𝐎𝐍 𝐌𝐘 𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐄𝐒, Alex Alvarez

nine - sleepover

•~3rd person P.O.V~•
TRANSLATIONS: SPANISH TO ENGLISH (done by google translate so the translations are probably shit😭)
-none

⚠︎︎WARNING:THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS HINTED SA (SEXUAL ASSAULT) AND CHILD ABUSE TOWARDS THE END⚠︎︎
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"Daddy?" Maria called quietly, stepping into his study. Thousands of books filled the bookshelves, lining the walls, the soft smell of cologne and alcohol filling her nose as she stepped inside. He looked up from his computer, his glasses falling down the bridge of his nose.

"Yes, Maria?" He was in a good mood, thankfully. He didn't sound tired, annoyed, or angry. He hadn't been to work that day, instead, he stayed with Maria which seemed to always put his mind at ease. However, it wasn't the same for her.

"Do you remember my friend Alexis? The one that helped me get an A plus on that end-of-the-year science project?" Her dad nodded, glancing at his screen and then back at Maria. "And I told you that she lives in Schneider's apartment complex?" He nodded again.

"Yeah, you've told me all of this," Maria told herself to hurry up so that she wouldn't annoy him with all the questions.

"Well she asked me to stay the night at her house tonight, but since you don't know her family or anything I figured I could just stay with Schneider since he lived in the apartment complex as well and then I'd just go and hang out with Alexis in the afternoon." Silence filled the air, but it wasn't because he was slowly growing angry but because he was thinking.

"For how long?" She felt relieved, he was really thinking about it.

"Just one day, Schneider said he could take me home at dinner time." Her dad nodded slowly, Maria wanted so desperately for him to say yes. She'd spent a whole day with him, doing activities he loved and she hated with all her being. Activities that made her want to crawl out of her skin and throw it into the fireplace while watching it burn.

"Wouldn't you miss me?" Maria had to think. Any answer could set him off, could make him strike her and she could never see Alex until next school year.

"Well yes, but if we spend so much time together then it's possible I'd annoy you," Her dad began to stand, walking slowly towards her as her eyes stuck for the floor, "and I wouldn't want to annoy you because then you'd hate me and I don't want you to hate me." She felt her dad softly clutch her chin, raising it so she was looking at him.

"I could never hate you, Maria." He pressed a kiss to her forehead, making her stomach hurt. "Go pack your bags, then call Schneider to tell him to pick you up." Maria smiled, quickly running up to her room to pick up her bags.

~

"What do you usually do on summer vacations?" Penelope asked, leaning against the kitchen counter. After Maria had confessed that her mom hadn't been able to teach her many Cuban recipes, Lydia went ballistic. She immediately began teaching Maria recipes, many of which not even Penelope knew.

"Well, when I was younger my family would take turns going to Peru and Cuba. My very first vacation was to Cuba when I was one, and then when I was two I went to see my father's family in Peru." Lydia paused, looking at the girl beside her.

"You went back to Cuba?"

"Yes, some of my family still lives there, the ones that were too old for Pedro Pan and can't come to America. It's pretty, but I'm sure it was much prettier when you lived there Lydia." Lydia smiled, continuing to pull spices from the cupboard. "We don't go to Cuba anymore, only to Peru, but my dad has a big business project this summer so we'll be staying home this summer." Alex didn't know if he should feel relieved.