Summary

In Chapter 5, “We Needed More Space” (43), Chino recalled visiting the Upper East Side of Manhattan occasionally as a child. He returned home to Blanca and they talked about potential names for their baby. Chino suggested “Vera,” then steered the conversation toward Blanca's aunt. She told him Vera lived in Miami with her rich Cuban husband. She said Vera had been in love with a “street activist” (46) in Spanish Harlem but her mother made her marry the Cuban man. Chino realized she was talking about Willie and that he must still be in love with Vera. Blanca mentioned a teenager in her church who was an “anointed,” which she explained was “Someone who will one day, when he or she dies, rule with Christ in heaven for one thousand years” (47). Chino thought about how he could leverage what he learned about Vera...