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I can only muster up a long, exaggerated sigh.
“I love it, especially because of why you did it.” Josefina winks.
A haircut was what the doctor ordered after my heartbreak, along with a bottle of Zoloft to keep the sadness at bay.
Mom grips my shoulders as she scans me from head to toe. “I’m happy you’re home. The rest we can deal with later.”
“Me too.” My voice cracks. There was nothing I wanted more than my mom’s hugs and her unwavering belief that Vicks VapoRub will cure everything, including a broken heart.
Josefina places her hands on my shoulders and squeezes. “Don’t you worry. We’ll make it all better, starting with some of mypozole.”
Where my mom is a worrier, Josefina is a fixer like her son.
If only Julian had inherited her empathy too.
The sheriff interrupts our reunion by clearing his throat.
Panza llena, corazón contento:Full stomach, happy heart.
¿Y qué pasó con tu pelo?:And what happened to your hair?
“Dahlia.”
“Yes?”
“Julian wants to keep this off the record and pay for both repairs himself.”
“So he’s not going to get a ticket or mandatory community service for hitting me?”
The sheriff chuckles. “Do you want him to?”
“Only if you can promise he gets the kind that requires him to pick up trash on the side of the road for hours.” I snap my fingers. “Scratch that.Days.”
“Mija,” Mom warns as Josefina laughs.
“How else is he supposed to learn his lesson? Someone could have gotten badly hurt.”
The sheriff spares me a knowing look. “To be fair, you should have pulled over if you were having car trouble rather than continuing to drive like you did.”
My brows scrunch together. “Car trouble?”
“Julian explained everything already. If you ever struggle with the engine again, pull over and call for help.”
Why would Julian Lopez make up a cover story instead of telling the sheriff I was too busy crying to properly drive?
Perhaps because he plans on blackmailing you later.
My mom gives my hand a knowing squeeze, and the tension in my muscles bleeds away. “I’ll do that.”
The sheriff tips his hat. “Now that it’s all settled, I’d better get everyone back to the school auditorium for the talent show.Some of these folks should be in bed before their meds kick in at ten p.m.” He whistles and points to the trolley. “Let’s clear out!”
Mija:My daughter.
“We’ll hitch a ride with our kids instead.” Josefina waves the sheriff away.
The deputies wrangle the protesting crowd into the trolley while the first responders head to town, leaving the Muñoz and Lopez families alone.
“What talent show is he talking about?” I ask.
