Maria, on the other hand, looks the most like Fernando’s mom. She keeps her brown hair long, pulled back into a braid that hits her midback. She’s wearing jade-colored glasses and a matching green silk blouse.
Both aunts stand, come over, and hug me. They lead me to the table, and I’m seated between them like a queen holding court.
“Ava, we’ve been waiting so patiently for you to arrive. Fernando’s kept you to himself for too long,” Tía Maria starts. “How has your trip been so far?”
I help myself to a fresh caramel empanada and take a bite, letting the sweet apple settle on my tongue as I compose my thoughts. “It’s been great. It’s my first time in Spain, and I wasn’t sure what to expect, but Fernando’s been an excellent tour guide.”
“I bet he has.” Maria glances in the direction of the door, where Fernando’s mother has him trapped.
“Yesenia mentioned that you made the first move. I’m glad you did. Left to his own devices, Fernando would never have had the courage to ask you out,” Yulia teases.
“I don’t know, he’s pretty brave,” I say defensively, offended they’re not giving him more credit.
Tía Yulia shrugs and moves on, asking about my family. Soon, it becomes apparent that those first couple of questions were just the warm-up. Over the course of the next hour, Yulia and Maria push me into the deep end of the pool, covering the hard-hitting topics.
We discuss how many kids I think I may want in the future, which is three. They promise not to tell their nephew what I say. Then they feel out if I’d consider settling in Spain when I marry Fernando. Not if. When.
I try my best to give non-answers, but the sisters make it hard. They’re gifted at finding ways to redirect the questions I’m reluctant to answer, like an expert team of lawyers. I appreciate that they’re looking out for their nephew, but it’s still a shock to the system how much detail they want.
“Mamá, I think we have more than enough food here.” Fernando enters the patio carrying a tray of flaky rolls in each hand. He scrunches his nose as he looks for an empty spot to place them. “If you bake anything else, we’ll have to open a stall at the market.” Walking over to me, he places a hand on my shoulder. “If you needany more help in the kitchen, Tía Yulia or Tía Maria can lend you a hand. I’ve neglected Ava long enough.”
Fernando leans forward and places a soft kiss near my ear. The sensation sends a wave of pleasure through my core. The three women eagerly watch us, sighing contentedly. “Do you need an escape?” he whispers so quietly, I barely hear him.
“Yes,” I say through my teeth. I’m overwhelmed. I need some quiet time to reset and recharge.
“Before it gets too dark, I’m going to give Ava a tour of the neighborhood. We’ll be back before dinner,” he announces.
Not waiting for the aunts to get another word in, I stumble to my feet. Some of my muscles cramp from sitting for so long. I ignore the pulling sensation and loop my arm through Fernando’s.
“Take your time, you two. Dinner can wait for you.” Tía Yulia winks.
“That was...” I search for the right word. “Intense. I know you warned me your aunts would be intrusive with their questions, but I didn’t expect it to be like that. My brain’s turned to mush.”
Fernando and I are walking side by side down one of the narrow side streets a few blocks away from the B&B. The buildings are a similar sand color, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d think we were back where we started.
“I’m sorry you were stuck alone with them for so long. I tried to escape the kitchen, but Mamá had other ideas. I came as soon as I could.”
“You don’t have to explain. It’s the same way with my parents. Just please tell me you’ll be around for round two.”
“I will,” he confirms. “Dinner has already been made, and as far as I’m aware, there’s nothing else left to cook.”
“That’s a relief.” I exhale.
Fernando rubs the back of his neck. “If you’re too tired, I could make excuses that you’ve had too much excitement for today and need to rest.”
“Nope, we aren’t pulling the ‘get out of jail free’ card yet.” I don’t want to leave him to the sharks. Acting as the protective metal cage is the whole reason I’m here. “I’m curious. If you hadn’t brought me, what would your aunts have done when you arrived?”
“Set me up on another blind date.”
“On day one?”
“Uh-huh.” He strokes his jaw. “The tías don’t waste time.”
“Have you told them how you feel about dating and their meddling?”
He nods. “Yeah, right after the breakup with Isabel.”
I frown. “And they didn’t respect your wishes?”
