Page 41 of The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos

He adjusts his suit jacket and tugs at his tie. It’s suddenly too tight.

When he comes over, Mrs. Ramos’s smile lights up like the decorations above. “Evan! Good morning!”

“Morning! Morning, everyone,” Evan says, a little breathlessly, smiling at the group. “Thanks for inviting me.”

Mrs. Ramos is bursting with energy, despite the early hour. “Of course! We’re so glad you came. You look very sharp.”

Cheeks hot, Evan’s eyes dart to Dalisay, who’s slightly turned away from him to look at the nativity scene. She tucks her hair behind her ear and Evan notices that she hasn’t stopped smiling since he arrived.

“Let’s go inside,” Daniel says around a yawn.

Nicole too looks like she’s just rolled out of bed, and she grabs Dalisay’s hand, dragging her to the front doors.

Lola bursts through the group to stand next to Evan, snaking her thin arm through his.

“She’ll walk with you,” says Daniel as Dalisay and Nicole walk ahead of them. Evan secures Lola’s hand in the crook of his elbow and escorts her inside.

Exposed wooden beams stretch across the ceiling overhead, drawing his eye to the front of the cathedral where a statue of Mary stands in front of the largest golden crucifix Evan has ever seen. Three giant Christmas trees are on the altar, flanked by bouquets of white peace lilies and ornate wreaths, and a solemn but excited hum permeates the air as people take their seats in long wooden pews.

Mrs. Ramos chooses an empty row, and everyone files in, leaving Evan at the end. He tries not to stare, but every so often, he catches glimpses of Dalisay when someone shifts or turns their head. Evan’s not sure what to do with his hands, especially during church, so he chooses to leave them clasped in his lap.

The entire Mass, Evan can hardly think about anything else but her.

Every day for the next week, Evan gets up bright and early to meet the family at St. Mary’s. After the third Mass, he starts to get into the rhythm of the service, knowing when it’s time to stand, or pray, or hold hands, even though it’s all in Filipino.

Despite that, he actually looks forward to spending more time with the Ramoses. They make him feel like he’s part of the family, opening their arms and welcoming him into their world. Some days he sits next to Daniel and they talk comics, other days he sits next to Melinda (who makes an appearance with Little Luis now and again), or Nicole and they talk dogs (she’s always wanted one), or Mrs. Ramos and she asks him about his writing, but he never gets to sit with Dalisay. Still, no matter how far away she is from him, it’s like she’s a radiator, drawing him in from the cold. All he wants to do is be near her, but the family finds ways of keeping them apart.

On the ninth day, Christmas Eve, Evan sits next to Daniel again.

Before Mass starts, Daniel gently nudges Evan with his elbow, startling him. He hopes Daniel hasn’t noticed that he was staring at Dalisay.

But, sneakily, Daniel holds out his fist and drops something in Evan’s hand. A peppermint. He must have taken it from the bowl in the vestibule before coming in.

“Thanks,” Evan whispers. “Does my breath smell that bad?”

“No, you’re good,” Daniel says. “It makes these services not so unbearable.”

Evan slips the mint in his mouth. “Why do you say that?”

Daniel shrugs. “Once you’ve been to one of these, you’ve been to ’em all. We’re not supposed to eat anything before Communion, so I’m always starving. I’ve been up all night, studying. I’d rather be in bed. Oh, look, the delegation is here.”

Daniel’s gaze draws Evans to a prim, silver-haired couple in matching gold outfits.

“That’s the Consulate General from the Philippines and his wife,” says Daniel, switching the mint from one side of his mouth to the other, making it click on his teeth. He laughs. “My mom is practically foaming at the mouth to talk to them. Look.”

He’s right. Down the pew, Mrs. Ramos is craning her neck to get a look at them and whips out her compact mirror to check her makeup.

Evan smiles and his eyes flick back over to Dalisay. She and Nicole are talking quietly. Her eyes are bright, and she’s wearing an “ugly” Christmas sweater today. It’s covered in button-sized bells, puffballs for snowflakes, and neon-green reindeer running down the sleeves. It even has built-in lights, like a real Christmas tree. Somehow, she makes it look good.

“Yo,” Daniel says, nudging Evan again. “Insider tip. If you really want to impress my mom by being here, you should know that the last Mass today is calledMisa de Gallo, Mass of the Rooster. Afterward, it’s tradition to ring the bell out front to commemorate your firstnovena.”

“Are you serious?” Evan asks, scrunching his brow.

“Hell yeah, I’m serious.” Someone gasps behind him, hearing him curse, and Daniel makes the sign of the cross. He leans back into Evan. “They say the sound is supposed to scare awayany spirits that might want to do harm in the coming year. I did it when I was old enough to finally sit through all morning Masses. It’s a rite of passage.”

Evan’s never heard of anything like that, but who is he to question it? It’s not his culture. “But I’m not Catholic. Am I allowed to?”

Daniel nudges him again. “It’ll be big brownie points with my mom. Trust me.”

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