Page 69 of Becoming Us

I loved how Ilana came alive when we were away from the house. Away from Mom. Family reunions with our brothers gaveus that—an escape, a chance to do things together where she could just be herself.

Matias shook his head, a crooked smile tugging at his mouth. “Jesus, Noah.”

“Whatever. I’m nineteen. She doesn’t get to monitor what I do with my mouth.” I smirked, daring either of them to argue.

“I think she was more upset about firing Ben,” Ilana said. “He’s good eye candy. Can’t blame her,”

“Which is why it happened in the first place. Plus, that guy had been eye-fucking me since the day he walked in.”

“Hold up—” Matias let out a sharp laugh of disbelief. “I’m a thousand years behind. Back up. You’re gay? Last I heard, you had a girlfriend.”

“It’s called being bi, Mati,” I said. “Don’t be a bigot.”

“I’m not—I just didn’t know.”

“Well, according to Mom, it’s not ‘dinner-table talk,’ so maybe don’t bring it up too much this weekend.” I tried to keep the bitterness out of my voice, but it crept in anyway.

She’d been full bite all week, her eyes carrying that look—disappointment she wanted me to notice. We were both adults; it wasn’t a big deal. If it had been a girl, she would’ve brushed it off.

“Speaking of girlfriends,” Ilana said, “weren’t you seeing Fiona? Like, actually dating?”

“I don’t seriously date anyone. But yeah, we’re seeing each other. We’re not exclusive.”

“Man, we leave for like two days, and suddenly you’re Seattle’s biggest player.” Matias threw his head back with a dramatic sigh. “What is happening to the world?”

It was an all-around celebration at our house. Our brothers and their families had flown in for an Argentinian holiday—something about a civil war, which had nothing to do with parties, but our dad insisted. So, everyone came.

Diego brought his two kids, both teetering on the edge of adolescence, which meant they wanted nothing to do with us. Matias arrived with just his wife. He had kids, too, but ever since the divorce, things with his ex had been rocky. He didn’t see them much.

Still, it was nice having everyone together. It made everything feel a little more whole. Dad had been off lately—distracted, unfocused—so seeing him smile again felt like a small victory.

Ilana hadn’t been wrong about Fiona. I’d finally asked if she wanted to be exclusive. She’d told me she’d think about it—not exactly promising, but better than a flat-out no.

The day after everyone arrived, we had a big family lunch. I was supposed to see Fiona afterward, but Dad called us into his office.

When I stepped inside, I took in the setup instantly—Dad seated behind the desk. Mom standing beside him. Ilana, Matias, and Diego already in the chairs across from him.

No wives. No kids.

A flicker of dread settled under my ribs. I ignored it and sat down.

“It’s so nice having all of you here,” Dad said, his voice a little too steady. “Thank you for coming.”

“It’s okay, Dad.” Matias’ face was tight, lips pressed together, one finger dragging over his mouth while his leg bounced beneath him.

“What did you want to talk about?” Diego asked.

We waited.

Mom’s hand moved to Dad’s shoulder. His eyes met mine for a second before shifting away.

“We got some bad news last week,” he began. “About my health. I found a lump on the back of my neck and went to the doctor to get it checked out.”

The room tensed. You could feel it, like a collective inhale that no one let go.

“Did they find something?” Matias asked.

Ilana cracked her knuckles, laced her fingers together, and rested them tightly in her lap.