Baby, It's You

I go down the stairs and see my mama making tortillas I smile at her while she makes them. The smell of the burning edges just the way I like them. No one else wants the edges burnt like I do. She turns and looks at me, and I can feel all her love feel my whole soul. She opens her mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. I got her to touch her, and she fades away into ashes.

“Mama, please don’t leave me. Mamá no me deje. ¡Por favor!” I scream out, crying. I hear a voice in the distant.

“Marco, Marco, wake up, Hijo, you’re dreaming.” The voice says I open my wet eyes up, and I’m lying the back seat of our SUV and look at the face of my father. He has his tears streaming down. “I miss mama too so much.”

“It’s all good papa. It was just a dream.” I say while climb over the seat to get upfront with him. I look at him, and the look of concern guts me. “Pa, seriously, I’m fine. I’m just sad that we are moving. I will miss everyone.”

“You could have stayed with your sister Sonia. She said you

could stay as long as you wanted to.”

“Pa, no, I need to be with you and help you out. Plus, who wants to live with newlyweds that’s gross.”

“Okay, I don’t want to think of that either.” He shakes his head, and I laugh. “Hey, an hour before we get to the town, you ride your Harley the rest of the way. Si?”

“Hell, yes!” I say.

I look out the window looking at the sun come up over the mountain tops — the blues, purples, and pinks of the skyline with scattered clouds hypnotizing me. I think back over the last year and how it was a blur and how everything changed. I’m the youngest of six kids. I guess you can call me the whoopsie baby, but I am here none the less. My brothers and sister are all scattered all over the country, and I chose to stay with my papa. He gets so lonely, and I want to take care of him. I was supposed to graduate last summer, but my mother got diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and I missed a lot of school to spend time with her. Every moment was precious, and I’m