Chapter 8: Family

The Carneros home in Flagstaff was an A-frame chalet style, so the snow naturally sloughed away. There were two bedrooms and a cozy loft up top for a master bedroom.

“Hey, Sis! Good to see you. Thanks for calling ahead. Welcome! Please come in out of the cold.”

Little Sam, two years old, came toddling forward. “Tía?”

“Yes, Sam, I’m your Tía Reina, you remembered! Hey Rachael, thanks for having us.”

“Are you kidding? Of course! But, who is this?”

“I’m sorry, I tried to explain to David. This is my girlfriend Tracy, and her daughter Alicia. I call them T and Cia.”

“But, Tracy is crying.” Folding her arms, accusingly, “Rei, what did you do?”

“Oh, she does that all the time. I think it’s the high altitude.”

“If I didn’t have Cia in my arms, Rei, I’d be whapping you. Don’t listen to her, Rachael. I’m grateful for your hospitality. It’s not the altitude, it’s the ‘girlfriend,’ she hasn’t called me that before.”

“New relationship?”

“Oh, yeah. I’ll bet David is a great guy, judging by his sister.”

“He is, actually, and thank you. Let’s get you three settled and then we can have dinner and catch up.”

With consideration for Sam being at the table, conversation was kept light while they ate. Reina and David told funny and embarrassing stories about their childhood. For the most part, T was content to listen, laughing with the group at the appropriate times.

Rachael was noticing, however, an underlying sadness in Tracy, despite her trying to be inconspicuous.

After dinner and clean-up, with the children fast asleep, they gathered in front of the fireplace. Outside, a little bit of snow was falling, making for a lovely scene from inside their warm home.

“Forgive me for asking, Rachael, but Rei said she learned so much about taking care of babies like Cia because she was helping David with Sam. You were sick?”

“I was. To be honest, I don’t usually talk about it. Like a lot of new mothers, I got seriously depressed in the weeks and months after Sam was born. Which was so hard on David, he didn’t understand, and he didn’t know what to do.

“Severely depressed, I thought Sam and David would be much better off if I was gone. Permanently.

“Rei showed up, and figured it all out. I needed to be hospitalized. She put us in her Acura and took us down to Phoenix, and arranged everything. Then she helped David care for Sam, as you know.

“She rescued my family, and I will never forget it.”

“Rescued, huh. She’s good at that,” said T. “Things are better now?”

“Oh, yeah. Strange thing, even Sam has been great. I keep hearing about the ‘terrible twos’ but he’s been my little prince. I think I might even have another one. What do you think, Rei?”

“I think my brother is well qualified to go through the whole diaper thing again, if he wants to. But it would be a new start for you, if you feel up to it. You know David and I will support you.”

“I would too,” said T. “Your new baby and Cia could have play dates!” she laughed.

“Speaking of Cia, there must be a story there. Biologically, I don’t believe Rei could be her father.”

“No, Rachael. And, technically, I’m Cia’s aunt, not her mother. But she’s mine now.”

With growing alarm, Rachael and David learned about Cia’s origin story and the events of the last few days.

“You were stranded on I-40, broke, until my sister came along?” asked David.

“I was.”

“Jesus!” He stood up and left the room.

“Oh, I’m sorry!”

Rachael took her hand. “T, my husband gets very emotional, particularly when it comes to children in danger. Look, Rei loves you, I can tell. She may not yet be able to say that to you.”

Her tone was solemn, serious. “You took a terrible risk, going out on the highway with an infant, and no practical way to get her all the way to, where?”