Page 19 of D’Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding

A sharp whistle sounded, and we all turned toward the house to see one of my little cousins running from the side of the house. He made a beeline to the cabana, catching his breath before informing us that Kiana was outside. The music was turned down a few decibels and Mami hushed everyone. Six minutes later, first a belly and then my baby sister appeared, followed by her doting boyfriend, Josue. Cheers went up and the crowd parted like the Red Sea as Mami and Papi headed for Kiana and swept her into a group hug.

Slinging an arm over D’Vaughn’s shoulder, I put my mouth near her ear. “That’s my baby sister, Kiana,” I stated unnecessarily.

It was obvious from everyone’s reaction who she was, but I was having fun watching D’Vaughn’s reactions to every touch and endearment. She was so damn expressive that it was becoming addicting.

“She’s gorgeous,” D’Vaughn whispered.

A proud smile stretched across my face as if I’d had a hand in Kiana’s appearance. At almost eight months along, Kiana looked stunning, with her belly poked out as if she had a basketball under her maxi dress. Her deep brown skin—the only feature she inherited from Mami—glowed under the midday sun. Both Kiana and Josue had the biggest grins on their faces as everyone embraced them while Mami and Papi led them over to their designated table.

They reached us and I wrapped my baby sister in a delicate hug before stepping back and rubbing my palms over her distended belly. My cheeks hurt from how hard I was grinning. On the other side of that bump was my half-cooked nibling, and I couldn’t wait for the timer to start dinging when they were ready to come out of the oven.

“Hold up,” Kiana sassed, her hand in the air as if she was pressing pause. “Who is this?”

Peeling my eyes from her belly, I lifted them to Kiana’s face to see her curious eyes on D’Vaughn. Licking my lips, I slid an arm around D’Vaughn’s waist and pulled her closer to me.

“KiKi, this is D’Vaughn. D’Vaughn, this is my KiKi, also known as Nosy NaNa. You can just call her Kiana though.”

Giggling, D’Vaughn dipped her chin. “Nice to meet you.”

“Thanks for coming to my shower,” Kiana chirped as she surged forward and hugged D’Vaughn quickly, before standing back and propping her hands on her hips. She pinned me with a glare. “I can’t believe you’d bring a date to my baby shower, knowing that I’ll be too busy to talk to her! You did this on purpose, you jerk!”

Laughing, I held up my hands. “I swear that wasn’t my intention.” Kiana glared at me for a moment before relaxing and lowering her arms. I waited until she started to turn away and then added, “It’s a happy coincidence though.”

She whipped back around, but Josue chuckled and ushered her forward as he tipped his head in D’Vaughn’s direction. “Nice to meet you,” he offered just as they were engulfed in Tía Claudia’s arms.

The crowd thinned out the further into the backyard Kiana and Josue traveled. Once they made it to their specially decorated table, Mami and Sra. Munoz bustled over the tables that were piled high with gifts and instructed everyone to gather around.

“Oh!” D’Vaughn exclaimed as I pulled her over to a round table. “You guys do the gifts early? I’ve never seen that before.”

We turned our seats to face my sister and Josue and sat down. “Yeah. It’s been that way as long as I can remember. We do it because every time my family gets together, the party lasts well into the night. When the gifts are opened first thing, it allows the mama-to-be the freedom to leave whenever she’s ready.”

Nodding, D’Vaughn murmured, “Ah. That makes a lot of sense. I imagine cooking a kiddo can tire you out sooner than the average partygoer.”

“And you’d be correct. KiKi’s only twenty-four, but I doubt she’ll make it past nine.”

Mami started speaking so we stopped talking and paid attention as the gifts were presented. Everyone cooed over D’Vaughn’s gift, which was a spa pedicure set for Kiana and matching robes for her, Josue, and the baby.

“That was really thoughtful,” I whispered into her ear.

“Thank you, but I can’t take all of the credit. There is a lovely older woman at a department store in the Galleria who steered me in the right direction.”

“Well, she ain’t here so you get the points tonight.”

With her eyes never straying from my sister across the yard, D’Vaughn smiled. I wanted to nuzzle those dimples something serious but held back, not wanting to overdo it so soon. Sure, she’d given me the go-ahead to do the lovey-dovey thing, but something about her made me feel like it wasn’t enough. I wasn’t touching her enough, kissing her enough, holding her enough. Maybe it was that kiss, or maybe it was residual gratitude behind my parents’ gifts. As I reminded myself that I was once again staring at her, I turned back to my baby sister and resigned myself to figuring it out another time.

After all of the gifts were opened, Josue, Raul, and Raymond carted them around the side of the house to put in the car. Mis tíos pulled the parrillada they’d brought off of the grill and began to process it at the counter of Papi’s outdoor kitchen, slicing the beef and chicken into tender strips of perfectly spiced morsels. The aromas had the entire yard heaving a collective sigh, and with that as the green light, everyone began to line up to eat. Mami and Sra. Munoz went first, fixing plates for Kiana and Josue. When they finished, Mami’s sisters made sure all of the children were seated with plates of grilled chicken, corn on the cob, rice, and beans in front of them. I turned to D’Vaughn.

“You’re hungry, right?”

She was nodding before I even finished my sentence.

“Hell yes. You told me there would be a mountain of food, but even if you hadn’t warned me, I smelled the smoke from the grill as soon as I stepped out of my car.” Rubbing her belly, she shimmied as she bounced up and down, reminding me of her happy dance from the day before. “My body is ready to receive this blessing.”

I brought my fist to my mouth as I cracked up. “Let’s get you fed then.”

Lacing my fingers through hers, we joined the growing line and were soon back at our table with the chairs turned inward. Paper plates overflowing with seasoned rice and borracho beans, sizzling fajitas, onions, and peppers were in front of us, and a shallow, clay bowl filled with warm tortillas sat between us. As we dug in, Rhea came by and clipped two wooden clothespins on each of us.

“Say the word ‘baby’ and your pins can get snatched. Hear someone say it and you can take their pins. Whoever has the most pins at the end of the night wins a prize.”