The room got really awkward.

Everyone kept sneaking looks at Daddy and Auntie Benita, afraid to make a sound.

Daddy gave me a vicious stare.

His eyebrows pushed up and then squeezed together, like a heavy mountain pressing down on my head.

I didn’t know whether I had said something wrong, and I didn’t dare ask.

He loosened his tie. “Don’t talk nonsense, kid.”

He swept his eyes over the people around him. “The rest of you aren’t children. I won’t bother spelling it out.”

They bowed and scraped and fled the room as if they couldn’t get out fast enough.

I wasn’t talking nonsense. They really had been kissing out there.

But Daddy was so angry now that I didn’t dare say anything else.

Back home, Daddy told me to go play in my room, because the grown-ups needed to talk.

I peeked through the crack in the door, scared they would pick on Mommy.

Daddy sat in the middle, and Auntie Benita pressed up against him and lit his cigar.

Mommy sat alone at the far end of the couch, a long way from them.

“Charlotte.” Daddy blew out a big mouthful of smoke. “I want Benita to move in.”

Mommy stared at him as if she hadn’t heard right.

Daddy said nothing, and just turned the glass in his hand.

Auntie Benita hooked her arm through his and smiled. “Charlotte, don’t take it the wrong way. It’s all for Isabella. She needs time to adjust.”

Mommy let out a cold laugh.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got the medical team lined up. They arrive next month. They owe me that much.”

Daddy didn’t look at her. He was busy studying the glass in his hand.

“They say there’s an eighty percent chance of a cure, but you never know. Best case, you get better. But if—”

He stopped, as if he had lost track of what he wanted to say.

After a moment, he spoke again.

“If you die, I want Benita to be Isa’s new mother. Letting her move in now is so Isa can get used to it early.”

I hid behind the door, blinking and blinking.

Die? What was die? Was Mommy going to die in three months?

I didn’t understand it, but Mommy must have, because she wasn’t surprised at all.

Mommy shook her head. “As long as I’m alive, that woman doesn’t set foot in this house.”

Daddy got angry all of a sudden and smashed the glass on the floor.

It shattered, and a shard cut Mommy’s calf, and the blood ran out.

I burst into tears and ran out of the room, screaming, “My cup!”

Mommy rushed over right away and scooped me up.

Auntie Benita came too. “Don’t cry, Isa. Auntie will buy you ten more just like it.”

I screamed at her to go away.

She didn’t understand anything.

That cup was a present from Mommy, and it was my favorite cup.

Daddy lost his temper, and the cup made Mommy bleed.

I didn’t like it anymore.

Auntie Benita shot me a quick glare, then turned and gave Daddy a wounded look.

Daddy put his arms around her, but his eyes slid sideways and stuck to the blood on Mommy’s leg.

He looked as if he were worried about Mommy, but what he said was not.

“Grow up, Charlotte. Think long-term. This is all for Isa.”

“I’ll give you a week to decide. Don’t disappoint me.”

Mommy thought about it, kissed me, and said calmly:

“I’ll give you my answer right now. Fine. Sign the beach house over to me, plus a hundred million, and I’ll agree.”

Daddy froze.

He looked a little hurt.

Was it because Mommy didn’t care about him anymore?

Before, when he didn’t come home at night, Mommy would be sad.

When she saw him with Auntie Benita, she would fight with him.

Now Mommy didn’t fight anymore, so why did he look hurt instead?

Daddy suddenly ground his shoe down on the shards, and the soles let out a thin shriek.

“Fine. I get it. So that’s all you’re worth.”

He lifted his head, and his eyes were a little red.

“We’ll do the paperwork tomorrow. I don’t care.”

Then Daddy left with Auntie Benita.

I held on to Mommy’s neck and looked at the shards all over the floor, and I felt sad.

The cup was broken, and you can’t glue it back together.

Daddy and Mommy were like that too.

For the kindergarten field trip, both Daddy and Mommy came.

But Auntie Benita came too, and I didn’t understand why.

The teacher had only said parents could come.

When we lined up, the rowdy boys circled around me.

“Isabella’s got two mommies! One takes Isa, one takes Bella.”

The teacher stopped them, but I was still sad.

Mommy wasn’t like Daddy. Daddy was the Don, and everybody was scared of him.

