Page 55

6:39 p.m.

Death-Cast did not call because she is not dying today, which she does not take for granted because she is planning

on living a long life.

It has been a decade since Gloria secretly signed herself, her ex-husband, and their son up for Death-Cast without even knowing

if it truly worked. She had spent so long bracing herself for an untimely end at the hands of Frankie that she simply had

to know for sure when her time was up so she could give Pazito a proper goodbye. Gloria did not plan on Pazito killing Frankie

on the first End Day, an incident that haunts her family to this day but has allowed Gloria to keep her life, to watch her

son grow up, and now, to grow her family.

is now with the true love of her life, Rolando Rubio. She did not hand her heart over easily. She told herself over and over and over that Rolando would never hurt her, but still, she’d once believed the same of Frankie. And she believed Frankie when he said he would never hurt her again. And she kept believing and believing and believing even though her broken heart told her the truth: the man she loved was no longer her protector and was instead her attacker. But Rolando is different. He has always cared about her happiness, even at the expense of his own. It could not have been easy watching Gloria start her family and have her first child with a man he despised, but Rolando was always there for her, always there for Pazito. She knows he will make an excellent father to the child they are having together.

The child she hopes she is having, at least.

She’s very nervous about this pregnancy, this fear living within her that something will happen to her baby, just like she

felt when Frankie attacked her while she was pregnant with Pazito. There are so many moments that Gloria still reflects on

today when she wishes she had left Frankie. One of the biggest is knowing Frankie got so mad at Gloria that he could have

killed Pazito before he got to live. Rolando would never have done such a thing, and since Gloria once believed that of Frankie,

she made sure she took her time to be certain that Rolando was truly the one.

One evening many years ago, during an argument over how best to fight back when Pazito was being demonized at that Catholic

school, Gloria took note of how she didn’t flinch when Rolando raised his voice because he was angry at the teachers, she

didn’t flinch when Rolando got up from the kitchen table upset, and she didn’t flinch when he put his hands on her because

he was only putting his hands inside of hers. That was when she knew she could start letting her guard down, that if she wanted,

she could have even deactivated Death-Cast knowing she would be safe with her lover.

That night, kissed Rolando Rubio, a kiss that was decades in the making.

They kissed for so long that Pazito came out of their room and saw them. He had been in the bedroom they were all sharing, and when he spotted them in the kitchen, he was scared for his mother, but also scared about what he would be called on to do to Rolando if he was endangering her. That broke her heart, but Gloria told Pazito that Rolando was helping piece her heart back together. That they were safe.

In the days that followed, Gloria explained to Pazito that she and Rolando were committing to each other as life partners.

That Pazito didn’t have to keep calling him Uncle Rolando and could even call him Dad if he saw fit.

“I don’t want another dad,” Pazito had said. “What if I kill him too?”

Gloria has never shared this with Rolando.

“You won’t kill him because he will never threaten our lives,” Gloria told her son.

“You didn’t think Dad would,” Pazito said.

That wasn’t true, of course. She knew there was a chance Frankie would end her life, but she chose to believe he would get

better. She was wrong.

Gloria was wrong about Frankie, but she is right about Rolando.

Hours after discovering she was pregnant, she nudged Rolando after kissing him good night and asked him if he liked the name

Armonía if the baby is a girl. “Then my children will be named after peace and harmony,” she said.

Rolando sat up in bed excited, the biggest smile on his face as he entertained more names for their child. “What about a boy?”

Oh, how Gloria would love to raise another boy. “I don’t know. What do you think?”

“I’ve always loved the name Ruben,” Rolando said. “Ruben Rubio.”

“Ruben Rubio-Medina,” Gloria corrected. She has already decided that when she weds Rolando, she will be keeping her name,

but she is okay with Rolando’s last name in front of hers for their child, especially since it’s so delightful to say Ruben

Rubio aloud.

Still, she’s scared to fall in love with any name right now, before she knows if this baby will even survive. Death-Cast can’t

predict that fate, but Gloria can serve her child best by taking care of herself.

The doctor encouraged a nutrient-rich diet, staying hydrated, and most important, told Gloria to manage her stress. It’s easy

enough to eat and drink well, but leading a stress-free life is its own challenge. Gloria hates checking the mail, knowing

there will be bills waiting for her. She needs to lessen her workload, but she can only do that once Rolando secures a full-time

job that will allow her to take leave from the shelter knowing that the bills in the mailbox will be paid. But that won’t

be the end of her stress. Truth be told, there aren’t enough soothing songs or nature walks or warm baths to keep Gloria from

stressing about her firstborn.

Gloria knows more about Pazito than she has let on. Her son is a wonderful actor, but that doesn’t mean she can’t see past

his performance and know that he is struggling. That Pazito is unhappy.

A mother knows.

As Pazito comes out of his bedroom, dressed for his evening with Alano Rosa, Gloria senses a shift in him, a genuine excitement

that she has missed in her son.

“You look good for your date,” Rolando says.

“It’s not a date,” Pazito says.

He isn’t being defensive, just cautious, something Gloria appreciates after his dangerous behavior months ago. But Gloria

can tell that Pazito wants tonight to be a date. “I hope you have fun,” Gloria says, getting up from the couch to walk her

son to the door.

“Don’t watch me walk out, Mom,” Pazito says.

Again, not defensive. Gloria can tell he doesn’t want to be embarrassed, though she misses the days when Pazito would smile

back at her when he left the house, a genuine smile because he loved being watched after. “Of course, Pazito.” Gloria pulls

her son in for a hug and kisses his cheek. “Be safe.”

“Okay, Mom.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too,” Pazito says. He waves at Rolando and leaves.

Gloria can’t help herself. She peeks out the window, watching Pazito walk toward Alano Rosa, who is standing outside his car.

She hopes this date-that-is-not-a-date goes well.

“Please don’t break my son’s heart,” Gloria whispers, hoping Alano can somehow hear her.

Gloria knows how dangerous love can be.