Alvarez ended up staying in our house because I refused to come back with him, nor did I talk things out with him. Mom seemed disappointed about what I did, but she said she probably would have done the same. She really is a strange woman. Anyway, I told Alvarez that I needed more time to think clearly. As it stands, I won’t be able to come back and regain my composure. I must continue to collect my thoughts until I’m ready to talk to him again. But right now, I have a lot of concerns I need to address. It wouldn’t be a good idea to face things head-on when my emotions are scattered all over the place. I have no intention of making the situation more complicated than it should be. “Sha, why is Auntie letting him stay here?” Vin asked me as the two of us strutted across the porch on our

