We only have a few days to get everything ready,” said Elenita. She opened the linen closet in the hallway and searched helplessly for
the newer, softer sheets she’d splurged for last year. She was looking forward to this visit from her Tita Josefina, but felt self-conscious about the limitations of her modest home. Tita had
married well, as the older generation put it, and entertained lavishly at the house on Horseshoe Drive.
“Why do we have to make such a fuss?” asked Dina, though she knew better. Elenita raised her eyebrow, which was enough to keep her daughter from pushing the issue. “Sorry,
Ma,” she said. She fumbled with her small gold earrings. “What would you like me to do?”
A litany of instructions followed, including gathering all the flower vases together, airing out the gu
