Page 136 of Pride High 3: Yellow

“This is extra,”she explained when setting the money on the table.“I’ll still chip in at the end of the month like I always do.”

Her father responded in his usual way.“You don’t have to.”

“I know,”she assured him.“You guys don’t have to take such good care of us, but you do anyway.”

“Thank you, darling,”her mother said, rubbing her back affectionately after Silvia sat down again.

“I’ll be working full-time during the summer,”she told them. “I know it’s only for a few months, but I figure it’ll help us get caught up again. If we’re still here.”She thought of Omar. And Mindy and Anthony and Keisha, and how lonely it would be to live in Chicago without a soul she could confide in. Silvia swallowed against the lump in her throat.“I don’t want to move,”she admitted.“If you’re absolutely sure that we have to, then I understand, but I like it here. And I love my friends. So if there’s any other way… I could work an extra job on Sundays or—”

“Don’t worry about any of that,”Elena said, patting her hand.

“It’s all I can think about!”She pressed her lips together, already feeling guilty for burdening her parents with such petty problems.

Miguel’s eyes were shining.“I didn’t get to tell you about the dream I had. You were all grown up. So was Hugo, and you each had beautiful children. We were celebrating Christmas together, but not out on the farm. We had a house of our own and nothing to fear.”

Silvia put on a brave smile. She knew her father was trying to paint a picture of how good life could be in Chicago and the new opportunities they would have there.

“We had invited the Hart family over,”Miguel continued,“to pay them back for their kindness and generosity. They felt like part of our family too.”

Silvia shook her head, not understanding.“They drove all the way from Kansas?”

“No, my beautiful girl. They didn’t have to go far. In my dream, we still lived here. And we always will.Thisis our home.”

“We’re staying,”Elena said with a reassuring smile.“Not because of a dream, although I like the sound of all those grandchildren. We feel safer here with the Harts. They really care.”

“Are you sure?”Silvia almost couldn’t believe it. When her parents nodded in unison, she asked,“When were you going to tell me?”

“We only decided this morning,”Elena said.

Miguel winked at her.“I thought you would figure it out when we started gardening. Why go to all that effort for nothing?”

Silvia laughed, first at herself and then in relief.“In that case, can I have my money back?”

“Of course!”her mother said, pushing the small stack toward her.

Silvia pushed it right back, because she had only been kidding. She was practically giddy while finishing lunch. Her brother showed up not long after, returning from the neighbor’s house, blissfully unaware of the close call. Which was good. By the time Hugo was her age, he might not have to live with the constant fear that she had,ifshe managed to secure her parents’ legal status by then. She wanted that for him. For now, she felt like celebrating.

“I need to call someone,”Silvia said at the end of the meal.

She hurried to her bedroom and shut the door behind her. Then she dialed Omar’s private number and pressed the phone hard against her ear in anticipation until the line finally clicked.

“Hey, what’s up?” Omar asked casually, despite being unaware of who was calling.

“I think I dialed the wrong number,” Silvia said, “but you sound hot.”

“Hey, babe,” Omar said, not running with the joke, which was weird, because it was more his style than hers.

“I have some good news,” she told him.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yes. The kind that I’d like to tell you in person.”

“Oh. I’m hanging out with Anthony right now.”

“That’s okay. Tell him I said hi.”

“I will.”