"Thank you for dropping me off," I said bashfully, not looking at Florencio.

"Don't worry about it."

The darkness of his car slowly melted away all my insecurities. I turned to look at him. He was staring at me.

I know I should be focusing on my family situation, but Florencio put butterflies in me.

"Parker—"

Without thinking, I lurched forward and grabbed his face, kissing him. Florencio was taken back and his head ended up slamming against the car window.

"Oh!" I pulled back. "I'm sorry." I touched his head and he stared at me, unamused.

"You know," he started, rubbing his bottom lip. "Usually I wouldn't be opposed to doing anything like this, but we have an audience."

I tuned around and saw my grandma watching the car from the living room window.

My face furiously red, I grabbed my bag and got out of the car. I knocked on the door hesitantly.

The door swung open and there stood my grandma. I threw myself into her. I buried my face in her shoulder and inhaled her vanilla scent. She was beautiful. She kept her hair dyed brown, always had her makeup perfectly done, her clothes were classy but youthful — she was everything.

"Parker," she hummed. She stroked my hair and kissed my temple. She let go of me momentarily to close the door and then her arms were around me again. "Go to bed, it's late."

"But—"

My protest were cut off by her stern voice.

"I know you have a lot to say, but I want you to sleep before we talk, okay?"

I stared at her almost wrinkle-less face.

"Fine." It annoyed me, but I did as she said.

-

I woke up close to noon the next day. I got up and stretched, my back cracking wildly. Exhausted, I opted going back to bed, but I remembered who was here, and who wasn't.

Scrambling out of bed, I ran to the bathroom, brushed my teeth, washed my face, and then went into the living room.

My grandma sat at the couch, two plates of breakfast in front of her. She glanced at her wrist watch.

"About time you woke up, it's close to noon! It was hard trying to keep the food warm." Her Fine China print pajamas looked far too elegant to be on our old couch.

I apologized and sat next her, taking the plate of food gratefully. I stuffed my mouth with the eggs and bacon to show I liked it.

Grandma nodded satisfied I was eating.

After a few minutes of silence she said, "so this boy... how'd that happen? I only got a glimpse of his face when he dropped you off last night. You two seem comfortable." She offered a kind smile.

My face burned with embarrassment. I forgot she had caught me attack Florencio's face the way I did. I felt hyper after what happened in his room, I couldn't help myself in the dark car.

"Oh," I let out lamely. "He's really nice. We met at the grocery store like–" I wracked my brain. "Four months ago."

Please don't ask more.

"Your mom tells me he took you on a months long vacation. She wasn't happy about it." My grandma grimaced when the plate on my lap almost fell off.

"S-she encouraged me to go!" I stammered. "She accused me of being bored and not doing anything. How could she?" Maybe I was too upset over this. I tried to calm down.

My grandma took the plate from me and set it down on the coffee table. She grabbed my shoulders and made me look at her. "No, don't brush this off. Get angry, Parker."

The tightness in my shoulders returned. I felt like screaming. "I just don't understand how she can be the way she is! I've done everything I can to make her happy, have I not? I joined all the clubs in high school just so she didn't have to come home and I'd be there, I've never asked for anything–! Ugh! I hate feeling this way. Shouldn't I be obsessed with my mom, not trying to avoid her?"

"She was angry because she thought you were never going to come back." She stroked my fisted hands open.

"That makes no sense! All she wants is for me to be gone." My mom had to be the most confusing woman on the planet. How was she a PA when she had to give information clearly to her boss, I had no idea.

Grandma bit her lip. "Okay. You're not wrong, but, she worries about you. She wants you here but not doing what she doesn't want." Even she looked confused with what she said but asked nonetheless, "Did that make sense?"

I blew out a breath. "Sure."

Some silence then, "are you happy with this boy? I forgot his name." She pressed a palm to her forehead. "What did your mom say? Oh! Florencio... odd name."

I shrugged. "He's from Mexico. He was adopted." I bit the inside of my cheek. "Yes. I am." Florencio made me excited. No one had ever managed to make me feel that way. Dates were boring, boys were boring before Florencio.

"Alright, well try and think of that feeling you get with him when I talk about your mom and father."

My eyes narrowed but I nodded, signaling her to continue.

