The Swap

Sand and Surf

Pepa walked into her room with a gray cloud over her head. The weight on her heart had lessened significantly from before, thanks to Isabela and Dolores, but it was still there. Like Julieta said, it was easier said than done to just let go. But calling herself Camilo's tía hurt. It hurt badly. She didn't remember a time when she was Camilo's mother. He had never called her his mamí. But seeing him asleep in Julieta's arms in those blue pajamas was still too much for her to handle because deep down, she knew he should have still been hers. She couldn't keep the cloud away, no matter how hard she tried. So when Pepa walked into her room struggling to fight back tears, Isabela and Dolores quickly went to her side. Dolores knew what it was about because she heard the whole thing, so she stayed quiet. Isabela, on the other hand, did not, and so she was not quiet.

"I hate that guy," Isabela grumbled as she handed her mother a fresh change of clothes and a towel to dry her hair. Her hair was already wrapped up, and she was wearing a yellow shirt and soft orange pajama pants. Mariano had found them on one of his trading missions and brought a pair back for every member of the family to wear. Abuela didn't love the pants personally, but everyone else liked how soft and comfortable they were. Dolores had on the same outfit, so Pepa couldn't help but marvel at just how alike her twins looked. "I hope he rots in that jail. I hope the roof collapses and it rains and his skin gets all pruny and gross. I hope a jaguar or something gets in there and-"

"Isa!" Pepa scolded.

"You didn't hear the things he said before she left," Dolores whispered, her jaw clenched in anger.

"Mamá, if I had had your Gift, I would have fried that man and not even cared," Isabela spat.

Pepa just smiled at how protective her daughter was being over her. Memories began to flood in of times when Isabela stood between her and a villager who was upset about the current state of the weather. That never happened, of course, not with Isabela or any of her other children. The closest thing to that happening was when Camilo yelled at the people in the plaza for taking advantage of Julieta's kindness and her Gift. Abuela wouldn't have allowed anyone to talk to the people like that. But Pepa was having the same issues with her memory as Julieta. She didn't know what was real and what was a candle memory or if there was even a difference. She just remembered Isabela standing up for her. So she just smiled and looked at her daughters. "My sweet girls," she said as her cloud disappeared. "Always looking out for their mamá. But remember, hurting people-"

"-never helps, we know," Isabela replied. "Just this once, I wish it would. Man, I'd love to hit that guy in the face with a tree."

"You mean the branch of a tree?" Dolores asked.

"No, I mean an entire tree."

The three laughed before Pepa walked past them, placing a reassuring hand on Dolores's shoulder to tell her that she was okay before going into the little library off to the side of the main bedroom. There were several bookshelves filled with romance novels that she either read or wanted to read. It also connected to her closet, which wasn't big, but it was just large enough to change in there without it being too cramped. After changing, she wrapped her hair in the towel, then grabbed a blanket off a couch in the library and threw it around her shoulders to help her get warm. Before she left, she noticed something in the corner of the room. It was another door, one she hadn't seen before. Pepa had spent decades in this room, but she had never seen this door before, so she was understandably confused. "Girls?" she called. "Can you come in here please?"

Isabela and Dolores hurried into the library. "What is it, mamá?" Dolores asked.

"Am I going crazy, or is there a door there?"