Marina & Nadia - just before (and during) fireworks
Marina hated to keep a secret from Nadia but the surprise was just too good to spoil. All these people were here for Nadia and she’d been so surprised and the look on her face had been worth it.
Though the people from LBJ had left a while ago, called back for their curfew, the party had continued on. Bishop was off somewhere setting up the fireworks display now that it was dark enough and Marina decided she let Nadia socialize with other people for long enough. It was her turn to be selfish and steal the attention of her sister, other people and their desires be damned.
Spotting Nadia nearby, Marina made her way over and tapped her on the shoulder. “My turn. Come sit with me. I think the fireworks will be going off soon.”
The other woman turned around at the touch, and grinned. Nadia had spoken briefly to Marina earlier, but it was nowhere near enough; any in-person time with her, now that the serial killer had been caught, was like a gift of its own. Something to be cherished, guarded each minute .
“I cannot believe there are going to be fireworks. I thought gunshots were going to be our closest thing to that, from now on.” Nadia’s head was craned up at the darkening sky, where the first brilliant canopy of stars was already coming out, bright and dazzling against the blackness. A sight she still cherished. The price of seeing this sunset and these festivities meant she’d just have to spend the night at the hospital, but that was fine.
(More doors in her life opening, when before there had only been brick walls.)
She wound her arm through Marina’s, leaning into the other woman’s shoulder. “And you kept this all a secret from me! You are the worst, all of you. I can’t believe everyone’s here.” She was a record trapped in a loop: can’t believe. Still in a state of dizzy, happy shock over the surprise party. Because really: who in the hell got to have surprise birthday parties anymore?
Marina let out a happy laugh, also in disbelief that things like fireworks and surprise birthday parties could happen in a world like this. Things had been so dire when she was with Emmanuel and Los Nahuales that she’d forgotten what this was like. Now that she had Antón back in her life and she had Nadia, life was pretty damn good. The only piece missing from the puzzle was Alejo, but Marina wasn’t ready to give up hope on that just yet.
“What is the point of a surprise party if you aren’t surprised?” Marina asked with a grin. Picking out a soft looking patch of grass, she unlooped their arms and pulled on Nadia’s hand before lowering herself down to the ground and lying on her back. “What has been your favorite part so far?”
“Hmm. Let me think.”
While Marina sprawled backwards into the dry grass, Nadia stayed seated, her legs drawn up to her chest, her chin tipping against the angles of her knees. She’d sat like this on the Rio sands many a time, staring off into the bay.
“Is it cheating to say all of you? Just, the people, all my friends. But the feijoada was a remarkable effort also. Much better than stale, dried crackers all the time.” It’s just another little parry, though, a way of deflecting her real emotions about the night, so Nadia caves. Marina is one of the few she can be honest with. “I’ve missed crowds. Rio was a very, very big city. Always filled with people. I miss that, these days.”