"Your mom was in love. Not the kind of love she has with Felix, which your mom also told me how she hid that from you." Grandma leaned over and kissed my forehead. "You had every right to be distant with Felix and Aaron." Something cracked inside me and warmth seeped through. "Anyways, she was hip to hip with your dad. Its like she didn't want to miss him blink. They started good, truly. It was after she found she was pregnant with you, their bliss ended, more like his. They got married anyways. Your mom was happy. Remember how I told you you were her best friend before your dad died?" I nodded. "She couldn't stop talking about their future together and that made your dad angry. He never yelled at her or hit her. He would leave and cheat on her." Grandma's face was taken over by sadness. "Your mom still loved him though, gave that man everything. He had said he didn't want her anymore and was trying to get her to leave him. But he promised to still support you and her." A shaky breath. "He kept that promise, but, I kept wondering where he got all the money. The apartment you lived in when you were one, he paid for it all. I tried to bring it up with Grace and she just kept begging me not to ask any questions. So, I followed him one day, in my car. He went a few hours out of town. I parked a few blocks away from him and then followed him on foot." Her lip quivered. I sat closer to her to provide comfort. "Jason had a gun against another mans head and demanded he give him the latest shipment or he'd kill him. The man didn't cooperate but when Jason brought up his 'boss' Rudy, the man succumbed immediately. Jason must have heard me because he looked at me and just walked away like it didn't happen."

My face paled at the familiar vocabulary and the person mentioned. Blood was roaring in my ears. My hands shook uncontrollably and I was suddenly freezing.

"Parker!" My grandma hugged me tightly. "I know it's a lot to take in. But you need to know your dad did horrible things. Jason was a bad man who used your mom and after he died, he took the best parts of her with him." She pulled back from me. "You look like him. Your hair color, eye shape, even your laugh sounds like him. I love you, you know that. But..." She searched for the right words. "It's just hard for your mom to be with the reminder of your dad everyday."

My throat burned and I gagged when I felt hot liquid travel up into my mouth. I ran to the bathroom, held my hair up, and kneeled over the toilet, puking my breakfast up. I coughed viciously as even last nights contents escaped.

This wasn't happening. My dead father wasn't involved in drugs. Especially not with Rudy. The man who tried to kill me, kidnapped me until Florencio came to my rescue.

God, Florencio. I know he didn't work with Rudy, but I had to tell him about this. I also needed to tell him how I was a burden to my mother, no matter where I was, her life would never be the same. I needed someone to listen to me and I knew he would.

I felt my grandma rub my back. She helped me up and squirted some toothpaste on my toothbrush for me. I took it and brushed my teeth until my gums bled.

After, she held me in her arms again.

"That's why she's so mean to you, Parker. She not the same person she was before your dad died." Suddenly she pulled away from me completely. "That's why I asked about your boyfriend. He took you on a free vacation. Your mom said he's an entrepreneur. Is that true? Is he making his money fair?" Her eyes searched mine wildly.

Florencio wouldn't hurt me. I thought he wouldn't anyways.

"Yes. He's fine, grandma."

"Thank god."

-

The next day, grandma, mom, and me all ate Chinese takeout for dinner at the kitchen table like nothing happened. Grandma told me that my mom knew we talked about my dad.

We were both too scared to approach each other about it.

However, dinner was as normal as it could get. Mom didn't acknowledge me, and grandma filled in the usually awkward air with her light words. Eventually her and mom started talking and that gave me an excuse to look at my phone.

Gina: So is shit okay with your mom?

I filled her in on everything, except the part about my dad. I couldn't do it.

Parker: Better, I guess. She hasn't said anything to me since I left the house that night. We've just been existing. I think my grandma calmed her down.

Gina: Good. It's been pissing me off she doesn't treat you right. Call if you need anything. Know I'm always here.

Parker: I know. Thank you.

"I'm gonna use the bathroom," I announced. My nearly full plate of food concerned my grandma, but mom looked fine.

I scurried to the restroom and impulsively called the still unsaved number.

The phone rang five times I almost hung up, figuring he wasn't going to answer, but he did.

"Parker," his hushed time came. "Is something wrong?" His voice sounded echoey.

"N-no." I looked at myself in the mirror. What's wrong with you? "What are you doing?"

"I'm—" I didn't understand what he said next. Then, "did you hear me?"

"Yes, but I had no idea what you said."

"Oh, shit, sorry. I was talking to someone else and when I got back to you— never mind. Look, I'm busy right now."

"Doing what?" I pressed.

"Honey..." a car horn blared. "Me voy! I have to go, okay? I'll call you later. I..."

"Okay. Bye." I hung up quickly after I said that. Florencio was doing dangerous things. I pointed at myself in the mirror. "You. You need to..." I trailed off, not knowing where I was going with that.

Reluctantly, I made my way back to the table.

-