“Nah. I should be thankingyoufor watching my baby sister while your brother and I get up to no good,” he teased.
At least, I hoped he was teasing. Johnny had come home smelling like weed last weekend.
“It’s no problem. Marisol and I only got halfway through the book on Jesse Owens last time, and I need to find out how it ends.” I turned to his sister and gave her a small salute when she produced the book in question.
“Cool. I tried to read to her a few days ago, but—”
“He’s not good at it,” Marisol interjected innocently. “He goes too slow, and then he just makes the words up.”
I winced at Deck’s immediate expression of embarrassment.
“Marisol, I know you didn’t say something mean on purpose, but how do you think those words make your brother feel? Especially since he was trying to do something nice for you.”
I didn’t know if my admonishing his sister made the moment better or worse for Deck, but at least it would make her think twice before saying something similarly careless in the future.
Marisol’s face fell. “I didn’t mean… I wasn’t trying to say anything bad about Artie.” She looked helplessly at Deck.
“It’s okay, little squirt,” Deck said quickly, reaching out to ruffle her hair. “I shouldn’t have tried to fool you anyway with the words. You’ve got all those books memorized, right?”
“Right.” Her grin returned.
“Reading’s just not my thing,hermana. But maybe I can teach you to ride my old bike someday.”
Marisol wrinkled her nose and giggled. “Don’t be funny, Artie. You know I’m not allowed to play outside.”
She returned to her books, unaware she’d just sent an arrow through her brother’s heart. Even though Deck preferred not to be left alone with Marisol, he still loved her fiercely. I could only imagine what the reminders of her limitations did to him.
“Maybe someday, squirt,” he whispered, giving me a searching glance before bolting toward the door.
I watched from the kitchen window as Deck headed into the street. Johnny walked over from the direction of our trailer park with Eliazar close behind him. A moment later, Cruz drove up in his silver Escort, and the four of them took off to who-knew-where.
“Can we finish Jesse Owens?” Marisol asked my back. I turned and nodded.
“Yeah, but let’s go in the living room. You’re right. It’s more comfortable there.”
We sat on the couch and finished the Jesse Owens biography for kids, before moving on to Babe Ruth and Mary Lou Retton. Marisol loved reading about famous athletes. I imagined it was her way of being into sports since she couldn’t play.
But perhaps she would one day. She wouldn’t always be so fragile. Deck hadn’t been completely off base in suggesting she might ride his old bike one day.
Maybe then he could forgive himself.
Chapter five
Deck - Age 16
FOURTEEN-AND-A-HALF YEARS AGO
“Mamá, I’m leaving soon.”
Cruz would roll in any second. It was midafternoon, but I had just woken up a few hours ago. I’d managed to shower, shave, and eat a bowl of cereal. Plus watch HGTV. I’d never tell my boys, but I was addicted to those shows where workers turned condemned houses full of old cat poop and graffiti and shit into fancy mansions.
After pulling on a white undershirt over my black Carhartts, I used the gigantic bottle of Costco-brand gel my family shared to slick my hair back, twisting a rubber band around it.
Searching for my wallet, I faltered when I found it sitting open on the kitchen counter. Had one of my siblings messedwith it? Seen what I’d paid fifty dollars for yesterday? Or had I just tossed it there likeun idiotawhen I snuck in last night? Anything was possible. I’d been pretty wasted.
After confirming that the driver’s license forJose Alvarez, age twenty-six, resident of Lake Stevens, remained safely tucked away, I released a relieved breath.
Mamá called out from the back bedroom as I shoved the wallet into my pocket.
