again. Gagging, then pinching his nose together. Instead, I shove it in my mouth and groan. It really is good. A memory surfaced of my dad, Alejandro, buying me a bag of Cheetos and bean dip at the store. That’s what had me get the combo. I’m glad I did. I’ve been missing out.

“I swear your child is going to have severe gas when it’s born, if you keep eating that.” Leo takes a sip of his fountain drink. “I like beans, but not like that.” He points to the can.

“Dramático.” He can be very dramatic at times.

He rolls his eyes at me, but a small smile tugs at his lips.

We finally made it without Leo spilling his guts out. I lick the remainder of the cheese stain on the tip of my fingers since I can’t find a napkin.

A different woman is at the desk than last time. She gives us a warm smile. “Hello, how can I help you two?”

“I’m here to see Hector Cano, and can someone give me the progress he’s made since I was last here?”

“Are you listed as his primary?”

“Yes, I am.”

She nods, and her heels click down the long hall. She spins and turns to us. “Follow me.” We trail behind, sitting in the chairs she gestured at. She clears her throat and then takes a long sip of her glass, the bright pink lipstick staining the straw. “Hector is doing great, actually.” She clicks the mouse. “He’s working on decades of alcoholism. We are at the stage of working through grief, guilt, shame, and buried emotions. It’s a long recovery. Hector is doing very well in therapy. We need to discuss his support upon release, schedule our outpatient program for him, and find a therapist in his area.”

We discuss Hector’s plan upon his release. I offered to have him move in with me to support his healing journey. If he goes back to his home, it’s only going to cause depression, and the cycle will start all over again.

“Hector will be ready to go home in three weeks. We will have his after-care set up for him.”

Our shoes crunch on the plush emerald grass, still dewy from the morning rain, as we walk toward Hector. He stands near the glassy pond. Ducks with green heads dart after their plain brown mates, sending ripples across the water’s surface, while butterflies perch with trembling wings atop a bed of flowers.

Hector pivots in my direction, flashing the same grin I’ve seen on his son’s face countless times. Something in his gaze has softened since I last saw him. The hollows beneath his cheekbones have filled in. He stands differently now—upright, deliberate, like a man who has decided to take up space again. “Hola, Rainey.” His arms are out without a second thought. I didn’t expect it, but I step into his warm embrace. My hormones have been off the charts, so now all I want to do is cry at the progress he’s made.

“Hola, Hector, how have you been doing?” I pat his back, then step back.

Leo is behind me, his mouth slightly gaped.

I jut my thumb back toward Leo. “This is Leo, Max’s best friend, who he sees as a little brother, and works with him.”

“Hi, Leo, a pleasure to meet you.” Hector extends his hand out.

Leo grips it. “Max looks just like you.” He cocks his head. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Cano.”

Hector laughs with a sense of pride. “Call me Hector, Leo, and he’s a lucky guy,” he jokes. Talk about progress.

Chatter fills the cafeteria when we enter. Families spread around playing board games while some enjoy a meal, others a coffee in hand.

A large salad bar sits in the far back, with an assortment of toppings. Next to it, three women work the line, serving burgers and fries. “I feel like having a salad today,” I tell the guys.

“I’ll have the same. A salad sounds refreshing.” Hector stretches his neck to see the cart. It’s jarring that this is the same man he was months ago.