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[color=silver][center][sub]Itzel Maria Sanchez, a beautiful name for a beautiful woman. It has taken me so many years to find you finally... and now that I have, I want to meet you. My name is Andre Smith. I'm 48 years old, and I work in a mechanic shop in Texas. I met your mother when she was just 16. We both made stupid mistakes, but I committed the greatest of crimes. I left her and you when you had not even taken your first breath.

Please write back to 8567 Wild Rose Street, El Paso, TX 79930 .[/sub][/center][/color]

Itzel stared down at the opened letter in her hands as if she was holding a chicken with a severed head. The paper was stained with coffee, the corners folded in and the writing looked like they had been written with a broken pencil. There were more sentences under the "I want to meet you" part, but they had been crossed out thoroughly with the pencil that it was illegible. The writing in the paper looked like chicken scratch and had various grammar mistakes. It was clear that the man who had written the letter had not had a formal education. Itzel had been standing in the middle of her room reading the latter over and over again as if it would turn into her father. 

[color=9370DB][i]He's 26 years too late.[/i][/color] Itzel thought as she put the letter on her desk and began to pick up the various items of items of clothing that were scattered on the floor. The week had been pretty busy with a big wedding coming up. Itzel's mother had been unable to meet with the couple, so Itzel had to go to their home and sketch out different flower arrangments and talk out some ideas with them. The bride didn't know what she wanted, and the groom was indecisive about everything. Neither of them wanted to work out something with Itzel, so she just told them to leave it to her. She was supposed to have a sample by today, and Itzel had yet to come with something. 

[color=9370DB][i]Whatever, I'll come up with something by the time they get there.[/i][/color] 

With that Itzel flipped her Bluetooth speaker on and opened her playlist in her phone and began playing one of her many Salsa playlists. She danced and cleaned her room as her hips swayed from side to side with each beat of the drums and her feet carrying her around the room until every item of clothing were either shoved into the closet or thrown into the laundry basket where they would be forgotten for at least two weeks. Or until Itzel realized she was wearing her old bras. Itzel danced her way to the kitchen, the music from her room pouring out to the rest of the apartment. She wasn't sure if her roommate was in her room, or if the company she had had the previous night was still there. Either way, Itzel continued to dance in her pajama shorts and a tank top as Itzel she put some water in the kettle and turned it on. She still had two hours to go before she would have to go to the shop today, so a nice and filling breakfast was in menu today. Heck, she felt like she was at the top of the world today so she would even prepare some for breakfast for the stranger(s) that would probably stumble out of Robin's room. 

Itzel didn't mind that her roommate sometimes brought strange people from the bar, or that sometimes it wasn't one person but a few. The only thing that bothered her was that Robin never seemed to be home. It was like Itzel was living alone with a bunch of passing strangers that would stay the night, eat the food Itzel prepared, and leave. Again, Itzel didn't mind much, but it would be nice to have a conversation with the woman she was sharing an apartment with. For all, she knew Robin could be a vampire! Or a criminal! What if she was a witch?? Itzel rolled her eyes at ham she was cutting on a wooden board. No, that was stupid. Robin was no criminal, maybe a vampire, but not a criminal. She should just ask her what she did for a living-- if she ever saw her anytime soon. 

Itzel had cut various slices of ham into small squared and put them to fry in a pan for a minute or two before adding the eggs. She sprinkled a bit of pepper and salt before letting the whole thing cook as she gently stirred. The music was still pouring out of her room. Not once did she stop dancing. Even as she poured the hot water into her favorite coffee mug, a white mug covered is blue and yellow flowers and dunked a spoon filled with sugar then the coffee. After the eggs and ham had finished cooking, she served them in a large plate and set everything on the table. Sometimes the smell of food or coffee alone made the strangers wonder out to the kitchen and other times it took Itzel's horrid singing to force them out.  The smell of food won this time as a woman walked out of Robin's room in nothing but her underwear. Then another. And then a man followed by another. 

[color=9370DB][i]Oh gosh, no wonder why it was so loud last night![/i] "Good morning you sleepy heads!"[/color] Itzel grinned over at the small group of people that stumbled and groaned. [color=9370DB]"Breakfast is ready! I'll make you guys coffee in a bit. The painkillers are on the table too!"[/color] Itzel's voice was higher than it usually was, to make the strangers head hurt just a bit more. She turned back to the kitchen to prepare four more mugs of coffee, no sugar. [color=9370DB]"So, I heard all your fun yesterday night. Can't say I was not bothered, especially by one of your two."[/color] She pointed at the two men. [color=9370DB]"I heard everything, and I'll just say that I am quite disappointed. One of you did not last more than five minutes. My poor roommate! She brings you here, and you can't even last?"[/color] She set the mugs down in the table. [color=9370DB]"Disappointing."[/color]

The men looked at her like they were about to throw up. Or fall over their chairs and go back to sleep. Itzel rolled her eyes and sat at the head of the table and began to eat. The two women to her left followed suit without a word and ate silently. None of them questioned why a stranger was feeding them or why she had been nice enough to cook for them while they slept in the other room. The air around them was awkward, and they could feel Itzel's eyes on them with every move they made. One of the men didn't look her away as if he was ashamed. Probably the one that had not lasted very long. 

