He handed it to me and snapped, “You first, let’s get this over with, because I’m nervous and think you’re going to hate it.”
It was almost comical how unaware Camilo was of the fact that I was crazy about him.
“Why would I hate a gift from you?” I asked incredulously, but he did look nervous. I tried to tease him by opening it as slowly as I could and after a minute of me taking each piece of tape off individually, he ripped it from my hand and unwrapped it.
“Oh my god. Here!” I chuckled as I took it back from him.
It was a picture frame with the selfie of Libe, him, and I we’d taken at the zoo. The three of us were smiling wide at the camera, with the blue sky behind us. My arm was around his shoulder and Libe’s little hand was on the side of his face.
We looked happy, like we belonged together.
“Camilo.” Suddenly everything I felt for him felt too big to keep it inside me. “This is amazing.” I leaned in to kiss him and when I touched his lips with mine, I finally had to say it. “Te amo.”
He pulled back then and his face was a mixture of surprise and genuine happiness. After a moment his lips turned up and he said it back. “And I love you.”
He said it so naturally, like it made all the sense in the world. It felt like that, too.
I went in for another kiss to seal it. To keep those words between us for a bit. When we pulled back, he looked impish, and the anticipation I felt for whatever utterly Camilo thing he would say made me giddy.
“Of course, I reserve the right to take it back if your gift sucks.”
“I wouldn’t expect any less,” I said very solemnly.
I handed him the present, and he opened it in the same fashion as Libe had attacked hers. I held my breath because I’d taken a chance on this one, and hoped my suspicion was right.
He looked at the cover and gasped. “How did you even get this? I’ve never been able to find any of his work in print.”
It was an anthology by José Ángel Buesa, a Cuban poet who he’d mentioned a few times. I’d had my mom do a little digging in the DR since he’d lived there before he died. She came through with this copy and mailed it.
“There’s no way you stayed within the budget.”
I might have felt just slightly smug then. “Actually I did, the book wasn’t too much at all. My mom got it in the DR, the shipping cost more than the book.”
He leafed through it with a big smile on his face.
“This is amazing. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
We sat there for a bit, while he read and I admired the photo. After a while, I pulled him closer. “How was the night with your mom?”
He sighed and looked up to where they’d gone, but I could hear Libe talking a mile a minute.
“Well my mom decided she needs to take some time off work, which is amazing. She says she’s been really struggling with her depression and she wants to work on her mental health. The leave is unpaid, and I just discovered yesterday her rent was increased.” He grimaced at that, glancing upstairs again. “She needs to take care of the balance soon. I still encouraged her to take the time, because she needs it.” He sounded so relieved, even though it seemed like things were not exactly resolved.
“I’m glad she’s giving herself a break.” I wanted to be supportive, but I wondered what it meant for her to take time off work. Would that put a financial burden on Camilo?
“She’s upset my dad’s sixty-fifth birthday is in March and she hasn’t been to see his grave since we left Miami. So she wants to go while she’s on leave. I wish I could take her, but she doesn’t fly,” he said, voice weighed down by the obvious strain all this was putting on him. “It would involve driving there and I can’t take time off until I’m done with the renovation. And honestly I don’t know if I’m ready to go back to Miami.” He looked at me with a tired smile. “But I also don’t want her to go alone.”
I knew I was going into some dangerous territory, but I had to ask. “I know you probably will say no, but can I help with some of the expenses I?—”
As I anticipated, he stopped me before I could finish.
“No. Thank you for offering. But we can take care of it. Really, babe. It would make me uncomfortable.”
I withheld my frustrated sigh, because pushing Camilo on this was not the right course of action. “Okay, but please, Camilo.If you do feel like you need my help. Nothing would make me happier.”
He gave me a terse nod and said, “I know.” He didn’t have to say he was going to do anything and everything he could to make sure his mom got her time off, even if he had to run himself into the ground doing it. I already knew that.
