Iz continues to enjoy his nearly gone Popsicle and looks at me.
“Two things?” he echoes, looking curiously at my raised fingers. His half-eaten Popsicle, a dripping mess now, hangs forgotten in his hand as he waits for me to continue.
“Yes,” I say firmly, putting on my most serious expression. “Firstly, and most importantly, do you like Power Rangers? And secondly, do you like chocolate? Because I love chocolate, and I think every good kingdom should have lots of it.”
Iz chuckles and wipes his sticky hand on his shorts before responding. “It’s morphin’ time!” he exclaims with a grin, striking a dramatic pose like a true Power Ranger. “And I love chocolate. I guess our kingdom shall have mountains of it.”
His eyes dance with mischief as he glances my way, seemingly satisfied with my conditions.
“Alrighty then,” I proclaim, smiling at him as his golden honey-colored eyes remain fixed on me, making my heart flutter once again. “I suppose I’ll make an excellent queen.”
“And I, a noble king,” Iz adds quickly, his chest puffing up in feigned pride. He extends a hand to me, the remnants of our shared popsicle still evident on his skin. “Shall we shake on it, my queen?”
I place my equally sticky hand into his. “And don’t forget, Iz, there will be a weekly Power Rangers marathon in the castle and an endless supply of chocolate!”
A burst of laughter breaks from his lips, filling the air around us. “Of course! Anything that my queen requires.”
We spend the rest of the afternoon building our sandcastle, our kingdom. Just two children, building a kingdom out of sand and dreams.
Isaac
Weeks later….
“One… two… three… four… five… six… seven… eight… nine… ten… Ready or not, here I come,” I call out as I scan the park, needing to find my pretty sunflower. I hear her giggle. It sounds like it’s coming from the blue tube slide; of course, she’s hiding there. A smile spreads across my face as I carefully approach it.
“There you are,” I squeal, startling Ronnie, causing her to fall from inside the slide. “Not fair, you cheated,” she pouts.
I shake my head. “No, I won fair and square,” I counter. “It’s your turn, so go count,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest. Ronnie tosses her long braid to the side and scrunches her cute button nose.
“Okay, go hide, Iz. I’ll count.” She huffs and buries her face in her small hands. I giggle and dash towards the trees, but before Ronnie can count, my father walks toward us.
“Isaac. Mijo2,” he calls. He looks sad, or maybe mad, but his hazel eyes are wet and puffy.Has my daddy been crying?Something in my chest feels like it’s tearing like a small piece of paper being shredded as I run towards my dad. He kneels before me, his hand running through my hair as a single tear rolls down his face.
“Hey, sport,” he whispers, his voice husky and heavy. “We need to talk.”
“But, Daddy, it’s Ronnie’s turn to seek,” I complain, a sense of unease creeping up my spine. The pain in my chest feels deeper as more tears gather in Dad’s eyes. He sighs.
“I know, son,” he murmurs gently. “But this is important.” His voice breaks, and with it, the remainder of mine. Then, I notice Daddy is once again alone, Mommy didn’t come as she promised.Where’s my mommy?
“Daddy? Why are you crying?”
He swallows hard before speaking, taking his time to wipe a stray tear from his cheek. “Iz… we need to go home. It’s Mom.”
“Dad? Is Mom okay?” My mom has been having a lot of‘sick days’lately, staying in bed while Dad and I try to be quiet around the house. She’s been going to the hospital a lot, and once again she lost all of her long, dark curls. But she was better… she said so herself. However, two nights ago, she had toride in the ambulance, but she promised she would be okay, that we would play at the park. I look up at my daddy, his eyes glistening again as he takes my hands in his.
“Iz… Mom’s not coming home anymore, son. She… she’s gone to heaven.” Dad’s voice wavers, nearly breaking apart on the last syllables. I feel a cold numbness creep into my chest, as if someone has punched me there. Forget the pain, there’s nothing at all.
“Wh-what do you mean, Daddy?” My voice is shaking. My mind is reeling, grasping for some understanding amid the shock. The wind whispers through the trees, and I feel a sudden chill despite the afternoon sun. “Is she… on a trip?” I ask, struggling to make sense of what he is saying. My words seem to pain him even more, and I watch as he clenches his jaw, tears now openly streaming down his face. He pulls me close, wrapping his big, strong arms around me, his body trembling with sobs as he scoops me up and begins to walk away. I stare at Ronnie, who looks confused as she waves goodbye. I never told her that my mommy was sick. She didn’t know it yet, but I lost my mommy... She’s never coming back. I wanna scream, but all I do is cry. A single blue butterfly flutters around her, and even though my vision blurs, my pretty sunflower stays clear.
Tears stream down my face, and my chest feels empty, like something fell out and took all the air with it.
1. Translation: Grandmother
2. Translation: Son
Chapter Two
Veronica
