The Red Umbrella by Christina Gonzalez Read Free Book Online Page B

that his brother saw a document with a government seal on it discussing
patria potestad
. But who knows?”
    “Patria potes
-what?” I asked, sitting up straight in bed.
    “Yeah, what is that?” Frankie asked.
    “Nada,”
Mamá said. “Nothing either of you has to worry about. Fernando, let’s talk about this later, but Lucía, your father is right. We need you—”
    “I know.” I sighed. “I need to go to the dance.”

Chapter 8
    P OLLS I NDICATE C ASTRO W ILL S OON G O T OO F AR
    — T HE P ROGRESS , M AY 26, 1961
    “
¡Levántate!
Look what time it is.” Mamá threw open my bedroom curtains.
    “Ugh.” I put the pillow over my face. Mamá’s famous chamomile tea with
tilo
and
anís
had helped me go to sleep even though I was convinced I’d only have nightmares.
    “Let’s see what you plan on wearing tomorrow night,” she said.
    I peeled off the pillow and squinted as my eyes adjusted to the room’s brightness. Did she think I could forget about what happened yesterday?
    “
¿Qué te vas a poner?
Maybe you can wear that pretty yellow one that you wore to Camila Renderon’s wedding a few months ago.”
    I shook my head and pointed to the pink dresswith the white eyelet trim hanging on the door of the closet.
    “Ah
sí, bien lindo
. Did you try it on to make sure it still fits?” Mamá walked over to check the hem.
    “It’s fine,” I muttered. There was nothing she could say to make me feel better. I was only going to do this because we needed to keep up appearances.
    “No, better let me see it on. I can let out the bottom another inch or so. You’ve grown since you wore it during Christmas.”
    I sat up in my bed. “Mamá, dresses are worn shorter, anyway.”
    “Just try it on. Then we’ll decide. How about shoes? You’re almost the same size as me. You want to wear my pink heels? They’re not too high, and I think they’d look nice with the dress.”
    I smiled at the thought of Manuel seeing me in my best dress and pink heels. I’d look so grown-up. I stretched and walked over to the mirror.
    “Yeah, I guess the heels would be good. What about my hair?” I picked it up into a French twist and looked at myself from different angles.
    “Hmm, sounds like a question for Ivette.” She paused for a moment. “Better ask her when she gets here in a few minutes. I invited her and her mother over for lunch.”
    I let my hair drop as I spun around. “She is? You did?”
    Mamá nodded. “A girl can’t plan for her first dance without her best friend. Plus, I need to mend some fences.”
    I tackled my mother with a huge bear hug. Everything
was
getting better.
    *  *  *  *  *
    “Chica
, you don’t look too happy. I thought you’d be more excited about going to the dance.”
    Ivette grabbed a nail file from my dresser.
    “I am happy.”
    “Yeah, sure. You had that fake smile all during lunch. You’d think we were about to take one of Señora Cardoza’s final exams or something.” Ivette plopped onto my bed. “You’re going to get to dance with Manuel. You should be on cloud nine. This is
the
Manuel. Boy of your dreams, remember?”
    “I know. I
am
excited.” I flashed a smile so exaggerated that my face hurt. “See?”
    “Better not smile like that. Manuel’s gonna think you’ve gone crazy or something.”
    I opened the bottom drawer of my dresser and started organizing the socks and silk scarves inside. “He may not even want to dance with me. I might just sit there all night.”
    “
Ay
, you are in a mood!” Ivette stopped filing her nail and looked at me. “I know for a fact that Manuel wants to dance with you before he leaves on Monday.”
    “How can you? You’re not a mind reader.”
    “No, but Raúl asked me if you were going.”
    “So? Why would your brother care?” I continued folding a yellow and blue scarf.
    “Let me finish.” She blew the dust off her fingernails. “Raúl asked me because …” Her eyes twinkled.
    Something was up. Ivette really