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that
scent. Funny, I can’t remember the name of it right
now.”
    He chuckled. “Me neither.”
    She leaned her head against his chest. “I
loved my mama, but she was so sad all the time. When she came into
the room, she was like a Debbie Downer, all gloomy like, you know
what I mean?”
    Thinking of some of the guys he met in
prison, he nodded. “Yeah, I met a few people like that.”
    “ That’s why I felt so
guilty for not being upset when she finally did leave.”
    “ So, she managed to run
away?”
    “ I think daddy let her go.
Anyway, she went to her family, the Delgado’s. They sent her back
in a bag. Daddy went ballistic. Within twenty-four hours, all her
family in South America and the U.S. was dead.”
    That was some serious shit, Julio thought.
“You said he let her go. He didn’t know what they’d do in
retaliation for him taking out those guys?”
    “ I don’t know. He never
said. What he did say was she was his wife and no one was supposed
to lay a finger on her. He claimed they’d been the ones shooting at
us at the gate months before and they would pay for all of it. I
was sent to Aunt Frances.”
    “ That’s Roberto’s mom,
right?”
    She nodded. “Yeah. Daddy’s younger sister.
She was married to Uncle Ricardo.”
    “ They worked munitions
back then I think,” Julio said wondering what the man would think
of the colossal fuck up his son had made.
    “ I guess so. But anyway
that’s when Roberto and I became so close. He’d called me a spoiled
brat but he’d do anything I asked.” She smiled.
    “ You probably drove them
all crazy.”
    She swatted his arm. “I was six and my mama
was gone, they were supposed to be extra nice to me.” She smirked.
“Anyway, Roberto was eight years older than me and I was the
closest thing he would get to a sister, so we spent a lot of time
talking and hanging out. I don’t have to tell you how great that
felt having someone that much older pay attention to everything you
say. I loved him for it, we remained close.”
    “ Yeah, Roberto’s a real
peach.”
    “ He has changed some. More
stuffy—”
    “ Full of
himself—”
    “ But deep inside, he’s a
good man. Loyal and loving,”
    “ I’d never argue with you
Mrs. Black. But I reserve judgment on the matter.”
    “ Good, thanks. I knew
you’d be fair.” She paused. “Next thing I know, Daddy is dating my
nanny.”
    “ Your nanny?” He smiled
thinking of the wily old fox.
    “ Yeah, Ms. Lucia. She was
wonderful. She helped soften the blow when daddy found out I was
pregnant. Daddy wanted to kill Felipe with his bare hands.
Sometimes I wonder…”
    “ Felipe?... You wonder
what?”
    A dreamy smile crossed her face. “Felipe
Santiago. He had come home with Roberto for some dinner Auntie was
having. I hadn’t been allowed to go the prom. Daddy and I weren’t
speaking so I was with my aunt, sulking when Roberto and Felipe
walked in. He was over six feet tall, a little shorter than you
though. He had muscles and a great body.”
    “ He looked good. Got it.”
Julio tried to picture his sperm donor and couldn’t.
    She laughed. “He was six years older than me
and very quiet. We sat next to each other at dinner and talked. I
was giddy.”
    He chuckled at her use of the word. “Giddy?
You?”
    She rolled her eyes at him. “Brat.”
    He laughed.
    “ You just don’t get it. I
had never been this close to a boy before. I went to an all-girl
school with a bodyguard. It was hard to have friends. No one came
over to visit, I missed all the parties and shopping was a major
event because of security. It was horrible.”
    He sobered as he visualized her life. His
mom had such a vibrant personality that it was hard to imagine her
in those surroundings. It would have been hellish for her. “I’m
sorry. That must’ve been hard.”
    She nodded. “It was. I was
miserable. So sitting, talking with Felipe was a big deal. Roberto was nervous,
tried to keep us apart. But I was seventeen and a