“Bring it on. How has it been?” I can’t help my dopey grin. We’ve been sharing my bed still every night, making out, but keeping it to that for now. There’s no rush. After over a year of wanting her, taking it slow and learning her mind while also learning every inch of her body will be the biggest, best reward.
“It’s been fantastic, man. I love living with her and those furballs so much.”
“You look how I probably looked last year,” he teases with his own big smile.
“I don’t doubt it. We’ll see where things go, but I’m enjoying the hell out of every second so far.” He nods.
“We better get in there to help before your mom starts yelling for us.”
When I walk in, I have to stop and stare at the scene I’m witnessing. Rosa is grooving around with Tania while she shows her how to pinch the dough together perfectly around the filling, before flattening it out a little into what is basically a stuffed pancake. Tania is so freaking adorably absorbed in her task, her brow knitted, front teeth grazing her luscious bottom lip. She winces when the one she was working on falls apart a little, but Rosa shows her how to fix it. While Tania is concentrating on getting it right, Rosa looks at me and gives me a subtle nod and wink. My sister likes her, thank fuck. I don’t know how I would handle my family not liking the woman of my dreams.
“Carlo, stop staring at your stunning roommate and get going on the salsa roja,” my mom playfully chides. Tania looks up at that and gives me a smug smirk before turning her attention back to her work. I get the salsa roja started while Taran begins chopping everything for the curtido. I keep an eye on Tania, but it looks like she’s having fun and getting the hang of forming the pupusas. My sisters and sisters of the heart are all chatting with her, and she’s speaking back to them in really good Spanish mixed with English for Lyra. Once I blend all of the ingredients for the sauce, I get it onto the stove to simmer for just a few minutes to bring out the flavor. Taran gets the curtido in the refrigerator to sit for a while, and the ladies are still hard at work forming the pupusas. So we head over to help them. I gently bump Tania’s hip so she’ll make room for me next to her.
“Look at you becoming a pupusa making expert,” I murmur near her ear as I watch her now deftly take a flat piece of dough, pinch it around the perfect amount of filling, and seal it up. She smiles but keeps her eyes on what she’s doing.
“This is so soothing, I haven’t made many things with dough before, except maybe chocolate chip cookies.”
“Um, why have I not been a recipient of these chocolate chip cookies yet?”
“Because you’re sweet enough already, Carlo,” she deadpans, giving a pat to my chest with her masa coated hand. My sisters crack up, and I surreptitiously pinch her side underneath her shirt, making her yelp in surprise before smearing a little more masa on my nose. This is doing nothing to help keep me from getting lost in thoughts of what touching her skin and kissing her is like, I’m dying to do it again. Luce quickly gets tired of our antics and tells us to finish making the pupusas so we cancook them and finally eat. With one more pinch to Tania’s side, I grab a paper towel to clean the masa off my face and t-shirt. I am so getting her back for this mess when she least expects it. My dad starts griddling what we’ve made while we all finish the remaining dough and filling. I love what a family production the whole process is. While we’re working Lyra and Daniella get into some playful shit talk about playing poker later, Tania is chatting with my three sisters, and my mom is supervising my dad’s cooking while starting to clean up a little. Taran and I help clean up our mess from making the toppings. It doesn’t take long for them to cook on the griddle, so my dad is soon filling two platters stacked to the brim with pupusas. There’s always so much that my parents freeze a bunch for themselves and send us all home with leftovers. They’re somehow even more perfect the next day. We troop into the dining room carrying the platters, drinks, and toppings. Tania looks happy, if maybe slightly overwhelmed. I pull her into my side with my free arm and lean down to check in with her.
“Doing ok?” I whisper in her ear, really hoping she’s not scared off.
“Very ok, I’m just not used to this,” she whispers back, wrapping her free arm around my waist for a quick squeeze. “Your family is wonderful.” I have no words for what that means to me, so I just squeeze her more tightly as we take our seats next to each other. Dani and Luce are on the same side as us, while Rosa, Anita, Lyra and Taran are across from us, with my parents at each end. Everyone starts talking over each other, squabbling good-naturedly over drinks and who gets to start passing the platters and toppings around. Soon it’s a more quiet din as everyone starts to top their pupusas and eat. Drinks are poured, napkins are rustling as they wipe salsa roja off of greasy fingers. Pupusas are best eaten by hand, and it’s wonderfullymessy. I can’t resist taking a peek at Tania, and chuckling when I see a little sauce in the corner of her mouth. I gently wipe it away with my thumb before I even know what I’m doing, and I watch her pupils dilate at the touch. We quickly turn back to our food, but my family is definitely all amused as they watch us. No one says anything, thank goodness. It’s not like Dani and Luce or Lyra and Taran don’t get almost nausea inducing sometimes, so no one has room to talk.
Everyone piles seconds on their plates and the chatter flows easily about what’s going on in everyone’s lives. I tense a little as the conversation turns to me and how work has been, but Tania takes some of the attention as well.
“How do you two like working together?” my mom asks.
“We only get to see each other at the hub in the morning, and maybe when we’re done for the day if we get done around the same time,” Tania tells her.
“Usually we are pretty focused on getting ready for the day too, so it doesn’t give us much time to talk before we have to get on our routes,” I add.
“Which is maybe a good thing since we’re living together too, I don’t want him to get sick of me,” she jokes.
“That would never happen,” I say under my breath, for only her to hear. She tries not to react too much but her lips twitch as she steals a glance at me. It hits me full force when those chocolate eyes meet mine how much I’m living for having her here with me, and getting along with my family. Tania fits in like a missing puzzle piece, and it makes my heart expand enough to nearly crack my chest open.
“It must be tough, driving all over and lifting all day,” my dad says. I whip my head toward him to see if he’s back to being a dick about my job, but he’s beingcompletely sincere. Tania’s lips part in a small show of surprise, but nods.
“It’s no joke, getting a class B license and driving that truck, along with all of the heavy lifting. I’ve always loved driving, though. The best part of my day is seeing the dogs, they sure enjoy it when I give them some love while I’m on my route.
“I miss giving the pups on my old route treats so much,” Taran says with a smile.
“You give Brody and Lilly more than enough treats to make up for it,” Lyra teases him.
“They deserve them all,” he declares, kissing her temple.
“Wait, did you drive for FedEx too before I got there? Carlo mentioned you’re a CNA,” Tania asks.
“I drove for UPS, Carlo and I had all of the jokes that we worked for rival companies,” Taran informs her with a laugh. “I became a CNA last year and I really love the work. My patients are so fun.”
“That’s fantastic. I’m apprenticing to be a tattoo artist, art has always been my huge passion. Maybe I’ll be able to do it full time at some point.”
“I know where I’m getting my next ink from then!” Taran seems so genuinely excited about getting a new tattoo from her, and this is why he’s my brother from another mother.
“We’ve been thinking about getting matching pieces, something small but meaningful,” Lyra adds.
“I’d love to once I practice more. I’ve only just started tattooing actual skin this week, but I’m getting more and more comfortable with it.”
