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Twenty-Two
Surprise
Byron
The two-hour drive to La Jolla was as pleasant as could be expected. There was no shortage of cheery conversation, laughter and Byron’s lips on Savannah’s hand and lips every chance he got. At his request, she filled him in on as much as he needed to know to better prepare him to meet the rest of her family. They’d be arriving before check-in at their hotel, so they were going straight to her grandparents’ home where she said everyone was gathering for a barbeque brunch.
“Their anniversary is actually today,” she explained. “But everyone was in agreement the big party should take place on a Saturday when most had the day off from work and school. My younger cousins and brothers still have school today. Except a lot of the family members from out of town are arriving today. It’s why my grandparents decided to have alittlesomething over their place.”
The growing knot in Byron’s gut had gradually tightened the closer they got there. By the time they arrived he was wiping his clammy hands against his pants. He knew he’d be doing a lot of hand shaking and he didn’t want to embarrass himself. Sienna ran out to meet them with a screech as they got out of the car. The two sisters hugged like they hadn’t seen each other inyears. Then laughed at their own silliness.
“Hi, Byron,” Sienna said in a teasing tone. “You’re just a part of the family now, aren’t you?”
Savannah nudged her sister before he could respond to that. “Stop, he’s nervous enough.” She held out her hand for Byron who wiped his hand against his pants again before taking her hand in his. “Anybody here yet?”
“Well, this is the . . .” Sienna lifted her hands and did air quotes. “Smallerof the two gatherings this weekend.” She rolled her eyes and laughed. “But it’s basically all of daddy’s family. So, you can imagine howsmallit is. Everyone except for the cousins still in school are here. Oh, and . . .” Sienna paused glancing at Byron then gave Savannah a strange look. “Chavita’s here. He doesn’t have classes on Friday.”
“Oh, good I haven’t seen him in forever.” Savannah glanced back at Byron with a smile as they entered the big house. “He’s my smarty pants cousin. He should still be in high school, but he skipped a grade, then finished high school early.”
“All the others are still in school.” Sienna’s eyes met Byron’s again with that odd look before glancing away. “But Chavita broughtfriends.”
They walked into the front room where the endless introductions commenced. First her grandparents who sat in the front room with her parents and a couple of other older relatives who’d come in from Mexico for the occasion. Aside from a few lighthearted jabs from her grandfather warning Byron not to make him come after him, it was fairly painless. Though the telling looks theteddybeargave Byron as her grandfather issued said warnings, weren’t missed.
“Foods out back,” her grandmother said. “And you know this family, there’s plenty so go help yourselves.”
They continued through the house and he met the first of her uncles as they walked through the kitchen. He was getting a salad bowl out of the fridge. “Hi, uncle Angel.”
“Hey, sweetheart.”
Savannah let go of Byron’s hand to hug and kiss her uncle. Byron already knew he was the younger of her dad’s brothers. The man was a slightly smaller version of her dad who turned and gave Byron an equally uncompromising once over when he was done greeting his niece.
“This is Byron.” Savannah touched Byron’s bicep as her uncle blatantly continued looking him over. “This is my uncle Angel. One of Daddy’s brothers.”
As her uncle put the salad down on the kitchen’s center island, Byron reached his hand out to him, her uncle took it and gave it a firm shake. “Nice to me you, sir.”
“Good to meet you, too.” He turned to Savannah then back to face Byron. “Your dad tells me you two haven’t known each other too long.”
Clearing his throat, Byron nodded and answered before Savannah could. “Over a month now.”
Nodding, her uncle glanced down as Savannah slipped her hand back into Byron’s. It was the first time since he’d met her that Byron actually wished she’d keep her hands to herself. At least while in the presence of her menacing uncles.
Uncle Angel eyed him. “You staying out here for the weekend?”
Byron nodded again. “Yeah, I got a room.” Squeezing Savannah’s hand, Byron swallowed hard and prayed she wouldn’t clarify further.
There were a few more inquiries about wherehewas staying and when he was headed there untilmercifullySavannah’s Aunt Sofia walked into the kitchen. Savannah did the introductions again and fortunately her aunt was far less inquiring than her brother. In fact, she seemed to sense the slight tension in the room and shoved the man along, telling him his wife had asked her to send him back out with the salad they were waiting on.
“You’ll get used to them.” She winked at Byron as she opened the refrigerator door. “Even her dad. As long as you don’t do anything silly like break her heart, you’ll live.” She smiled big as she pulled what looked like a boxed pie out of the fridge and closed it.
Byron chuckled nervously. “I’ve been warned about that already.”
Her aunt laughed at that looking back at him. “That doesn’t surprise me. More like threatened, I’m sure. Just tread lightly and you’ll be fine. But fair warning, whatever threats you’ve gotten so far won’t be the last.”
Great.
“Come on out.” Her aunt motioned toward the back door her uncle had walked out of. “Everyone’s out there. You got one more to meet but he’s the easy one.”
Savannah’s laughter in reaction to that felt a bit nervous. Sienna had since walked outside so the three of them made their way out. Byron braced himself to meet yet another uncle. But he wasn’t buying for a second that meetinganyof Savannah’s uncles would be easy.
