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Drew stops in front of the ice cream shop. He pulls my arm, but my attention is diverted by a beautiful and spunky brunette. Maria is arguing with an old man on the sidewalk. A kid about Drew’s age is at her side, crying.
I take his hand and start walking toward Maria.
“I thought we were getting ice cream?” he protests.
“We will, but I see a friend.”
As we approach the arguing pair, they are shouting at each other in Spanish. Maria keeps telling him that they didn’t forget Grandma. The man calls her a liar, insisting that Rosa came with them.
Maria’s eyes widen when she notices me. Her head turns back to the man. He grabs her by the arms and starts shaking her.
“Hey! Hey, there,” I shout, closing in on them.
“Who are you?” the old man asks angrily, his wrinkles tight around his eyes.
“I’m Maria’s friend. I called the house looking for her, and Rosa told me she was here.”
“Rosa?” His face lights up when he says her name. He lift’s his thick gray eyebrows, his upper lip covered by an overgrown moustache.
“Yes, see, Papa? She’s not with us,” Maria says, and then mouths thank you. She takes her grandpa’s arm. “Now, will you get in the car, please?”
“Rosa’s at home?” he asks me, looking for confirmation.
“Si.” I nod.
Maria tucks her grandfather in the car and closes the door.
“Thank you,” she says, looking relieved.
“Who is he, Mama?” the little boy at her side asks. He smiles shyly through a mouth full of oversized teeth.
“This is my friend, Ryan.” She touches his head. “This is Javier.” Her gaze falls to Drew. “And who’s this?”
“Oh, I’d like you to meet my nephew, Andrew.” I let go of Drew’s hand. “Drew, this is Maria and Javier.”
Drew and Javier exchange shy waves and crooked smiles.
“I like your train,” Drew tells Javier, and I notice the toy in Javier’s hand.
Javier replies, “Thank you. I like trains.”
“Me, too,” Drew says. “I have some at my house. You can play with them sometime if you want.”
Javier nods and slides a little farther behind Maria’s leg.
Maria smiles. “It’s nice to meet you, Andrew, and it was good seeing you again, Ryan, but I need to get Papa home. Thank you again.”
“Sure,” I say, feeling nervous. What is it about this girl that turns me stupid the moment I get near her? She belts Javier in the back seat and before she gets in the car I ask, “Hey, when will I see you again?”
“I have your number.”
“But you won’t call me, right?”
“Probably not.” She frowns and ducks in the car. I watch it pull into traffic, feeling disappointed. There’s something intriguing about Maria that makes me want t
o be near her.
Drew yanks on my arm and we walk back to the ice cream shop.
