“Holy crap. Okay, right, so. Right. Oh, my God.” Devi cleared her throat. “So, yeah, I am totally down for talking about this with you. But...”

“Bubbe?”

“Ayep. She’s got her soaps on. I’ll... Give me a little bit, okay? And I will absolutely be down for a talk. I’ll call you back?”

“Yeah, sure.”

She apologized and ended the call. The idea that she couldn’t even talk to me without risking grandmother ire did nothing for my nerves. I had another good cry, muffling it into Mormor’s afghan, before tiptoeing down the hall to wash up in the bathroom. I splashed my face but the damage was done. I was not a pretty crier; my skin was tomato red, nose large and in charge. Half of my hair had escaped my rubber band, so black wormy frizz haloed my head like a Brillo pad. Crusts of snot soiled my nostrils. My eyes were swollen to the point I looked like a bug on a coke bender.

Yeah, this is the face of a woman who could be a mom.

I tried to swallow another sob and failed, which is what alerted my mom to the great crash of Serendipity Rodriguez going on upstairs. She called my name from the living room, and when I didn’t answer, came running. I was sitting on the toilet holding my stomach and rocking back and forth when she found me. She slid into the bathroom and gathered me close. My little mom, that petite blonde thing who smelled like Chanel No. 5 and had for as long as I remembered, hauled me to my feet and led me back to the spare room. She half carried me there. I don’t know how she managed such She-Hulk strength, but I wasn’t asking questions as she dumped me into bed and pulled the covers up over me, sitting on the edge of the mattress beside me and stroking my hair.

I was crying so hard I didn’t see Mormor come in, but I felt her when she sat on my other side and very efficiently tucked the blanket in under my butt, as gentle as the angriest drill sergeant.

“You will be okay,” Mormor said.

“She’s right, kiddo. You’re going to be okay,” Mom said. “We’ve got this.”

I wanted to believe them. I had to believe them, or not only was it all over for me, it was all over for my kid, too.

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

I woke hours later, not of my own volition, but because Devi had climbed into bed with me and was spooning me, her arm thrown over my middle. I didn’t care how she’d gotten there, I just knew she was there, and I rolled over and hugged her, burying my face in her neck.

“I probably smell rank. I haven’t showered,” she said in greeting.

Her arms wrapped around me and squeezed.