She turns her flushed face to me, but I can see a gleam of arousal in her eyes. “Do you have specific kinks that turn you on?”
“I have a breeding kink,” I confess.
“Excuse me?” Alma’s eyes widen.
“A breeding kink. It turns me on cumming inside you. Filling you up with my seed. Filling your womb with my babies.”
“Well, hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I will be immediately DoorDashing a Plan B pill.”
“That’s fine, we can wait.” I shrug.
“We? Who said there was a ‘we’?”
“You’re right, Kitten. We’re more like one entity.”
“One what?” she laughs
“You know, like twin flames.” I smirk and wink at her.
“Oh God. Don’t say that.” She laughs and rolls her eyes.
_______
It’s a little past ten when Alma and I finally stop talking about everything from our zodiac signs to arguing about drink names for our fictional coffee shop. We take turns showering, and I use the time she’s showering to my advantage. Stealing the DoorDashed Plan B left on the doorstep, I chuck it into the neighbor’s trash.
I’m halfway back to the house when I hear the familiar rumble of an old truck.Turning, I see a crookedly parked truck with Bud in the driver’s seat. He takes his time getting out. I light a cigarette and wait for him to notice me.
“Mijo.I didn’t know you were coming to visit,” he says when he spots me on the front porch.
“I didn’t know I needed permission to come home.”
Bud nods and walks past me, entering the house. Flicking my cigarette, I follow to the kitchen. I look to the back room where I can hear Alma getting ready. Bud sets down a cardboard case that I’m sure is full of Coors Light before my eyes zoom in and read the label.
“Ensure,”Bud explains.“Doctor says I gotta keep the calories up somehow.”
I notice his drastic change of appearance. He seems weaker. There’s a yellow tinge to his eyes and a thinness to his skin. The man who used to down tacos and beer for breakfast looks like he’s been hollowed out.
“You look good,Mijo.” He observes me.
“What are you doing here?” I ask.
“Angela and I finally decided to sell the house.” He takes a drink of the Ensure, and I get second degree nausea from the face he makes. “I tried calling you, but you never answer the damn phone.”
“You know why I don’t answer the phone.” I reply.
I love Bud. Despite my anger towards him, I love him, and that’s why his keeping the truth about my real father from me felt like a betrayal.
“Why didn’t you just tell me about Patricio?” I ask.
“I wanted to. But I was selfish, son. I’m sorry.” Bud’s eyes soften on me. “When I went to meet Patricio and tell him about you, something just felt wrong. There were rumors that his brother Ivan had killed his own wife, and later, I found out that he married his daughter Thalia off at sixteen years old. The whole family was nothing but lies and scandals. You were better off with us. That family is fucking cursed.”
Bud looks so tired and fragile. It breaks something in me. Bud has always been strong. The same man who taught Esteban and I to hone our emotions is wiping away the moisture building in his eyes.
He turns to wash his hands, and I don’t push him anymore. I’ve sat in my anger long enough and have come to the same conclusion about the Consuelos and my biological father: they’re cursed. Before I can say anything, Alma’s voice floats down the hallway.
“Efren? Did my DoorDash—” She stops when she sees Bud turning at the sound of her voice.
“Bud? Oh hi.Como estás?”
