Literary Harts

2. Here I Am

Trae had taken us back home for the weekend.

            It had been Anthony's birthday.

            I remember being much younger and treating his birthday like it didn't matter, but as I got older, an appreciation for him kind of just formed. Whether I realized it or not, he's always been there for us and treated me and Vera as his own when he didn't need to. He adored Mami and raised Khalil to be a wonderful young man. Abuela really likes him too, so I eventually caved in.

            As we came to reaching our stop, Trae had dropped me off to go pick up his parents. His mother had been looking forward to seeing me again. It still amazed on how often she calls me just to hear about my day. While inches away from touching the knob, a rush of emotions had come pouring in.

            It was at that moment where I realized that I wasn't a little girl anymore—that I was away for school trying to chase after a dream that I'm still searching for myself. None of it felt real. I always wondered what life would've been like as soon as I left.

            It saddened me that I was still wondering what it could be.

            With a heavy sigh, I walked right in and held my smile. Once inside, I saw how chaotic things had been. Mami had been running up and down trying to set everything together. Cousins on Anthony's side had been running around with Khalil, Aunty Sasha who seemed much slimmer than the last we've seen of her had been helping Mami in the kitchen.

            "Do my eyes deceive me or is Nya back in the house again?" Aunty Sasha held that warming smile that she was known for. She had been stained with flour as she copied Mami's steps in making the arepas that Antony adores so much.

            With skin that glistened with the color brown, Aunty Sasha had been stunning like's she's always been. Her long golden hoops had jingled with very step she made in my direction. As she wrapped her arms around me, I felt how welcoming her embrace had been. She was Antony's older sister. When we had first met, I was terrified of her—I thought she was intimidating only to realize that she was a sweetheart with a quick temper.

            She wanted to catch up, but Mami didn't waste a second putting me to work. She told me to wash my hands and follow behind her. If it weren't for the fact that I was sneaking away bites when she wasn't looking, I wouldn't have been so eager to join.

            As the three of us continued cooking, I had asked Mami where Vera and everyone else was. To my surprise, they had left with Tia Yesenia and Tio Roberto to pick up the last minute items and decorations. Apparently the party would be in the backyard. It explained why they had been up so early planning things.

            "So how are you all doing this without him? There's no way Anthony just woke up and decided to be gone all day. You know he likes to start his morning with the first two hours on the couch?" I had teased causing laughter to break out amongst the three of them.

            Mami bended her arms with enough force to properly shape her last batch of arepas. "Trae's father actually is keeping him busy for the day. And Trae is also helping out in keeping him busy too."

            "Can't be, Trae went to get his parents."

            Mami held a smile as I slowly put it together that Trae had been involved in the set up without me knowing. It explained why he was so determined to get us on the road earlier. I didn't know whether to be surprised that Trae had been on it or bothered that Mami had left me out.

            "Why didn't you tell me? How'd you know I didn't want to be part of the surprise?" I asked her.

            "Because you my little conejita." She grabbed both my cheeks with her flour stained hands. "Have a very big mouth and would've ruined the surprise."