This chapter will contain a lot of spanish and since most of you are not spanish speakers I decided it best to italicize the Spanish and leave English in normal font. Hopefully nobody gets confused. 

Also! This chapter is a bit different. No flashback. The ending is in the present. Just 3rd person. 

——————————————

Maya screams. It’s an all out, from the gut pained scream. This might have been a mistake. Where is Cristobal? We need him. Maya has not stopped pacing and screaming since Joy confesses she wanted to get to know her blood relatives. I’m not sure what exactly is being said because I don’t speak Spanish, but whatever is being said it sounds heartbreaking. Maya has been crying this entire time and Joy has been trying to play it off. A couple times Maya pointed to me and Joy shook her head no so using my detective skills I’m guessing Maya has blamed me for this again. 

Katy said she was on her way with Cristobal 15 minutes ago. “Mama! Escuche!” (Mom listen!)

“No! No!” Maya swats Joy’s hands away. How do I help? Finally the door opens and I might just start praying. Thank the lord Cristobal is here. 

“Que paso?” (What happened?) Cristobal comes rushing over, pulling his wife into a hug and cupping the back of Joy’s neck before he kisses her forehead. I sigh as Katy comes shuffling in awkwardly, she’s grinning awkwardly. 

“Papa mira, necesito decirte algo” (daddy look, I need to tell you something). 

I in a breath. Oh this is going to be rough. “Why don’t we all just sit down huh? It might be better if we do” I stare open mouthed at Katy. She speaks Spanish!

Cristobal nods and Maya sits down, Joy takes my hand and squeezes tight. “I don’t want you guys to think I’m just forgetting about you. I never meant to upset you mom. But I want to get to know my blood family. They’re hurting and maybe by seeing me it will make them feel better” It’s quiet for a second. I’m assuming Joy dropped the bomb on her father. I need to learn Spanish this is ridiculous. 

Cristobal sits up straight and clears his throat. “You have never cared before.”

“I never met them before. Even when Wendy and I looked through the box I never truly intended to go looking for them papa. But then Seo-Joon was there and then I found out about Summer and Irene and then Irene told me about her mom and I couldn’t ignore it anymore.”

“You can’t do this Joy” Maya looks hostile. Whatever she said to Joy must not have sat well with Cristobal because he shakes his head and smiles at Joy. 

“We can’t tell you not to do this.”

“Yes we can.” Maya slaps her husband's shoulder, he regards her for a moment. Eyes gentle. That's how Joy looks at me when I’m frustrated. 

“Baby, no we can’t. We cannot stop her. She’s not a baby anymore. She needs to do this and we need to be here to help her.”

Maya springs up from her spot on the sofa again, damn she must have good knees. “I said no! We, you. Me. Clara. Junito. Katy. Mama. Papa. Dino. Mateo. Jaime. We are her family. Not those people. She doesn’t know those people. We are her family. I said no. She is not going anywhere. She is not meeting anyone. I am your mother. He is your father. That’s it, Joy. There is nothing else. You are Joy Maribel Ruiz Garcia. You are my daughter. My baby. I brushed your hair. I showered you. I taught you to walk. To speak. To sing. I was there when you first laughed. When you first spoke. When you first mumbled and walked. Me and your father and your grandparents. Why can’t we be enough?” 

Maybe if I ask they’ll just speak in English? Joy finally starts crying, she wraps her arms tightly around her mother and says something. Again, I’m not sure what but Katy is crying and Cristobal looks lost and heartbroken. “You are enough mom. You always will be. I’m not leaving. I’m only adding. You are my family. You will always be family. It isn’t who made you it’s who raised you. But my blood father lied to his entire family and told them I was dead.”

“Then let them believe that!” 

