Chapter 49

My father knew. Well, not his whole life, but at some point in his late teens my uncles told him the truth. They couldn’t stand that my father didn’t resent their parents the way they did. They remembered the crazy “other woman” on the front lawn, and the town gossip, and my grandmother’s sobbing fits, and they hated my grandfather for it. They wanted my dad to feel the same way. Only he didn’t.

Of course, he was angry at first, he said. How could he not be? But as he got older, he realized that all the sacrifices my grandparents made were real. Their reasons for coming to the States may have been tainted, but the realities they formed for themselves once they got there weren’t. They did create a better life for their children, and they worked hard to get it. My dad felt like he owed all of his success to them and to the decision they made to leave Puerto Rico, no matter what the reason behind it may have been.

My Uncle Miguel was right. My grandfather didn’t want any family from the island at his funeral. He didn’t want to upset my grandmother. He thought he owed her that much. The last thing she needed added to her grief was a reminder of the crazy ex-mistress and her illegitimate child. So my father honored his wishes. It was out of respect for my grandmother that he kept his distance from Teresa, and his entire family in Puerto Rico, all these years.

So Teresa remained a dark secret. My dad knew her name. He knew she existed. But that was it. Until she called him a few days ago. She got his phone number from the funeral home that handled my grandfather’s burial; she kept a copy of his obituary in her wallet. She didn’t want to upset my father by showing up at this party unannounced; she felt like she’d already overstepped enough at the Quinceañera by speaking with me.

“This is so bizarre,”Vince whispered, as he twisted his head to spy through the porch door at our father and our new “tia” chatting casually in the kitchen.

“I can’t believe he knew this whole time. Do you know how many ulcers I’ve formed in my stomach over these past few days because of this?” I asked, sipping my soda as we sat on the porch.

“Ah, pobrecita,” Alex joked, patting my stomach.

“Well, at least you didn’t have to tell him,” Lilly added. “That’s what you were really afraid of, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, I guess. But I’m also just kinda freaked out by the whole thing. My grandfather had another child, another family, I didn’t know about.”

“Mariana, there was a lot of family you didn’t know about until a couple months ago,” Lilly said, patting her chest. “Things change.”

“I guess.” I sighed.

“You realize I have to be at Cornell in three weeks?”Vince said, shaking his head as he gulped his beer (something else my parents chose to ignore).

“I’m gonna be back at Spring Mills,” I whined in the voice Lilly always used to mock me. “God, I hope Emily and Madison start talking to me again. I royally screwed things up. I think they hate me right now.”

“No, they don’t, ”Vince said. “They’ll get over it. But hey, at least now you know you can make new friends.”

I looked at Lilly.

“So you guys have to come back and visit sometime,” Lilly said, with a nod of her chin.

“And you’ll have to visit us. Both of you.” I glanced at Lilly and Alex. “Maybe you can come for my birthday.”

“Oh, God, the big Sweet Sixteen!” Lilly hooted. “What celebrity are you gonna try to get to attend? Brad Pitt?”

“Nah, I think I’m over that whole “Sweet Sixteen” thing.” I rolled my eyes.

“Isn’t it rather anti-American for a girl to skip her sixteenth birthday?” Alex asked.

“Who cares?” I shrugged.

“Hey, maybe you could have a party like Lilly’s?” Vince suggested. “Hire a salsa band, wear a nice tiara, cook some Latin food, invite girls with boobs . . .”

“Very funny!” I chucked a balled napkin at him as we all giggled.

I glanced into the tropical fields, remembering that first morning I stood on the porch moments before my uncle appeared, hacking at weeds with a machete to make room for Lilly’s party. I pictured the tent in the yard, and tried to imagine where on the grass I was standing when I first met Alex. I remembered the whole night vividly. It was when I changed.

“Excuse me, Lilly?” My dad had suddenly appeared at the porch door. “Your parents and I want to talk to you about something. What are your plans for next year?”

Lilly crinkled her eyebrows and flicked a glance at me, but I was too busy staring at my father. I had no idea what he was about to propose, how things were going to change next.