Page 31 of The Pucking Single Dad

“He stayed in bed most of the day?” she clarified with Ella. “He isn’t getting sick, is he?”

“I’m not sure,” Ella stated. “I do not think so, but I will keep an eye on him. Don’t you worry, darling. Just enjoy your time with your family. I am sure you are super happy to get away from all the craziness here. Just enjoy your time there.”

“Well,” Luna started to say. “Well, how is Hunter? I tried calling him, but the phone call went straight to voicemail.”

“Well,” Ella began to reply. “Well, of course, he misses you, darling, but don’t worry. He is busy training for this upcoming game. He came home and went straight to bed. I am sure you will hear from him in the morning. He was utterly exhausted after practice today.”

Luna stated that she understood. Knowing the reason why Hunter did not pick up her phone call made her feel better. She was worried that he was mad at her for leaving. She thanked Ella again for covering her shifts while she was in Guatemala. She called her “a real life saver.” When the two hung up the phone, Luna found herself sitting in the guest room, waiting for what was yet to come.

She looked at the watch on her wrist again. She had approximately two hours until dinner time. She had approximately two hours until she would be face-to-face with her mother again. There was no denying that she missed her mother. Their relationship was complicated, but there was always love there. She tried to figure out how she could explain to her mother that living in America was the best thing for her and that leaving Guatemala did not mean that she was leaving her family. She would never forget where she came from, and she would always have love in her heart for not only her family but for her native country, as well.

Living in America was just something that she had to do. She would have never made as much money if she had not left Guatemala. She also would never have met Hunter. Even though things were difficult between them, right now, there was no denying that she loved Hunter, unlike she had loved anyone else before. She felt protective over him, just as she felt protective over Adam.

“Are you settling in, okay?” Lisa asked Luna.

Luna nodded. She remained quiet. Being back home was a lot to take in, but she was happy to be there. It was a familiar feeling, like meeting up with an old friend. She didn’t realize how much she had missed her home. She had buried herself in work, so she never let the feeling of being homesick overwhelm her.

“So,” Lisa started to say. “So, spill the beans. Why are you really here? I know this is not just about seeing me and Mom. What were you running away from in America?”

Luna sighed and then nodded. She knew she would have to tell her sister what had transpired in America. She knew that she could not keep the drama a secret forever. A sister always knew when something was wrong, and Lisa had a way of pulling information from people. So, Luna began to explain everything.

She told her sister how she met Hunter and how Hunter had saved her from the worst date of her life. She explained to Lisa that she and Hunter had a passionate love affair as soon as they met. Luna told Lisa that she had no idea Hunter would be her employer when she went in for the job interview. The whole thing was a magical coincidence. She explained the ups and downs of the beginning of their relationship and how they had worked hard to communicate and be vulnerable with one another. She explained that being with him was unlike anything she'd ever felt before. She told Lisa that she loved Hunter and that she adored Adam like her own son. Then, she explained the complications of the paparazzi. She told Lisa that she had never experienced such chaos before. She never wanted to be famous, and she only wanted to find love.

Lisa sat and listened as Luna spoke. She was a good listener, and Luna was thankful for that. She had been dying to explain this to someone. She knew Hunter understood somewhat, but then again, he was used to fame. She needed to explain the situation to someone else who had lived an ordinary life and someone who would understand the complications of chaos and fame in a relationship.

Once Luna finished explaining everything to her sister, she sat back and waited for Lisa’s response, surprised by what she had to say.

“I can imagine that’s a lot to adjust to,” Lisa began. “But you had to know who he was from the beginning, and you chose to stay with him.”

Luna nodded, realizing that as much as she didn't want to admit it, she had to take accountability for her own actions. No one had forced her to be with Hunter; she was with him because she loved him. It wasn’t fair for her to act this way. Sure, there was an adjustment period that came with any drastic lifestyle change. Still, in the end, Hunter and Adam were more important than anything else. She could adjust to fame for their sake.

Just as Luna was about to respond in agreement to her sister, they heard the doorbell ring. Their mother had finally arrived for dinner. Luna took a deep breath. Lisa reached over and grabbed her sister’s hand.

“Are you ready?” Lisa asked her sister. “You can do this. Let’s go greet her together.”

Both of them got up and walked towards the front door. Tears quickly filled her eyes when the door opened, and Luna saw her mother. She had not seen her mother in so long, and so much had changed during that time. She quickly saw that her mother had aged, and although thankfully she was still in good health, her age was representative of how much time had passed between.

As the tears filled her eyes, she worried that her mother would not reciprocate her feelings. She hoped that her mother was just as happy to see her, and to her great surprise, she was. No words were spoken between them, but Luna’s mother quicklyapproached her and wrapped her arms around her. It felt so nice to be embraced by her mother. At that moment, it felt like the past had been swept away. Lisa smiled as she watched her sister and mother unite with one another.

“I am so happy to see you,” her mother finally said. “Let’s not go so long without talking to one another again.”

Luna smiled and was filled with such overwhelming joy. She leaned back in and embraced her mother again.

“I agree,” she said to her mother. “I agree, Mom. I love you. Come on, let’s go eat dinner.”

The family dinner went better than expected. In fact, it superseded expectations. Luna’s mother was interested in hearing about her life in America. She was supportive of her decisions in life, and when she heard that her daughter was dating a famous hockey player, she was taken by surprise.

“Do you love him?” her mother asked her.

“I do, Mamma,” Luna responded to her. “I really do love him, more than I have ever loved anyone.”

“And his son?” her mother questioned. “Do you think you can love his son as your own? You must think of the child, too, dear.”

Luna nodded in agreement. She understood perfectly what her mother was saying to her.

“I do, Mom,” she replied. “I already love him like he is my own son. I am so protective of both of them. I really do think that this is the family I have always wanted to create.”

“Well,” her mother finally said to Luna. “Well, then you have to make it work.”

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