Page 32 of Sleeping with the Frenemy

“Thanks, but that’s enough of that for now. Everyone wants to say hi to you.”

Sofi made her way through the group, saying hello and receiving welcome from the other members of the Vega family present.

“Tití Sofi!” a little voice cried. Sofi knew the voice well. They’d spent a lot of time together on account of Kamilah practically being Rosie’s surrogate mother. She ran over and jumped.

Sofi caught her mid-leap. “Rosie, baby girl, you’re so big!”

“I’m six now,” Rosie told her proudly. “And I know how to read.”

“Do you?” Sofi asked, repositioning Rosie on her hip. “That’s great. Now I can buy you a bunch of books.”

“Okay,” Rosie readily agreed, but at the same time Saint said, “That’s not necessary. She already has a library of them all over the house.”

Saint stepped up to Sofi and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I’m glad you’re here,” he said.

Sofi gave him a soft smile. “Thanks, Saint.” Saint had always treated Sofi like another sister and she treated him like a beloved big brother. Sometimes she’d wished that he was the brother she fell for, but he didn’t deserve a hot mess like her.

“I want you to meet Lola, my girlfriend.” He gestured to the woman standing slightly behind him.

Lola was pretty with intense eyes that didn’t match the sprinkling of freckles across her face. She had curves for days and the kind of fashion sense that reminded Sofi of New York City street style. She liked her immediately.

“Hey, it’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.” Lola held out a hand and Sofi maneuvered Rosie to her other hip to grab it.

Sofi was embarrassed. “I’m sure it wasn’t the best.”

Lola shook her head. “Nah. It’s always been clear the family loves you.”

“Of course we love her,” Papo said, coming forward to wrap his arms around Sofi and Rosie. “She’s family. Verdad, mi Rosita?”

Rosie nodded vigorously. “Want to meet my new abuelo Benny?” She asked Sofi as she wiggled to get down.

Papo huffed and muttered under his breath while another old man, who she assumed was Benny, strode over with a smug smile.

Rosie grabbed Benny’s hand and tugged him forward. “This is Tití Sofi,” she told him. “She was mad at us for a long time, but now she loves us again.”

There was a moment of awkward silence in which no one knew what to say.

“There you are, you little lazybones,” Leo’s voice suddenly called out. “Get over here and give me one of your special Rosie massages. You’re overdue.”

Rosie let out a world-weary sigh and rolled her eyes. Then she looked at Sofi. “Tío Leo always wants me to rub his shoulder. He says that it makes his arm feel better, but I think he just likes my bubble gum lotion.”

“Or maybe you two just love each other so much that being with you really does make him feel better.”

Rosie appeared to give that some thought. “Papi did tell me that love is like magic and that’s how he and Lola made me a baby.”

“What?” Benny exclaimed. He spun around and looked at Saint and Lola, who were watching everything with wide panicked eyes. “Is it true, Lolita? Are you pregnant?”

Saint stepped forward. “We definitely didn’t plan to tell everyone like this, but yes, Lola’s pregnant.”

Cheers of “Wepa!” sounded and applause broke out. People rushed forward to congratulate the parents-to-be. Valeria sobbed in happiness uncontrollably. Santos pounded Saint on the back and kissed Lola on the cheek. Behind her, Sofi could hear Kamilah also blubbering into Liam’s chest and saying how happy she was for Saint and Lola while Liam tried to calm her.

Once again Sofi was reminded of how much had changed since she’d been gone. She didn’t know why it was so jarring to her. Obviously, life didn’t pause in Chicago while she was in Europe. However, it was still a lot for her to wrap her head around. There were new family members in the Vega clan, Valeria and Santos no longer lived in the neighborhood, and everyone’s personality had changed the slightest bit. It was enough to make her feel like she was trying to fit into a pair of jeans that used to be her favorite but now felt off—like the seams had been altered without her knowledge. It made her question if she still belonged. Oh great. Now she’d just given herself another thing to fret about and try to fix.

Suddenly, a body pushed up close behind hers.

“Quick,” Lucy’s voice said near her ear. “Hide me before my mom comes to ask me how Saint is having his second kid when I don’t even have one and have been married for almost a decade.”

Sofi laughed. “Haven’t you told her that you and Liza aren’t interested in being parents?”

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