Page 63 of One Hotlanta Night
“You don’t know that one?” At the shake of my head he continues, “It means don’t over complicate things,mi nieto. If Vivian is the one for you, don’t worry about how long you have or haven’t been together. Your grandma and I knew each other for two months before we got married.Two months!People would be so shocked nowadays. Now, you young folk are all like blah blah blah, we need two years together and a year to plan a wedding.Esto es ridículo!Don’t listen to them. Two months I knew your grandmother and the moment I met her, I knew. And look at us now, sixty years strong.”
“Make that a hundred.” Paquita pokes her head out of the porch door. “Feels like it anyway,” she says as she joins us on the glider.
“Cállate, mujer. Sabes que te encanta.”He scoffs, but there’s nothing harsh in his words, only the love of decades.
“Si, si,” she agrees. “But you know better than to be smoking these things.” She takes my grandpa’s cigar and looks ready to stamp it out, but instead takes a puff herself. Coughing, she hands it back to him. “Nasty things,” she scolds as I revel at their quick exchange in Spanish. Damn, how I’ve missed this banter, the easygoing nature of my family.
But right now, I’m missing my woman more.
“I’m heading back in,” I tell the two of them. “Paquita, do you want the rest of this?” I hold my barely touched cigar out to her.
“Jamás!” she says, her face a mask of offense. “Just set it on the ashtray there, and I’ll take care of it.”
“Gracias, abuela.” I wink, knowing damn well that she’s going to smoke my cigar the minute I leave. It’s always like this; she comes out and fusses about him smoking, but they enjoy them in private together.
As I pull the door open to go back inside, I watch as my grandpa wraps his arm around my grandma, pulling her in close. The two of them are so in love with each other even after all these years. They’ve been through so much, having left Cuba before Castro came to power, starting a new life all over again here in the States, raising children and grandchildren. It’s been far from easy, but they’ve made it through all the hardships with their relationship intact and stronger than ever.
Seeing the two of them rock back and forth on the glider enjoying the sunset and each other’s company, I want that with Vivian forty, fifty, sixty years from now.
Time to go find my lady.
Vivian
“C’mon, mi amor. Let’s go to bed.” Michael holds his hand out to me. Everyone else left a while ago, and I’m browsing their ample library, drawn to the books in Spanish that have Cuba in the title. French is similar enough that I was able to glean a few sentences here and there, as well as appreciate the black-and-white photos of the beautiful country dating back to pre-Castro days. Michael kisses my wrist in that endearing way of his and starts to tug me toward the guest bedroom.
“Just a minute. I want to say thank you to your grandma.” Still have no idea what that story was about she was telling me earlier, but her enthusiasm was contagious and although I was slightly overwhelmed, I loved hearing the lilting words of another language. Thankfully, she stuck to English for the rest of the evening and I was able to understand most everything that was said at dinner as Michael’s family switched easily between the two languages.
I find Paquita in the kitchen wiping down the counters yet again. She seems to prefer this room over all of the others. The way she bustles about, wiping down a counter here, straightening a towel there, reminds me of traditional homemaking. Tonight’s feast was all her and Isabella’s doing. Normally, I’d bristle at the thought of being stuck in stereotypical roles. But here, in this house, the menfolk seem to really appreciate all their women do. Saying thank you, praising how delicious the food is, and being physically affectionate, always touching each other. Constantly! It might be a stroke of a hand here or a forehead kiss there, but I swear I saw Michael’s grandpa swat his wife on the butt when she passed by. It’s like they can’t keep their hands off each other, even after years of marriage.
No wonder Michael is so touchy-feely if he grew up like this.
My childhood was nothing like this, but I’m finding I don’t mind the level of PDA. Michael’s touch can make me feel warm and cherished, or send pulses of lust racing through my body. But no matter how tender or intensely he reaches for me, with each brush of our skin, he makes me feel wanted.
Desired.
Like he’s proud to be seen with me. Like he wants to show me off. Like him declaring me as his girlfriend is a big deal.
Maybe it is.
But what was all that at dinner? His grandfather praying we’d get married soon?
What kind of crazy have I walked into?
I want to ask Michael but not here. Not under someone else’s roof. I mean, I’m in another city, and I rode up with him. If this leads to some sort of disagreement, it’s going to be one very awkward drive back home.
I’ll shelve that one for later. No matter how much I question it, it still feels incredible to be welcomed into the fold. So Ileave Michael to put our bags in the guest room and walk to the kitchen to express my appreciation. “Ah,ninieta!You’re not in bed yet?” Paquita looks up at me, a warm smile taking over her face as she looks at me.
“I came to see if you needed any help. Aren’t you going to bed too?” I ask her.
“Pssh! It’s all taken care of.” She folds the dishcloth and lays it on the sink. “Sometimes, I just like to hang out in here. No one bothers me, you know?” She winks as she steers me toward a dining chair.
“Oh! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to—”
“Está bien. You are not bothering me,” she reassures me, her gnarled hand squeezing mine in a way that reminds me of Michael. Those hands have seen decades of work, and her grip is surprisingly strong. “Listen,querida, I see the way my grandson looks at you.” My cheeks warm. “He really cares for you. He’s never even brought anyone home to meet us before.”
“He… hasn’t?” I whisper.
“Not a one. I mean, he’s dated, sure, but the only girls we saw him with were just dinner dates, out at prom, things like that. You are the only woman he’s ever brought to meet the family.”
