by Zoe Glez
“I can’t…I just can’t, Laylah. This isn’t a real job, this is a hobby. You need a career,” he says.
“What you’re saying is that I need an office job, and I won’t. I’m not that type of person and, most importantly, I’m not you, Dad,” I tell him, my voice getting a little higher now.
“This isn’t about you being me. This—”
“This is most definitely about you wanting me to be like you,” I interrupt him. “For the love of God, you wanted me to go to the same college that you did, take the same classes, and end up taking over your business. But, it is yours, Dad. That is your thing, not mine.”
“I can see your point, Laylah. I really do. But painting? Do you really consider it a good choice? Why not consider something else, something more promising?”
“Why not painting? I’m really good at it, you said so yourself, before you discovered I was the one who painted them. And it is something promising. I’ve been making good, honest money off of it. But, most of all, I love it. I love what I do and I won’t ever change my mind about it,” I tell him, pouring my heart out to him.
“What do you want me to say, Laylah? I just— I just can’t agree with this,” he says, breaking my heart again.
“So, what? You’re still disappointed in me?” I sort of snap at him.
“I really don’t know if disappointed is even the right word,” he admits.
“I guess it makes two of us then,” I say with a sigh.
“Excuse me?” he asks, confused.
“I’m saying that I am also disappointed, Dad. In you. I am disappointed in you!” I say, getting up and pointing at him before continuing. “A really big part of me was hoping that when I told you about my career choice, you would’ve been happy for me, proud of me. Most importantly, supportive in my choices. Because that’s what parents are supposed to do. They are supposed to be supportive of their children’s life decisions no matter if they are right or wrong. You don’t get to choose for me anymore, Dad.
“I’m not five anymore, I’m freaking twenty-one years old. I get to choose what paths I take in life. You’re supposed to trust that if I fall, I’ll be capable of lifting myself back up, all on my own. I don’t need you fighting my fights anymore, or picking me up when I fall. All I need is your love and support. But, most importantly, I need your trust. I need you to trust me when I say that I’m happy with the choices I’ve made in life,” I tell him and, as soon as I’m done, I turn around so I can leave.
“Laylah, wait,” he says, catching up to me and pulling me in for a tight hug. As soon as he does so, tears start to fall out of my eyes. “Have I really been a disappointment to you?” he asks as he pulls away.
It is then that I notice the tears in his eyes. Never in my twenty one years have I ever seen my father cry. Seeing him like this tells me that I got to him, that he’s willing to change his mind and be more open about things. Which is another step closer to him accepting my relationship with Mickey. Because, no matter what, it would mean the world to me if my father is the one to walk me down the aisle.
“As of lately, yes,” I admit. “I’m sorry. I am so sorry, daddy,” I say breaking down. He hugs me again and caresses my hair, soothing me.
“No, sweetie, I’m the one that’s sorry. I’ve been told countless times that I’m a hard headed bastard. But, I guess it took hearing you say all those things for me to realize it. I love you, Laylah. You’re my baby girl and, no matter what, I am proud of you. I could never be disappointed in you,” he says, kissing my forehead.
“Does this mean you’ll keep an open mind about it?” I ask while I wipe my tears.
“I promise, I will.” He walks us back the short distance to the picnic table were we sit, once again. “God, Laylah. Hearing you say all those things…it reminded of all of the things I used to think about my own father. That’s when I realized that I had become him; coercing my kids to follow my footsteps instead of their own. I hated it back then when he did it to me. I guess what I’m saying is...I’m sorry for my behavior and for the things I’ve said,” he confesses.
“I think I get it,” I say. We stay there in silence for a while before I add, “Thank you, Daddy,” and kiss him on the cheek.
“For what?” he asks, looking down at me.
“For changing your mind. For being the person I’ve always known you were. I love you, old man,” I tell him, laying my head on his shoulder.
“I love you, too, baby girl.” He wraps his arm around my shoulders, caressing it.
