Sal and Gabi Break the Universe

After telling Gabi they’ll talk later, Sal hurries to his locker for a quick snack, attracting curious glances but no overt avoidance. Upstairs, he observes Yasmany struggling with his locker once again. Deciding not to flee, Sal calmly walks to his own locker. Sensing Yasmany watching, Sal covertly demonstrates how to squeeze the lock correctly. Yasmany successfully unlocks his locker, celebrates, and rushes to class, leaving his locker open.

Sal peeks inside to check for a rip in dimensions due to his chicken stunt. Sure enough, Sal finds one. Concerned, he decides to monitor the situation. Unable to resist snooping, he also reads a note to Yasmany from Gabi; Gabi mentions her brother’s one-month birthday and reminds Yasmany to thank Sal for opposing his expulsion. Startled by Mr. Milagros, Sal returns the note and heads home.

Distracted by his complicated day, Sal is nearly hit by a speeding car. The close call startles him badly, bringing forth a powerful memory of his mother. Despite Mami’s aversion to temperatures below 67 degrees Fahrenheit, Papi’s job mandated they live somewhere between Boston, MA, and Washington, DC. Striking a compromise, Mami chose a small town in Connecticut. However, she struggled to drive in the snow. A particular incident stands out: a crash on a snowy day when it was just Mami and Sal in the car. Miraculously, both Mami and Sal emerged with only minor injuries; the only victim was Mami’s ojo turco necklace, which she believed broke because it safeguarded them. Mami succumbed to diabetic ketoacidosis a year later.

Shaken from his reverie, Sal hurries home.

Sal approaches his residence. The Coral Castle—an eccentric pink, two-story structure adorned with crenellations—is a peculiar sight. However, Sal appreciates its quirkiness. Upon entering, he stumbles, the effects of low blood sugar nearly causing him to fall. Simultaneously, Sal senses the exhilarating buzz of traversing dimensions. The faint melody of a woman’s singing reaches his ears.

That evening, Sal’s American Stepmom arrives home with Papi in tow. Hand in hand, the couple step into the house, discovering Sal in the living room. The aroma of Cuban cuisine fills the air. American Stepmom asks if “she” has returned again, prompting a nod from Sal. Mami Muerta enters, asking Papi for a kiss and placing him in an awkward position.

Mami passed away when Sal was eight years old. Papi remarried a year later, when Sal was nine. At age 10, Sal learned to access parallel universes. Since then, he has summoned six versions of Mami to his reality; he calls these versions Mami Muerta. These reunions consistently lead to conflicts between Mami, Papi, and American Stepmom. Despite Sal’s fervent desire to live harmoniously with all three parents, he acknowledges the impossibility of such a scenario. Nevertheless, Sal has unconsciously brought Mami Muerta back, caught in a cycle he cannot seem to break.

Sal distracts Mami Muerta by feigning hunger, shifting everyone to the dining room. Observing differences between the past Mami Muertas, Sal notes this one’s English proficiency, preference for Spanish, and absence of diabetes.

Recalling a past incident where a Mami Muerta attacked Papi and American Stepmom, resulting in Mami Muerta being injured, Sal reassures Papi and American Stepmom. At the table, he discreetly hands a note to American Stepmom, explaining an Airbnb ruse and asking her to pretend to be a guest. Despite a smooth start, tension arises when Mami Muerta touches Papi. Sal plays music as a distraction, and Mami Muerta suggests teaching “Mrs. Scott” (American Stepmom) to dance. Sal appreciates the surreal moment until he passes out due to low blood sugar.

Waking in the hospital, Sal checks his body with his eyes closed, relieved to find it intact. His stomach growls. American Stepmom asks if he is awake, but Papi intervenes. Assuming Sal is still asleep, they express frustration over him summoning Mami Muerta, questioning their lenient discipline. Sal silently acknowledges potential excessive leeway.

Papi and American Stepmom lament this latest Mami Muerta’s disappearance—along with her food—and discuss the uniqueness of each iteration. Papi activates an entropy sweeper, finding no calamitrons (residue left from tears in the universe that indicate potentially damaging consequences), leading to confusion. They discuss the development of a remembranation machine that could remove calamitrons and heal dimensional rifts.

As they discuss prospective punishments, Sal pretends to wake up. Feigning weakness, Sal notes he did not intentionally summon Mami Muerta. Papi and American Stepmom, caving quickly, assure Sal they will not impose punishment and are relieved he feels better.

Sal wakes again later in the evening, finding his parents sound asleep. To avoid waking them, he decides to sneak out to the vending machine. Using a portable alarm to distract the charge nurses, Sal attempts to crawl around the nurses’ desk undetected, but Nurse Sotolongo catches him. As a regular in the hospital, being a patient with diabetes and a volunteer magician for the pediatric wing, Sal has a good relationship with most of the staff.

Sal explains his nocturnal escapade to Nurse Sotolongo, who insists he sanitize his hands before leading him to a waiting room where a lively party is in full swing. The head of the family, a Cuban mother, gladly pushes a plate piled with food into Sal’s hands. Nurse Sotolongo departs as the Cuban mother informs her that they will cut the cake upon the return of “La Jefa.” The Cuban mother introduces Sal to everyone just as La Jefa, Gabi Reál, makes her entrance. She is visibly shocked to see Sal, who declares he is there to celebrate her brother’s birthday.

Immediately suspicious, Gabi questions Sal about his knowledge of her brother’s birthday. She then reveals to her family that Sal is responsible for the chicken appearing in Yasmany’s locker. Excited, the family requests a magic trick. Gabi sarcastically suggests he will make his plate of food disappear. Sal agrees and, after initial flair, begins to eat his food—he never specified how quickly the food would disappear, after all.

Gabi’s mom, Reina, introduces herself and hints at Gabi writing an article about Sal’s exploits. Sal requests to read it, but Gabi bluntly refuses. Other party-goers, regardless of gender, age, or profession, introduce themselves as Gabi’s “Dads.” Sal takes it in stride, solidifying a cautious friendship with Gabi. The atmosphere remains light-hearted until Sal asks about Gabi’s brother.

Gabi leads Sal to the neonatal intensive care unit. After a brief exchange with Nurse Sotolongo, who mentions Sal’s volunteer magic shows, Sal notes a new trick involving a tarantula—Gabi remarks that she hates spiders. The two then proceed to the unit, where Gabi explains the gravity of her brother Iggy’s condition. Sal commits to taking the situation seriously, and they both sanitize their hands and don surgical masks.

In the sterile ward, Iggy lies in an incubator. Sal observes how small and frail the infant is, acknowledging the severity of his illness. Gabi reveals Iggy’s weak immune system, prompting Sal to express his frustration at life’s unfairness. Gabi encourages Sal to place his hand into the built-in glove in the incubator. Iggy grabs Sal’s pinky, and the pair silently watch the baby.