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“Yesmph.” Sofia’s response was muffled by both sets of arms squeezing her half to death, though she didn’t seem to mind the effect. For a few seconds, anyway, until she was shoving at both of us to let her breathe.
“I thought you’d never get here,” she told us. “Abuela told me to watch TV for hours, and I’m only allowed two shows in a row. Itoldher, but she didn’t listen! Mama, why are you crying?”
I couldn’t help but laugh in the middle of my tears. “Just—just happy to see you, baby. So freaking happy.”
I hugged her again and probably squeezed her tighter than she liked. I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t get her close enough.
“This is kind of a funny house for you, Dad,” Sofia was saying over my shoulder. “It’s a lot smaller than your other places. It’s even smaller than home. Daddy, are you crying too?”
There was a cough, and then I turned to find Xavier giving a grim smile with reddened eyes. “Not at all. Come on, we’re leaving.”
“No!” my mother’s voice screeched through the room.
We both turned to find her standing in the doorway of the bedroom Sofia had come from, looking very tired and even more terrified.
“No, you can’t leave!” she exclaimed with eyes that danced all over the room. “No, please, they’ll—”
“They’ll what?” I demanded. “Mom, what the hell are you doing here, anyway? How could you even consider taking Sofia like this? How did you even get here on parole? How fuckingdareyou!”
“Swear jar, Mama,” Sofia whispered, though her little arms around my neck hadn’t stopped squeezing.
Her face reddened even more. Her nose had that pink tinge that told me she was drinking again, and the sallow color of her skin suggested she was using something more. She’d lost a lot of weight since I’d seen her last, and under her eyes, it looked like she hadn’t slept in days.
“I needed the money, Frankie,” she said weakly, not even bothering to answer the question.
I supposed I could fill in the blanks.
“Who did this, then?” Xavier demanded. “Who paid you off? Tell usnow.”
“I needed the money, and you did nothing to help me,” she rattled on as she stepped toward us. “What was I supposed to do?”
“How aboutnotkidnap your own granddaughter for ransom?” I snapped. “How aboutnotbetray your own flesh and blood?” I closed my eyes and pinched my brow. “You know what? Forget that. We’re not family. We’re not even related as human beings. You’re not worth the sympathy or even questions to answer. Xavi, let’s go.”
We turned to the door, Sofia’s body still ensconced in my arms.
“Mija, you wouldn’t—”
I whirled around. “Did you really just call me ‘daughter’? I haveneverbeen yourmija. You’ve never treated me or any of your kids like your actual children—just means to an end, even if it was to assuage your own conscience! Right now, my only priority is Sofia, so if you don’t want us to throw the absolutebookat you, let us go in peace.”
“Why would you throw a book at her, Mama?” Sofia wondered. “She was just picking me up.”
“They’ll do it again!” she cried out just as we turned to the door.
Xavier stopped at the door. “Who?”
“I-I don’t know the name,” she admitted as she sank onto the sofa. “They never told me. I heard one of the men mention a Park House, but that’s all.” She bit her lip. “They promised Sofia would stay safe all right. I wouldn’t have agreed to it otherwise. Even then, I refused to leave when we got here. Not without making sure she was going to be okay.”
“How very generous of you to make sure my daughter’s kidnapping went safely,” I spat. “JesusChrist, Mom.”
“Kidnap?” Sofia looked at my mother with eyes wide with betrayal. “What’s kidnap?”
“Something that will never happen again,” I assured her. “I’ll explain later.”
Ihatedthat I would have to do that.
“Parkvale,” Xavier muttered. “Fucking Georgina.”
“Swear jar, Dad,” Sofia remarked automatically as she reached out to twiddle a piece of hair that had fallen over Xavier’s brow.
