Emilia's POV
It's been two weeks since mom's and Abuelita's big fight.
Carmen spends the night with us all the time, although some nights we sneak her in after dinner so that mom doesn't get suspicious. We keep using the immigration project as an excuse even though it was done and turned in last week.
I've also been texting Josh a lot. We've moved from instagram to iMessages which feels like it was a big step in our friendship.
We also have been talking more in school, catching each other whenever we can. And because of that my friends have been teasing me about my obvious crush.
I wish we could hang outside of school but right now I want to focus on helping Carmen. So I've been telling him we've been spending a lot of family time together since Abuelita's disappearance. And he's been very understanding.
It is now Saturday morning I respond to Josh's get morning text before hopping out of bed. I put on my slippers as Elena also gets up and puts on her glasses. We both brush our teeth and wash our face. Used to using the bathroom together. Then walk to the dining area for breakfast muffins.
"Hey, you shaved your 'stache! What's going on? Do you have a date?" Elena exclaims as she grabs her blueberry muffin. I turn and see mom did in fact shave her mustache.
She definitely has a date.
"How is everybody figuring this out so fast? I didn't want you to worry, so I didn't wanna tell you. It's just dinner." Mom exclaims a little offended.
"Mom, I'm fine! I mean, I thought it was cool that you were blurring gender lines with your upper lip but this is great!" Elena says happily.
"Okay, mostly what I'm hearing is I have to up my grooming game. But you're you're really okay?" Mom says.
"Of course. I mean, it's well-documented that women in their late thirties are in their sexual prime." I start to say. Letting her know it's normal to want to date.
Truth was I've been waiting for her to get back out there. I know how bad leaving papi broke her. And I think after 20 years with one person something casual and fun would be good for her.
"Ay, Emilia, please. You're too okay with it. And don't tell Alex. I mean it. Please." She says giving me and Abuelita a pointed look specfically.
"First of all, we're not gossips and if we were, it wouldn't be to our little brother about our mom's love life." Elena says.
At that moment Alex enters the room. We all avoid his eyes and mom covers her upper lip so that he doesn't notice her missing 'stache.
"Am I in trouble?" Alex asks.
"No. We were just thinking." Mom says which triggers me, Elena, and Abuelita to cover our lip as if we were thinking.
Alex proceeds to ask mom for a $100 so that he can go out with his friends tonight. But it sounds like he doesn't really know the plan or who will be there so he leaves back to his room in frustration.
"I don't know any of these people! We need to talk more!" Mom shouts after him.
"Don't talk to him! He can not know about this date." Mom exclaims turning to Abuelita.
"Whoa! Okay, okay! Diós mío." Abuelita says ash she walks ti her room.
"So weird. I was dying to tell him. I'm, like, buzzing. Is this what gossip is? Who am I?" Elena asks as she gets up from her chair.
"Welcome to the dark side." I say with a smirk and we both go off to our room.
"Qué vamos a hacer con tu niña?" We hear from behind Abuelita's curtain.
"Abuelita is talking to ghost abuelito again." Elena tells mom.
It was a pretty chill day. All I did was study, read some of my ebooks, and text my friends.
Me and Elena also went with Carmen to her house to pack a new overnight bag. So she has something fresh to change into when she comes over later tonight.
Later that night me, Elena, and Abuelita wait in the living room for mom to return.
"Of course. Why wouldn't you two be waiting for me? I thought you had a thing with Carmen." Mom says as she enters the apartment.
"We came home early so we could all dish." Elena says excitedly from the couch.
"Cuéntanos de todo. Did he have soulful eyes? Were his teeth white, but not too white? Now the teeth are too white. What is that?" Abuelita asks mom and then me about the teeth.
"He was very nice. And I'm glad I did it. But, uh, it wasn't two hearts in the desert like you and Papi." Mom explains taking a seat on the arm of my chair. That was very vague. Either it wasn't that good or she ditched the date entirely.
Me and Abuelita gave each other a subtle look. Both of us knowing this was a load of crap.
"Aw... THPPTPHTPHPHHPH!" Abuelita says but then makes a fart noise with a thumbs down in disapproval.
"Yeah, I'm not gonna see him again." Mom says with a difinitive tone.
"See who?" Alex says coming out of his room.
"You didn't wanna give me the heads-up that he was here?" Mom asks rhetorically.
"Heads-up, Alex is here." I say sarcastically.
"Wait, why are you wearing abuelita's lipstick?" Alex asked confused.
"Why do you know that?" Mom asked even more confused.
"It's Scarlet Sunrise. Duh! And why are you all dressed up?" Alex says mimicking Abuelita's accent when she says the lipstick name.
"All right, everybody, get out of here, so I can talk to Alex." mom says ushering us all to our rooms.
Once we hear Abuelita in her room and Mom and Alex in the bathroom I text Carmen that it's a good time to come up.
Once she text me that she's at our fire escape I walk out of room to guide her and ensure no one sees her.
"I knocked over your Abuelita's watering can. I think she heard me so I hid for a second." She explains quietly once we reach our room.
"It's okay. She'll probably think it was a squirrel or something." Elena reassures her. With that she changes into her night clothes and gets in my top bunch with me. I lie closest to the door that way if anyone comes in they see me and not Carmen.
After sending my final good bought text to Josh I shut my eyes and fall into a dreamless sleep.
{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}
This episode was a lot of Penelope so I just used it as a filler.
And forgive me if the time line ever gets wonky. It's hard to tell how much time passes between these episodes so I have to make it up sometimes.
YOU ARE READING
The Days of Emilia
ChickLitEmilia Alvarez is the younger twin sister to Elena Alvarez. They are as close as twins can be. The two are opposites in some ways, but find common interest in other things as well. Sometimes living with a younger brother, mom, and Abulita can get a...
