Boscha Noceda

Chapter 7: The Next Day

Morning had come all too soon for the Nocedas. Camila had fallen asleep while reading to Boscha, who was tucked into her arm. Luz was tangled up in her blanket from having shifted around all night. Gabriel was already awake, as he couldn't get to sleep. The news about his brother was nearly impossible to process, after all. He just laid on his bed, looking at a picture of him and Manny when they were kids.

'Manny... I'm sorry.' He thought, 'I'm so sorry.'

"PAAA-PIIIIII!"

Gabriel was jolted from his ruminating when he heard a small voice calling for his brother. He got up from his bed and peeked out of his room to see Luz roaming the hallway, checking every room, closet, and underneath the furniture.

"PAAAA_PIIIII! WHERE AAAARE YOOOOOU?"

"Luz?"

The girl turned around to see her uncle.

"Mornin', Tio Gabe! You see Papi anywhere?"

"Oh... he's still... he's at the hospital." Gabriel stuttered. "We're picking him up later today."

Luz made a pouty face.

"Why's he gotta be there for so long? My checkups us'lly last a hour."

Gabriel was ill prepared to discuss this subject so early in the morning, and so, he used the best explanation his tired brain could produce.

"It's just something that happens when you get older."

"Does it?" Luz's eyes widened.

"You are way too energetic in the morning, y'know that?" Gabe smiled. "This is why you can't manage to stay up as late as Boscha."

Speaking of Boscha, she was snoring on the floor, not a care in the world, dreaming about being in the NBA. Camila, on the other hand, was tossing and turning on the couch. Gabriel saw that she had an arm over her forehead and was wincing slightly. Gently, he took off her glasses, placed them on the stand next to her, then brought her an icepack. Though she didn't wake up, she did let out a sigh of relief as she held the icepack to her head.

"I have an idea, Luz." Gabriel said, "Why don't we make breakfast while they sleep?"

"Really!?" Luz asked, smiling widely.

After a while Boscha and Camila stirred when they caught the scent of bacon, toast and an indistinct burnt smell. Boscha's eyes opened when she heard Luz and Tio Gabe talking from the kitchen.

"Awww, why can't we have Nutella waffles, Tio? You have no-dairy milk, right?"

"Sorry, kiddo, it's the Nutella that isn't good for you."

"Neither is sharing a room with Boscha, but I do that." Luz said.

"Hey!" Boscha said.

"WAH!" Luz scurried to the other side of the room. "Mornin' Boscha! Howdja sleep?"

The three-eyed kid just grimaced at her.

"Please, Bosch, I need Luz alive so she can help with breakfast." Gabe insisted.

"We're havin' Nutella waffles!" Luz chirped happily.