The Reyes House, El Paso, Texas [Monday afternoon]

The Fourth of July wasn't an especially big holiday for the Reyes family, but it was a holiday, and holidays were about family and friends. The sun was shining, the grill was lit, and there was way too much food. Jaime was out back with his dad 'learning how to run a proper grill'. Which mostly meant wearing a bemused expression as his dad expounded upon marination and proper cooking temperatures and turning techniques and times.

Bianca Reyes stuck her head out the sliding glass door to call. "Jaime, Brenda and Paco are here. They're on their way back. And what time did you say Momoko was going to get here?"

"I don't know," Jaime called back. "She had something to take care of, but she said she'd head over right after."