The drive to Mendez Automotive Services was short, the picturesque streets of downtown Blanco Springs, with its coffee shops and vintage clothing stores, passing by in a blur of color and sound.
When I pulled into the parking lot, I saw Alonso waiting for me, his broad frame clad in oil-stained coveralls. He raised a hand in greeting as I hopped out of my truck, the scent of motor oil and metal enveloping me like an old friend. It reminded me of being a child in our father’s garage, where we both learned from the best how to fix cars.
Alonso’s eyes were warm and curious as he asked, “How’d she do?”
I ran a hand through my hair. “She was so excited, so ready. Me? I’m a wreck. Met her teacher and everything.” I grinned, although inside I felt a little scrambled. “Had to talk to the principal, too.” Every inch of this day had tested me, as if I was waiting for someone to call me out.
Alonso threw his head back and laughed, the sound deep and rich, as he rubbed his bald head. “Just like the old days, eh?” He clapped me on the back. “Aw, she’ll be fine, little brother. You made the right choice, moving here. A fresh start is what you both need right now, after the divorce and all.” He gripped my shoulder, firm and reassuring. “You’ve got this. I’m here for you, always.”
Seeing Alonso’s approving smile was like a balm, knitting together the frayed edges of my confidence. As stress melted from my clenched muscles, my shoulders dropped in relief.
He was right. This move was exactly what Mia and I needed.
A chance to start over, to build a new life together without Jacob, and re-build my relationship with my family.
I followed him into the noisy garage—the clang of metal on metal, the hiss of air tools, and the low buzz of conversation all blended into the background. “Who’s her teacher? The lady or the red-haired guy?” Alonso asked.
“Um, it was a guy. Mr. Parker.”
Alonso nodded approvingly. “He’s good. Isaac had him, I think. You can check with Elena, but I’m sure she liked him a lot. Nice guy.”
“He seemed okay.” I didn’t remember having many teachers that were men when I was a kid, not until high school at least. But everyone seemed to agree that Mia was in good hands, so I wasn’t going to worry about it just yet.
“Alright, Marc.” Alonso’s voice cut through the hum of the garage, his finger pointing towards a car in the corner. “That one needs an oil change and tires rotated.”
I nodded, my hands already reaching for the tools I needed. “Got it.” The crack of my knuckles signaled the start of another day’s work. Yet as I set to the task at hand, Alonso’s words from earlier echoed in my head.Fresh start.
It wasn’t just about Mia—it was about me, too.
I glanced around the garage, taking in the organized chaos of tools and equipment, the grease-stained concrete floor, and the faded posters on the walls. If someone told me two years ago that I’d be working as an auto mechanic for my brother, I’d have said they were crazy.
Yet here I was.
Even though we hadn’t been all that close after I moved away and got married, Alonso had come through for me when I needed him, offering me this job so I could have some benefits and a boss who understood that I might need to take time off for Mia’s medical needs.
Even more—this was my chance to leave my foolish ‘side-hustle’ behind and say goodbye to Magic Marco.
That stupid nickname… each syllable a reminder of the lengths I went to for Mia.God, what kind of father gets naked online to keep the lights on?I shook my head, a knot of guilt drowned out by this newfound determination. This new life, this small-town routine, was our shot at normalcy. The stability would help Mia’s health improve, giving her the childhood she deserved—one free from hospital beds and a father scraping by paycheck to paycheck.
So much had changed in the two years. The memory of staring at the divorce papers, stark and unforgiving on the coffee table, still sent a dull ache through my chest. Then there were the medical bills—hospital, doctors, pharmacy—all piling up like leaves in the fall, each one a reminder of how close we were to drowning after Jacob fucked off to “go find himself.”
Whatever that meant.
I remembered the night I registered as a creator on PrivatelyYours, an online adult entertainment website, the night Magic Marco was born. I never intended to do it more than once or twice, but the extra money from a few livestreams was too hard to pass on. Quick and easy money, a last resort to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table.
Even now, every paycheck counted.
But thanks to Alonso’s job offer, this was our chance to start over, to build a new life here in this small town and be close to my brother and his family. Yeah, it had stung at first, coming hat in hand to my family, swallowing my pride and asking for help.
But I couldn’t let Mia down. I wouldn’t.
Wiping the sweat from my brow with the back of my hand, I stretched my arms high above my head. Then my thoughts drifted to Mia once more. I imagined Mia in her new classroom, eyes wide with wonder, as she learned new things and made new friends.
She was going to be okay. We were going to be okay.
***
Hours later, I turned off the engine of the car I had been working on, the sudden silence almost deafening after the constant hum of machinery. I made my way to the sink to clean up my grease-stained hands before picking Mia up from school. The soap foamed and swirled down the drain, taking with it the last traces of the day’s hard work.
