Pazito hops off the couch with the biggest smile and runs into his room. Rolando exchanges an I’m here for you glance with Gloria before closing the door behind him.

The fear continues to rise in Gloria, the way hot air does in this building. But soon enough Gloria will be back outside and able to breathe as a free woman. She doesn’t sit even though her feet are tired. She wants to appear tall where she is not, and strong like she’s always been.

“Frankie, we need to talk.”

“About what?”

“I’m unhappy. You are too.”

Frankie doesn’t look unhappy. There’s a fury in his eyes that Gloria has seen time and time again. She flinches off his stare alone, remembering how quickly he can go from being still to on top of her.

“Don’t speak for me,” Frankie says.

“You don’t speak for yourself,” Gloria says. “And I don’t ever speak for myself either.”

“Then get to the point. What are you saying?”

“I want a divorce.”

These are the words she has imagined herself saying for so long, but she cannot believe they’re coming out of her mouth now. She almost wishes she could suck them back in, but the words have taken flight and so must she if she’s to be free.

Frankie looks murderous before turning to the bedroom door, behind which the biggest parts of Gloria’s heart can be found.

“Is it because of him?”

“It’s because of me.”

The chair gets kicked out from under Frankie’s feet, spinning toward the TV set.

Gloria wishes Death-Cast was functioning as promised so she’d know who will make it out of this apartment alive.

Valentino

6:37 p.m.

Everything is going according to plan.

We arrive at my building safely, parking outside with Dayana’s car behind. Everyone steps out onto the curb, and we release this collective sigh of relief. Floyd keeps a watch on the block as people are partying across the street in the bar, as if someone might drunkenly stumble over here and pick a fight. Dahlia goes to the pizzeria and breathes it in, asking Dayana for a slice with pepperoni. Dalma seems nervous, and I’m tempted to invite her inside so she can see everything will be okay, but I really want some alone time with Orion.

“It’s loud,” Dalma says.

“I love it,” I say.

Orion has the pillows in his arms and I carry the bedding. “Should we go up?”

Dayana checks her phone. “Back down by seven, okay?”

“How long is that?” Orion asks.

“Twenty-one minutes.”

“That’s not enough time.”

She looks at her phone again. “Now it’s twenty minutes. Your time keeps going down, so you should hurry up.”

I reach for my keys, now sporting the pizza key chain Orion’s family gave me.

“We should buzz Frankie just to be dicks,” Orion says.