My heart swells. Just the thought of my mother doing something entirely for herself brings tears to my eyes. I raise our clasped hands and kiss her palm. “You’re amazing, and I’m so blessed to be your daughter.”

My mother stands and lightly bops me on the nose. “Yes, I know I am the bomb, as you kids say.”

“No one says that,” Rey adds, remaining motionless in the armchair but plainly eavesdropping.

We ignore him. It’s our shared superpower.

“Okay, enough of this,” Tia Mariana says as she walks to the kitchen. “While you figure out your life, I’ll be frying empanadas. Who’s helping?”

Tia Viviane gives her thighs a forceful pat, then stands. “I am.”

The flurry of activity is comforting. When everyone’s busy, no one’s paying attention to me. I prefer it that way. Because I don’t have any answers. Just feelings. Lots and lots of confusing feelings.

As Jaslene and the tias work in the kitchen, Natalia and Rey set the table. I’m poised to join them, but Lina blocks my path.

“You want to hear my take?” she asks.

“I’m sure you’re going to tell me even if I don’t.”

She pushes me away playfully. “Well, smartass, I think you operate as a one-woman show.” She sweeps her arm in an arc. “But look around you, prima. Every person in this room would catch you if you fell. So go big, make mistakes, and learn from them. I certainly did, and I’m doing okay.”

I draw back. “Are we talking about Dean or Victory Academy?”

“Could be both,” she says, shrugging. “But I’ll say this: You have a whole-ass family that adores you here. You have ideas you want to implement at Victory. You have students waiting for your guidance. Where’s the impasse?”

Although my instinct is to challenge her observations, I say nothing as I watch her walk away. In my mind, self-preservation means you avoid making the kinds of mistakes that will break your heart. But my mother and Lina are right: Being so afraid to make a mistake has led me to build a life that’s hollow in the places that matter the most.

Rey lumbers over and motions for me to join him on the couch. Oh God, what now?

I’ve always regarded Rey as a big brother, a role he eased into over the years as his own self-confidence grew, but sometimes he tries to elevate that role to father-figure status, and it’s cringey. I’m mentally praying this isn’t one of those times.

“I couldn’t help but overhear,” he says.

“Don’t tell me you have advice too,” I mutter.