Chapter 1: Hector’s Things

“That’s the last of it.”

Lucia Perez watched her son-in-law pick up and stack a final box of her late husband’s clothing on the “DONATE” pile.

“I’m running out of ways to say, ‘Thank you,’ Gabe. Everything was all so unexpected, and I felt I just couldn’t live alone ... But you know all that. It’s past four; let’s call Mia and take her to Applebee’s, my treat.”

A few words of explanation follow.

Applebee’s is a chain of casual restaurants that includes a bar and grill.

Gabriel “Gabe” Flores, 29, is a construction manager and married to Mia Perez Flores, 28, Lucia’s only child. Mia is an administrative manager for a company that manufactures home building supplies.

Lucia Perez is a new widow. Hector Perez died unexpectedly, when she was 48 and he was 52. She has been Mia’s stay-at-home mother and homemaker. Hector was an executive administrator at a large legal firm.

After a quick check, Lucia decided everything was good and locked up the house. She followed Gabe out to his one indulgence, a large Cadillac. Gabe wasn’t tall, just average height, but he was powerfully built with broad shoulders and a wide wingspan (from his long arms). He just assumed (rightly or wrongly) that he’d be more comfortable in the roomy cabin of a US or German car, compared to a car designed by generally smaller people from east Asia.

Years ago, he happened across this Cadillac, found it to be a good fit, and closed the deal. He enjoyed being comfortable, away from the ubiquitous pickup trucks he needed to use in his work. It was nice to get away from them and slip into the soft luxury of his own ride at the end of each day.

Lucia didn’t care about cars, but she noticed while riding with him that rough roads and potholes weren’t killing her bad back, like usual. Parking at the restaurant was easy, as the evening rush would come later. The two of them were able to go right inside and sit at an open table.

They had just opened their plastic-coated menus when Mia swept in and sat beside her husband. In a way, they were complementary. Mia was slim at the shoulders but broad in the hips, whereas Gabe was broad-shouldered with a narrow waist and no hips, being, after all, a male in fit condition. For her part, Lucia was so much like her daughter that they could (and did sometimes) share clothes.

Because of their shared Latin-American heritage, they all had similar complexions, brown eyes, and black hair. All of them were born in the US, but only Lucia could still remember her immigrant grandparents speaking a little Spanish 40 years ago.

Mia was excited. “Guess what! I receive paid vacation leave for the next three days. I don’t have details, but apparently some uncomprehending temporary employee managed to cause a hazardous chemical spill. They have evacuated the entire complex, including the offices where I work.

“That means, Mama, I’m going to be home with you, helping get you moved in, set up, and comfortable.”

“Yeah,” added Gabe, “all you have to do is point, and your darling daughter will carry out your wishes. You only need to relax, rest your back, and look pretty.”

Lucia snorted. “Hah! I can do two out of three. Mia, is your husband always like this?”

“No, he’s worse. There are occasions when his sweetness causes cavities to form on your teeth. What’s even harder to accept is that he means every word of it. I can tell that he does. Oh, here’s the waiter.”

“Oh, me, I’m just refilling the ice water. You’re table 8, so Kaley is coming; she will take your orders.”

And there she was, equipped with an electronic tablet and hefting an obvious set of Double D’s. From where she was standing, Kaley “needed” to lean over the table, far enough that Mia’s and Lucia’s views of each other were breast-blocked and Gabe was near to nuzzling distance.