With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
On Ice
I’ve seen commercials for Disney On Ice my whole life but never thought about going. And still, as we wait in line outside the Wells Fargo Center, I feel as giddy as the little kids jumping up and down in anticipation. From her stroller, Babygirl keeps pointing at everyone and everything. Laura and Angelica hold hands, trying to look all cool and like they’re only here because I asked, but I know they’re excited, too. Malachi is the funniest of us all, bouncing up and down on his toes to see if we’re moving closer to the front of the line, making goofy faces at Babygirl, and asking every Disney character who walks past us for a picture. ’Buela declined his invitation and said she was going to meet up with a friend instead. “You young people go have fun with your Disney. I’m going to drink a cafecito and gossip.”
As we approach the entrance, Malachi fishes out the tickets from his pocket and steps forward. Angelica reaches down to fuss with the cover of Babygirl’s stroller. “I been meaning to ask you, how did Tyrone take this news?”
I don’t look at her when I shrug, and she shoves my shoulder.
“Emoni, please tell me you told him,” she hisses at me, but I don’t have a chance to say anything—not that I was going to say a damn thing—before Malachi is ushering the rest of us forward.
But Angelica won’t quit. She whispers low enough so that only I can hear her. “Emoni, didn’t he lose his shit last time because Babygirl was in the same house as Malachi?”
I pull her closer to me and make sure Malachi and Laura are speaking with each other before I say anything. “Angelica, he flipped out last time because he didn’t like the idea of me dating. I know he has Babygirl around other girls. I know he dates. It’s not his weekend, and if I want to take my daughter to Disney On Ice, who is he to say I can’t?”
Angelica shakes her head and throws up her hands. Laura must sense her girl being all dramatic because she stops mid-sentence to look at us. Both Angelica and I paste smiles on our faces.
“Everything okay?” Malachi asks when we catch up with them. I smile bigger, too big. He’s got to know something is bugging me, but I’m not going to let Angelica’s words water the seed of guilt blooming in my stomach.
“Everything is fine. Thank you for this. I know Emma is going to love it. Right, Babygirl?” At both of our faces peering down at her, Emma gets shy and burrows her head into the side of her stroller. I laugh. “Trust me, she’s excited. That’s her excited face.”
Malachi laughs. “Cool. I’m glad this worked out. My aunt gets extra tickets and she sees it every year.”
“Your aunt?” I say. We are finally at the gate. “I thought you said you had a ‘friend’ with a hookup?”
“I never said ‘friend.’ My aunt works here. She’s my hookup. We’re actually about to see her now. Smile, Santi.”