"Hi, Mrs. Rodgers," Ynez said to Denise. Denise smiled at the young girl. Whatever her gripes were with Luz and her family, Denise could admit that each and every one of her kids were incredibly respectful.
"Hi, dear. How can we help you?"
Before Ynez could say anything, Caroline jumped in. "Ynez's mom said we could go over to their house and hang out. Can we?"
Denise didn't understand her daughter's eagerness, Luz didn't have any children her age. She looked to her other daughter, who had become quite good friends with Ynez since Denise had suggested to Luz that their daughters should get together sometime. Melanie looked just as excited to go over to the house across the street, but despite both of her daughters wanting to, she still wasn't sure.
"I don't see why not," Denise's husband said as he walked back in from the kitchen.
"Thank you, dad!" Caroline and Melanie said in unison, running over to thank their father.
Melanie ran back to Ynez and began pulling her towards the door, but the ten year old stopped. "My mom said you could come too," she said to Denise and her husband.
Her husband shrugged, not having the same issues with Ynez's family as Denise did. He took Denise's hand and the five of them left the house together. The minute they stepped outside, the noise level raised exponentially.
"What's the occasion?" Denise's husband asked.
Ynez's brown flip flops smacked against the pavement as she walked. Pinching the fabric of her yellow romper between her fingers, she smiled. "My dad's coming home today. He's been away for work for a few months, so Mom says we have to celebrate."
"Oh, is he military?" Denise asked. It would explain him being away, but it wouldn't explain how they could afford the house. Certainly not on a military salary.
"No, he's a musician," Ynez said.
Ynez was young, but she wasn't dumb. She knew that Mrs. Rodgers didn't like her mom or her family very much. When she brought it up to her mother, Luz told her not to worry. We shouldn't waste our energy on people who don't want to understand who we are when there are plenty that do, she'd said. And when she asked why her mom insisted on inviting Melanie's parents over to their house tonight too, Luz just grinned.
"Your father likes to say treat people with kindness, but I like to say treat people with tequila. It's a sure thing to make fast friends, but only if you're twenty-one or older."
Ynez thought that was fine, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to mess with Mrs. Rodgers when she had the chance, knowing she was the type to think that a career in music was hardly a career at all.
Just like Ynez had assumed, Denise's nose wrinkled as her dad's profession was revealed. "Oh, that's, um, that's nice."
"Mom, you don't understand, he's-"
"Bug!"
Ynez's eyes lit up at the sound of her father's voice and ran the rest of the way to the front door of her house where her father was waiting for her with open arms. Harry picked her up and spun her around, his face splitting into a huge smile as he hugged his oldest daughter close. He'd only been gone for about two months, but that was way too long in his book.
Harry stopped spinning but didn't set Ynez down on the ground, opting to keep holding her despite the fact that she was ten years old and not four anymore. Kissing her cheek, he turned to the family that had finally caught up to Ynez. "Who are your friends, bug?"
Ynez felt a little silly for being held at her age, but she couldn't bring herself to let go of her dad. "That's Melanie and her family," she said. "They live across the street. Melanie and I are going to the same school."
Strangers Part 2
Start from the beginning
