"Two weeks before the bug hit, we celebrated my niece's quinceañera at Taqueria on Saint Mark's. There was a party, drinks, my whole family was there - it was a good time. She'd been looking forward to it for years."
And now he looks up, his eyes misting over.
"The next week, my daughter told me she was getting married. Dominican boy from Washington Heights. Good-looking kid, treated her right, good job in a welding shop..." He shakes his head. "She was talking about the penthouse on Fifth. I kept telling her that we couldn't afford it, that we'd find something just as good closer to home."
He's quiet - sniffles, runs a hand over his face.
"First it was my cousins. We thought it was just the flu, so we joked about them screwing around on the town at night. We thought it'd blow over. The next day it was my nieces and nephews."
He inhales, steeling himself for what comes next.
"The day after that, they were all dead. On Friday night I held my baby girl's hand while the fever cooked her brain."
Another shake of the head. "She was delirious. Didn't recognize me, didn't know where she was."
He bites his lip.
A shift of his head, and he's looking right into Lindianne's eyes.
no subject
Then:
"Two weeks before the bug hit, we celebrated my niece's quinceañera at Taqueria on Saint Mark's. There was a party, drinks, my whole family was there - it was a good time. She'd been looking forward to it for years."
And now he looks up, his eyes misting over.
"The next week, my daughter told me she was getting married. Dominican boy from Washington Heights. Good-looking kid, treated her right, good job in a welding shop..." He shakes his head. "She was talking about the penthouse on Fifth. I kept telling her that we couldn't afford it, that we'd find something just as good closer to home."
He's quiet - sniffles, runs a hand over his face.
"First it was my cousins. We thought it was just the flu, so we joked about them screwing around on the town at night. We thought it'd blow over. The next day it was my nieces and nephews."
He inhales, steeling himself for what comes next.
"The day after that, they were all dead. On Friday night I held my baby girl's hand while the fever cooked her brain."
Another shake of the head. "She was delirious. Didn't recognize me, didn't know where she was."
He bites his lip.
A shift of his head, and he's looking right into Lindianne's eyes.
"Everyone's got a breaking point. That was mine."
He nods to the door. "That's all I got."