Chapter 45: Family Reunion

As Lucia neared the completion of today’s books, she heard a jangle from the bell on the front door of the studio. A well-dressed young woman walked in, asking for Julián. Cautiously, Lucia asked, “And who’s calling?”

“He’s my uncle, I’m Sally Larkin.”

“Larkin? Larkin? Sally, please sit down and make yourself at home. Julián is my boyfr ... he’s my, oh, he’s mine. You have a sister?”

“Yes, Patricia. Do you know her?”

“Tell you what. He’s finishing his class in two minutes, I’ll let you two catch up then. I’m sorry, but the coffee’s gone; can I get you some water?”

When he appeared at the door of the Lucia’s office, he was almost bowled over by Sally as she crushed him into her arms and burst into tears.

“You’re OK now?” he asked.

“I am. Forgive me, I think I can only tell my whole story once. Can we go to your home now? Give me the address, and we’ll follow you.”

“We?”

“That’s Del; he’s my driver slash aide slash bodyguard. He’s just waiting outside for me.”

“OK, give me your phone, and I’ll put in the address and my phone number, so you’ll always have it.”

When the three of them reached the house, Lucia stopped and turned back down the walk.

“Del, please come in with us.”

“That’s alright, ma’am. I’m expected to stay with the car.”

“Don’t call me ma’am; it makes me feel old. And you need to meet all the people here, so you know them to be part of Sally’s new posse. Get it?”

“Oh, I see your point. Well, thank you, I’ll be in momentarily.”

Jul was inside, explaining.

“This house belongs to my nephew Gabriel and his bride, Mia. Lucia is Mia’s mother, and she moved in here months ago when Mia’s father passed away suddenly.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” said Sally.

“Then, as you might have heard, Sara kicked me out and left me penniless because I got in the way of her boy of the week. So, I begged Gabe for a temporary slot on his sofa. And that’s when I met Lucia. Because she seems fond of me, I haven’t had to leave or even sleep on the couch.”

Lucia shook her head.

“Fond,” she muttered.

“Anyway, that’s how I ended up here in this house. Gabe provided the money for me to start the martial arts school, where you found me this afternoon. Along with private lessons, I have rates on a sliding scale and donate instruction time for at-risk kids who are victims of bullying.

“There’s a lot more to tell, and I know you have a lot to tell us, but let’s hold off a little while until Mia and Gabe get home, OK?”

Half an hour later, after the introductions, Mia and Gabe were insistent: there would be no storytelling, still, until Willie and Tricia could join them. When Mia hung up her call with Willie, she asked Sally to join her in the backyard.

“Oh, you have a hot tub?”

“Technically, it’s a spa, but we soak in it all the time, all six of us. It’s bathwater hot, and it has jets to massage Lucia’s bad back.”

“Six? Oh, what’s that?”

Willie was opening the fence, and Tricia stepped through first. Sally shrieked and rushed over, and they shared a mighty hug.

“Trishie! What’s going on? And who is she?”

“Hello, Sally, I’m Willie Simmons, notorious lesbian. Tricia is my partner, and we live next door. Gabe changed the fence to make it easier for us to come over without drawing attention from the street when we come over for spa time.”

“You are a pair, then?”

“Absolutely. Perhaps, if all this Sandro bullshit is over, I can marry Tricia.”

Tricia’s voice was shaky and soft.

“What did you say, Willie?”

“You heard me. But I want to make a more formal request. Right now, Sally is the focus. She has a lot to tell us, and we have a story to tell her, too. And she hasn’t met Trey yet.”

“Oh, fuck you, Willie. That Trey shit is over. It’s done for good. Let’s go inside and get everyone up to speed.”

After reintroducing everyone for Del’s benefit, Sally presented a proposal for the group.