“Mommy no. That’s wrong. I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t do that because you didn’t raise me to be that way. You raised me to be loving and caring. You raised me to be the best human being that I could be. You raised me to run into a burning building to save a child whose mother used to attack me. You raised me to run into gunfire to save children. You raised me to be someone who saved lives every day. You and nobody else can say they are my mother. Daddy, no other man can say he is my father. It’s only you. Don’t be afraid because you will always be my blood and my choice. They’re related to me. But you have my soul. God United us. And together we stay.” 

It was at this point that Katy threw herself at Joy and Maya and ugly cried. It was the first time I saw Maya smile since we broke the news. Maybe everything will be okay. “TOGETHER WE STAND UNITED!” Katy screeched. Only she could make a y language like Spanish sound like some alien language. “TOGETHER FOREVER! Family. UNITED. blood. LATIN. HOTEL! TRIVAGO!” 

Did she just say trivago? “Wendy. You and Joy. Stay tonight. Katy too. '' Oh thank god. English. 

“I can’t stay tonight papa Cris,” Katy says. “I’m going out with a friend tonight .”

“Oh. A friend?” I question, raising my eyebrows. 

Katy winks, “yeah, a friend.” I chuckle at my dirty little friend. “Mama, no te preocupes, Joy no va a ningún lado” (mom, don’t worry. Joy isn’t going anywhere)

This is unfair. I need to learn Spanish. About Thirty minutes later Joy was fixing the sheets in the spare room and I was getting water when I found a silently crying Maya in the kitchen making her daughter hot chocolate. Oh this is heartbreaking. 

“Maya?” The 46 year old woman jumped, clutching at her chest she took a deep breath. I walked up hesitatingly, Maya quickly wiped at her face. Oh you beautiful soul. “Are you okay?” 

Maya smiled a sad smile, eyes glassy and hands shaking. “You don let dem hurt mi bebe” I gulped and shook my head. 

I rested my hand on Maya’s trembling left hand, she quickly held my hand tight. Like she needed an anchor. Like she was lost and I was her guiding light. “I won't let anything happen to her. But it doesn’t matter, because she has a wonderful mother and an awesome father to help and protect her too.” 

It was at this, that this beautiful woman broke down. She grabbed my other hand with another violently shaking hand and held them tightly to her chest and wept. “She leaving me”.  

“Oh no Maya, that is not true. Absolutely not. You are her mother. It doesn’t matter what happens in the future it is you that matters. Joy is 26 years old and is obsessed with you like a young boy. You are her heart and soul how could you think she would ever leave you. Don’t think of yourself like her adoptive parents. You are her parents. No ifs and or buts.”

“Que obsessed?”

“You don’t know what obsessed means?” Maya shook her head and I smiled. “It means you’re all she thinks about. All she talks about. You’re her everything.” Maya smiled again, she let go of my hands and wiped at her face again. I was just about to say something cute to make her smile but Joy came walking over probably for her hot chocolate, there was no need to say anything Joy’s mere presence lit the woman up. 

“Mami? Que pasa? (Mommy? What’s wrong?) Maya shook her head and smiled at Joy, she kissed her cheek while Joy shot me a confused look. I shrugged, if Maya wants to keep it between us then between us it’ll stay. Maya handed the drink to Joy and we all sat at the kitchen table. 

Joy started up on a pointless story about something that happened at work. She would translate herself every so often. Maya smiled and held Joy’s left hand, a small drip of milk ran down Joy’s chin. I rolled my eyes and grabbed a napkin but before I could wipe it off Maya did it with her finger and wiped it on her nightgown. Is that what being a mother is? Still cleaning after your adult children. Using yourself rather than a napkin? 

Allowing your heart to break for your children? Giving up your happiness for there’s? Being afraid, by pushing through? Maya said something to Joy to make her laugh out loud, I didn’t hear it. Too caught up in this love between mother and daughter to really pay attention. Will I have that with my children? Will I simply wipe their face with my own hands without minding the mess? Will their presence just brighten my day? Will I love them as much as Maya loves Joy? 

