Page 90 of The Spring in My Heart

She sighs. “Papi, you’re, like, stressed out or something. You keep tapping on the steering wheel, and you’re not listening to me.”

“I’m sorry, reina. I didn’t realize you were saying something. I’ve been caught up in my thoughts.”

“No kidding. I know work has been really busy this week. You have way too many projects. Like you always tell me, el que mucho abarca, poco aprieta.”

It’s my mom’s saying. He who tries to hoard too much seldom can keep a hold of all of it together.

I laugh. “Are we at that point when you are now throwing wisdom words at me?”

I stop at the light and look at her. She’s smiling more than usual, and her eyes are fixed on me. I pinch her cheek, and we keep going.

We park near the entrance to the complex and go out to stand in the front and wait. They’re not here yet, but as I’m about to turn to my daughter, the champagne color Ranger Rover parks next to my Tahoe. I don’t take my eyes off it. I don’t want to miss the moment she steps out. She doesn’t make me wait. She steps out in a green matching suit, the pants painted over her beautiful legs, illustrating every curve. She smiles and waves. And it’s like we’re alone. I exhale.

“She looks like a Thiccletics commercial.”

I blink and turn to A. “Are you okay with this?”

She laughs. “Am I okay with hanging out with Bron and her Aunt Lux, who is probably the coolest person ever? That’s not a weird question at all, Papi…”

I catch myself then. Coño, get it together.

Lux reaches us with Bron by her side this time. The girls hug, she gives me a chaste kiss on the cheek, and then she goes to embrace my baby girl. I get caught in A’s big smile.

“I was telling Papi you look like a post sponsored by Thiccletics.”

“Thanks, Ayla. I’m a little hurt the two of you didn’t tell me the color of the day was blue.”

And that’s how I notice A and Bron are dressed almost the same.

The three of them are watching me with smiles, like I’m not in on the joke. “Are the two of you ready for us?”

Bron shakes her head. “Are you and Aunt Lux ready for me and A?”

“I thought we were a team?” I say to my daughter.

She shakes her head. “You’re with Lux. A&B against L&O. Sorry, Papi.”

The girls link arms and start going in.

Lux’s smile brightens, and she shrugs. “You’re stuck with me.”

“We are…again.” I whisper the last word for her ears only.

I can’t help it. My brain jumps to our night when we were really stuck together, tangled up in her bed and then her floor with our mouths and bodies.

But I need to swipe that away. Today, we’re with A and Bron. Those are not thoughts for this outing, so I shove the sucio back in the closet for the day.

We go inside, and I pay for the game. We get our jackets.

“Aunt Lux, A and I need a matching suit like yours.”

“Economy price, please,” Ayla adds.

“Actually, I can get you both this same exact one. I’ll ask, and they will send them to me.” She turns to me. “I’m sorry. Is that okay with you?”

I look from her to Ayla, who is trying to appear calm, but her eyes are practically begging me. I think it’s a nice gesture. “It’s okay. But I can also give you the money for it.”

She shakes her head. “They sponsor some of my videos. Trust me, they’ll happily give them to me.”

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