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“Right,” said Audrey, more cheerful now.
Opening the package, I found an assortment of Mexican candy, and I smiled. I knew exactly who these were from. The box was filled with tamarind-covered candy, my favorite watermelon lollipops, banana bubble gum, and severalcajetaanddulce de lechecandies. I opened the card, recognizing the familiar handwriting that found me every holiday season.
For the doctor who gave me a fighting chance,
Thank you for saving my life.
Much Love,
Valentina Dennis
“It’s from a patient,” I said. Hector hovered over me, looking inside the box. His hand reached toward my lap for a piece of candy, but I smacked it away. “That’smycandy, Dr. Medina,” I said.
“Is that right, Dr. Ramirez?” Hector put his hands on his hips in warning just like he did when he was attempting—and failing—to be stern with our daughter.
I sprang to my feet, opened the door to the backyard, and ran as I clutched the box in my hands. I only barely heard Hector’s footfalls on the grass as he followed me, but I knew he wasn’t far behind.
He caught me and gripped my waist with one hand as he tickled me with the other.
“No, daddy!” shouted Marisela, now next to us. “She is going to drop the candy!”
I wiggled in his grip. “Stop! Stop!” I pleaded through the laughter.
Hector stopped long enough for me to hand my daughter the box. Marisela’s eyes widened at the sight of all the candy, and she ran with it back inside the house to show her grandpa.
“Dr. Ramirez,” Hector said. “Half of what is yours is mine.”
“Everything except for candy.” I grinned at him, and he tackled me to the ground.
Dad hadn’t raked the yard yet, and I laid on a bed of yellow and orange leaves. Hector’s weight pinned me to the ground, and he dipped his head to kiss me gently—just one chaste little peck would do for now, until we got home and put Marisela to bed.
As he looked at me with that smile of his, I thought of everything we had created together and how beautiful it all was. Nothing we had ever done together was ever short of remarkable.
I had come from a tiny family, just Dad and me, but I’d slowly but surely grown it. First, with Ramiro, then Sara, then all my girlfriends, and finally, all my nieces and nephews. We had filled this house with a huge family and a lot of laughter.
I lay there, looking up at my husband, feeling the crisp autumn air nip at my skin, incredibly grateful for the family we had made.
