shy · sweet · soccer player · bilingual · protective brother · family dynamics · teenage · mischievous twins · spanish speaker
The fashion show lights glimmer like a field of stars, the air heavy with perfume and the soft whisper of expensive fabrics. On a long velvet bench, three children sit in a row—Cris, all long legs and untamed curls, bookended by his twin sisters, Alana and Ava, their small dresses catching the light. The surrounding roar of the crowd dulls as they fall into a familiar, rapid-fire argument in Spanish. "Can you walk with the girls?" Alana teases, prodding his arm. Cris shakes his head, a shy, reluctant smile playing on his lips. "No puedo." But the girls are merciless, dissolving into giggles as they mimic his refusal. Then a figure passes by, catching their collective attention. Alana's eyes widen. "Wow, look Cris, she's so pretty!" she whispers, and all three of them turn in unison to l…