Rainbows are visions but only illusions and rainbows have nothing to hide

 "It must have been so horrific," Ari said to Mona while they were waiting for her parents to show up for Father's Day Brunch at their favorite family place for celebrations. Rico was at his Dad's, and Jade was with her sister, who was having labor pains.

Mona didn't want to think about it now. Still, she felt she learned a lot about herself with Rico, too. She thought he did have life-saving skills. Although she kept thinking of her road trip with Nic (the time she ran away from home, but no one really knew it). Yes, those were such frills she thought now. With Rico, she'd been put to the test, and she knew she was acting like a baby when the flash flood happened, but he was thinking fast, and he might not have ever thought of that way if it hadn't been for Carmen.

Of course, when the water started rushing into the car, she was certain he was wishing he were with Carmen, but maybe that wasn't it at all. 

There were thoughts about how much his younger siblings looked up to him. He wouldn't admit it, but he did call them every week to check in with them. He was a good big brother. She knew now that he'd probably raised them for most of their preschool years, and they were only his half-brother and sister.

"It was scary," Mona admitted, but then she wouldn't have wanted to be with anyone else. She knew she'd spent years doing her best to put Rico down, when all along she knew she was the one who wasn't good enough for him. She knew she was a lot to put up with, but after the road trip with the flood, she knew they were a team. "Next time, I'm letting him do all the driving."

She'd lost her car, but she had a rental at the moment. They were looking to get a Jeep now. 

Finally, her parents arrived and she and Ari already had Bloody Marys ordered for them, but she and Ari were enjoying iced tea with lemon. It was good to have a meal with just the four of them. That hadn't happened lately. Still, it felt a bit lonely without Jade and Rico. 

Mona and Ari both handed over their Father's day cards. After all, Ari might have been her uncle, but her father had raised him. He was the only father Ari had ever known and Ari was the big brother that Mona looked up too.