Free The Year the Swallows Came Early by Kathryn Fitzmaurice

morning,” Luis answered, and looked back to Frankie.
    A loud thud sounded next to Frankie’s feet. It echoed through the store, through the sudden quiet, like a thunderclap from far away brimmingon the horizon to tell you it’s making its way.
    I looked to see what it was. His coffee con leche was spilling out from the Styrofoam cup around the bottom of his tennis shoes, staining the white leather and his laces. He stared at the lady like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He didn’t seem to notice the mess on the floor, or care.
    â€œI’m here to see Francisco,” she told us, walking toward Frankie, spreading her arms wide. Tears came from her black eyes, spilling down her face so fast, she stumbled as she reached out to him.
    And then I remembered who she was by the way she knew Frankie’s real name, how her eyes recognized him. And by the look on Frankie’s face. How he tightened and backed away quickly while Luis went on high alert like a mother polar bear protecting a cub.
    She was Zoila Maria Venicio, Frankie’s mama. The one who’d sent the letters he refused to read. The one who left with only a carry-on.
    And she was standing in the Swallow, right in front of us.

CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM VERSUS VANILLA ICE CREAM
    â€œG osh,” Luis said, sounding a little surprised and kind of weird at the same time. “We didn’t know you were in town. Did you come by boat?”
    I could tell he knew Zoila right away. And I remembered the story about how she had married his father after his own mother had passed away from being sick when he was younger. How he and Frankie had become stepbrothers overnight, meeting only after their parents’ wedding ceremony. He said he never understood how Zoilahad been able to talk his father into buying that big fishing boat, and then sail it all over the world when there was plenty of good fishing right here in our area.
    â€œYes and no,” Zoila told him. She wiped her face. It was easy to see that she was real nervous. “The boat was too long to dock at the marina here, so we left it down south. I took a taxi here to find Francisco.” She looked at Frankie, her eyes taking him in, top to bottom. Francisco who everyone called Frankie because Francisco never fit him. “Your father had to stay with the boat and do some repairs,” she said.
    â€œSounds like him,” said Luis. “That boat always meant more to him than—” He stopped suddenly and frowned.
    Zoila looked down at the ground. She wiped her remaining tears with her forearm. Red lipstick smeared lightly across her brown skin. After a second she turned to me.
    â€œIt’s good to see you again, Groovy,” she said in a new sparkly voice.
    â€œYou too,” I said. “You look different. I didn’t recognize you at first.”
    She smiled. “It has been a while. Francisco,” she said quietly, walking slowly toward Frankie this time, “I think we should have a talk, somewhere private.”
    â€œI don’t think so,” Frankie answered. But it didn’t sound like him. “We’re about to open up for business.” He backed into his stool so quick that it crashed to the floor and rolled sideways into the puddle of coffee.
    â€œI’ll get it,” I told him. But he didn’t seem to hear me.
    â€œJust a few minutes,” his mama said, and came even closer to him so that he could almost reach right out and touch her to make sure she was real after all this time. “I’ve only got a couple of hours before we go out to sea again. Please. This is important.” She waited, her fingers twisting the gold-chain strap on her purse.
    â€œI guess you could use the apartment upstairs.” Luis pointed to the stairs. “Groovy and I willcover the shop until you’re done.”
    â€œThank you.” Zoila reached to touch his shoulder. But he stepped back just a little.