What Night Brings

Grandma Flor arrives unannounced at Marci’s house with her boyfriend, Alfonso. Flor—who once stabbed her abusive ex-husband—spots the bruises that Eddie has left on the girls. Though Eddie is cordial to Flor and Alfonso, Flor is dismissive of him.

Flor tells Eddie that she is there “to take Delia and the girls […] for a vacation” (93). Eddie understands that Delia told her mother about his abuse, which Delia doesn’t deny. After an argument, Eddie tries to strangle Flor. She pulls a knife on him, and he storms out of the apartment. Delia tries to stop him and watches him leave “like she wanted him back” (96).

Marci, Corin, and Flor all understand that Delia will not leave Eddie. Marci decides to stay with her mother and sister. Flor does not argue; she and Alfonso leave after giving Marci and Corin gifts—a pair of knives.

Eddie doesn’t come home. Delia gets her license and finds a job. She works briefly at a factory before finding a position as a substitute in a department store. Delia enjoys the variety. For her, this is a new type of freedom.

Marci, Corin, and Delia settle into a new routine. Delia finds support from her coworkers, including a cook who sends food home for their dinners. Leti tells Marci privately that Eddie is in another town and that she suspects he has a girlfriend. Marci tells Corin right away.

Marci’s cousin Danny visits. He tells Marci that “[Eddie] […] was sending him over to look in on us” but denies that Eddie has a girlfriend (101). Marci suspects that Danny is using drugs. 

Marci reflects on how often she was fearful when Eddie was around. “I guess I must of spent a lot of time being mad or afraid. It was nice being something else” (102). She fills her time by reading and learning household skills.

In the summer, Marci and Corin spend their mornings with Randy and his inattentive mother before going to Summer Recreation at a nearby park. Marci has crushes on some of the girls who work there. She loses her affection for Raquel, who she sees rarely—mostly when she’s getting out of a boy’s car. Marci hopes Raquel isn’t trading her dreams for the boy but knows “I’d have to find another girl to love me” (104). Marci is becoming less naïve about love.

Marci is surprised when she starts to miss Eddie. She wonders if he misses his family enough to stop abusing them. Corin doesn’t miss him, telling Marci “He can’t be just the good parts” (106).

Several months after Eddie leaves, Delia is working full-time. Marci feels better about Eddie being gone, though his impact is still evident: “I looked at my legs. All they had left were scars” (106). Danny’s visits become less frequent, and Marci notices that his health is deteriorating.

Eddie shows up at the house while Delia is at work. Marci, who is cooking, holds a knife and tells him to leave. A shouting match follows, during which Eddie grabs the knife from Marci and throws it into a nearby wall. As he’s leaving, Marci tells him that Delia doesn’t want him anymore; Eddie “turned around and came back. His face was the color of blood” (108). This strikes a nerve, but Eddie leaves.

The next day, Eddie sends Delia flowers and a note. She is conflicted as the girls beg her not to take him back. As they plead with her, “her eyes didn’t see,” a correlation to Danny’s distant gaze (110). When Delia finds out that Eddie had a girlfriend while away, she vows not to take him back.

Eddie calls Delia, but she is determined not to take him back. Marci tries to read, but her thoughts distract her. She buys candy and sits outside wondering how she’ll react if her father returns.

Eddie returns to the apartment, and Delia runs to meet him. Eddie kisses Delia on the cheek, and Marci goes to “what was left of my garden” alone (113). Just as the garden is depleted, so is their new stability. Marci finds Corin at their neighbor’s house and announces that Delia is going to let Eddie back into their lives; Corin isn’t surprised.