Did you pick out a name for me when you were pregnant? Did you know I was a girl?
My parents named me Paloma. They said it means Dove because I was a peaceful, gentle child.
Please let me know if you get my letter.
XoXo – Paloma
Paloma,
I regret to inform you that your letter did not make it to a woman named Margarita.
My name is Dallas. I’m 18 years old and your letter was delivered to my house where I currently live in Los Angeles.
I asked my parents, and they don’t know anyone named Margarita either. They said the last people who lived in our home were named Edgar and Betsy Brambleton and they are both dead.
I'm only writing back because you asked Margarita to respond so you'd know she got your letter.
Sorry, she didn't.
Dallas
Chapter 3 – Paloma
Twelve years ago…
Dallas is 18 years old; Paloma is 14 years old.
Dear Dallas – (if that’s even your name?),
Whose parents name their child after a major city in Texas when you live in California? Did you grow up in Texas? How do I know you’re not actually my birth mom, Margarita, posing as some boy named Dallas?
I need some surefire proof that you aren’t her pretending to be an 18-year-old boy.
Anyways, let’s assume that you are a kid named Dallas living in California (weird – BTW. Were you picked on as a kid for your name?); what’s Los Angeles like?
I’ve always wanted to visit California. Is everyone there rich? Did you just graduate from high school? Are you going to college? If so, where? What are you studying?
I’m a sophomore in high school and hate it.
My public school is so big and yet everyone knows everybody because it’s located in a small town in Texas. I don’t know if I want to go to college when I graduate.
College sounds like an extension of high school which did I mention, I hate?
My older brother will probably take over my parent's ranch when he graduates, and my older sister will likely do something smart. She’s so much smarter than me.
My mom said I’m smart too but that I should do something where I get to be pretty because I got the 'pretty genes.'
Which is funny, considering the fact that I’m not even related to them so who did I get the pretty genes from? I must have gotten the pretty genes from my birth mom who is a movie star.
(BTW – are you my mom? It’s ok if you are, I’m not mad at you for lying and saying your name is Dallas. That was a funny joke, though. Who names their kid Dallas and lives in California? HILARIOUS.)
What’s it like being an adult? Is it as fun as the movies make it seem? Do you eat whatever you want and go wherever you please?
I watch a lot of movies because I’m always trying to see if I can find an actress who looks like my birth mom (aka you), but I haven't seen anyone who looks like me - yet.
Maybe I look more like my dad. I don’t know what my dad looks like either so it’s hard for me to even imagine what my birth parents could look like. Maybe I'm a cute blend of both.
Was my dad there at my birth or was it just you, Margarita?