I turned to Joy and tapped her hand holding the mug. “Did you tell your mom about what we talked about?” Joy grinned and shook her head, she leaned forward in her seat and held her mother’s other hand. 

“Mami. We haven’t started yet, but I wanted you to know. That Wendy and I are thinking of having kids.” I don’t know what made Maya light up more, her daughter’s face or the idea that she would have grandchildren. Whatever it is, it doesn’t matter. Maya was up and out of her seat hugging Joy with surprising strength before hugging me. I laughed, telling her we hadn’t started yet again. 

I don’t think it mattered. She was practically dancing. “Tell me all the things!” She said, voice shaking in happiness. 

“Well. Wendy’s friends Irene and Seulgi have just started the process of having children. They have an agency and it’s really just about a donor now for them. And they said during dinner last night they would send us over the information. We thought we’d really begin the process after the wedding.” Maya swayed left and right, bright grin on her face. 

“Pera!” (Espera-stop/wait. Cut short.) “let me get jor fader” Maya practically ran to the back of the apartment. I giggled and leaned forward to kiss Joy. 

“She’s so cute” I said against her lips. Joy hummed a response, and sealed our lips again. We broke apart when we heard the returning footsteps. Obviously Maya had told Cristobal everything because he came over to lift me into the air and kiss all over my face before doing the same to Joy. I laughed at my tall fiancé being lifted by her five foot four father. 

“And the wedding? You have a date now?” Cristobal asked, still holding Joy against him. I nodded, giggling when Joy started complaining to be let down. 

“Papa! Por favor!” Cristobal smacked her and shook his head. Maya joined in on the fun, planting a nice one on Joy’s rear end. “Mama!” Joy screeched. It took awhile for everyone to settle down again. 

“Joy and I were thinking of a spring wedding. And felt March 14 was a good time.” Maya and Cristobal nodded, taking in the information. 

“Where do you want to do it?” I was about to tell my in laws that we had decided on a park, when Joy cut me off and said we were still deciding. I could tell from the nervous look Joy shot me that this was another one of these things where she was afraid to upset her mother. 

She just told her mother that’s he wanted to meet her blood family, she can handle this disappointment. Cut the umbilical cord Joy! I’m marrying a . 

——————————————————————

The next day I sat at my workstation listening to a grown man explain to me that his dog has a that hasn’t gone down since he gave him . “Would you like me to transfer your call to animal services?” I asked for what felt like the 10th time. 

“Nah. Can you help me?” I groaned. 

“Sir, I do not have enough knowledge in this subject to be of any assistance.” 

“Yo. But you’re 9-11!” 

I pinched my thigh and rolled my eyes, Irene giggled beside me. “Sir, I am a dispatcher. I can get youhelp though.”

“Who?”

“Animal services.”

“Why can’t you help me?”

“I am not animal services.”

“Well can you put them on the phone!” I nearly slammed my head onto the keyboard. Why me? Why must I deal with the dumbest people New York has to offer? 

“Yes, of course sir.” I transferred the man and nearly threw my headset. 

“Long night?” I turned to Irene and pouted. 

“Super. We told Joy’s parents about her plans. We knew her mother would take it the hardest but I really didn’t expect how hard she actually took it. We spent the night. The night ended on a good note though, we told them about our plans for kids. And that instantly boosted the energy of the room, we picked a date for the wedding. Are once again stuck on the location. But we finally went to bed around 12, but then Joy kept tossing and turning so I figured we’ll have be done by 1, we’ll fall asleep and I’ll get five/six hours of sleep.”

“I’m guessing that’s now how it went.” 

“Nope!”

“What happened?” 

“We’re lesbians Irene. takes two hours.” Irene snorted and I rolled my eyes at the next call to come in. 

After another boring ten minutes of taking a non emergency call I turned to Irene who had also just gotten off a call. “You call your mom?” Irene nodded. 

“We called her two days ago when we had dinner with you guys.”

“What did you tell her?”

