—What’s all this yelling about? Don Chan said.

—It’s la amiga de Dallas…Esperanza started to explain.

—Is she pregnant? Don Chan lifted a finger to help him remember Hush’s stepfather’s name. —Where’s Oswaldo?

Hush burst into a loud wail at the mention of his name.

—Leave her alone. Bobby waved all of them away and held Hush closer to him.

—Is it yours? Esperanza asked.

—Why didn’t you tell me you were sleeping with Bobby? All this time I thought you were getting fat, Dallas said, wondering how Hush had kept it from her. How long had it been going on? Bobby had only been back three, or was it four months? Agh! She had sex with her brother. Gross. Slut, bitch, cunt, Dallas thought.

—But, Dallas, I thought she was your friend. What does this have to do with Bobby? Don Chan asked.

—She’s not my friend anymore. Dallas stormed away, slamming her bedroom door behind her.

—Can everyone just be quiet? My goodness, we’re going crazy here for no reason. This is a girl expecting a child. She could be like Mary. And Bobby, Joseph. And she came knocking and as a Christian family, we must do what we can for her, Esperanza said.

Hush stopped crying to listen.

—Bobby, like Joseph? Don Chan asked, wondering if Esperanza had lost her mind. She always complained when Hush slept over.

—Can everyone just shut up? This isn’t my baby, Bobby said. He did like Hush, but she was under eighteen. And he wouldn’t go back to jail, not even for her.

—It’s not? Dallas whispered to herself, elated. She watched her family from her bedroom door, but with the turn of events she slipped out and hovered around the door.

—Thank you, God, Esperanza said and clapped her hands with joy.

—Stop talking about God, Don Chan said. —It makes me nervous.

—Whose baby is it then? Esperanza asked Hush, who had swollen eyes and beet red cheeks from all the crying. —Why did you come here?

—I’ve nowhere else to go, Hush said and started crying all over again.

—She could have my room and I could sleep in Dallas’s room, Don Chan said.

—You’re giving her my room? Dallas couldn’t believe it. Her mother chopped off her hair for cutting class, and now Don Chan was offering Hush a room of her own.

—She’s pregnant, Esperanza said.

—I’m bald! Dallas said, patting the baseball cap she wore, to cover the nub on the crown of her head. She pulled off her hat to show Hush how crazy her mother was.

—Your hair? Hush said. —It was so pretty.

—It’s not that bad, it’ll grow back, Esperanza said, wondering for the first time if she’d gone too far. When Dallas had a daughter, she’d understand.

—No, Abuelo, Hush could sleep on my bed and I can crash on the sofa, Bobby volunteered.

—Yeah, let Bobby sleep on the sofa, Dallas said.

—My goodness, you’re all so generous, Hush said. —But no, I’ll sleep on the sofa. Please don’t change anything for me. I promise, I’ll pretend I’m not even here.