Each Tiny Spark

Emilia’s dad arrives, and he doesn’t warmly greet his daughter, but he eats the pork sandwiches Abuela made and drinks his café con leche. He asks Emilia about school and how her mother is doing before smiling sadly and going upstairs to rest. Toni has been an active-duty Marine since Emilia was four.

The next day after school, Gus and Emilia sit on a quiet hill, and Emilia spots her dad in the auto shop. She uses Gus’s camera to zoom in and sees that he’s working on a car. Gus compares himself and Emilia to spies, and Toni to a scientist designing a space station to obliterate planets. Emilia wonders if Gus is citing a Star Wars storyline.

Abuela suggests going to dinner at six. Emilia has to finish math homework, but she needs help. Her dad watches TV, and her mom calls. Her mom helps her with her homework and tells Abuela to have Toni turn off the TV. Sue says she’ll call Mrs. Jenkins, Emilia’s counselor, but Emilia objects. Sue has to hang up, so Toni tries to help Emilia with her English homework. He jokes about her messy papers and suggests she thinks of them as a puzzle.