Big Chicas Don't Cry(104)

Now they were all waiting in a room down the hall with the rest of the family. I wouldn’t have been surprised if the nurse had cornered Father Benedicto and asked him to say a quick prayer for the delivery to go smoothly, just so that the small army could finally go home.

“Holy shit, Selena,” Erica yelled. “What’s that on your hand?”

“Erica! Please do not cuss—” I stopped as I noticed the giant diamond on my sister’s finger. “Jesus Christ, Selena! Did you get engaged?”

A huge smile exploded on her face, and she started jumping up and down. “I did!”

“When?” Mari asked.

Selena’s glow matched the bling on her finger. “Last night. He did this big setup with a violinist at our favorite restaurant. I had just said yes when my mom called to tell me that Gracie was in labor.”

Everyone started talking at once. Then another contraction hit, and I screamed, “Excuse me! Can I have this baby first before we start discussing centerpieces?”

For the first time in my life, I had silenced a room.

Mari and Erica returned to their positions, and Selena grabbed my hand again. The nurse took another look between my legs and then met my eyes. “Okay, Gracie, it’s time to push. Are you ready?”

I panicked for a second and wanted to scream “No!” But then I looked at my cousins and my sister’s smiling but tear-streaked face. Deep down in my heart I knew that I wasn’t going to do this parenthood thing alone. The three of them, and everyone down the hall, were going on this adventure with me.

I squeezed my sister’s hand, took a deep breath, and said, “I’m ready.”





AUTHOR’S NOTE

Dear Reader,

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my book. I hope you enjoyed meeting the Garcia cousins and the rest of the family. I can’t even put into words just how much this book means to me. It was the first book I ever attempted to write once I decided to finally pursue my dream of becoming a published author. There were certain scenes I couldn’t get out of my head, and one night I got out of bed, turned on my laptop, and just started typing. That was in 2012. Over the years, other writing projects became a priority. But every once in a while, I’d open up this book and add words. The book evolved, character names changed, and plot points came and went. But the core story about four Mexican American cousins and their relationship with each other and their great-grandmother stayed the same. In 2017, I heard about a writing contest and decided I would finally try to finish this book so I could enter. I didn’t make the cut, but I got so much positive feedback that I was more determined than ever to get it published. A dozen rejections by agents and editors later, I finally got the one yes I needed, and the rest, as they say, is history.

The Garcia family is fictional, but they are definitely inspired by my own large and loud extended family. We also called my maternal great-grandmother Welita, and we were blessed that she lived to be one hundred years old. She taught us that faith and family were the two most important things in life, and I try to remember that lesson every single day. Sadly, when I was in the middle of editing this book, my maternal grandmother passed away at the age of ninety-five. My grandma Rosario, also known as Grandma Chayo, was the second oldest of Welita’s children and my immediate family’s matriarch. Every family event was centered around her—especially the making of tamales on Christmas Eve morning. Even as I write this, I can’t imagine not having her around to tell my cousin Valentine how much salt to add to the masa or triple-check that I’m counting every batch correctly. As in the book, she, too, never said goodbye. Instead, it was always, “Que Dios te bendiga.” It would be the last words she ever said to me.

I was blessed to have had these two amazing women in my life for so long. And I am blessed to have so many strong, smart, and independent women in my life still. This book is because of—and for—all of them.



Rosario “Grandma Chayo” Graciano, left, and Eudocia “Welita” Ramirez.





ACKNOWLEDGMENTS


This book has been a journey. And I know I never would’ve gotten here without the love, support, and efforts of so many.

First, I want to thank my amazing agent, Sarah Younger. You believed in this book from the very beginning and made a dream come true. I feel so lucky to be on #TeamSarah.

Thank you also to Maria Gomez at Montlake for the second yes that changed my life. Your sincere reaction and thoughtful comments touched my heart, and I love that you love each cousin as much as I do. Special thanks to editor extraordinaire Holly Ingraham for your insightful feedback and for helping me find ways to better tell this story. And a shout-out to the rest of the amazing team at Montlake, who worked hard to make sure this version of the book was the best version.

While I might have written the words you just read, there was a very special group of people who held my hand through it all.

To Marie Loggia-Kee and Nichelle Scott-Williams, thank you for your enduring friendship and love. Our writing weekends aren’t just productive; they lift my spirit and fill my well.

To Alexis Daria, Priscilla Oliveras, and Mia Sosa, you three are the best writer friends a chica could ever ask for. You have been my inspiration to keep writing, and I’m so thankful for our friendship. And to my Latinx Romance Retreat queridas amigas—Adriana Herrera, Diana Mu?oz Stewart, and Zoraida Cordova—thank you for your continued support, cheerleading, and fun Zoom chats. I’m so proud to belong to this community.