Page 93 of Amor Prohibido

“Love you, baby.

“Love you too, Mama.” He pulled back and shook the ring box. Thankfully, Papi handled that, reminding him he needed to be careful.

Val’s big brown eyes locked on mine with expectation. I reached for the rectangular box waiting on the bed that was roughly the length of a cigar box. I put on myserious mamaface, so she knew her job was just as important as Rom’s.

“This is a box for Papa. Donotopen it.No oneis allowed to open it apart from Papa. After Mama and Papa have kissed, can you bring this to him for me, please? It is a very,veryspecial and important job.”

Her eyes grew infinitely rounder as she studied the black box I’d wrapped in a yellow ribbon.

She nodded earnestly and reached for it. “Yes, Mama. I will do such a good job.”

“That’s my girl. I know you will. I love you.”

“I love you too, Mama,” she replied against my neck, then broke our hug quickly to inspect the box again.

“No shaking,” I reminded both her and Rom, then turned to Emmie. “C’mere, Emmelicious.”

She grinned like the gorgeous little cherub she was and crashed into my open arms.

“You gonna look after Aunty J’s special flowers for me?”

Her light brown eyes sparkled as she nodded, sending her blonde ringlets bouncing about her cute little face.

“That’s my girl. I’ll give them to you when we get to Uncie Jace, okay?”

“Okay.”

I kissed her little cheek. “Good girl. And I love you too.”

“Love you,” she whispered back shyly.

Nodding and standing again, I checked my makeup a final time before giving Lozza and Callie alet’s rollnod.

They wrangled the kids out of the room ahead of me and Papi.

I sent a nervous smile to Papi, and he carefully gathered me in a hug. “I’m so proud of you, Jaq, and I’m glad Jason makes you happy. You deserve it. Love you, honey,” he murmured thickly.

Papi wasn’t one for public declarations of love and affection. Hearing the tension in his voice had me blinking rapidly to clear my vision.

“Thanks, Papi, I love you too.”

“Are you sure you’re feeling okay? You seem… off.”

“Just nervous. I shouldn’t be this nervous, right?”

He chuckled. “Even when you know it’s exactly what you want, there are always nerves. Embrace them.”

“Right. Embrace them.” Taking a deep breath and linking my arm through his, I nodded and let him chauffeur me through the house.

Butterflies took flight in my stomach as we emerged into the courtyard where Loz and Callie waited with the kids. They pushed my heart into my throat, and the moment the music started, my stomach flipped on itself.

I am not going to be sick, I am not going to be sick, I am NOT going to be sick.

Oh Dios, I think I’m going to be sick.

Before I could ask for a moment, Loz stepped over the threshold and walked down aisle with Val skipping along beside her. Callie followed a few beats later with Emmie. Then it was my turn.

Papi patted my arm for reassurance, and on the next blink, we stepped into the backyard with Rom glued between us.

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