After the reception, where we’d dance and bask in the high emotions of her best friend getting married, I’d tell her how I feeland beg for a chance. Maybe I’d take her on a sunrise walk on the beach or something, really set the mood. Maybe I’d kiss her as we watched the sunset and pour everything I had into it. Maybe she’d give me a chance after all of that. Maybe.
“Hola, mija. I’ve missed you. You’re too busy working to see your old abuela?” I hadn’t even gotten a chance to knock on the door before it was open and I was getting a lecture.
I rolled my eyes, bringing my grandmother in for a bear hug. She was shorter than me at four foot nine, but her attitude was taller than me.
“Of course not, abuela. I’m never too busy for you. I saw you two days ago.”
“Yes, well. How have you been? Come, sit. I’ve already got dinner ready for you.”
“I’ve been good, abuela. Work has been keeping me very busy.”
“Too busy to find a girlfriend, I see.” she clicked her tongue like Mexican grandmothers did when they were ashamed of you.
I groaned. “This again? Yes, work keeps me very busy.”
“Yes, this again. You’re not getting any younger, mi amor. You need to settle down with someone. What about that woman you’re always bringing my food to? Why don’t you marry her?”
I almost choked on my water. “Woah, abuela. We are just friends.”
I didn’t even want to let those thoughts enter my mind because if they did, I was afraid of where they’d take me.
“I see. And how does your friend like my cooking? Do I need to cook more so you don’t go hungry?”
I laughed. “No, abuela. You do enough. I don’t go hungry, I promise. And yes, she says thank you. I just feel bad. She’s so busy at work, she usually only eats a salad. I want her to have protein.”
“And why does she need protein? Is she having trouble keeping up with you, mija? Did I not raise you to be a respectful woman? Let her take charge.”
If I was sipping anything, I would’ve gotten in trouble for making a mess on her table. “Abuela!” my blush was as red as her tablecloth. Those were not words a Mexican grandmother should ever say. Actually, those were not words for any grandmother to say. Ever!
She shrugged. “What? I’m no prude. I know what happens between two young women. I’ve seen the tumblr. Are you treating her right? You better be treating her right, Veronica Elena Rojas! I did not raise a disrespectful young woman!”
I laughed. “The tumblr? I don’t even want to know how you know what that is. Yes, ma’am. I am treating her right. Well, I’m trying to. Wearejust friends. And no, you didn’t raise me to be disrespectful.”
The look she gave me was pure pity. “Oh, I’m sorry, dear. You like her?”
I nodded. “Yes, Ma’am. I really do.”
“You bring her over. I want to meet this friend and let her know what she’s missing out on.”
I shook my head so fast. The last thing I needed was mi abuela butting in to my already complicated relationship with Cara. I didn’t want to scare her off. “Abuela?—”
“Ah,” she said with a hand up, cutting off the rest of my sentence. “I want to meet this woman, Veronica. Soon! Understand?”
“Si, abuela. I’ll invite her over.”
“Good. So, what else has been going on?”
“I’ve been restoring dad’s old mustang. It’s almost drivable, I think.”
“Ah, that’s good. He loved that car, you know. Sometimes, your mother thought he loved it more than her, but I know myson. He could never have loved someone as much as he loved your mother.”
I smiled, forcing myself not to let a tear fall. My parents had been gone since before I graduated high school. My mother was still alive, but I didn’t care to find out where she was. After my dad died when I was thirteen, she took off and left me and my abuela to survive on our own. She took the boys with her and said I was too much to handle.
Thankfully, most of them moved back to town after starting their own lives in college. Carlos had his family in Arizona, but we still kept in touch and visited each other every now and then.
We sat and talked some more about my parents before I politely told her I needed to get going. I loved spending time with my abuela, but it was getting a little late and I wanted to help her clean up from dinner before I left.
She smiled and demanded I take some leftovers to my new “friend” after I cleaned up the kitchen. I agreed and we said our goodbyes.