The rest of the morning consisted of Itzel making the people clean the kitchen and living room as payment for the breakfast and painkillers. At least now the dishes were washed, and the living room no longer looked like a bum lived in here. After the strangers were gone(Itzel never bothered to learn their names, unless she would see them more than once), she walked back to her room to get ready for work. She threw on a forest green maxi skirt with a slit on the side and a white lace crop top and threw on a pair of low heeled sandals. She quickly applied some foundation, mascara and dark red lipstick before gathering her tablet and purse. One quick glance at the mirror just next to the door told her that she looked just fine before Itzel left the apartment. 

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[color=gray][i]"Mija, por que todavio no tienes un novio?"[/i][/color] Karla was standing behind one of the arrangement tables in the shop. She was currently working on an order for an older woman that her daughter had bought for her birthday. The question had been sudden, and it was not the first time Itzel's mom had asked her that. [color=gray][i]"Estas bonit y eres inteligente!"[/i][/color]

[color=9370DB][i]"Ama! Cuantas veces te tengo que decir que no quiero un novio. O una novia! Ademas, no tengo tiempo para esas cosas."[/i][/color] Itzel groaned and shot her brother, Alejandro, a glare when he sniffled a burst of laughter. [color=9370DB]"You, shut up! You don't have a girlfriend either!"[/color]

[color=gray]"I'm not in my mid-twenties."[/color] Alejandro rolled his eyes at Itzel and threw a crumpled up piece of paper towards his sister. 

[color=gray]"Alejandro! [i]No tires las cosas, niño![/i]"[/color] Karla looked over to her daughter. [color=gray][i]"Que paso con ese muchacho del bar? El que era[/i] security? [i]El esta guapo![/i]"[/color]

[color=9370DB][i]"No te dije que el maldito decidio ir se con su ex a California? El pendejo no medijo nada asta cuando llego alla."[/i][/color] Itzel didn't like talking about that guy. Even if they had only dated a few months, she still felt pretty bad after what had happened. She thought everything was going well with him until he just left and the only thing she got was a lousy text from him a week after not hearing from him. [color=9370DB]Asshole.[/color]

[color=gray][i]"Que estupido. Mi niña hermosa merece algien mejor!"[/i][/color] Karla reached over the table to pinch on of Itzel's cheeks, making her daughter groan with emberrasment as some clients walked in the shop. [color=gray][i]"Sabes que estoy jugando contigo, mija. No necesitas a nadie."[/i][/color] Karla wiped her hands on her apron and approached the costumes with a big smile. [color=gray]"Hello, welcome! How can I help you today?"[/color]

Itzel turned back and looked at her mother. She knew that her mother was right. She didn't need anyone in her life to make her happy or make her feel loved. She had her family, and that was enough for her. It still sucked that someone had left her for the ex without being told. Whatever, that was the past. Right now Itzel had to worry about the flower arrangement she had yet to finish for the couple that would be coming in one hour, and she had nothing started on the table. 

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Itzel rushed past a woman sitting on one of the couches in the lobby and to the stairs. Late! She was late! The couple had taken [i]two[/i] hours trying to decide if they wanted blue or purple hydrangeas for the centerpieces. In the end, they went with both and a few white roses to make them pop out. Itzel had quickly mustered out a sample for them, and for the first time since Itzel had met them, they both looked happy with the final product. At least she wouldn't have to deal with them much until the wedding date, which was in three weeks from now. 

With that put aside, Itzel now had to hurry her ass up to the roof and help Bert with the decoration and set up of the party. She had promised to be there to give them a hand and a few flowers to brighten up the rooftop. After all, she was a florist, and she knew how to put things together and make them look pretty! At least she liked to think she did. Bert had also promised to play some of her [i]cumbias[/i] if she helped to hang the lights and to set up some of the tables with some of her arrangments. He had mentioned five tables at most, so Itzel had made five [url=https://i.pinimg.com/564x/89/55/49/8955491c4094a9197adda70909896e43.jpg]centerpieces[/url] with colorful flowers that the shop was able to spare. She carried them up to the roof and rushed to get the tables done before anyone was able to show up. The only one who was up there already was Bert and Ritz, the two people she had known the most since living in the complex. She said a quick hello to the both of them before she had to excuse herself and run back downstairs after finishing the tables. She wasn't wearing her party clothes yet! She needed the right attire for dancing tonight! 

One hour later, just before 9 o'clock, Itzel made her way back up to the rooftop with a six pack of [i]Modelo[/i] in one hand and a bottle of [i]Don Julio[/i] tequila on the other. She had changed into a [url=https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1885/2795/products/003_dc1c4b4f-7ebf-47ee-9d97-04b987da9509_1024x10247_grande.jpg?v=1535068935] navy blue dress[/url], tan heels and red tassel earrings hung from her ears. [color=9370DB]"Eyyy! More people!"[/color] She grinned and raised the items in her hands as she approached the small group gathering on the rooftop. [color=9370DB]"Brought some of the good stuff!"[/color] She put them next to the rest of the booze and liquor. Aulora, Aria, and a few others had shown up to the party already. 

Itzel waved at Aulora as she walked to Aria and greeted her with a big smile. [color=9370DB]"Hey! I'm glad you made it! Excited for the party? Can't wait for the music to start playing so we can start dancing!"[/color]