Random Family

Milagros brings Kevin, Serena, Brittany, and Stephanie to Coney Island for Serena’s birthday. Elaine, Jessica’s sister, her recalcitrant husband, Angel, and her two “spotless” sons join the celebration, as do Coco and her daughters, Nikki and Mercedes. The water is too cold for the children to swim in, and the cake becomes covered in sand and is used for a cake fight. Serena, serious and mournful as ever, laments that her sixth birthday was her best birthday—in comparison to this paltry one. That year, Jessica had thrown her an elaborate party, and even her Florida relatives had flown in to attend, as well as Lourdes.

Coco, who is pregnant, decides to “go homeless,” entering a shelter with her children in order to qualify for New York State public housing. She and her daughters land at Thorpe House, a transitional residence for women and children, on Crotona Avenue. There, she is overseen by a nun named Sister Christine, who grows a fondness for Coco due to Coco’s earnest efforts to improve her life.

Unlike Iris—Coco’s older sister who responds to poverty by hardening herself and regimenting her family’s life, refusing to lend money to anyone, and living under constant strain and anxiety—Coco maintains what Coco herself calls “heart.