The Eccedentesiast

Chapter Thirty-seven

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Chapter Thirty-seven
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"I like it."

Emma was startled by Debra's presence.

She slipped on her pillow and fell to her knees, glancing at the yellow poster on her wall for another second before leaving it be. "Thanks."

She crawled to the end of the bed and sat at the edge. "Do you think I'm ready to go to college?"

Debra walked further into the room, sitting beside her daughter. "I think you're ready for anything."

Emma sighed and shook her head. "No."

"What are you talking about?" She looked at her. "You've worked hard, honey. You've never gotten an F--Well, gym class is something not to beat yourself up for."

Emma shook her head. "It's not gym class. It's not about school. But do you think I'll be able to handle everything . . . Live life like I belong in it?"

Debra gave her a side hug. "You belong."

𖨆

"Emiliano, por favor, compra les un apartamento."

Emiliano slid his hands inside his front pockets. "They want to live here . . . apparently." He examined the wall that had a patch of red paint on it. "It's their decision."

"Yeah, it's our decision, Mom." Brian crossed his arms at his mother who kept trying to fix his hair.

"Actually," Emiliano walked to a corner of the kitchen, he looked down and found a dead roach laying on its backside, "maybe I should buy you guys a penthouse close to the school. You'll get eaten alive by parasites."

Daniel shook his head, his knuckles propped up on each hip. "You guys, we'll be fine."

"No, you won't." Debra hugged her daughter close to her chest. "I can't remember the last time Emma didn't come running for help because a fly got in the house.

"Mom!" Emma wiggles herself out of her mother's arms. "We're not little kids anymore."

Isabella sighed. She clutched her purse close to her chest. "Why do kids grow up so fast?" She looked at Emiliano and glared. "Why aren't you sad? You raised him!"

Emiliano raised his hands in surrender. "Hey, I'm just the rich cousin."

Daniel rolled his eyes. "Geez, we'll be fine." He turned around and dropped himself on the dusty couch that was against the wall beside the kitchen. "We have enough money saved to fix this place up, Tia."

Isabella looked around. She didn't like the small kitchen that they would probably never use because none knew how to cook. She didn't like the small living room that had dirty floors and a questionable red stain on the wall. She didn't like the small hallway that led to only three bedrooms, and she didn't even want to know what or who owned that bathroom before them.

"Fine," she gave in. "I'll . . . We'll all give you three months. If you don't come running back we'll think of this place as remotely decent."

Derek nudged Andy with his elbow. "Are you worried about them?"

Andy looked at his wife before leaning in to whisper to Fred, Derek, Michael, and Emiliano. "You can not imagine the things I've seen in the bathroom after Connor comes out."

Emiliano chuckled softly. "Daniel's made of utter shit." The men laughed.

Roberta looked at her husband and leaned on one hip. "What are you laughing about?"