Summary

The narrator goes back in time, describing a party through Mirella’s perspective. The party had been thrown to celebrate Ralph’s record store’s 15th anniversary. Mirella had cooked for the party prior to going to work and was exhausted, staying in her room and dreading going downstairs. She recalled how she had met Ralph, at a club when she had first moved to Brooklyn from the Dominican Republic. They had gotten married at the courthouse and celebrated at Ralph’s friend’s bar afterwards. Mirella did not enjoy the company of Ralph’s friends as they mostly ignored her while idolizing him. The only time Ralph would include her in conversations was to support the point he was making. Mirella went downstairs to the party after a young Penelope asked her to come down.

At the party, Mirella joined...