to start right away even on warm days, but it had never gotten her stranded. She slid into the driver's side seat through the passenger side door and listened to the motor hiss at her. "Come on baby. Mamma has a short little errand she needs to run that's all."

Luckily the K-Mart where she worked was at least off the buss line and she could always catch the twenty-three though she never did. It was better to ask Lucilia to drop her off. Maria was always keeping an eye on Lucilia's boys who often played on the sidewalk in front of the house. Those kids had no interest in school, but hers were different. She was happy they hadn't taken after their fathers - Marcus was locked away and Silvio, well he tried at least. Life for immigrants was complicated, no matter how dedicated they were to hard work, greedy American's made it hellish. It was circumstance she told herself that kept him from being a successful businessman, that and his cock.

Maria passed the elementary school that her kids attended and thought about something Father Garcia had told her, "Sissy, I've known your family for a long time, su madre, su padre even your grandmother. Your Mom was so happy on her wedding day, she reminded me of her mother, and now you. But I have to tell you Sissy, do not marry this man. Marcus, he is a good boy and means well but he is not the kind that you call husband."

"Do you understand?" She understood that Father Garcia was not giving her his blessing. She understood that she was single, helping to support her mom and Marcus was going to be the father of her baby. When he found out he was going to be a father he'd settle down she figured. He'd be a proud father and she had been right about that. He was a proud father but it hadn't stopped him from robbing a liquor store. He'd been proud of that too, if he had kept his mouth shut about it, he never would have been caught she confessed.

Father Garcia came to check on the baby when she was born, he sent a small contribution from the church to help with food. He organized a drive and donated clothing, she'd gotten enough clothes to last until the age of four. Then Silvio came back into the picture and Father Garcia had sat with her again, but she had no plan of marrying Silvio, she couldn't even if she'd wanted to. "No" she told her mentor. She would not listen. There was going to be no horse in armor to make her life right, so she would fight for the life that came for her.

What she knew was that she'd find Silvio parked on a side street at Lisa's house. She circled spotting the green truck that belonged to Lisa's brother, but no sign of Silvio. She went a block over, then another, even the side streets had been surprisingly still. A tear rolled down her check making the street lights blur as she drove toward Main and the lumberyard where he generally parked his van. The guys had said he left with a boss in a small gray pickup - she'd marveled in the hope of Mary as she slowed down seeing a familiar van parked on the street.

She told herself he was drunk and asleep in the back. The van was at the corner facing