Papi Insisted

A wide-brimmed hat. A canary caftan. Tamesha Li always delivered an escape from formality.

One Million Chosen for New Cities Wikipedia Deluxe (Archive of Earth)

June 4, 2233 Valley lights twinkled

Meredith hadn't realized how tightly she'd gripped the wooden ledge until her fingers relaxed--relief blooming where tension had lived. She'd been a pawn on the pavilion's chessboard, and her body had known it before her mind did.

She drifted toward the edge of the pavilion, settling near a humming speaker tower. Away from the power brokers, she let her gaze rest on the garden's quiet geometry--until a burst of yellow flared between the hedges. A wide-brimmed hat. A canary caftan. Tamesha Li always delivered an escape from formality.

She offered thanks--to her father for the party, the governor for his attendance, the dean for her encouragement--but escaped the orbit of the older generation with quiet relief. Tamesha's laughter rang out, and for a moment, the night shimmered with promise beyond politics--a chance to weave her own destiny.

"Tami, dear." She embraced her friend, a lifeline in this sea of calculated smiles. "I knew you wouldn't leave me stranded."

Tamesha waved off the notion. "Skip your bash? Not a chance. I'm starving. What did the old man spring for?" She sashayed toward the tables flanking the pavilion entrance, where large neon signs proclaimed NATURAL, VEGAN, and PURE 100%. The choices were as curated as the guest list.

She seized a pork tostada, its crispy shell yielding to her bite. Her eyes closed in gustatory delight as she dabbed her lips with a cloth napkin. "I'm never prouder of you than when you take full advantage of your family's wealth."

"I didn't ask for this," Meredith said, her gaze sweeping the crowd. "Papi insisted."

Tamesha's thick brown eyebrows arched. "Keep that attitude. It's adorable." Her gaze swept the yard and pavilion, eyes sharp beneath the brim of her sunburst hat. "Where's the Cisneros who paints with money?"

"You mean Cousin Rafael?"

"Who else? The hunk with the devious mind." Her laughter danced on the edge of secrets.

She shook her head. "I haven't seen him yet. Papi pulled me into influence peddling before I had a chance to circulate. The dean and the governor both shape healthcare policy. I couldn't pass that up."

Tamesha's expression shifted, the mood turning. "Before I came here, I was helping with residential forms. I had to send a refugee family to Gilbert Hospital--barely able to stand. Wheezing, coughing. God knows what they're fighting."

"Are they eating well?" She asked, her concern immediate.

Tamesha gave a dry laugh. "Does anyone living in someone else's house eat like they do in their own?" Her eyes held a thousand untold stories. "And now refugees say the hospital turns away non-residents unless it's life-or-death. That family fled the storm in South Carolina and ended up with relatives here. I can't wait for your internship to start. You'll make sure they're seen. Properly."

"I will," she said, her voice steady. "But I'm bound by rules--rules designed to deliver the highest quality care to the greatest number."

Tamesha let out another dry laugh, this one edged with bitterness. "That's the brochure version. In reality, rules protect the privileged. Everyone else gets filtered through a strainer that tightens with every step."

She hesitated, the idealism in her voice faltering. "That's not how it's supposed to work. Medical care is meant to be universal." A shadow crossed her brow. "Though... getting into emergency departments is harder than it should be."

"Don't trouble yourself on a party day," Tamesha said, her voice a blend of warmth and warning. "But don't misplace your conscience when residency begins." Her gaze lingered, weighing the distance between idealism and experience. "You were so earnest back in undergrad. Believing science would solve global warming, storm surges, melting ice caps..."

"Scientists are working hard," she replied, her conviction steady. "Most land vehicles run on solar now. Home fusion reactors promise clean, unlimited energy. And the sea walls--don't forget those. They're protecting this harbor, and others around the world."

Tamesha didn't take the bait. "I just gave you a concrete example of system failure in hospital care," she said, voice low but firm. Her eyes held the gravity of courtroom battles and human cost. "Those people are real. They're suffering. What you call progress--solar cars, fusion packs, sea walls--those are palliatives. Not solutions. I respect the scientists. But the people I represent need help now."

A ripple of laughter faded, leaving a brief hush in its wake. From the pavilion stairs, a well-dressed man descended with practiced ease--confident, composed, unmistakably Cisneros.

"Hello," Rafael greeted, his smile bright but calculated. "What are two beautiful seritas discussing with such intensity?" He raised a hand in mock surrender. "No, don't tell me. This is a party, not a wake."

He leaned in to kiss her cheek, the gesture warm, the bond unmistakable. "We're proud of you, cousin. The world will know the Cisneros name stands for meaningful contribution."

She met his gaze, her tone a blend of gratitude and quiet challenge. "I see, Rafael. You and Father arranged this gathering to serve the business as much as celebrate my milestone."

Before Rafael could reply, Tamesha stepped in, her voice dry and deliberate. "An action that serves two goals is twice as efficient as one that serves only itself. Bravo, Rafael." She touched his sleeve lightly--a gesture of recognition, threaded with quiet fondness.

Rafael chuckled, the sound smooth as the silk lining of his jacket. "Meredith, how you managed to charm such a fine friend with that storm cloud demeanor--I'll never know. But I'm grateful you did."

He extended both arms theatrically, the pavilion lights catching the gold in his cufflinks. "Come on. Your father's personal blend is calling my name, and I'd like to arrive with a beautiful woman on each arm--just for a moment, if the universe allows."