My boss at the tattoo shop said that it was okay to bring Letty. When I told her the news she had this smile. I told her that first thing in the morning we are going. I woke up Letty, took so many tries to get her up. I gave her some time to get up and get ready and made us some breakfast and waited for her.

"Morning." I winked as I took a sip of my coffee. Letty came in all grumpy, mumbling about how early it is.

"It's too early."

"Well, that's the time the person wanted to do their tattoo. Talk to them." Letty finished her breakfast and headed to the car. Letty was in charge of music, I'm not going to lie, she does have some good music, some Bad Bunny, some of these artists that are coming out, and some that I listen to. "Ready?" I looked at her as we parked at the front.

"Yeah." We made our way in, showed Letty my room. She awed at my artwork. "Woah. Did you draw this? All of this?" She touched the canvas as she walked around. "That's amazing."

"Come on, let me show you how to set up." I taught her where my stuff was, telling her how many needles I needed and the ink colors. She learned pretty fast.

"Marisol, Brian is here." Luis knocks on my door and lets Brian in.

"Hey Bri, hows it going." We shook hands. "This is Letty, shes going to help me, that cool?"

"No worries." He waves. Letty rolls the tray in and sat back. "Lets see this." I placed the stencil on his leg, peeling the paper, showing the sketch. Its from some movie he liked. "Marisol, you done it again." We fist bumped. "She got some talent, let me tell you." Brian tells Letty as he laid on the bed.

"Oh stop that." I blushed.

"What! Youre amazing!" Letty spins. "You can do something from this."

"Well I am tattooing."

"No! I mean like have your shit in a museum or something." Brain snaps his fingers.

"She's right."

"Stay still Brian." I spent an hour just tracing and Letty played some more music of hers. She leans over, watching me.

"Reyes, you got a visitor." My boss walks in.

"Tell em that I'll be free in like-"

"It's your brother." I stopped and nodded.

"I'll be back in a few. Letty you good here?."

"Yeah Im fine." I patted Brian's arm and headed out. I saw Ez standing there, looking at the artwork that we made at the shop. He had his hands gripping onto his kuttle. "What owes me the pleasure?"

"Hey." We haven't hung out for a while since he started seeing Gabby and Angel, well... usually Ez would come and find me to talk about dad and I knew that's why he's here. "How you been?"

"Im fine. You?" I put hands on my hips.

"Sorry I haven't been over, just that everything-"

"Don't be sorry. You got a girlfriend now and the club needs you."

"Gabby isn't my girlfriend."

"Wait wait." I slowed down, waving my arms. "You haven't bone her yet?" He chuckles.

"I actually wanted to talk to you." Ez turns to the window.

"You want me to go see dad." I bowed my head. He stayed silent.

"Listen, I don't know what you two are arguing about now but he's still not doing good. Maybe if he sees you, maybe-"

"He didn't even called me when I was in prison, what makes you think he wants to see me?"

"Just stop by, please." I closed my eyes.

"Fine." Here I go, giving in. "I don't promise anything. Excuse me got to go back to work." I slammed my door and got started again. Letty and Brian didn't say a word since they saw how pissed I was. I wasn't ready to see him. Well, its time to suck it up. When I was done with Brian, who loved the results, Letty and I got ready to go home. I gave her her half of the money. She asked if she can dropped her off at a friends place. "Yeah, give me a second." I pulled out my phone to see Carla, she texted me saying that if we could meet to eat.

"Going out?" Letty asks as we got in the car.

"With my friend, I'm not sure I'll be home."

"Thats fine, im probably going to stay at my friends today." We arrived at her friends and made my way to the small restaurant in town. Carla was already waiting for me so I slide right in.

"Hey." I took a sip of the glass of water. The restaurant wasn't fancy but it had some good food. Coco and I ate here once in a while whenever he came back from runs, but now, not so much. We barely go out together.

"Any new tatts today?" I pulled out my phone and showed her the newest one. She cracks a smile. "Pure talent right there. You have to be in master ink or something."

"You're just being nice."

"You're amazing, I love the tattoos you gave me." Almost all the tattoos that she has, were drawn by me. My favorite was the dragon on her back and a crescent moon on her arm OH and the mermaid too.

"You want another one?"

"You know I can't say no to a tattoo." Our food came. Carla ordered me my usual and a side of fries. "I actually wanted to tell you something." What was up everyone telling me shit?

"What about?"

"Have you heard anything about Roberto?" The name didn't bother me anyone. Still hated it whenever I heard it though.

