Chapter 12
Carmen stood over the stove with her dad’s stockpot waiting for ingredients. She’d watched her dad do this for years. She knew how, but she’d never put in the effort to really do it. She closed her eyes and envisioned her dad. He talked through the process every time, as if he needed the words to get it right. She knew now that he did it to share with her even though she wasn’t ready to hear it.
With a deep, fortifying breath, she went to the refrigerator, now fully stocked for at least the day, and pulled what she needed. When a knock sounded at the back door, she checked the time. She wasn’t expecting Liam for a couple of hours. She looked out the window to see Rosa waving her arms. The girl never wore a coat and then bitched that she was cold.
“What took so long? I knew yo
