Elena Romero was born on the 1st of October, 1989. Elena's superpower, she had discovered, was not keeping her dysfunctional family together. It was, in fact, keeping herself together. She could miraculously heal all of her injuries. All except one...
"Why are you in Dallas?" "Husband thought it would be a great place for a honeymoon." "Southeast Dallas?" "He's really into Westerns."
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"Got married just last week. What do you think?" Luciana couldn't help but gush as she spun slightly on the barstool and twirled a cocktail around in her hand. She thrust the other under Elena's nose so she could show off her wedding ring.
Elena recognised it instantly. She couldn't count how many times Luciana had deliberately sighed and played with that ring to get people to ask her what was wrong so she could gush over her late husband. Despite never having met the man, Elena probably knew more about her mum's husband than she did about her mum.
"That's one hell of a ring," Elena said, unable to contain a smile. She blamed the alcohol. It definitely wasn't her missing her mother's overly dramatic moments.
"You're telling me," Luciana grinned and started playing with the ring on her finger, "Edouardo swears it's platinum and it'll last for years but I don't know where he got the money for all that from so who knows what it's made from but what do I care?" she rambled, looking about ready to fall off her stool as she downed another drink, "It's gorgeous!"
Elena couldn't help but laugh. This was her mother alright.
"It'll last forever alright," Elena said, taking a sip of her own drink, remembering the ring from 2019 and realising it looked exactly the same now, in 1963.
"No kidding?" Luciana slurred, "It's really platinum then?"
Elena shrugged. She honestly didn't know. Her mother had talked of her late husband plenty. It often felt like he was the only she talked about without complaining. But she had never brought up what the ring was made from. She was telling the truth earlier. She didn't care. She only cared about her husband.
"If it is platinum," Luciana continued, "And he keeps spending all our money, this damn ring might outlast our marriage!" she joked through giggles.
Elena's smile faded a little. It certainly would outlast their marriage.
Edouardo, the man her mother had married and, until recent events that Elena was trying not to think of, the man she had believed was her father would die shortly before Elena was born. In 1989.
They would only be married for 26 years.
"What's that face for?" Luciana asked, pinching her cheek which made Elena instinctively flinch back and swat at her mother's hand.
"Nothing," she excused and hoped Luciana wouldn't question why she was being so weird. Luciana narrowed her eyes and lent forward in her seat, staring right at Elena. She was definitely picking up on how weird Elena was being...
