Cecilia had to go away. It was not forever. Mama told the rest of them to stay inside until she came home. Lucia watched them get in the taxi and thought that Cecilia would like a ride in a taxi. The rest were watching TV, but no one sang along with the commercials. Lucia heard Cecilia ask Mama why she was crying, and then left the window to sit in Sofia’s lap. She was warm. A car’s engine hummed and gravel crunched. A slammed door. More crunching.

“Remember when I let her hold my canary?” Helena said to the shifting pictures on the screen. “She squeezed him until he died.” It was a statement, and she took her glasses off.

“Did you cry?” Anna asked. Helena folded her glasses on her lap. “No.” Sofia folded her arms around Lucia and held her tight. Helena memorized the TV.

“She liked to hear him sing.”

Lucia liked to hear Cecilia sing; she made her laugh.

“How come Cecilia never gets in trouble, and I always do!” Anna stretched out on the floor and kicked her legs.

“Because Cecilia’s not a sick little b--,” Teresa stopped. Everyone almost smiled.

“Yeah, Cecilia’s not the sick one, you are.” From where they were folded on the couch, Sofia prodded Anna with her foot. Anna flipped onto her stomach to watch the TV and ignored the gallery around her.

Lucia smiled into Sofia’s chest. Anna got in trouble for throwing cats. None of them had ever died though. Anna liked to catch them by their tails and swing them around once or twice before letting go. When asked why, between slaps, she said, “Because they make a funny sound!” Lucia secretly agreed they did make a funny sound. Funnier than Cecilia’s songs she made up. Thinking about twirling cat bodies made Lucia feel like laughing, but she couldn’t let go.

By Christina Rauh Fishburne

From: United States

Website: https://smilewhenyousaythat.wordpress.com

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