After a while, mom calls us to get our butts back inside. There is a large variety of food that Mama, with Lola’s help, prepared for all of us to eat. They accommodated the food in a buffet style so each could choose whatever we wanted. I go for the pancakes, no surprise there, with lots of syrup, a cup of mixed fruit, and some freshly squeezed OJ. I sit in the open spot between my brother and my beautiful fiancé. Yep! Never getting tired of it.
After everyone is done eating we all stay at the table talking. And, by talking, I mean everyone is talking at the same time with no way to tell who is talking to who. My brother suddenly whistles by my side, leaving me almost deaf.
“Okay, now that I’ve got every ones attention,” he says, eying all of us. “It has come to the attention of Chino and I that you all consider us slackers and that we are not contributing anything to this family reunion. It has also come to our attention that, both, Mama and Lola want to have some fun family-oriented activities we can all do together. It is for this reason that we, meaning Chino and I, have decided to take the reins of the fun committee,” he says all smooth and professional like, as if he were presenting a huge life changing project.
“Would you get to the point already, your making me snooze off,” Mario jokes.
“Sheesh, you don’t have to be so harsh about it,” Kev says, feigning insult. “Anyway, the point is,” he pauses, shooting a look at Mario, “we went to the parks and recreation offices and asked for permission to use the old baseball park a few block down.”
“You mean the one that is all muddy and almost abandoned?” I ask.
“Yes, that’s the one. And you better hope you brought some sports clothing because we’ve got a ball game to play next week,” he continues to explain.
“As in the Saturday before Christmas,” Chino adds. “But, that’s not all. We also went to the bowling alley and convinced the owner to close it down for all of us on the Monday after,” he says, you can actually see the excitement in his face.
As soon as they finish explaining the activities the ‘fun committee’ of two have come up with, everyone begins to express how excited they are. It would have been nice to tell what they each said, but they all start talking at the same time. Again. Although, I swear I heard Carla asking if she could play baseball in heals, and Mary pouting because, ‘baseball was so not her thing.’ This made me roll my eyes at her.
I am excited. I must admit, they really did a good job on finding something for all of us to do together. Mickey is thrilled for the baseball game, it’s been a while since he’s played but I can tell he has already started to count down the days.
Thanks to him, I know a little about the game. During our first year together, he took me on a couple of dates to that very same park. There, he taught me how to catch and how to bat. I may not be as good as he is, but at least I know something.
Later that day, after dinner, we all sat around the living room catching up. Luke talks about all the projects and clients he’s got his eye on. Mama asked him if he’s seeing someone. He says he is but that it’s complicated and leaves it at that. Junior and Angel then start to talk about the things they used to do back when they used to live in Puerto Rico.
Junior even went on to tell the story of how their grandmother once asked him to get her some rum from a local shop and how he ended up drinking half of it as he was walking back to her house because he had gotten thirsty.
“So, when I got to abuelita house, and she saw the
rum flask was half empty, she asked me about it. I told her I had no idea why it was that way. She then instantly blamed it on Jose, the store owner, and cursed him for stealing her money and giving her an empty flask,” he finishes. We all laugh, including Mama who at first was looking him with a scowl.
“That woman sure loved her rum,” Mama exclaims in reference to my grandfather’s mother.
“She sure did. Hey, Angel, do you remember Mirna?” Junior asks.
“How could I forget? That woman was always digging into everyone else’s business,” Angel answers, shaking his head.
“God, I hated her. She always got me in trouble,” Junior said.
“No, you got yourself in trouble. It’s not her fault you always got caught,” Mama reprimands.
“Wait. Is tío talking about that old lady that used to always come over to the house every two hours while we were in Puerto Rico?” I ask. “May I add, most of the time she came over was while we were about to eat.”
“That’s the one,” Mama confirms “But, it’s not her fault. She just felt lonely and wanted some company. Poor woman, her kids left her all alone and rarely come to visit her.”