“That we had important news to tell her that we could not tell her over the phone. And that we got her a ticket.”

“What did she say?”

“The usual. Tried to figure it out. Then asked if I was getting a ticket for Daddy and Heechul. I told her only for dad and that Heechul could go die in a ditch”. I chuckled. 

“Why do you hate your brother so much?” Irene rolled her eyes. 

“I don’t hate him. I just wouldn’t mind if he died.”

“You’re right. That’s worse.”

“I’m kidding. I love my brother, I texted him before I called mom. He said he couldn’t make it.”

“Did you tell him about Joy?”

“No. He wasn’t around yet for Joy. He doesn’t know who she is. She is really just a name to him, to the rest of us she was a person.” 

I nodded in understanding. “When is your mom coming down?”

“We called her that Monday. Got the tickets Tuesday morning. Her flight took off this morning, it has a stop so she should be here bright and early Thursday”.

I took a deep breath, “so tomorrow morning?” 

Irene shot me a nervous look, “yeah. Think it was too fast?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. She said she wanted to do this. Best way is to just dive right in. She called Seo-Joon this morning before she dropped me off.”

“I don’t think he should be there when we tell my mom. She might kick his .” 

I chuckled and shook my head, “she didn’t invite him. She invited him to dinner tonight with Katy.”

“Katy? Why?”

“They’re best friends. You know Katy is family to her, whatever Joy does Katy is there too. It’s how they function.”

“That doesn’t make you feel weird?”

“What? How close they are?”

“Yeah”, hmm. I’ve always felt like the best friend comes first. If Irene hadn’t liked Joy in the beginning, passed her protectiveness. I probably would have ended things with Joy. Isn’t that the point of a best friend? Someone to help protect you without truly judging you. Someone who looks from the outside in. 

“Not really. Katy was here first. Besides, last I checked Joy sleeps with me. Not Katy.” 

“Would that bother you?”

“Would what bother me?”

“If Joy slept with Katy.”

“Are you asking me if I’d be upset if Joy cheated on me with her crackhead friend Katy? Of course I would! I’d gut them both.” 

Irene chuckled, “I raised you well.” Irene grew silent, she bit her lip and I watched on confused. Did something happen from one second to another to make her look like this? “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“What would you do if Joy told you she had feelings for someone. And you had feelings for them too?”

I quirked a brow. “Like if Joy and I both had feelings for someone else who happened to be the same person?”

“Yeah, and you were still in love with each other too”.

“Um. Well. I don’t know honestly. Why do you ask?”

Irene took a deep breath and fully turned to me. “Can I tell you something without you judging me?” 

When have I ever judged her? She had in every corner and crevice when I lived with her, what could she possibly do now that could make me judge her? 

“Sure.”

“Seulgi and I slept with Katy”.

“I know that. We walked in on you during New Years. Plenty of people have threesomes. Why would I judge you?”

“Because, we haven’t stopped.”

I blinked. “Wait. You keep having threesomes?” Irene nodded nervously. “Okay, so you like a lot of extra spice in the bedroom. No biggie.”

“That’s the thing Wendy. When she’s not with us it feels weird.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean. We have slept together with her so many times. That when she isn’t in bed with us it feels weird. Like something is missing.”

“Oh my god. You and Seulgi have feelings for Katy. Holy . Is that why you guys were acting all weird during dinner on Monday?” Irene groaned and held her head in her hands. 

“We’re so totally ed.”

“I mean hey man. Love is love. If you guys can make it work then it”.  

Irene glared at me. “It’s not normal Wendy. Love is between two people not three and four and five.”

“Now you just sound like the Bible Belt.”

“Shut up. We ended it.”

“With Katy?”

“Yeah. We ended it like a week ago.”

“Oh. Okay so then what’s the problem?”

“She slept with Seo-Joon and confided in us. We got mad. All three of us got into a big fight. I got mad and told her I regret us ever getting involved. And we haven’t spoken since.”

