Page 18 of Break Point
I get up and grab the napkin to throw it away.
“Pues ese es el monto de la multa, ¿no?”?3 he retorts.
Gemma laughs. It’s not the Spanish. His accent is solid. It’s the fact that Mr. Computer Engineering sounds like he belongs in a telenovela, and it throws her off every time.
Dad spoke to us in Spanish all the time growing up until we became fluent. We also spent a few summers in a row in Puerto Vallarta with our cousins from Guadalajara, where Dad’s from, so we practiced a lot with them, too.
“Rob, this isn’t a game,” Dad chides. “The only thing that calms me about this situation is that the money goes directly to the Grand Slam Development Fund. But it pains me to think how that money could’ve been put to better use.”
He glances at Henry for a moment before standing and picking up his plate.
My dad didn’t grow up with much, but his baseball career with the Yankees changed his life. He’s one of those rare people who never forgets where they came from, and I admire that about him. He constantly reminds us that money can go as quickly as it comes, and that we should learn to spend it wisely. Naturally, that only makes me feel worse about the fine, especially after hearing about Dora and Henry’s financial issues.
“It’s getting late. I better get going and see what your mom is up to.”
He knows exactly what “up to” means at this hour.
Dad walks over to the kitchen and leaves his plate in the sink.
“Oh, and about the sleeping arrangements,” he says. “Henry, you’ll be staying in our room since Addison and I never stay over anyway. Feel free to move all your things in and make yourselfat home.”
“Thanks, Joe. I appreciate it,” Henry replies, standing up. I still can’t get used to that new, deeper voice. It keeps short-circuiting my brain, stirring up feelings I’d rather not feel again.
Dad leaves. Henry picks up everyone’s plates and takes them to the kitchen sink. He’s about to start doing the dishes when Robbie shouts, “Just leave them! Carmen will be here tomorrow morning!”
Henry turns around with a half-smile, and it’s the first time I’ve seen his teeth since he arrived. “My God, Carmen as insalsa verdeCarmen?”
“The one and only.”
“Man, I’ll have to ask her to make some tomorrow,” he says, getting back to the dishes.
“There’s a huge Tupperware in the fridge,” Robbie replies. “She makes one every week or I can’t function.”
“I swear I asked my mom to make it a few times, but she never got it right.”
Henry’s now beginning to sound more like himself, and for some reason, it hurts even more. I was hoping he turned into a monster. That way, it would be easier to keep hating him.
“Well, I guarantee you’ll be swimming in salsa verde for as long as you stay here with us,” Robbie says with a laugh, opening the fridge and grabbing a beer. “Feel free to grab one for yourself, too.”
Robbie gestures for us to follow him to the living room.
“Where are your manners,Roberto?” Gemma says, raising an eyebrow. “Aren’t you going to offer me a beer, too?”
“You’reseventeen,” Robbie reminds her, throwing himself back on the couch, “and out of your mind if you think I’m offering alcohol to Jae Cho’s favorite underage daughter.”
“Well, duh.” Gemma sits next to Robbie, tugging his heavy-framed glasses off his face and tossing them onto the coffee table. She’s an only child. But Robbie already knows that.
“You need to stop worrying about that internship, you nerd,” she says. “You’ll get accepted whenever you apply. I’ll talk to Papa Jae. No biggie.”
“No, no, no,” Robbie says, gesturing for her to stop. “Please don’t tell your dad anything about it. I want to apply on my own and see how it goes.”
Gemma narrows her eyes suspiciously at him.
Henry joins us and sits in an armchair directly across from me.
“If I’m not accepted, we’ll wine and dine Papa Jae to convince him to take me in.” He shoots Gemma one of his hearty grins, and she rolls her eyes. “My treat.”
Robbie takes a sip of his beer and raises it toward Henry. “Where’s yours?”