"I heard that he's still in the hospital, healing from the damage that caused by a crazy south side chick from Santo Padre." I rolled my eyes, chewing on a fry. Carla cleared her throat.

"Well, he got better. He's out." My stomach turned. "I over heard about it when I was visiting my brother. They released him today." All I did was nod. I knew that I couldn't go near him or anything if something happens, they, his dad, will try to blame and pin it on me and throw me to prison and for real this time, throw away the key. "Marisol, I just want you to be careful because-"

"He's a psycho? No I know."

"You have to tell Angel, Ez and Coco, because once they see him, its over." She was right.

—

"Hey its me, Marisol Fernanda Reyes, your sister. You know? The one that came out of the same womb? The one who you pulled her braids? That little sister? Hopefully you remember you have one. Just call me okay? It's important." I tried calling the three when I was done eating with Carla and nobody answered. Angel was probably banging Nails, Ez and Coco, god knows what. I pulled up to the my dads driveway, taking a look at the house. Just in and out Marisol, you don't have to talk to him.

I got out of my car and see that the lights were on. Was this a trick just to get me here and make me talk to dad? I wiggled my key in the lock and slowly opened the door. There was talking, a little of music and the smell of food. Dad seemed fine to me. I got closer to the kitchen and heard a woman's voice and my dads.

"So your daughter, Marisol, how is she like?" It was Gabby, Ez's girl, friend, girlfriend, whatever they are.

"Stubborn." My dad chuckles. Of course he would say that.

"She can't be that bad." I stood behind the wall, hearing them talk. I wanted to hear. "She seems like a nice person, loving."

"I don't know what happened to her. She used to be filled with joy and that just vanished. Things happened to us and she does things that I don't imagine her doing. I don't know her anymore." I had a lump in my throat. "She got too involved in this mayan life, engaged to a mayan, her brothers are mayans. When I heard that she was in prison, I was disappointed, I just couldn't face her." That was it. I got out of the house, slamming the door behind me, not caring if they heard.

I got in my car, driving away. I needed to clear my mind, so I kept driving around the block. Once I got home, the car turned off, there was nothing but crickets and the little breeze.

I just had this sadness that came over me, just pure sadness. I dragged myself to the door and sat on the couch. I can hear Coco's snores from the room down the hall. Somehow, I made myself to the closet, pulling out a bunch a tapes. God its been years since theses been touched. Just before I started the tapes, i headed to to kitchen, grabbing something stronger than beer and continued, looking at the tv.

"Ez and Angel, this is your new baby sister, Marisol." My mother said, carrying baby me. Angel and Ez hovered over, Ez looked so happy, smiling with his missing teeth. Angel looks down with disgust but smile as baby me held onto his finger. "You must take care of her, she's going to need you both."

"Papi! Look!" 13 year old me comes running, showing him my dress for the homecoming dance. This was just months before everything went down. My dad didn't even look up, he kept watching his baseball game.

"Nice." My mom comes in, slaps his arm and twirls me around.

"You look beautiful mi princesa." She hugs me. "Ezekiel, make sure you get the whole dress." Ez, the one behind the camera. Angel comes from behind and picks me up. "Angel! Put her down."

"Can't believe your going to that lame dance." Angel puts his arm on my shoulders.

"Just because you didn't have a date doesn't mean you have to bash me."

"Burn!" Ez oohed. Angel got pissed and grabbed the camera. Another video started to play, making me chug the whiskey that we had. These were the memories I wish we still had, when we were all happy but all we remember were the ones with mom gone.

"Look Felipe!" I heard my mom call out. She was hold me by the fingers, helping me walk. "Look at our baby!" She said with a smile and a laugh. That hit me so hard. I haven't heard that laugh in so long. I just broke down.

"Come here Marisol! Ven con papa!" My dad claps his hands. My mom lets me go and there I went, walking straight to my dads arms. Ez and Angel was cheering me on. Angel, who had the camera, zoomed in moms face, pausing it. God she was so beautiful.

"Hey." Coco was up. I wiped my tears away. He comes to me, holding me in his arms. It felt so good as he held me. It felt like everything that I had holding back just poof, gone. Coco is my rock, my balance, my line. Thank god I have him, he always pulls me back. "Shes got your smile." He whispers behind my ear.

"Do you think she'll be proud?"

"She's your mom, she'll always be proud of you." He stands up, taking away the bottle, reaching for me. "Lets go bed okay?" I took his hand, following him to the room. Soon as we laid down, i got close to him, my head on his chest, hearing his heart. I played his hair has he fell asleep from the touch. With his breathing, his warmth, my eyelids got heavy, making me fall asleep too.