“Como si fuera, she’s a nose sticker. Always sticking her nose where it doesn’t concerns her. And cheap, for a self-proclaimed catholic, that is. Wouldn’t even give a dollar to her own shadow,” Junior exclaims.
“Junior!” Mama screeches, looking stunned by my uncle words.
“Well, it’s true,” he firmly says.
“Wait, hold on a second. You went to Puerto Rico, Laylah?” Chino asks.
“Yeah, I did,” I answer back. Pretty much everyone in my family knew I was a last minute addition to that trip. What most of them didn’t know was that Mickey also went with us.
“Huh,” Chino simply says and I can see the wheels turning in his mind. He’s up to something, I just wish I knew what. I look to where Mickey is and I see him also studying his big brother. When he notices me watching him, he gives me an almost imperceptible shrug.
We talked for a few more hours before everyone decided to call it a night. Before leaving, Mom tells me how happy she is that dad and I were able to work things out. She also added that she thinks he may be more accepting of my relationship with Mickey whenever I decide to tell him.
I am currently in my room trying to find clothes for the baseball game. Every item of clothing I own is currently on the floor, scattered around. This is, of course, the first thing Mickey notices when he walks in.
“Whoa! Did we have a tornado in the house and I didn’t notice?” he jokes, eying the mess I’ve made.
“Har-har-har, very funny,” I answer him back.
“Okay, what’s wrong? What is this all about?” he asks coming to where I am.
“I have nothing to wear,” I plainly say with a huff of air.
“You won’t need clothes for the next few hours. In fact, I think you’re wearing too much right now,” he says in a husky voice as he reaches for my top and takes it off.
“I meant that I have no clothes for the game. They are all back at home,” I breathlessly say as he kisses my neck.
“It’s okay,” he murmurs “I’ll get them tomorrow,” he says between kisses before he finally reaches my lips. All conscious thought is lost.
We are suddenly interrupted by a knock on the door. “Fuck!” Mickey breathlessly mutters breaking off our kiss and joining his forehead with mine.
Not again!
“Laylah, are you in there?” Chino’s voice says from behind the door.
Mickey and I quickly separate ourselves once we realize it’s him. I look at Mickey with a questioning look while he whispers, “Why the hell is my brother knocking on your door?” I shrug my shoulder in response. I have no clue why.
“Listen, I don’t know if you’re asleep or about to be, but we need to talk,” he says. “Can I come in?” he asks after a few seconds of silence.
“Should I open it?” I whisper.
“Yeah, there’s no point on pretending you’re not here. I’ll just go and hide in the bathroom. Find out what he wants and make him leave, so we can continue where we left off,” he says with a wink as he heads to the bathroom and throws my top back at me. Catching it, I put it on quickly, make sure everything is in order, and head toward the door to open it.
“Sorry for bothering you this late, but it’s kind of important,” Chino says coming in without being invited. Once he’s in, he closes the door. “What happened here?” he asks, eying the mess I’ve made.
“Oh! I was looking for some clothes and well…there is really no explanation for this mess,” I say extending my hand to point out the mess. “What do you want, Chino?” I ask.
“Well, I’ve been thinking for a while now and…I want you, Laylah” he says, taking me by surprise.
“What?” I practically yell.
“I want you. There is nothing more that I want to do right now than to take you in my arms and kiss you mercilessly before taking you to bed and making you mine,” he says moving closer to me.
“Chino, I—” I start but he stops me.
“Shhh, don’t say anything. I know you want me, too. Just kiss me,” he says, touching my lips with his index finger and moving his head toward mine. I am in shock, but I know I need to react. I need to move.
“Stop! Get your fucking hands off of her,” Mickey says coming out of his hiding place, fury palpable in his eyes.
Chino chuckles. At least he has the decency to laugh at this whole situation. “Took you longer that I thought,” he says, leaving us both stunned. “Mind explaining what the hell you guys are doing? You’re in a relationship with other people. You know this is wrong. Not to mention, Kevin is going to go fucking nuts once he finds out that his best friend and little sister are fooling around,” he continues.
