Her Name is Memory

35| dark eyes

Chapter 35

How do you help someone
When you youself are drowning? 

~Nathaniel's Lyric Journal

"YOU SEEM DISTANT TODAY."

I looked up from the table to my father and brother. 

"You haven't touched your food. You love Abuela's cooking," Dad then said, gesturing to my full plate of homemade tortillas Abuela made with beef and beans. 

The tortillas reminded me of Mom in our kitchen back in New York, humming to tunes of Selena Quintanilla while making fresh tortillas with fresh masa she got from the store downstairs.

"Sorry. I'm just not hungry," I told them, shifting my food around some more for good measure.

Dad decided to come home for lunch before returning to work, bringing some food Abuela made with him. When he arrived with an uneasy smile with an offer for lunch, Carlos and I gave each other curious glances before accepting the lunch offer.

Carlos and Dad were talking away, but I stared at my plate blankly when I thought back to David's words.

"Probably thinking about his novia," Carlos snickered. My head snapped up to look at his grinning face.

"His what?" My dad asked with shock.

"My what?" I echoed, feeling uncomfortable because it was true. Trying to act cool, taking a bite of the tortilla with some meat. I chewed it a few times, trying to act normal despite Carlos shaking his head.

"You're a terrible liar. I saw you with some blonde chick the other day. She has to be your girlfriend," he informed Dad, getting up from his seat with his empty plate.

She was right. We weren't being as subtle as I thought.

Dad's eyebrows shot up when he looked over at me.

"A girl?" Dad finally asked like he didn't expect that.

I turned to glare at Carlos, who was now drying his clean plate, and I nodded, "Yeah."

I got up to put the food away after deciding I wasn't hungry. When I walked towards the fridge, I noted my father's laptop out on the counter from the corner of my eye, tucked away next to his brief case.

Dad hasn't mentioned Gina since the picture he showed when Camila came. After she left weeks ago, he still hasn't mentioned her. In fact, eh rarely discussed anything about her.

I couldn't help, but be curious.

"It explains where you disappear to. Is that why you always keep your door shut as well?" Carlos asked me like a rat. I glared at him to shut up, avoiding Dad's glare on me.

"Nathaniel. Are you keeping your door shut with a girl inside," Dad began, but I put a hand up to stop him.

"That isn't why I close the door Dad," I cut him off, concentrating on cleaning the plate in my hand. "I close it because Carlito keeps annoying the crap out of me."

Carlos was laughing at the nickname before walking away.

"She's hot. That is all I will say," Carlos shouted through the hallway at Dad. I cringed at his words, not sure how I felt about him describing Elise like that.

"Thanks, I guess," I finally uttered. I glanced at the side at Dad's laptop, only a few feet away from me. I casually strolled over, and leaned against the counter, eyeing it. Dad was focused on finishing his meal for him to notice me staring at his laptop that was lying casually.