Mommy only had me. She only had two more months with me, and I couldn’t let anyone take Bella away.

I buried my face in her chest and whispered, “Mommy, can you make Auntie Benita go home?”

Mommy shivered and held me tighter.

Her face was wet, and it stuck against mine.

I licked it, and it was salty and bitter.

Mommy carried me over to Daddy.

“Marco, send Benita home. Just our family today. Please?”

Daddy gave a cold laugh and looked at her out of the side of his eye.

“What? The house is signed over, the money’s in your account, and now you’re backing out?”

Auntie Benita came closer, a cigarette between her fingers.

“Charlotte, you’re not well. The Don only brought me along just in case.”

She blew smoke at Mommy.

“If you collapse, the Don can only see to you, and I’ll be the one looking after Isa.”

Mommy’s body went stiff. It took her a while to say, “I’m doing fine today. I don’t need you.”

“Marco.” She looked at him, her voice low. “Send her home. Let’s have one day together. It might be the last one.”

When he didn’t answer, her voice started to shake.

“Please? Just take it as my last request.”

Daddy shrugged, his tone hard.

“Don’t try to bargain with me. Did you forget? I already bought out your right to say no.”

“What?” He stared at her. “Regretting it? Too late. You made your choice, so live with it.”

Mommy swayed and slowly closed her eyes.

When she opened them again, she had steadied herself.

“Fine. Have it your way.”

Then she carried me off.

The whole way, she kept soothing me, pointing out scenery in the distance.

But I wasn’t happy.

I had been looking forward to this trip so much.

When Mommy told me Daddy was coming, I had been happy for a long time.

Why did it have to turn out like this?

The sky was as unhappy as me, gray and heavy, and then it started to rain.

The rain came down harder and harder.

I saw Daddy put up an umbrella, and Auntie Benita stood under it.

Mommy didn’t have one. She gathered me into her chest and used her body to keep the rain off me.

I waved at Daddy. “Daddy, come get us.”

Daddy heard me and started to come over, but Auntie Benita caught his arm.

Her makeup was running, and she said something to him.

Daddy looked up at the umbrella, then looked at us, then turned and walked off into the distance.

A gust of wind blew, and the rain got colder.

Mommy ran with me, looking for somewhere to shelter.

She was breathing hard, harder and harder, and then she couldn’t stop coughing.

Her throat made a dull, muffled sound, and her chest heaved so violently that it made my head ring.

I looked up and saw blood seep from the corner of her mouth, and then the rain washed it away.

Finally Mommy got us under an overhang.

Auntie Benita was already there.

She had a little mirror out, fixing her makeup and complaining. “Don, what were you spacing out about back there? My whole face got rained off.”

Daddy ignored her. He looked at the two of us, soaked through, and opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

He took out a handkerchief and came over to wipe my face, his voice thick.

“Why didn’t you even bring an umbrella? Is this how you take care of your daughter?”

Mommy didn’t say anything. The rain dripped off her hair onto the ground, as if her hair were crying.

“Daddy, there was only one umbrella in the car. Mommy packed it, but Auntie took it.”

Daddy froze and shut his mouth.

Auntie Benita leaned in. “Oh, sorry. The umbrella was too small. It only covered two people, so we couldn’t come get you.”

Then she reached for the handkerchief in Daddy’s hand, to wipe my face.

I snatched it away and used it to dry the rain from Mommy’s hair.

I didn’t want her touching me, because I hated her.

Daddy should have held the umbrella over Mommy, and Mommy should have held me, and that would have been just right.

It was Auntie Benita who didn’t belong.

While I wiped Mommy’s hair, I said, “Mommy, this isn’t fun. I want to go home.”

Mommy kissed me.

“Okay. I’ll take you home. I’ll take you to see Grandpa.”

Mommy asked the teacher to excuse us and called a taxi.

Daddy turned his face away and talked loudly to Auntie Benita on purpose.

“I’ll take you home. Go pack your things.”

He paused, his eyes cutting over to Mommy.

“Benita, you’re moving into the estate today.”

Auntie Benita covered her mouth and jumped up and down on the spot, thrilled, like the monkeys I saw when Mommy took me to the zoo.

Daddy was still watching Mommy, as if he were waiting for her to beg him.

