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"I'll buy you a hot chocolate when we get down to the square. Sound good?"
"I'll hold you to that. Let me go check on my mom and sister."
"No need." He shakes his head. "Dad introduced himself, and is escorting them downtown, he brought a couple of camp chairs for them to sit in too."
Good Lord, I hope my mom's on her best behavior. "I'm so overwhelmed by what y'all have done for me tonight. If you're not careful, I'm gonna cry."
He hugs me tightly. "It's what we do. Once you're in our crew? You don't get to be overwhelmed by shit like this. We work together to help you get to where you need to be. It was fun, and I got to tell everybody my girlfriend is the one making the food. Proud boyfriend alert, right here." He points down at his head.
"Alright, let's head out. You coming Rachelle?"
"Yeah, might as well. I don't have any other plans for the rest of the day."
* * *
It's hard to get to where Boone and the rest of them are sitting, because everybody keeps stopping to tell me how much they loved the special menu we did for the parade. It means so much to hear this from the community, my community.
Abel comes over, holding a hot chocolate. "Courtesy of Get Baked."
I wave over to Gabby who waves back. "I'm ready to go hang out with y'all and forget about work for the rest of the day."
"Me too." He hooks his arm around my neck. "Not that I don't love hanging out with you no matter where it is, but I feel like I've really proven my worth right now."
I laugh, pinching him in the side. "You've more than proven your worth. I'm not looking to get rid of you any time soon."
"That's good to know." He reaches down, and kisses my temple as we continue walking.
The closer we get to where everyone else is, the more anxiety I have, because I don't know how it's going with my mom. I'm scared to death. The realistic side of my personality is trying to talk me down, but the other side is hoping like hell that this going to work out. "I'm nervous." I give words to my thoughts. "I want my mom and sister to like you and your family. My sister I'm not worried about, but my mom is very hard to impress."
"Trust me." Abel tightens his arm around my neck. "I think my dad has it under control." He points up ahead.
I follow his finger and almost gasp when I see my mom laughing with Boone. He's charming her almost like he charmed Alexis. All the anxiety I had starts to dissipate slightly as I watch them.
"Hey!" Boone waves as we approach. He rubs his stomach. "I had some of your menu today, and damn it was good. What was in those tacos?"
"It was birria, I used beef instead of goat though. Both are traditional. I started cooking it last night, so it was low and slow. Melt in your mouth?"
"Sure did. Maybe I can talk you into making that again for New Year's? You're gonna be at our party, aren't you?"
This is the first I've heard of it. "I don't know." I answer honestly.
He looks at Abel. "You haven't told her about our New Year's bash?"
Abel groans. "Dad, there's a million holidays between Halloween and New Year's. We got together on Halloween. Every other week there's a damn holiday. I would've gotten to it, but since you have to know an answer right now." He turns to me. "You're coming to New Year's with me, aren't you?"
"Of course. Now that I know how fun events are with your family, you can rest assured I'll be at any holiday you'll allow me to be."
Boone gives me an easy smile. "Where'd y'all get the hot chocolate?"
"Get Baked has some." Abel points to where they're open.
"Come with me, I'm gonna get some for the rest of us, and I'll need help carrying it."
They get up, and head toward the bakery. I watch them, wondering how I got so damn lucky. My mom comes to sit where Abel had been previously, and I brace myself for what's coming.
"Kara, I'm sorry." She starts immediately as she sits down. "I'll admit to you I didn't understand what was going on with your business or how popular you are. Fact is, I should be as proud of you as all these other people are. I'm sorry I've been pushing against it. I don't think I actually heard you when you were telling me what was happening, and I'm sorry."
I somehow manage to hold the tears in, just barely. "Thanks, Mom."
