Her laughter comes through the speakers loud and clear. “It looks like two weeks. Though, I’m not sure I’m ready to meet your mom. What if she doesn’t like me?”
I pull into Mom’s driveway and sit there. I’m not getting out of this car until I’m finished talking to Serena. I see the curtains in the living room shift. It’s not like they didn’t know I was coming. This is the day I come over every week because it’s the only day I know for sure I’ll be in town while we’re in season. “She’ll like you.”
“How do you know?” I hear a car door close and Hazel tell someone the address to drop them off at. “Most moms, at least those in the movies, aren’t crazy about their baby boys being taken from them by another woman.”
I can’t help the laugh that bursts out of my lips. “Are you kidding me right now? That’s the wildest shit I’ve heard all day.”
“I don’t know how this works. I haven’t met anyone’s parents in a really long time.”
Now the front door is cracking open. Gabby pokes her head through the tiny crack and then a hand motioning me to hurry up. I hold a finger up in response and she flips me off. Geez, love you too. “My mom has been asking me when I’m going to settle down for ages. You don’t have anything to worry about with her.” I pause for a second. “There is one thing, though.”
“What’s that?” There’s a hint of fear in her voice, and I find it a little funny she’s freaking out.
“She’s incredibly nosey. She’ll want your full life story and will feel no shame in prying it out of you.”
A giggle comes through the speakers. “That I can handle. You do realize who my best friend is, right?”
“She didn’t seem to question me too much when she was intent on setting us up.” All she saw from me was a desire to go on at least one date with Serena.
“Hazel is pretty good at trusting her gut. And if her gut said you are good people, then she goes with it.”
My sister opens the door all the way and starts down the sidewalk. Can’t she just chill? It’s not like the food is going anywhere. And Mom keeps everything warm when she’s waiting on me. “I think I need to go.”
“Was it something I said?”
I shake my head even though she can’t see me. “No. I’m at my mom’s for weekly dinner and my sister is marching to my car to tell me to hurry up.”
“Why didn’t you say something?”
“Because I haven’t talked to you all day, and they see me all the time. It wasn’t killing them to wait.” She’s silent for a few seconds, but I push on. “I’ll call you when I get home, though. Hopefully you’ll still be awake.”
“Yeah, I should be. The flight schedule I have tomorrow starts later in the day.”
“Okay. I’ll call you as soon as I get home. Maybe we can have little fun over the phone…”
“Men,” she says, exasperated. I’m almost certain she’s shaking her head at the same time.
“Bye, Serena.”
She says her goodbye and I kill the engine, also ending the call. I barely have the door open and Gabby is standing right in front of the car. “It took you long enough.”
“Chill, sis,” I scold. “I haven’t talked to Serena all day.”
“I’m sure you’ve talked to plenty of other girls, though.” She says it like it’s a fact. She doesn’t know shit. I’ve barely talked to her about anyone for a long time because this is the kind of judgement, I get from her.
“You don’t know shit, Gabby.” I close my door and stomp past her. I do not need this crap from her.
I walk through the still open door and don’t bother seeing if she’s following. Mom is in the kitchen, and the smell of dinner is divine. If Gabby doesn’t change her attitude, though, I’ll walk back through the door and leave. Delicious dinner be damned. I’m not going to have her being an ass over something she has no clue about.
My mom must have heard me because she whips around from the stove. “You’re here. You really need to come visit me more.” She acts like I’m not over here once a week. “Where’s your sister?”
I shrug. “I’m sure she’ll be in soon. She told me I needed to hurry up.” I peer over Mom and see the burners on the stove still going. “You aren’t even done with dinner.”
“You and your sister need to stop fighting, mi corazon. There will be a day when you are all you have.” I hate when she talks like this. It’s something she tells us every time we get into a disagreement. But we’re siblings. That’s what we do…we bicker and then make up.
“I know, Mom.” She turns away from me and stirs the meat in the skillet. Carne Asada is one of my favorite meals, and I love when she makes it. It always gives me the peace of being home. “Do you need any help?”
“No, it’s almost done.” She looks over at the table and rolls her eyes. “You can set the table since your sister didn’t.” We hear the door close harder than necessary and she shakes her head. As soon as she hears me get the plates down from the cupboard, she throws out her next question. “When will I get to meet this girl of yours?”