But Mommy didn’t pay him any mind.

She just held me and watched the rain in the sky.

The taxi came, and Mommy took me to Grandpa’s house.

Grandpa had gotten a little older, but Grandma in the photo hadn’t changed at all.

Grandpa gave me a toy gun and let me play in the living room.

Mommy and Grandpa talked for a long time.

I saw Mommy fall into Grandpa’s arms and cry.

Mommy’s daddy must love her so much, not like my daddy.

Before we left, Grandpa told me to be good and listen to Mommy.

I nodded obediently.

“Mm-hmm. Mommy only has two more months with me, so I’ll be good.”

Grandpa’s eyes got wet, just like Mommy’s.

In the car, Mommy stroked my hair and leaned close to my ear, whispering:

“After I’m gone, you’ll live with Grandpa, okay? I’ve put everything in your name, so don’t worry about anything.”

“You can’t give those things to anyone, not even Daddy. Understand?”

I half understood, and nodded.

Back home, Daddy and Auntie Benita were sitting close together on the couch.

There were several big boxes in the living room, which were Auntie Benita’s luggage.

Mommy’s eyes landed on the boxes, and her face slowly went white.

She turned her back to Daddy and started coughing, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth.

Then she carefully wiped it all clean with her handkerchief.

Every single time, Mommy made sure Daddy never saw her cough up blood.

Was she afraid of worrying him? Or was she angry at him, and didn’t want him to see?

I looked at Daddy and couldn’t figure it out.

Daddy half stood up, then froze, and slowly sat back down.

“Don’t bother with the act. The medical team arrives tomorrow. I’d save your strength if I were you.”

Mommy ignored him and took out a sheet of paper covered in writing.

“Sign it. I don’t want to drag this out anymore.”

Daddy walked over and looked at the paper, and his body trembled slightly.

“Divorce? I told you, the medical team arrives tomorrow. Did you not hear me?”

“I heard you.” Mommy nodded. “But I can’t stand living with Benita. Sign it.”

Daddy didn’t say anything, and he was shaking harder now.

“What? The great Don Guerrero can’t bear to part with me?”

Mommy gave a cold smile. “Regretting it? Too late. You made your choice, so live with it.”

Auntie Benita cried out, “Charlotte, do you know who you’re talking to? He’s the Don.”

Daddy gritted his teeth and smiled, ugly.

“Fine!”

He picked up the pen and signed his name.

Mommy drove me to the lawyer’s office.

Just before we got there, Daddy’s car cut us off and forced us to stop.

Daddy and Auntie Benita got out and rapped on our window.

Mommy rolled it down and looked at him, quiet.

“Charlotte, I know you’re sick and you’re upset. I’ll give you one more chance.”

“Tear up the divorce papers, come home with me, and I’ll pretend none of this ever happened.”

Through the glass, Daddy’s voice and his face both went blurry.

Auntie Benita chimed in too. “Charlotte, I never meant to take your place. At least not before you die.”

“Marco never gives anyone a second chance. You should treasure this one.”

Mommy opened her mouth and said only one word.

“Leave.”

Daddy wouldn’t move his car, so Mommy carried me and got out.

We had only gone a couple of steps when I heard a loud bang.

Auntie Benita reacted first. She threw herself over Daddy, shoving him down under her, screaming, “Ambush. Don, get down!”

The blood drained from Mommy’s face. She grabbed me and started to run.

I saw Daddy push Auntie Benita off and try to charge toward us.

“No, Don, they’re after you. They won’t hurt them.”

“I’m scared. Hold me, hold me.”

She wrapped herself around him like an octopus and wouldn’t let him move.

Daddy looked at her, then at us, back and forth.

In the end, he ducked behind the car and shouted, “Charlotte, find cover.”

Mommy ran as hard as she could. Her coughing got worse and worse, and blood sprayed from her mouth like mist.

There was another bang.

Mommy’s back jerked, as if something had slammed into it.

She flew up into the air.

Then she crashed down hard onto the ground.

There was a little hole in her back, and blood welled up out of it.

There was so much of it.

Mommy struggled to get her mouth close to my ear and said one thing to me. Then, anxious, she asked:

“Isa, did you understand?”

I nodded, sobbing.

Mommy smiled.

Then, slowly, she closed her eyes.