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"Ice crea stuck in the car with me I’m sweaty as hel "

"You know this pendejo?" Ah, so her roadside companion speaks--if only to cal me an asshole

One hand on her hip, Gabriel e answers hih to know I’d better steer her to the car before she gets bitch-slapped "Thanks for stopping,Gabriel e by the ar her into the back seat

An hour later, her car’s been towed and we’ve got the twins in the car Since they’re nine, they’re way h the dark-tinted s that other drivers can’t see than the fact that I’ot a guy to drive o; their sister better comprehends the way I miss my oheels

Gabriel e directs Luis to an ice creao into raptures when I tel theet whatever you want have ever been uttered to them before It takes theet, and since we’re the only customers, the woman behind the counter takes the break to watch entertainister One of the con inattentiveness as the clerk glances between e on the tiny screen Final y she stares at htly ajar and eyebrows elevated to the level of her pink visor, and I s up her cel and taking photos of our retreating backsides

Luis raises an eyebroe exit, the boys hat looks like quart-sized cartons each, and Gabriel e and I each holding an overloaded cone "Dinner is official y spoiled," I tel her as one of her brothers cal s shotgun and the other squeezes between us in the back seat "Yourto kil me"

Gabriel e smiles prettily "No, she won’t Mah Mrs Diego thanked o I mean Jesus, I ran into her house with hs and shakes her head "She says you’re a hard worker That’s the only thing that ever impresses Mama"

Dori

I was in line for airport security at 7:00 aht my connection to Quito I’ve made this trip twice before--each of the past two su experience in LA-to-Quito travel doesn’t make the thirteen-hour trip feel any shorter It’s alet settled into the woet five hours of sleep before it’s tiet up

There’s always a lot to be done Children in Quito are sent into the city in droves to beg or shine shoes to help support their faanized learning activities with children whose parents spared theroup of little boys whether they attended school during the regular school year Al of thes who did When I asked why soo and they weren’t, one replied, "My sister is soes to school and ork" It broke ht, but they were al resigned to the i last year was evenWe’da year later to find nothing improved made me want to scream with frustration I’d never ful y understood ress in terms of two steps up, one step back--soo, where she was doing a summer research internship before her last year of es occur over ti Think about the difference thirty, forty, or a hundred years have nition of addiction as a disease" Her rational words calmed me, but couldn’t stop the whine that seeped into my voice "It’s not fair" She chuckled softly "I knoeetie But the world doesn’t operate on fairness You know that as wel as I do" Talking to Deb can be like having your hand held while you s nasty-tasting o away, but she makes it easier to take "If you want to make a difference eventual y, you just keep on"

I heeded her advice then and over the past year, and here I am in Ecuador for a third time, more prepared for the conditions I’l find and ready to tackle thes I’ve developed for Reid is so else I have to do I vow to return to LA in a more rational frame of mind, because over the past 48 hours I’ve done little but recal abstracts of hi Iway they conore The pride on his face when he finished the shelves The surprise in his eyes when he blurted out the truth about his parents over dinner The gentleness of his kiss

Once I get through customs, I’m met by Ana Diaz, ato reach and educate as many Ecuadorian kids as possible

"Welcoat the botto at the bottom of the bunk abovebreaths of the women I’l meet tohttirees year-round--but I’h to think a bit of a chil would keepday

The truth is, I’hdown my bare arms, his mouth on mine The sensations that warm me are the same delicious sensations responsible forelse, anything else For tonight, I surrender, my hands restless under blankets softened and worn fro him

Chapter 31

REID

"You’re certain about this?" I can’t recal Dad ever looking at me with such an incredulous expression, and believe me, I’ve witnessed incredulity on his face a s,up on whatever work he didn’t vanquish in his sixty-hour eek The idea that Mom or I would disturb him before noon is inconceivable, since we’re usual y asleep So when I knocked on his door at 9:00 am, he seemed disconcerted by my appearance Then I told him I had a financial matter to discuss, apart from our monthly consultations over ained his co hmoney ahead of schedule

Instead, I told hios, anonyet the keys to their house