Mom loved Teresa best of all because she was weak and skittish and afraid of things. At night our mother is afraid of the wind in the trees. She will not admit she is afraid of ghosts, but when the Santa Ana winds blow, she turns on all the lights and puts on the TV and then vacuums the house. The vacuum and lights drive Tomas crazy. He teases her, tells her she is acting like a maid fresh from Manila. Tita Dina says our mother is afraid their dead father will come back.

Why are you afraid of your dad? Tomas once asked her.

Outside the hot wind rattled branches against the house.

I’m not. She looked embarrassed and turned away from Tomas and focused on her dishes.

So why you turn on the TV and shit? You hate TV.

I don’t know, she said. I don’t like the sound of the wind.

So you’re afraid.

No.

Was Grandma afraid he’d come back?

She paused. She did not look at him although he was close behind her.

Yes, she admitted.

He shook his head. You would think you’d want to see your relatives again, he said.

She hesitated. She looked flustered and probably thought she should not respond. Finally, she did. But he’s dead.

Wouldn’t you want to see me come back if I was hit by a car? he said. What about Gabe? He said this glancing over at me with an expression meant to imply I was a mama’s boy.

Our mother did not like to think about this. She turned off the faucet and walked into the living room. Tomas followed her. So you wouldn’t want me to come back? he said.

Come on, Tomas.

I’m offended.

No you’re not.

I am, he said. My own mother.

You’re just saying that.

You wouldn’t want me to come back, he shook his head.

Maybe because Sister Teresa was careful she lasted longer than Saint Elmo. Although Saint Elmo had occasionally bullied Sister Teresa, they usually got along and often curled up on the couch by the back window and he licked her face while she licked at his leg. After he died she would sit there alone, only occasionally jumping down to try to get you to lick her head like Saint Elmo had. After Saint Elmo died I could not get the sound of his cry out of my head, or the image of his panicked look in Buster’s mouth. I wanted to give Sister Teresa away to our cousin Matt, but my mother and Tomas wanted her around. She lasted about four more weeks.