By the time Elsa was done bringing them up to speed about her school’s assembly, Lucy was past her minor meltdown and instead seemed completely captivated by all big sis had to share. Byron hadn’t wasted any time. He’d already purchased tickets to the zoo on his phone as Elsa had spoken. The bigger Elsa smiled as she spoke and wider Lucy’s eyes got, the more upgraded their trip to the zoo had gotten. He’d booked the giraffe feedings, something called Flamingo Mingle and a behind the scenes tour. He still hadn’t gotten their parents’ permission to keep them from school Friday, but Byron would play dirty if he had to. Fridays were short days for them anyway. His plan was to show up early at their place and surprise the girls before they were chauffeured off to school.
Ali had a stronger backbone than his big pushover brother when it came to the girls. But even she didn’t stand a chance against baby girl’s big emotional eyes. Beast would be toast the moment he’d look into those trembling lips Friday morning, so it was a done deal.
The movie they watched turned out to be metaphorical and a bit over Lucy’s head. Two stray dogs and a cat went on a journey to each find their way home. It wasn’t until the end when they finally arrived at their destination that the viewer and the animals realize each needed to resolve some personal struggle, they didn’t even know they were fraught with before they could arrive. The home each one was searching for turned out to be their own personal pet heaven.
On their drive home, Byron attempted to explain to Lucy about the animals being stuck between life and death because they each had something to overcome before they could get to heaven. Something they needed to learn or finish before they could cross to the other side and be truly happy.
“Do people have to do that too?” Lucy asked from her booster seat in the back.
Glancing in the rear-view mirror, Byron’s grip of the steering wheel got a little tighter. “No one really knows what happens when you die. But I suppose it could be true.”
“But heaven is a real, right?” Elsa who sat next to Lucy was quick to ask. “Daddy says that abuelita is in heaven but is always looking down and watching over all of us.”
Closing his eyes as they came to a stop, Byron nodded but didn’t comment.
“Do you think gwahma had something she needed to finish befoh she could cwos to duh udda side, Uncle B?”
Curse the twist ending to that stupid movie. If Byron had any idea he’d be taking the girls to see a movie that might have them asking these kinds of questions he would’ve never taken them to that one. But he refused to go there and let this line of questioning pull him back into that dark place again. He’d managed to stay out of it for too long now. So, the moment he saw it he switched lanes.
“I don’t know, baby girl.” He turned into the shopping center. “Who’s up for frozen yogurt?”
“I am!”
“I am!”
He switched the subject easy enough to talk about their favorite flavor yogurts instead. By the time they were in the yogurt shop, Lucy was far more interested in all the different toppings she’d be choosing from and Byron managed to snap out of the mood he’d begun to get sucked into.
Note to self: Next time he’d take them anywhere, he’d research and read reviews before going into it blindly. Idiot.
Two
No Distractions
Vannah
“I got them all, Felix, Abel, De La Hoya and even that Beast guy.” Vannah spoke into her earpiece as she hurried to get her clothes out of the washer and into the dryer. “I didn’t bother with the other athletes. Most were Dodgers, Lakers and even a few Raider players but I figured he wouldn’t really be into any of them. And no lie, Nena we were there for over four hours. I was exhausted and starving by the time we were done.”
“Well, at least you got the most important ones.” Nena chirped happily. “His collection will be complete now. But let’s get to the most important part. Were the guys there as hot as I’ve heard they are?”
Slowing her pace, Vannah bit her bottom lip feeling her face warm when she remembered the hot guy with the delicious smile, she’d caught staring at her. “Yes,” she said softly even as her sister squealed.
This had Vannah giggling despite her keeping to herself how she’d totally blown it at the sight of that gorgeous smile aimed directly at her. As usual she’d frozen on the spot and glanced away as soon as she’d been able to gather her wits instead of smiling back. She’d save herself the lecture because she knew her sister would be all over her being so shy and attempting to be more approachable and how a simple smile went such a long way. Vannah knew this already and smiling was hardly an issue for her, but she just couldn’t help freeze up when she was nervous or taken by surprise like she had been that day.
She didn’t tell her sister about that guy specifically, but she did fill her in on the amount of eye candy they’d seen that day. “I knew it. Aside from all the hot boxers, Tricia was telling me ever since that model Kara what’s-her-face was discovered there by the owner of that modeling agency who was there being trained by their world-famous trainers, the place is just crawling now with aspiring models and actors looking to get discovered.”
That had Vannah thinking of that perfect smile. She did spot him talking casually with the Beast boxer. Maybe he was famous too? But he hadn’t been mobbed like some of the other athletes there who even when they were on a break from the signings could hardly get a moment’s peace. He’d walked out of there as quietly as any of the other non-famous people. Vannah knew this for a fact, because her eyes had followed him until he was out of sight.
She sighed even as her sister went on in her usual excited tone. “I’m so going in there the next time I’m in Los Angeles. I heard you can get a one-time free week pass.”
“You can,” Vannah confirmed. “We all got one and I’m seriously considering just getting a regular pass.”
She explained about how you didn’t have to sign a contract. You could do it month to month and the student discount made it very reasonable. Something she was counting on since she wasn’t sure how long it’d be before the novelty of being a member of the famous 5th Street gym would dwindle.
Once off the phone with her sister and all the laundry she wouldn’t be hanging was in the dryer, she tapped her phone screen, and headed back to her dorm room with her basket of clothes. She started hanging the stuff she never put in the dryer on hangers around her dorm room.
While her parents had insisted on paying for a bigger fancier apartment that would’ve been far more expensive than her dorm, Vannah wasn’t having it. Her parents were paying enough for her tuition since she hadn’t qualified for any tuition aide and despite the scholarship she’d earned, it didn’t cover everything. Besides, she’d always known her mom had met her lifelong best friend in college when they’d been assigned to the same dorm. Her mother had agreed this might be a missed opportunity. Worst case scenario if she got stuck with a roomie who she was just too incompatible with, she could always request a change. “Give it a chance though, baby,” her mom had encouraged. “It’ll take some time to get used to living with a total stranger. I almost didn’t last we were so different, but I’m so glad I did.”