Page 170 of Now and Forever

“Uncle Eric, you wanna smash the girls?”

I grin. I sit down next to my love, and, when I see the look on my niece’s face after hearing what Flyn said, we put our thumbs together and give each other a high five.

“Let’s go, Luz. Let’s show these Germans how the Spanish play.”

After more than an hour of games, my niece and I stand up and start singing Queen’s “We Are the Champions” in front of them.

Flyn looks at us with a furrowed brow. He doesn’t like to lose. Eric looks at me and smiles. He enjoys my liveliness. I jump on top of him and kiss him.

“You owe me a rematch.”

“Just say when, Iceman.”

“Gross, Auntie! Why do you two always have to kiss?”

“Yeah, how gross!” agrees Flyn.

“Run along. Go to the kitchen and get a Coca-Cola,” Eric says to get them off our backs.

At the mention of soda, the kids hurry off right away. Once we’re alone, Eric lays me down on the sofa.

“We have a minute, two max. Come on, get naked!”

I start laughing. Eric tickles me, sticking his hands under my shirt, when suddenly we hear “Babe! Babe!”

Eric and I quickly sit up. My sister is standing in the doorway, a look of panic on her face, and shouts, “Oh God! Oh God! I think my water broke.”

Eric and I run to her side.

“It can’t be. I can’t be giving birth. I still have a month and a half. I don’t want to have this baby! No. It’s not time!”

“Calm down, Raquel,” Eric murmurs while he makes a call.

But my sister is my sister.

“I can’t give birth here. The baby has to be born in Madrid. All her things are there and ... and ... Where’s Papá? We have to go to Madrid. Where’s Papá?”

“Raquel ... please, calm down,” I say. “Papá’s with Norbert. He’ll be back in a few hours.”

“I don’t have a few hours! Call him and tell him to get here now! Oh God! I can’t be giving birth! First comes your wedding, then I go back to Madrid, and then, finally, I have my little girl. That’s the order of things, and nothing can go wrong!”

I try to hold her hands, but she’s so anxious, she slaps me away.

“We have to take her to the hospital,” I tell Eric.

“Don’t worry, darling,” Eric whispers. “I’ve called Marta, and she’s waiting for us at her hospital.”

“What hospital?” my sister howls, losing her mind. “I don’t trust German health care. My daughter has to be born in the Doce de Octubre, not here!”

“Well, Raquel,” I sigh, “I think the little girl’s going to be German.”

“No!” Grabbing Eric around the neck, she pulls on him and demands, “Call your plane. Have it pick us up and take us to Madrid. I have to give birth there.”

Eric blinks. He looks at me, and I start laughing.

“Babe, please don’t laugh!”

“Raquel ... look at me,” I say. “Number one: relax. Number two: if the baby has to be born here, she’ll be born in the best hospital because Eric’s going to take care of it. And number three: don’t you worry about my wedding; we have time, darling.”

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