Maribel seems to have improved, and she laughs at her fatherвЂ™s jokes.

On their wedding anniversary, Alma and Arturo take Maribel out for вЂњdrinks.вЂќ The family has no money, so they just order waters and enjoy sitting in the bustling restaurant. Alma teaches Arturo some key English words, but they do not improve his job search. Celia begins teaching Alma English, as Alma has stopped going to classes at Community House. Arturo is the only member of the family authorized to work and he has only thirty days to secure a new job. In order to impress Maribel, Mayor offers to show her the inside of the car-he steals his fatherвЂ™s keys, and the two make out in the parking lot.ДЄrturo loses his job at the mushroom farm, and he and Alma lament the futility of their carefully-laid plans for success in America. Mayor is still grounded, but he visits the RiverasвЂ™ apartment anyway-he lies to Alma and tells her that his punishment has been lifted. Rafael decides to use the money to buy a car, and the family picks out a Volkswagen Rabbit. Meanwhile, Celia ToroвЂ™s sister, who is back in PanamГЎ, finalizes her divorce and offers a large chunk of her settlement to Celia and Rafael, repaying them for all the money they have lent her throughout the years. Mayor gifts Maribel a red scarf and kisses her.ДЄlma, still nervous about Garrett, attempts to report him to the police, but as no crime has been committed there is nothing that the authorities can do. The tenants celebrate their cultures together, and Mayor and Maribel sneak off in the middle of the party. At Christmas, the heat in the apartment complex goes out, and the Toros throw a large party in their apartment to welcome their neighbors-the Riveras, the Mercados, Quisqueya Solis, Benny Quinto, Nelia Zafon, and Micho Alvarez are all in attendance, and even the landlord, Fito, shows up. Furious, Rafael grounds Mayor-which means he is not allowed to spend any time hanging out with Maribel. Rafael and Celia are called into MayorвЂ™s school for a conference, where it is revealed that Mayor has not been on the soccer team for some time. At school, Garrett taunts Mayor further, and the two get into a fight. Alma frightens Garrett away, returns Maribel to the apartment, and does not speak a word of the incident to Arturo. One afternoon, Alma spots Garrett harassing Maribel outside the apartment-her shirt is lifted up over her bra and Garrett has her up against a wall. Rafael is skeptical of MayorвЂ™s fascination with Maribel, and Alma Rivera, too, makes sure that the two are only allowed to spend time together while supervised, either at the RiverasвЂ™ apartment or the TorosвЂ™. MayorвЂ™s father, Rafael, is a hot-tempered man with big dreams for his son-he wants Mayor to be a soccer star, though, unbeknownst to him, Mayor has quit soccer and is only lying about having attended practices and games. After вЂњrescuingвЂќ Maribel from GarrettвЂ™s insults, Mayor begins to feel a вЂњprotectivenessвЂќ over her and the two spend more and more time together, growing closer and closer. A bully from MayorвЂ™s school, Garrett Miller, teases Mayor over his crush on the вЂњretarded girlвЂќ and, eventually, he follows Mayor and Maribel to their apartment complex, where he taunts and bullies the two of them further. Mayor develops an interest in the beautiful Maribel and gladly accepts the challenge of attempting to communicate with and learn more about her. Mayor Toro, CeliaвЂ™s son, is a stringy, geeky high-schooler who canвЂ™t seem to live up to his fatherвЂ™s dreams-or his soccer-star older brother Enrique, who has gone off to college in Maryland on an athletic scholarship. After connecting with a neighbor, Celia Toro, Alma learns the ropes of life in Newark-she begins taking English classes at a local community center and becomes excited about all life in America could offer. Alma, who is mostly housebound, struggles to navigate her new neighborhood as she deals with intense homesickness. Arturo takes a job at a mushroom farm, where he works on his feet for hours in the dark without breaks for food or water. Alma and Arturo settle into the Redwood Apartments and their new lives begin to take shape. Her parents are hopeful that by sending her to Evers, a school for learning-disabled or cognitively-impaired children, Mirabel will have an easier time learning and will soon begin to resemble her old self. Maribel has been involved in a mysterious accident and has suffered a traumatic brain injury which has left her with a flat emotional affect and number of impairments, such as short-term memory loss and difficulty remembering certain words. border and up to Newark, Delaware to start a new life. Arturo and Alma Rivera bring their teenage daughter, Maribel, across the Mexico-U.S.

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