Celia

26 It's A Little Too Late

Celia

Gio brings my grandma over to babysit while he runs errands— checking on the auto shop, fixing his car, repairing his phone and whatnot.

I assure Marilyn that she doesn't need to pack anything else because I will be back home after school tomorrow. I just needed to take a day for my dad to cool off and for Gio to not worry.

Also, I want to properly sit with Ari and make sure she doesn't relive any of the pain she experienced when her mom left. Her and I connect on a level that gives me confidence that if I'm honest with her, she will understand and not start her tantrums again.

I consider covering the bruise on my cheek and lip, but I don't even have the energy to fake anything. Who am I hiding from? Ari thinks I fell and tripped. And the way Oscar and Chase look at me, I know Gio told them everything.

"You want to leave us?" Chase holds his chest when he comes over later Monday night.

I glare at Gio. "Yes."

"Excuse me?" Chase points at his face. "You think faces like this are just scattered across the world? I'm Caribbean and Albanian, baby—"

"Shut up." Gio smacks him across the head on his way to the couch. "Faces like yours are rare for a reason. There's already enough bad things in the world."

"Oh, look at this popcorn popping jokes now that he has an audience to impress..." Chase teases. I head to Gio's room. "Hey, I'm not done talking to you!"

"I am," I roll my eyes, then nod at Oscar who's watching TV with Luna and Ari on the couch.

"Celia, want to watch Mulan with us?" Ari chirps, swinging her legs back and forth.

"No, I'm okay," I say without stopping.

She scurries after me, bare feet stomping on the wooden floor. "Want to draw together?"

"No." I open Gio's door and glance over my shoulder. "I'm tired, okay?"

"What if we cuddle and I read you a bedtime story?" she says a toothy grin. "Would you like that? I have so many books. I read them to Luna yesterday. She was in pain, but after I read to her, her pain went away. I can do the same to you—"

"I'm not in pain," I turn to her, stepping inside Gio's room. "I just want to be alone."

"Do you need to throw a tantrum?" she considers for a moment then gasps. "Want to smash beer bottles? I'll ask uncle Chase to drink—"

"Look..." I kneel before her and hold her hands, lowering my voice. "I love spending time with you, but I can't stay. I want to move away and become a lawyer. I can't do that here."

"Then we'll move with you," she reasons with a small voice. "We'll take Liam and Luna too."

I shake my head. "It's not safe to go with me. You'll get hurt. Your dad will get hurt. I don't want that. The only way we can stop that is if I'm not around. If you were in my shoes, you'd want to protect me too, wouldn't you?"

"But we're smart, we can think of another solution..." she pouts, pulling my hands in protest. "I want to stay together like a family—"