Page 23 of Love at First Ink

“Hi, Tía!” Camilia smiled, coming up to hug her. The genuine excitement on her niece’s face always made her breath hitch. What would it be like if most people in her life looked as happy to see her as Camilia did? She certainly wouldn’t be as fucked up as she was.

“Before we sit, I want to see your tattoo.” She came around the table, looking put-together for a mom of two. She wore tight jeans, showing off her curves that their mother always tried to hide or make Lola feel insecure about. Her mother constantly bashed Lola for her size and put her on all kinds of crazy diets, which she would make Marisol do as well to keep her “thin and desirable” figure.

Both of them were working on that in therapy still.

“It’s mostly healed now.” She pulled up her dress slightly for her sister and niece to see.

Camilia gasped and reached out to gently touch Marisol’s tattoo. “She’s so pretty. Does it still hurt?” her niece askedcuriously. “Mamá Lola always rubs special lotion on my cuts when I get hurt.”

Marisol’s features softened. “Well, that’s because you have a good mommy.”

“Oh, yes, she’s the best. And I have the best daddy too,” Camilia said before claiming one of the chairs at the table for herself.

“It does look beautiful. I’m so glad you went through with it.” Lola took a seat next to her daughter.

“Thank you for setting it up and paying for it. You didn’t have to do that,” Marisol said.

Lola just waved her words away. “It’s your birthday. I was happy to. Besides, I've never really given you anything big for your birthday. It was past time.”

The waiter took this opportunity to come by and ask for their drink order, dissolving the awkwardness Marisol felt over her sister’s comment. Lola ordered a Coke Zero, Camilia opted for juice, and Marisol said water, even though coffee sounded much better.

“So, what else did you get for your birthday?” Lola asked once their waiter left.

Marisol had a brief moment where she wondered if she should tell Lola about Cisco and going out to a concert last night. It hadn’t technically been for her birthday, but it was close enough. A big part of her wanted to keep Cisco a secret for now. Something only for her until she figured out where Cisco would fit into her life and if he even stayed in her life.

So, she shrugged. “I ordered takeout. Caught up on a few shows. Mrs. Baker gifted a beautiful pair of earrings. Dad sent me a flower arrangement, and Mom…bought me a gold membership at my gym.”

Lola scoffed. “Typical Mom response. Iswear, that woman…” she trailed off, turning to look at Camilia, who stared at her wide-eyed.

Unlike her daughters, Camilia loved her grandmother. Lola and Marisol were fiercely protective over Camilia and made sure their mother didn’t pull the same shit on Camilia she did to them as kids. Their mother didn’t see her grandkids often but was usually on her best behavior when she did.

“Anyway, I’m glad you had a good birthday. Did you spend it with any of your friends?” Lola quickly changed the subject in hopes Camilia wouldn’t pry too deeply about Grandma. Her sister had made it very clear she wanted her daughter to make her own judgments.

“They were busy, which was fine. It was nice to spend the day by myself,” Marisol said. It was only half a lie. She did enjoy not being bothered by anyone, but she didn’t want to admit to her sister that she had no friends outside of Lola.

Her sister was smart, though, and had always been able to read her better than anyone in her family. Lola pursed her lips, and Marisol knew she was in for a lecture. Thankfully, she was spared by the waiter, who came by again to take their order. Both Camilia and Lola ordered banana pancakes, and Marisol ordered a veggie omelet with turkey bacon, pretending to not notice her sister’s reproachful glare at her food choice.

Not that Marisol could blame her. Turkey bacon kind of sucked, but Marisol was a creature of habit. She had always ordered this and didn’t have the mental energy to choose something else.

Once their waiter left, Marisol was no longer safe from her sister and whatever she had brewing in her head. “Your friends are busy often,” she mentioned casually, baiting Marisol like a trained fisherman.

“Our schedules don’t align.”She shrugged.

“They never seem to unless it’s an event where all Mom’s friends will be. Ever think that you may want to consider new friends?”

Oh, Marisol considered that quite often. The problem was that making friends as an adult was hard. Especially when she didn’t go to work, have any hobbies that involved other people, or go out to bars. Did people even meet friends at bars? She was so far removed from social life, she wouldn’t even know where to go to make friends. Maybe thirty-year-olds hung out at Michael’s or Target.

“You’re alone a lot, Tía,” Camilia said, adding salt to the open wound. She spoke with all the innocence only a child could possess, so really Marisol couldn’t be too wounded.

“She’s not wrong, you know.” Lola’s words weren’t unkind, but it did little to squash the embarrassment—and resentment—brewing inside her. It was easy for her sister to say things like that. She spent her whole life making connections outside the family while Marisol was forced to grow up fast and learn how to make herself into a pretty accessory her mother could tote around at will.

Needless to say, there wasn’t a lot of time to make friends.

“I think I have a solution for you though,” Lola went on.

“Oh, do you?” Marisol was unable to keep the bite out of her tone. If Lola or Camilia noticed, neither commented on it.

“I do. I was taking Fabian to his doctor appointment yesterday, and the nurse and I got to talking. She mentioned that, on the weekends, she volunteers at the animal shelter. You know the one off Sulphur Springs Road?”

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