Ma smiled at me when I came in and kissed her cheek. She looked tired and worn, her hair gone mostly to gray.

“Benny, what a surprise!” she said in Spanish. She never did learn good English.

“Hey,” I answered, and squeezed her when she hugged me. I hated how frail she felt. “You doing well, Ma?”

“Well as I can be.” Her smile was crooked, one corner of her mouth pulled down by an old scar. Some fuck had hit her once with a bat when I was just a kid. Jarvis did him good, though, and even if that didn’t make it square, it made it better.

“Look, Ma. Got some money, havin’ Louise transfer it over. Get you somethin’ nice.”

“My sweet boy. I don’t need anything. I have you.” She touched my face, and I leaned into her touch. “But thank you.”

“Well, it’s yours anyway. I gotta go, Ma. I love you.”

“Tell Louise I said hello!” She said as I left. I was almost out of the house when Kim caught me in the foyer.

“Hey, Benito! Jarvis wants to see you!”

Shit.

“Alright.” I turned around. “Always got time for Jarvis.”