“We aren’t just fooling around,” Mickey mutters, still glaring at his brother.
“The hell you aren’t,” Chino shrieks at him.
“He’s right, we aren’t just fooling around. Mickey is my boyfriend,” I confess to him.
“Say what now?” he asks, confused.
“We’ve been dating for two years, living together for one year, and engaged for about forty nine hours and three seconds,” Mickey admits.
“Whoa! What?” he asks, still in shock.
“What he said,” I confirm moving toward Mickey and giving him a side hug.
“I fell in love with her. Couldn’t really help it from happening. It’s been hell keeping it a secret these past few weeks, especially from my big brother,” Mickey says.
“So, my little brother is in love and engaged to his best friend little sister? Do you have a death wish?” Chino humorlessly laughs at his statement.
“He’ll get over it, eventually. And if he doesn’t, oh well. I love this girl and the only way I could ever leave her is if she asks me to. Even if it kills me,” Mickey says, tightening his hold on me.
“Which I’ll never do,” I add.
“Oh my God! You two really are in love!” Chino exclaims in amusement.
“We sure are,” Mickey admits. “You have no clue how long I’ve wanted to tell you…and how much I wanted to kill you just a couple of seconds ago.”
“I started to suspect something when Laylah said she went to Puerto Rico with you guys, a trip that you claimed had changed the way you saw life. Then, I figured something was going on when you, yet again, left the room. I just wanted to make sure my suspicions were right. I never in a billion years would have had thought you guys were actually together, or engaged for that matter,” Chino admits.
“Guess you weren’t that sneaky after all,” I tease Mickey.
“Guess not,” Mickey admits. “Listen, we would really appreciate if you don’t say anything to Kevin and Carlos. We want to be the ones who tell them.”
“And, if you want to talk about it, join the club. Mama, your mom, my mom, Luke, Arianna, and Junior have been looking for a new member,” I add. “Bu
t, don’t say anything about the engagement. Luke is the only one who knows,” I warn.
He nods before he asks, “Fine by me, but can I tell Mario?”
“Sure…why not? The more the merrier,” Mickey says. “Now, get out so I can have some alone time with my fiancé,” he says as he shoos his big brother out of the room.
“I’m happy for you, brother. For the both of you,” he says hugging Mickey. Before he leaves, he points at me and adds, “Take good care of my little brother.”
“I will,” I promise with a smile.
“I thought he would never leave,” Mickey says picking me up and throwing me on the bed. He closes the door and returns to me, giving me a consuming kiss.
“You were jealous,” I breathlessly say with a smile.
“You bet your fine ass I was,” he admits.
“Make love to me,” I say close to his mouth, wrapping my hands around his neck.
“It will be my pleasure,” he says before driving me crazy with his body.
The next day we both get a Mario Gonzalez complementary hug and congratulations. He says that he is really happy and rooting for us. Before he left, he gave us his promise of keeping the secret.
Eight down. Five more to go.
Chapter Twelve
I
t’s finally the day of the Gonzalez family baseball game. Christmas is just around the corner and I can’t wait for it to come and go. The fact that Christmas is near is both an exciting and nervous thing for me. It means that the day that Mickey and I ‘come out of the relationship closet’, as Luke had so nicely put it, is nearing. Not only are we declaring that we’ve been dating for two years, we are also announcing our engagement. I’m starting to think that we really didn’t think this through very well. After a long discussion, we decided it was best to just be completely honest. No more secrets.
The last few days haven’t been very exciting. The only thing that stands out is a conversation with my mom where she demanded I tell her everything. And, by everything she meant that she wanted me to admit that Mickey and I were engaged. So I did, it was only fair. I kept her out of this huge part of my happiness for far too long already and I couldn’t keep doing it. I needed to share it with her. After all, the woman did carry me in her womb for nine months.
