Page 125 of Now and Forever

“I promise, darling.” I smile, delighted.

“Remember, Luz, we’re going home tomorrow afternoon,” my sister insists.

Once we leave the pool area, I take my family up to the second floor. I have to hold back my urge to laugh at the look of admiration on my sister’s face as she takes everything in. She’s flipping over everything, up to and including the wallpaper.

After helping them settle into their rooms, I hurry them along to get dressed. We have to leave in an hour for dinner at Eric’s mother’s house. When I get back to the living room, Eric and Flyn are busy with PlayStation, at max volume as always. Neither of them notices me when I come in.

I hear the boy say, “I don’t like that loudmouthed girl.”

“Flyn ... that’s enough.”

Not making a sound, I stand still to listen to them as they go on.

“But I don’t want her to—”

“Flyn ...”

The boy sighs while working his PlayStation controller.

“Girls are a drag, Uncle.”

“No, they’re not,” my Iceman responds.

“They’re clumsy, and they’re crybabies. They just want you to say nice things to them and give them kisses. Don’t you see that?”

Unable to hold back my laughter, I cautiously come up to Flyn’s ear and murmur, “Someday you’ll be happy to kiss a girl and say nice things to her, you’ll see!”

Eric bursts out laughing while Flyn drops the PlayStation control and walks out of the living room. Once we’re alone, I turn off the sound on the game, come up to my boyfriend, and sit carefully on his lap so as not to wrinkle my pretty dress.

“I’m going to kiss you.”

“Perfect,” my Iceman agrees.

I run my fingers through his hair.

I put my lips against his mouth and tempt him.

“You made me very happy today, bringing my family to your house.”

“Our house, baby,” he corrects me.

I don’t say another word. I put my hands behind his neck and kiss him. I push my tongue into his mouth possessively. He does the same. And after an incredible, wonderful, tasty, and exciting kiss, I let him go. He looks at me.

“I love your explosive kisses.”

“You’ve never heard that when a Spanish woman kisses you, she kisses you for real?”

Eric laughs.

I love seeing him so happy, and, just when we’re about to kiss again, Flyn appears before us, arms crossed. He looks angry. Behind him, my niece peeks out, wearing a blue velvet dress.

“Why won’t the Chinese boy talk to me?”

Flyn furrows his brow and huffs. Oh, poor thing! I quickly get up from Eric’s lap and scold my niece.

“Luz, his name is Flyn. And he’s German.”

The girl looks at him. Then she looks at Eric, who has gotten up and is standing next to his nephew; then she looks at me, and, finally, with her typical gift of gab, she insists, “But his eyes look Chinese. Don’t you see that, Auntie?”

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