“Duh. You know I’m good for it.”
We say our goodbyes and as I’m setting my phone down, I glance up to see my parents staring at me.
“What?”
“What was that about?” Mami demands.
“Oh, Norah needs help doing the makeup for the spring play. Since she knows how much I love doing that, she asked if I could help.” I pause, taking a deep breath before telling them the rest. “And, if it’s something I enjoy, there will be a job waiting for me in the department. Which means I can finally quit the grocery store.”
Papá looks at me thoughtfully, but Mami purses her lips, disapproval coloring her face.
“Mija, do you think that’s a good idea? The makeup industry isn’t reliable. And what about your degree?”
“What about my degree?” I challenge. “I’m still going to have it regardless of where I’m working. This is my dream, Mami. I would love to be aprofessional makeup artist. This could be the start of something great.”
“Baby, you know that I want you to be happy, right? Makeup could be a good hobby for you, but it’s not a serious job. How will you provide for your babies?”
“Por favor, Mami. I don’t have babies. And I don’t want babies.”
She gasps loudly, slapping a hand to her chest in horror.
“At least not for a long while,” I amend. “I’m only twenty-three. There’s so much life I want to live, things I want to explore before I dedicate myself to raising children. I need you to be supportive of this.”
“How can you say I’m not supportive?” Her hand slaps the tabletop and the twins’ heads snap up from their phones, eyes wary. “I’m your mother, of course I’m supportive! I’m also trying to be realistic! All I want is for you to be successful and happy.”
“Who’s to say that I can’t be both doing something different? Are my only options to be a wife and mother or a businesswoman? What if I just want to beme?What if the thing that makes me happy is following a dream that’s different than yours?”
Tears fill my eyes, but I’ll be damned if I let them fall. I’ve never raised my voice at my mother until today, and if the shock on her face is any indication, she’s just as upset over it as I am.
“Mami, I don’t want to fight with you, but I need you to give me the space and freedom to make my own choices. And mistakes. That’s what life is all about, right? I’ll never know the potential I have until I try.”
“She’s right, Raquel,” My father’s gentle voice says, leaving me at a loss for words.
“Roberto!”
“Mi amor, don’t you remember how our parents told us we were too young to get married? Your mother even told you to not waste your life with a ‘vaquerolike Roberto Diaz’. Aren’t you glad we didn’t listen? Look what we would have missed out on.” He gestures toward me and my sisters.
She softens as she surveys us, contemplating my father’s words. A tear spills onto her cheek as she looks over at him. “You’re right. All I wanted was to be a wife and mother, specificallyyourwife and the mother ofyourchildren.”
He slides his hand over hers on top of the table, squeezing gently. “You worried about the boys too, remember? Especially Marcos.”
Mami scoffs while my sisters and I titter at the memory of the fight they got into when he said he wanted to pursue a career as a professional footballer.
“That boy,” she shakes her head. “So stubborn. But he proved me wrong, didn’t he?”
“Yes, he did. Now, let’s give Layla the chance to do the same.”
The tears I’ve been holding back escape at my father’s words. I always thought he felt the same as Mami.
“Papá,” I choke out. “Thank you.”
“Oh, princessa.” He slides from his chair and comes to my side, squatting so that we’re at eye level. He cups my cheek, making me feel like a little girl again. “Your mother and I want the best for you, but sometimes we forget that what we think is best isn’t actually the best for you at all. At the end of the day, the decision is always yours. What’s important is that you feel not only loved and valued for who you are, but supported with the decisions you make as well.”
Mami joins us, running a hand over my hair. “I’m sorry, Layla. It wasn’t fair of me to expect you to live the same life I did. Why did you never talk to us about this before?”
She’s still stroking my hair in a soothing manner and the words tumble out. “I didn’t want to disappoint you or ruin our relationship.”
“Oh, Layla.” She squats next to my father and cups my face in her hands. “Listen to me. There is nothing—nothing—you could do to disappoint me or push me away. I may not always agree, and we may have our fights and need some space, but I’ll always be your Mami. You’ll always be my chiquita. I love you so much, and that will never change.”
