Page 18 of Blue Sky

Burritos

Ihurried down the road once I walked off base. The arches in my feet ached, but my heart was full. Was I imagining that Beck was falling for me? Over the past few days, he had been talking to me more after work and always engaged with me when I returned at night.

The way he looked at me made me weak and I was pretty positive he wanted me. I knew how a man looked at a woman that he desired. With hunger in his eyes.

But even if he was attracted to me, that didn’t mean he was going to cross the line and hit on me. Beck was a man of morals and principles. I didn’t think he would risk ruining our working relationship.

Unless.

Unless he wanted something serious with me.

And there was no sign that he felt anything more for me than just lust. Oh well, I could dream.

The minutes stretched into an hour, and the fierce wind hit my face. I should’ve accepted Beck’s offer to give me a ride, but I didn’t want to do anything to ruin my job.

A low rider car drove by and some men whistled at me. “Cuánto cuesta?”

How much? What, did I look like a prostitute? Maybe they thought I was my mom. I put my head down and increased my pace, hoping they would just drive by and leave me alone. Luckily, they did.

This whole situation sucked. I hated being away from my sisters. Mónica had told me that Ana María had been crying herself to sleep and who knows what kind of trouble Mónica was getting herself into. At least, I hadn’t heard from my mom.

I raced down the street and finally reached their school. Ana María was sitting outside in front of a tree.

“Hi sweetie. Did you have a good day at school?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“There’s the daddy daughter dance next month. And Rosa said because I don’t have a daddy, I can’t go!”

Fuck. My throat tightened. I remembered exactly how it felt to get those fliers. Stupid school. Why did they have those events when it just made some people feel left out? Every year when I found out about that damn dance, I wanted to hide at home and not ever go to school again. Mónica would be missing it also since they went to the same school which was a TK-8th grade. I wanted to weep for Ana María. I wanted to weep for Mónica. I wanted to weep for myself.

“Baby, I’ll take you.”

She shook her head. “You are my sister, not my daddy. That will make it even worse. Everyone will laugh at me.”

“Tell you what. I’ll make it up to you. Once we get to San Diego, I’m going to have enough money for you to take dance classes. And then you can go to so many dances.”

“Really? That would be the best. I love you.” She wrapped her arms around my neck.

“I love you, too.” I adored her. I didn’t resent at all that I had to take care of my sisters. I wanted to give them everything.

But I couldn’t give them a male role model. A father. Someone who would love and protect them the way Beck loved Sky.

I had to focus on what I could give them. A roof over their heads, food in their bellies, and clothes on their bodies. I still had hope that I could do right by them.

My moment of hope was quickly dashed when I spied Mónica walking out of school, holding hands with a boy.

Oh hell no.

“Mónica! Let’s go.”

“Can I hang out for a bit?” She pressed against his boy’s chest and he touched her bottom.

My own body tensed up. “No. We have to leave now.”

The boy wrapped his arms around my sister and kissed her. God, she was only in eighth grade. I was doomed. I didn't know how I would get through the teen years with her alone.