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“That’s who I’m named after? Did you know that?”
Yes, Leo himself has told me this fact many times. “I did know that. You’re very lucky to be named after such a good man.” Marisol and Isabella both have fond memories of Aurelio, who passed away in his fifties from a heart attack. He worked himself to death for the good of the family. And I understand why. I would do the same if I wasn’t so fortunate. “Listen, you should know this in case you ever… um… love someone. But when you love them so much and you want to marry them –”
“You’re going to marry mama?!”
“Let me finish, kiddo.”
“Sorry, sorry.”
I smile to myself, focusing on the open road, the desert rolling by. “When a man wants to marry a woman, he is supposed to ask her parents for permission. And you know I love your mother very much, so I asked Abuela and she said yes, on one condition.”
“What is it?”
“That I ask you too. Because you were the man of the house before I came along.”
Leo puffs his chest and pouts his lips. “I am still the man of the house.”
“Duly noted. Anyway, um… what do you say?”
He pretends to think. I’m watching him more than the road, and get a quick flashback to my accident. My eyes quickly move back to the road.
“Hmmm… duh!” Leo exclaims.
“Duh? That’s a new one.”
“Learned it from Viola.”
I smile to myself. “So, I have your permission?”
“Of course you do, Papa.”
Be still my heart.
Only ten minutes later, we pull up in front of the house. Isabella and Marisol emerge moments later, no doubt interested in hearing about Leo’s reaction to me picking him up from school.
“Mami, mami!” Leo shouts as he leaps out of the car.
I follow, grabbing his Paw Patrol backpack and slinging it over my shoulder.
Isabella beams, the glow of a restful day on her face. And sex. Have to be honest about that one. She had the day off to welcome me when I arrived and I took advantage of the time we had before Leo got home, what can I say?
“Were you surprised, carino?” Marisol asks when Leo reaches the front steps.
He stops abruptly, heaving breaths. “Yes. I was so surprised. He whistled and I was like, woah!”
Marisol and Isabella laugh. Isabella’s eyes catch in mine for a moment. A gleam of mischief.
“And then I ran up to him fast like I –” He has to stop to swallow. “Like I just did.”
I laugh now too, leaning into my hip and watching him scramble to get the story out.
“And I gave him a big hug, like this!” Leo leaps into Isabella’s arms.
“Oof! Leo, you have to be careful!” she cries out. She only has a few years on me and has the strength of an ox after toting a child around all these years, but she has a few more aches and pains than I do. “You can’t jump on me like you used to.”
Leo’s feet dangle an inch above the ground as he hangs from Isabella’s arms. “And, Mama, guess what?”
She places him down in front of me. “What, mijo?”
