For the first time in weeks, I arrived on time. I texted Shauna to meet before class. I was back to floating on campus.
Shauna, with her usual bright colors and sunny disposition, studied my dreamy face and hugged me tight.
“I was so worried about you! My God, girl, what went down with you?”
“Oh, the usual, ransom notes, bikers and rival gangs coming together to fight scumbags,” I said flippantly.
Shauna doubled over in laughter, putting her hands on her knees. Her eyes leaked with hysterical tears as she tried to take in what I’d said. I just stood there with a wry smirk on my face.
She watched my face. “Holy shit, you’re not kidding!” She grabbed my jacket as we ordered our coffees and walked to class. “Oh my God, tell me everything...”
Harmony in my world had been restored. Turns out the bad boy was for me. I just needed the right one. A Spanish papi with a heart of gold. One thing is for sure; Diego and I were destined for a wild ride, and I would be right by his side.
EPILOGUE
Two years on in Merced, California, and things looked a lot different. First off. I graduated from seven long years of college, achieving my dream of becoming a doctor. I’d wanted to be a cardiologist, or so I thought, but I was content for now to start my residency. That was enough. Besides, I had new dreams with my husband-to-be. I remember the day I graduated. I threw my royal navy blue cap high up in the air.
“I’m so proud of you. You’re about to be out here saving lives and making the world a better place,” Diego whispered in my ear as I stepped down from the makeshift podium. I scanned the oval as I looked around at my loved ones and all the others that were graduating with me. My brother, my cousins, my mother, my father, my classmates. All of these people had invested in my future.
Shauna and I danced on the lawn like goofballs. “We made it! We made it! We're gonna be doctors.” I hugged her tight. Without her, I might not have made it through. Shauna ended up working at the University of California Medical Center in San Francisco. We spoke most days, comparing case notes and seeing one another at conferences. She ended up dating one of the doctors from her hospital and was now happily in a relationship. The apartment ended up being too small for me and Diego. We moved to a bigger place. A house in the Merced ‘burbs with a garden as we settled into a nice rhythm of coupled-up life.
One day, eighteen months into our relationship, I came home dog tired from rounds in the emergency room at the local Merced hospital. Diego was catering to me as always, and I had my feet up on the couch.
“You’ve had a long day, mamacita.”
I looked at him wearily. “Yes I have.”
He kneaded the knots of my feet with his hands. Felt good. I had my eyes closed, enjoying the moment with a glass of wine on the table. “Would you consider spending all of your long days with me like this?”
I opened one eye and looked at him. “Of course, why wouldn’t I?”
He grinned. My hours had been so long at the hospital in addition to the rise of Diego’s chapter, it felt like we were drifting.
“We’ve both been so busy, but I want to say to you, I want to spend forever and a day with you. I want to make a lifetime of memories. I want to fight and make up with you and ride through everything together. I want to be old and gray and live to tell the tales of our extraordinary things we’ve done together. Misty Narvaez, will you marry me?” My eyes flew open as right there on the couch on an ordinary Wednesday night as my Spanish lover, best friend and badass biker proposed to me. I leaped up and into his arms.
“No question. I love you, papi. Let’s get married.”
“Wait. I have something for you.” Tucked in his low-slung jeans was a beautiful white diamond with a cluster of smaller diamonds around it.
I kissed him a thousand times.” When did you? How did you?” Shock was all my face could show.
“When you were at work, of course.” He slid the rock onto my finger, completing our union of love.
Life between us just got better after that. It became known in Merced, especially in the biker community, that we were the bridge between the divide of rival gangs. In fact, Outlaw Souls and Las Balas became known for their charity and community service partnership for wayward youth. Both of them donated to Doctors Without Borders and even made the national paper for their unified front. I would never forget the day.
“Baby, I’m so proud of you. Thirty men in your chapter and the business is taking off. The sky’s the limit for you,” I gushed, looking deep into his eyes.
“I learned that from you. You make me a better man. I couldn’t stand beside someone like you and be a bum. You wouldn’t have it.”
I giggled. “You’re right, I wouldn’t! You did good, baby. Real good.”
Ryder accepted us. Palo accepted Diego and the respect level between them was high.
“Take care of my sister and we’ll always be good. You have my respect since Jimmy and Blaze.” I smiled as I remembered the day when Palo let his guard down. Meant a lot to me.
“I will. She’s my heart, you’ll never need to worry. Between the both of us, we’ll make sure she’s good.” The Spanish way of two men standing on either side of me.
So here we were, two years in, planning a wedding, sitting on our back porch.
