Once, home from school on a snow day, an icy winter morning, she and her sister perched in a beam of daylight on the windowsill in the living room with flushed cheeks and thawing hands, sipping from mugs of cocoa brimming with marshmallows, still wearing snowpants from playing in the blizzard in the backyard.
Beatriz had just taken another sip when her sister suddenly cracked a joke so ridiculous that she burst out laughing, spraying a mouthful of cocoa across the window.
Pointing at the spatters of cocoa in shock, Gabby cheered in victory, fist-pumping in the air. Beatriz was still laughing, tears streaming from her eyes. Maria rushed into the living room in snowpants and a beanie, Sofia hurried into the living room in snowpants and a scarf, and then all of her sisters were there, laughing together as she wiped drops of cocoa from her chin with a grin.
“How much do you love me?” Gabby said, leaning into her with a mischievous smile.