Page 99 of Resilient Love

My cheeks heat at the insinuation, but Diego cuts in. “It’s not siding. Elise is just appreciating greatness when she sees it,” he says, patting Carlos on the back.

Rafael snorts, taking a loud sip of hismateas he finishes his mug, slurping the last of the liquid. “You’re talking a big game, Carlos. Let’s see if you can even manage a meld this round.”

“It’s not about winning,” Catalina chides. “It’s about spending time with family.”

“Eh, winning makes it better,” Rafael says, sounding uninterested in the game.

The game continues, and I’m completely lost within two rounds. Rafael keeps trying to give me tips, but they mostly consist of vague advice like which cards not to throw away. He doesn’t bother explaining why, and I’ll enjoy teaching him a lesson about throwing hishighly competitivegirlfriend to the wolves like this.

Next time we come to visit, I’m spending months prior learning the rules of all these games so I can really play.

Halfway through the game, Carlos suddenly slaps his cards down on the table. “¡Chinchón!” he yells, throwing his arms up in victory.

The way his dad raises an eyebrow says everything. “Good,hijo. But let’s see if you can do that again.”

Carlos is practically beaming, clearly riding the high of his big moment, while Rafael mutters something under his breath. I bite back a laugh. I love it when he gets like this. When Rafael is annoyed and grumpy, all he wants later are cuddles. He’s a lot like me on my period.

By the time we get to the last round, it’s tense. Diego is sitting there, cool as ever, and Carlos looks like he’s ready to burst a blood vessel, which is hysterical considering he’s generally so calm and sweet. Apparently, he’s got a mean streak when it comes to card games.

Catalina and I have already accepted our fates as losers.

Carlos slaps a card down with way too much force. “Papá, you’re going down this time.”

“Patience,hijo,” Diego says smoothly, drawing a card from the pile. He looks at it, smiles, and then, in a move that feels almost theatrical, lays down his entire hand.

“¡Terminé!” he announces, throwing his hands up like he’s just won a championship.

Carlos’s groan is almost a growl as he throws his cards onto the table. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

Rafael lights up for the first time in the past half hour, laughing so hard he nearly spits out his drink. “And he does it again! You really thought you had him?”

“Cállate, Rafa,” Diego mutters, glaring at him.

I rest a hand on Carlos’s shoulder, trying not to laugh at how serious he looks. “It’s just a game.”

“No,” Carlos says dramatically, looking around the table. “It’s not just a game. It’s about pride. Legacy.” He points at his dad. “You’re ruthless, Papá. Ruthless.”

Diego shrugs, gathering the cards with a little flourish. “That’s why I’m the head of this family, Carlito. A trueChinchoneronever lets his guard down.”

Catalina gives Carlos a comforting look, but I can see the smile tugging at her lips. “There’s always next time,mi amor.”

Carlos shakes his head, muttering, “Next time, I’m taking you down, Papá.”

Diego just grins and winks. “I’ll be waiting.”

The table erupts into laughter again, and I can’t help but smile. This family, they’re competitive and chaotic, but they’re also kind of perfect.

There’s a strange combination of sadness and nostalgic joy that curls inside me.

It’s families like this that make the ache so much worse, reminding me how much I miss mymamanand Rachelle, but it’s also beautiful to know I get to be a part of this world with them too.

The rest of the night goes on similarly, with Rafael and Diego poking fun at Carlos while he gives it back to them ten-fold after taking a few minutes to sulk. Catalina and I wind up on the back patio, going through pictures of Rafael and Carlos as children and drinking a much less bitter version ofmatethat she served to me cold inside some sort of gourd with orange essence. The flavour has definitely grown on me, and I’m thankful for that because I want to share these special pieces of their culture with them.

It makes me feel like Rafa and I really belong not onlywitheach other buttoone another. It’s something I’ve never experienced before but can’t get enough of now that I have.

CHAPTER SEVENTY-FIVE

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11

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