“Shay, it is so nice to meet you! I am your abuela—Carmen and Shane are like your mothers, no?”

Behind the little boy, Shane and Carmen were both staring at the woman as if she was crazy and Shane began shaking her head in disbelief.

“Mama!” Carmen scolded.

“Sorta,” Shay answered. “Well Shane is my sister but she also makes me breakfast and doesn’t let me play Xbox if I talk back so I guess that means she is like my sister and my mom. Carmen helps me with my reading and is always making me shower, so I guess she is like my mom too. But I have another mom, she just can’t take care of me right now.”

Carmen and Shane had never heard the kid say that much before—they were shocked.

“See?” Mercedes broke the silence. “The boy knows—he knows how lucky he is to have so many parents! You two overreact! Come, Shay. Come meet the rest of your famila.”

Carmen smiled and wrapped her arm around Shane’s waist as they followed the others inside. Shay got introduced to everyone and went outside with some of his new cousins to kick a soccer ball. Later, everyone sat down to dinner and Shay tugged on Carmen’s sleeve.

“Do I have to eat all of it?”

Carmen looked at his plate—her mom had given him a plate that was bigger than his head and piled it high with all sorts of different foods. She looked at Shay, his eyes were huge and he seemed terrified by the thought of having to eat it all.

“No, sweetie. Just eat what you can, ok? And don’t just eat the sour cream—eat some veggies and chicken too.”

“Ok,” he replied.

Shane talked to Carmen’s brothers about work, and as soon as Mercedes heard that Shane had gotten a new job, she started playing twenty questions.

“Shane! Carmen tells me you have a new job? Does it pay better?”

Shane wiped her mouth and nodded. She knew most people hated the interrogations by concerned in-laws, but personally she liked it. It reminded her that she was a part of this family and that all of the questions were asked with the best intentions at heart.

“Yes, it does. That’s the main reason I took it.”

“How much more does it pay?”

“Mama!” Carmen interrupted. “You can’t ask questions like that, it’s rude.”

“Oh Carmen, it is not rude when it is family,” Mercedes justified. Carmen rolled her eyes and squeezed Shane’s hand under the table.

“It pays about $20,000 more and comes with health insurance.”

Mercedes smiled. “This will be so good for your family, Shane! You are a good woman for taking care of Carmen and Shay. So tell me, when are you going to marry my Carmen and make her pregnant?”

Carmen was mortified. Shane laughed.

“Mama! You are not allowed to ask that! It’s none of your business whether or not Shane and I decide to get married or have children. And also, have you forgotten that I work, too? I’m not just sitting around darning socks and waiting for Shane to come home! It isn’t up to just Shane to support me and Shay and it’s really not fair for you to put that on her!”

Shay piped up, “Carmen, you are going to have a baby? I thought that—”

“No, Shay. I’m not having a baby. Abuela is just being nosey.”

Thankfully, Carmen’s sister-in-law began talking and the focus shifted away from Carmen and Shane.

It was late before the dinner was through, and Shay had fallen asleep in Carmen’s arms at the table. Shane helped clean up while Carmen held the little boy and chatted with her sister, and then Shane scooped her brother up and the three of them left to go home.