dame amor ↝ steve murphy [✔]

forty one. i did something bad

MEXICO

Pacho watched his brother drink another shot. It was early in the morning and Pacho was pretty sure Alvaro would end up drunk by twelve or earlier than that. He still hadn't called Eviana since Gilberto's arrest. Miguel had told him to stay in Mexico to be safe. In reality, Miguel Rodriguez was scared of what might happen in the upcoming weeks.

"Little early for number three, no?" Pacho told his brother. It was a hot day in Mexico and Alvaro had his own ways of cooling off.

"The fuck else am I supposed to do around here?" Alvaro scoffed.

"You didn't have to come. You could've stayed with Evi, help look after Mateo like a normal uncle." Pacho replied.

"Why the fuck did she hire Helena for if you want me babysitting some kid?" Alvaro slammed the shot glass on the table. "Who else was gonna watch your back?"

Pacho always protected his siblings, that was his job as the older brother. After leaving their parents' house and moving in to a cheap hotel, he promised himself he would do anything to keep his sister and brother safe. Hearing Alvaro say those words made him feel sad. He knew what kind of trouble the cartel was in and he certainly didn't want Eviana or Alvaro getting hurt.

"You gonna tell me what went down in Juárez?" Alvaro asked.

Pacho scoffed. "I told you . . . we talked."

That wasn't enough for Alvaro so he poured himself another shot. "The Mexican made you an offer. Didn't he?" He placed the tequila bottle on the table and looked at his brother.

Pacho let out a quiet yes. "Pretty good one, too. He says we're getting out at the wrong time."

Alvaro nodded. "Maybe he's right. Gilberto's in jail. Maybe this is fate."

And that scared Pacho.

🦋

Helena walked into the kitchen to get breakfast ready for Mateo and Eviana when she saw the bowl of soup she had made for Eviana from the night before. It was sitting on the counter uneaten. Helena grabbed the bowl and placed a piece of foil over it then placed it in the refrigerator. She immediately started to think if Eviana didn't like her cooking. In the past, she was told by Pacho and Eviana that she cooked better than their own mother.

Helena caught a glimpse of a body thrown onto a patio chair. She recognized it immediately. She ran out the door to the patio to see Eviana asleep on the chair. It looked uncomfortable, Eviana for sure was going to wake up sore.

"Miss Herrera?" Helena gently shook the sleeping woman. "Miss, it's me, Helena, I don't think this is the best place to sleep."

Eviana slowly opened her eyes then regretted it immediately. The sun was shining directly at her. She raised her hand up to her face to block the sunlight, but she was still having trouble keeping her eyes open. She groaned in pain when she moved her body so she could sit up. Another thing she regrets, sleeping on a patio chair.

"What time is it?" Eviana questioned.

"Seven thirty. I was just about to make breakfast," said Helena, "tell me, did you sleep out here all night?"

Eviana rubbed her eyes and slowly sat up in the chair. "Unfortunately. I just wanted to be alone. I didn't know what else to do,"

Helena looked down at the ground to see several cigarette butts scattered on the ground along with a lighter. Helena knew Eviana hardly touched cigarettes or alcohol and seeing the empty box of cigarettes made her feel broken-hearted.

"Evi, come on, let's go inside, okay? Mateo wants to see his mommy," said Helena in hopes of getting Eviana to get up from the chair, but she didn't.

"I don't deserve him, Helena, he deserves a mom who doesn't abandon him, who didn't drink when she was pregnant or who isn't a criminal!" Eviana cried out.

Helena watched Eviana look around, trying to find something or someone.

"I need t-to talk to Pacho, Helena, w-where's Pacho? Is he okay? I need to know."

Helena took Eviana's hand, squeezing them for a few seconds then placing them on her lap. "He's safe. Him and Alvaro are still in Mexico. I don't know when they'll be back, but they're safe."
Helena's words seemed to calm down Eviana. "I don't think you're a criminal. You're a great mom to Mateo and a good woman."

Eviana let out a sob. She couldn't look at Helena in the eye and tell her she wasn't a good person like the older woman claimed.

"I did some bad things that I'm not proud of. Things I never told anyone, not even Pacho or Miguel Ángel," said Eviana, staring the burnt cigarettes on the floor. "I couldn't do anything about it. My dad once told me I needed to learn how to defend myself because Pacho wasn't going to protect me my whole life."

Helena had an idea about what Eviana was saying. It was obvious.

"I had to defend myself like my dad told me to do. And I was so scared. I kept thinking . . . he's right, one day Pacho isn't going to be there to protect me or Alvaro, and I'll be all alone. So I had to do something." Eviana looked up to see a beautiful bright blue sky with clouds. She felt sad, relieved, nervous. Her emotions were all over the place, but she felt tired.

"Oh, my sweet girl," Helena grabbed one of Eviana's shaky hands. "You're not alone, not now or ever."

"I don't want my son to be fearing for his life everyday. That's no life for him. He deserves a better childhood than what I got. And I'm going to give it to him." Eviana said.

"I understand, Evi," said Helena. "Does Pacho know you want to leave Colombia?"

"No."

An: it's going to be sad writing pacho and evi's last scene