It's Always Been You

Chapter 16

Ariana walked into the kitchen, opened the pink pastry box, and grabbed a chocolate concha. She looked over her shoulder and noticed both her mom and dad had stopped talking. She looked between them. "Did I do something?"

Her mom sighed. "Don't fill up on pan dulce."

"But ma -"

"No more. Go into the living room."

She walked out of the kitchen, but as she left she tried to catch her dad's eye, but he was staring at her mom, with his arms crossed over his chest.

She plopped down onto the couch and caught her sister's eyes across the coffee table. "What's up with mom and dad?"

"What do you mean?" Cristina's gaze fell to the photos spread out on the table.

Ariana scooted forward on her seat, examining the photos before her. "They're talking about something serious in there."

Cristina shrugged. She took a photo and set it aside. "I don't know."

"Sure, you don't. Mom tells you everything."

"Not everything."

Ariana crossed one leg over the other. "So, what's going on?"

Cristina sighed, she looked over her shoulder briefly, and then set her gaze on Ariana. "They're losing the house."

"What?"

Cristina sat back. "I don't really know much, but the bank has given them a notice."

"Why didn't they tell me?"

Cristina dropped her focus back to the table. "I don't know."

Ariana picked up a photo from the table. Was Cristina serious? Her parents were close to losing their childhood home. The only house she's ever known. The place where she lost her first tooth, learned how to swim, and spilled the details of her first crush to her big sister.

It wasn't only her memories contained within the walls.

Cristina announced she was pregnant with Santiago here.

Daniela took her first steps here.

Santiago lost his first tooth here too. Marco had almost broken his arm, trying to put up holiday lights, and Ben had a bruised back and arms when Marco fell on him.

She looked at the photo of young Cristina and Marco. They had been high school sweethearts. He had asked their dad for permission to go out with her in this very room. She looked at the other photos. "Shouldn't someone else be doing this?"

Cristina smiled at the photos. "This is fun though. It brings back memories."

Ariana laughed. "Look at this one." She picked up a glossy photo of her fifteen-year-old self. She was on her sister's back. Marco is beside them and Ben and Jonathan kneeling in front of them in a superhero pose.

Cristina cooed. "We're so tiny." She chuckled. "That reminds me. My babies are with these guys today."

Ariana grabbed another photo. This one of Cristina and Marco, but Ariana and Ben were hovering in the background. "Remember how mom would make you take me on all your dates."

Cristina grumbled. "Yes and since Marco doesn't have any siblings around his age, he had to take Jonathan or Ben."

Ariana rolled her eyes at the memory. "You know, this is probably why Suzuki is so annoying. I was overexposed to him as a kid."

Cristina snorted. "Right, that's the reason."

They continued looking over the photos, commenting on a few, and setting some aside.