“Wait. Okay. Hold up. Just wait. There are several things I need to pick at in this statement. Did you just say Katy slept with Joy’s dad?” Irene nodded before grimacing. “Yo. Katy slept with her dad and cousin? What the !” 

“Wendy please. Lower your voice.”

“Jesus. Katy gets around. The adoptive family wasn’t enough she went for the blood too? For s sake. Moving on. You dumped her. She had with a guy to feel better and instead of being there for her you guys got mad?”

“We were jealous”.

“Yeah but you can’t dump someone and then get mad when they try to move on. Granted I’d have preferred it wasn’t someone directly related to Joy. But whatever. Wait till Joy finds out about this man.”

“No! Joy can’t find out. About any of this. The threesomes or the sad thing.”

“I get the dad thing. But why not the threesomes thing?”

“Because! Just because.”

“Is this about the whole cousin thing?”

Irene grumbled, “it’s different now. We’re family now.”

I gripped Irene’s cheek and cooed at her, “oh you’re so cute!”

“Oh off!” Irene swatted my hand away. “You don’t hate me right?”

“Why would I? As far as I’m concerned. Three adults slept together. Three adults caught feelings. Two adults chose to break it off with another adult. The adult slept with another adult that just so happens to be my fiancé’s father. And then that same adult confided in her ex lovers, who are adults. The adults got mad. They had a falling out. All consenting adults. I don’t think you guys had a right to be mad at Katy, she needed friends. You broke it off to be friends. So you’re wrong there. I think you guys need to fix it.”

Irene sighed, “she won’t pick up her phone. Or return our calls.”

Wait a minute. Didn’t Katy say she had plans with a friend last night? “She said she had plans with a friend. That wasn’t you guys?”

“No. She never came to us.” 

“Huh. Well, you guys have fix your friendship. But as far as I’m concerned she’s a broken-hearted girl trying to mend her heart. Remember you still have Seulgi. Katy doesn’t have anyone to cuddle with at night.”

“She could cuddle with us!”

“But you broke it off.”

“.”

“ is right my friend. is right. Try to speak to her tonight. She’ll be at the house for dinner.”

“What if she doesn’t want to see us?”

“Well. What do you guys want to do?”

“I don't know.”

“Then you should leave her alone. You can’t keep dragging her along. Leave her a voicemail saying sorry. That you want to be friends. And then give her space”.

Irene groaned and I smiled comfortingly as both our stations lit up with incoming calls.

———————————————————

Katy sighed as she opened her apartment door, the apartment felt empty. Cold. Lonely. She looked at her watch, it was seven. She had time for a nap before dinner. 

I need to tell Seo-Joon to keep his mouth shut. Jesus I’m a monster. Her dad and cousin. She’s gonna kill me. Katy walked over to her flashing home phone, she pressed the voicemail button and went about straightening up as the answering machine spoke. 

“You have four voicemails. 1. -hey Katy. It’s Seulgi, um. Can you give me a call back when you get this- end. 2. -Katy! We have literally called you 12 times. Just call us back” 

Katy rolled her eyes, if you actually cared you would just come over. 

“3. -Katy. We’re sorry. Please call back. Let’s talk. We were wrong. Look, we miss you. Just. Come over.- end. 4. - hey Kate. It’s Eric. Uh. I don’t know if you remember me. I’m the guy you had dinner with last night, I was wondering if you wanted to go out again. I work at the parachute place in Staten Island and I wondered if you maybe wanna come. I totally-“ Katy pressed end, picked up the phone and stared at it. 

Eric was cute. Tall. Friendly and very hot and she hadn’t slept with him on the first date. They could have something. He could be the special one. 

That’s what I thought about Irene and Seulgi too though. 

With a deep breath, Katy dialed a number and waited. “Hey, Eric? Um, I’m having dinner with my friend and her fiancé and dad. Wanna come with?”

There was a pause and then Katy Kim smiled brightly.