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“Hi, Dwayde.”
“Yeah…hey.” He hunches his thin shoulders.
Although I’m his lawyer, I had hoped that my inclusion in the family might thaw him toward me. I need his trust for the case, especially since I suspect he’s hiding something key. But he still remains aloof.
At twelve, I was the same, suspicious of anyone in the system, even those who claimed to be on my side.
“How are you?” I ask.
“Aw’right.”
“Ready for your game this Friday?”
He lowers his head. The cornrows are gone, now replaced with buzzed sides and a curly top. “I guess.”
Though he’s braced against me in self-defense, I persist. “I’d like to come cheer you on.”
His shoulders hitch again.
I hear Mick’s sharp indrawn breath that is likely a signal for manners as Dwayde quickly adds, “Yeah. If you want.”
“I do. I haven’t been to a basketball game in years.” Not since watching Mick play in high school from the back of the rafters.
“Then we’ll have to win this for her, won’t we?” Mick says, nudging Dwayde’s ribs and managing to pull a dimpled grin out of him.
Maria strides up and hooks her arm through mine. “I’m stealing your girl away for a while.”
“No problem. As long as I get her back.” Then catching me off guard, Mick leans forward and drops a loud kiss on my stunned mouth in front of everyone.
“Eww.” Justin’s face turns to a grimace and Dwayde’s expression shows equal complaint.
“Don’t knock it until you’re old enough to try it. Better than ice cream.” He winks at his nephews, pleased with himself, and I feel my cheeks heat at his outrageousness.
“Okay, lover boy,” Maria teases. “How about you strap it down and go set the table?”
“Strap what down?” Dani asks, as I’m beginning to see is her nature.
“I’ll leave that one to you,” Mick says, chuckling as he saunters over to the eating area with Dwayde.
Dani waits for her mother’s explanation, her little head angled in question.
“Um…the napkins, sweetie. We need Uncle Mick to strap down the napkins with forks and knives. Now go help Aba with the tamales.”
Satisfied, Dani runs off and climbs up on the footstool beside her grandmother.
“Good save,” I say as Maria leads me arm-in-arm to the island.
“She’s such a Curious George, I have to watch everything that comes out of my mouth. Here.” Maria lays out a cutting board, knife, and strainer filled with washed apples she says are from their orchard. “Peel and chop these into cubes about this big.” She shows me the size with the space between her forefinger and thumb. “You’re going to make the filling while I prepare the empanada dough.”
I bump her shoulder, amused. “You’ve gotten bossy.”
“I come by it honestly,” she agrees with a laugh, not the least offended.
We watch Rita Torres rule the kitchen—instructing James and Victor, and putting Justin and Dani to work fetching items from the fridge.
“James calls me a drill sergeant.”
“Explains the apron.”
