Orange Blossoms

Ring Entirely True.

“I like her.”

Rey stood next to his sister at the sink as they washed up the dishes from lunch. Oranges was outback with the kids looking over the work he’d put in that morning on the play set. It was needless to say that pre drilling holes into redwood was not the easiest task someone had ever asked him to do.

“I figured you would.”

His sister gave him a sideways glance. “You know it’s just going to be harder on her and the kids when the two of you leave. They’ll ask over and over when you’re coming back and if you’re bringing her with you.”

“I know that, Lan.”

“Do you? Not like I have a problem with her being here, because I don’t, but why did you bring her here?”

He finished drying off the plate and racked it, dropping the tea towel over top. His sister had never questioned his reasonings for doing things before. That stopped after he’d cleaned his shit up when he was a teenager which just happened to be the same time Lan lost hers. If one twin wasn’t getting into trouble, it was the other. That’s what Abuela always said and even to this day, it still held true. Lan was back on track, back to nursing, back on the straight and narrow. It was his turn to fuck up and he had, majorly, with this case.

He was still having a problem deciding which way was up and which way was down. That was always the point to these visits after he closed a case. He used them to set his priorities back in line and most of the time it would only take a few hours, the rest of the visit was spent relaxing and enjoying his family.

But this go round…

He had a feeling it would take the whole weekend.

“Abuelo’s ring still where I left it?”

She sighed. “Didn’t you see it when you locked up your gun? Of course it’s where you left it. Just like every other time you go out on assignment. Why?”

“Just wondering. I know JJ likes to play with it…”

“He knows not to touch it while you’re on case.”

Rey moved off to the kitchen window and stared out. Oranges bumped Tiny with her hip and he could hear them talking in soft tones, none of it distinguishable. The little girl was taking to the woman like a duck does to water, which he found absolutely surprising. Tiny wasn’t one for people. Come to think of it, neither was Oranges.

“How did she do at the playground?”

“Fine.” Lan joined him, only choosing to sit at the table so it wouldn’t look like she was outwardly spying like he was. “The other moms weren’t as ecstatic though. There were a few comments until she incited a game of tag. Then the bitches settled down. You’d think the girl didn’t have much of a childhood the way she acted today. I think she was more excited about being there than they were.”

“She had a shitty childhood.” He sighed heavily and decided to tear himself away from the sight of JJ trying to explain how Rey would put the whole thing together and sat down with his sister. “There’s a point to me bringing her here. I promise.”

“I’m sure there is even though I can’t completely see it. Do you even know?”

He gave her a look. “Yes.”

“Care to share?”

“No.”

“Ronnie…”

He twirled the salt shaker. “Some things are better left for her to figure out.”

“Don’t do this.” She reached across the table and covered his hands. “You weren’t supposed to bring the case home.”