Page 61 of His Forever

“No, Mamá, he said they would be here today, though. Thank you for letting me invite them.”

“Pssh, you are part of this family and that makes all of them part of this family!”

“Well, I mean, a lot of people would be uncomfortable because of his lifestyle.”

“Look at me, Mija, si?”

She looked at the older woman and saw nothing but love radiating from her. “Mija? We don’t judge in this family. The God I believe in tells me to love all. Not some, not a few, not only those who are like me, butall, si? If that is who your beloved cousin loves, who am I to say anything? Better for him to have found love than to be miserable trying to conform to what some people in society deem is proper, si?”

Marleigh’s eyes welled up. Her aunt and uncle were the same when it came to Paulie’s choices, but others in their family? Very judgmental and narrow-minded. She was glad he and Gray would be accepted here and knowing her cousin, they would both win over folks because of how they were around others. Strong arms wrapped around her and she turned to see Zeus smiling down at her. “You ready to swim, mi siempre hermosa?”

“Yes! The water looks wonderful. Let me get some sunblock on and then I’ll be ready to get in.”

“Let me help you. I don’t want your beautiful skin to burn,” he told her.

She giggled a little and nodded her head. He kissed his mother’s head and led her over to a lounge area, where he rooted through her bag and came out with the sunblock, then motioned for her to sit down in front of him. She let him apply it to the places exposed on her back and arms, then took the bottle and made short work of putting it on her legs and face. “Come on, Marleigh, let’s get in, I want to introduce you to everyone.”

They walked into the pool and he began introducing her to his sisters and their families. She noticed how each time, she was welcomed with open arms and the kids? They swarmed all over him. She closed her eyes against the pain she was feeling and determined that she would tell him. Soon. After swimming for a bit, they were relaxing in one of the little coves. She was sitting between his legs with his arms loosely around her waist when she turned slightly and said, “Why does everyone call you Zeus except your mother?”

His chuckle turned into full laughter and she had to wait for him to calm before he said, “My little sister was still grasping Spanish so whenever Mamá said Jesús, she thought she was saying ‘Hey, Zeus’ so she started calling me Zeus and it stuck. I’ve been Zeus ever since. Even my Papá called me Zeus. Only Mamá refuses.”

She was laughing by the time he was done and he leaned down and kissed her, reveling in how she felt in his arms. A splash nearby pulled them apart and she turned and looked into the smiling eyes of Paulie. “Paulie!” she squealed.

“Zeus, man, appreciate y’all inviting us. We picked up some odds and ends and Gray found a Fourth of July piñata for the kids.”

“You may take over as the reigning favorite, Paulie,” Zeus told him.

“Naw, Marleigh will tell you, we love kids and something like this, celebrating the Fourth? Deserves lots of candy and fun.”

With Gray now in the pool, the foursome got caught up with everything they still had to do since moving while everyone else swam and lounged around. Paulie, seeing the look on Marleigh’s face, quickly deduced what was on her mind and he said, “Got a few minutes, chica?” She nodded at him and with a quick kiss, she followed her cousin out of the pool and over toward the lounge area for privacy. “You haven’t told him?”

“No, not yet. Paulie, I never expected to fall in love with anyone again after Colton.”

“Okay, Drama Mama, you should have known better. You have to tell him, chica. I can see how much he enjoys playing with the kids.”

“I know! What am I going to do? It’s going to break my heart to break it off with him. Next to you, he’s my best friend. The only secret he doesn’t know is that one and I just don’t know how to tell him.”

“Marleigh, just tell him and let him make that decision, okay? I don’t think you’re going to get the reaction you think you will.”

“I hope you’re right, Paulie. I hope you’re right.”

***

As the afternoon progressed, Zeus noticed that she was quieter than normal but every time he questioned her, she would tell him she was fine. He knew she wasn’t but was at a loss as to how to make her share what was on her mind. His breaking point came when he saw her wiping away a few tears when he was holding his newest nephew. Giving the baby back to his mother, he grabbed her hand and walked away to a secluded area where he pulled her onto his lap and said, “Talk to me, Marleigh. I can tell something is wrong. Please, mi siempre hermosa?”

When he said that, she looked at him with tears in her eyes and said, “I don’t think we should see each other anymore, Zeus.”

Without another word, he grabbed their phones and her bag and with a nod to Paulie, he headed toward the golf cart.

“Zeus? Where are we going?”

“To my house so we can talk, mi siempre hermosa.”

“O…okay,” she answered, her voice shaky.

He kept her hand in his when she attempted to pull away. Rubbing her fingers with his thumb, he navigated toward his house. Once there, he led her through and out to the back porch, where he sat on the swing and pulled her onto his lap. “Talk to me, Marleigh. Why do you feel we shouldn’t see each other any longer?” He watched her take a deep, shuddering breath as she closed her eyes and dropped her head.

***

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