new at it, got all wound up about little Dominic. She’s making a heck of a fuss. I guess Child Services will have to pull him out, place him in a different home, and that’s a shame. It’s hard on Rosalie. She’s a lousy mother, but she adores Dominic.”
“That’s going to throw Rosalie right off the deep end.” Not that Rosalie’s needs outweighed Dominic’s. But the decision reminded Jeanie too strongly of the old question posed to many heartbroken men. Which should we save, the mother or the child?
Mackie’s mouth twisted, acknowledging the truth of the remark. “But we do have successes, Jeanie, that’s the big thing. I’m so glad Ricardo Cervantes agreed to come. He used to be really big in the gang, high up in the pecking order. Same gang as Quinto and Tonio, up in Portland . He’s Quinto’s brother, you know. He got the rug pulled out from under him and turned himself around. He’s at a big retail operation now, on the junior management track. They just love him to death. Works long hours, conscientious—all that and bilingual, it’s hard to beat.”
The door sprang open, and a young man strode in the room . Han Solo , thought Jeanie, only Hispanic. He wore that same engaging grin, the sense of adventure, as he coursed through the life on his own cock-eyed mission.
Quinto and Tonio sprang up. “Hey man, good to see you, homeboy,” Tonio said, his eyes shining.
“Right on, looking good. How about you, Flaco, hanging in there? You still fit your nickname! You’re as skinny as ever. How’s the artist? Whoa, is that your latest? Old Maldonado’s face, right there on the paper. Want to hang it up? We can throw darts at it, huh, whatcha think?” Ricardo caught Quinto’s head under his arm, and knuckled it. Quinto yelped in happy protest. Laughing, Ricardo shoved him away.
Brynna and Rosalie orbited the trio. Brynna actually looked attractive, as a brief animation lit her discontented face. Quinto and Tonio cleared tables out of the way. Dillon watched with detached interest, as though it were a television show. Sorrel’s glance recorded the presence of each of the young men -- Ricardo, Dillon, Tonio, and Quinto -- and slid back to Ricardo. Her shoulders tensed. She seemed to be waiting for something.
Ricardo grinned at Mackie. “It’s like coming home again,” he said. Mackie threw a hand into the air. Ricardo grabbed it and swatted her on the shoulder. “Hey lady, you do good work.”
“Did good work with you anyway. This is Jeanie. She replaced Sarah.”
“Good to see you.” Ricardo didn’t offer to shake hands, but his open grin and sharp nod served the same purpose. “How’s my bro doing?”
“Quinto’s doing great,” said Jeanie warmly. “It’s a long way,” she added, “through all five tests, but he’s plugging away at it. One down, four to go.”
“Cool.” Ricardo raised an eyebrow at Quinto. “Which one?”
“Social Studies,” said Quinto proudly. “Executive, Legislative, and Judicial.”
“Right on, way to go. So Mackie, what’s the drill? Haven’t done none of these motivational speeches before. Listened to plenty of them though.” Ricardo glanced around the room, spotted Dillon sitting in his corner, and ambled towards him. He turned a chair backwards and sat down, resting his elbows on the back. Ricardo noted the cell phone in Dillon’s pocket. His gaze dropped to Dillon’s ankle. “House arrest?”
“Nope. Off it, a month ago.”
“Lost your jewelry, huh?” The wry comment referred to the locator bracelet, worn on the ankle, which pinpointed an offender’s location on a twenty-four hour basis. “Congrats,” he said. “Been there, done that. All of it.”
The two regarded each other as the others dragged up chairs. Dillon dropped the headphones on the table, angled his chair towards Ricardo, and sat back, arms crossed over his chest.
Ricardo seemed to withdraw. “The gang was good to me,” he said in a low voice. “Home
“That’s going to throw Rosalie right off the deep end.” Not that Rosalie’s needs outweighed Dominic’s. But the decision reminded Jeanie too strongly of the old question posed to many heartbroken men. Which should we save, the mother or the child?
Mackie’s mouth twisted, acknowledging the truth of the remark. “But we do have successes, Jeanie, that’s the big thing. I’m so glad Ricardo Cervantes agreed to come. He used to be really big in the gang, high up in the pecking order. Same gang as Quinto and Tonio, up in Portland . He’s Quinto’s brother, you know. He got the rug pulled out from under him and turned himself around. He’s at a big retail operation now, on the junior management track. They just love him to death. Works long hours, conscientious—all that and bilingual, it’s hard to beat.”
The door sprang open, and a young man strode in the room . Han Solo , thought Jeanie, only Hispanic. He wore that same engaging grin, the sense of adventure, as he coursed through the life on his own cock-eyed mission.
Quinto and Tonio sprang up. “Hey man, good to see you, homeboy,” Tonio said, his eyes shining.
“Right on, looking good. How about you, Flaco, hanging in there? You still fit your nickname! You’re as skinny as ever. How’s the artist? Whoa, is that your latest? Old Maldonado’s face, right there on the paper. Want to hang it up? We can throw darts at it, huh, whatcha think?” Ricardo caught Quinto’s head under his arm, and knuckled it. Quinto yelped in happy protest. Laughing, Ricardo shoved him away.
Brynna and Rosalie orbited the trio. Brynna actually looked attractive, as a brief animation lit her discontented face. Quinto and Tonio cleared tables out of the way. Dillon watched with detached interest, as though it were a television show. Sorrel’s glance recorded the presence of each of the young men -- Ricardo, Dillon, Tonio, and Quinto -- and slid back to Ricardo. Her shoulders tensed. She seemed to be waiting for something.
Ricardo grinned at Mackie. “It’s like coming home again,” he said. Mackie threw a hand into the air. Ricardo grabbed it and swatted her on the shoulder. “Hey lady, you do good work.”
“Did good work with you anyway. This is Jeanie. She replaced Sarah.”
“Good to see you.” Ricardo didn’t offer to shake hands, but his open grin and sharp nod served the same purpose. “How’s my bro doing?”
“Quinto’s doing great,” said Jeanie warmly. “It’s a long way,” she added, “through all five tests, but he’s plugging away at it. One down, four to go.”
“Cool.” Ricardo raised an eyebrow at Quinto. “Which one?”
“Social Studies,” said Quinto proudly. “Executive, Legislative, and Judicial.”
“Right on, way to go. So Mackie, what’s the drill? Haven’t done none of these motivational speeches before. Listened to plenty of them though.” Ricardo glanced around the room, spotted Dillon sitting in his corner, and ambled towards him. He turned a chair backwards and sat down, resting his elbows on the back. Ricardo noted the cell phone in Dillon’s pocket. His gaze dropped to Dillon’s ankle. “House arrest?”
“Nope. Off it, a month ago.”
“Lost your jewelry, huh?” The wry comment referred to the locator bracelet, worn on the ankle, which pinpointed an offender’s location on a twenty-four hour basis. “Congrats,” he said. “Been there, done that. All of it.”
The two regarded each other as the others dragged up chairs. Dillon dropped the headphones on the table, angled his chair towards Ricardo, and sat back, arms crossed over his chest.
Ricardo seemed to withdraw. “The gang was good to me,” he said in a low voice. “Home
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