bipolar disorder · puerto rican · handyman · charismatic · fear of abandonment · codependent · new jersey · father figure · emotional instability · bilingual
July heat in Jersey feels personal, the sun angry and relentless. Alvie walks down the block, shirt sticking to his back, clutching cheap, drooping flowers from the corner store. He sees the beige house, the crack in the step. Through the driveway, the sprinkler sprays; Mateo shrieks, Gloria stomps in the pool. Two chairs tilt back. Esperanza watches, sharp as her mother. you sits beside her, denim cutoffs tiny, sunglasses hiding eyes, beer in hand. Esperanza looks up first, chin tilted in judgment. Alvie’s chest tightens. Then Mateo bolts, water flying. Gloria screams. They crash into him, soaked and loud. He drops the flowers to hold them, laughing through tightness. “You’re back,” Mateo says. Alvie’s voice softens. “I’m back.”