“Keep up that talk and you can plan your own time,” she said in a high-pitched, singsong voice for Sage’s sake. “Isn’t that right, honey? Daddy can kiss Auntie Lila’s saggy old patootie!”
“Lila!”
“Did I curse? No. Sit.”
She laid out a crocheted blanket on the kitchen floor and started the coffee before setting Sage down for tummy-time. “Now, where was I? Oh, right, your romance. Okay, well, first off, plan on some food, some wine, music, all the stuff that sets the mood.”
He sat there; slack jawed. “Okay. Food and music. Got it.”
She opened a drawer and took out a notebook and a pencil. “Write it down. Food, wine, music, soft lights.”
“How am I getting the soft lights?”
“Christmas twinkle lights are perfect. No need to buy a thing or lift a finger with that one.”
He wrote it all down furiously. “Perfect. This is actually perfect,” he gasped, shocked she knew about those things.
“Yeah, I went my whole life celibate; that’s why I’m so cranky. I know nothing of romance.”
“I didn’t say that. Just you’re…so…”
“No matter how I am, Sunny Jim, doesn’t mean I’ve never known romance. When I was a young thing, just coming into my curves, and yeah, I had ‘em, I had many a suitor and they all wooed the living hell out of me.”
More cursing. Herb knew it, Sage’s first word would be a curse word and Basil would divorce Herb and take the baby far away.
“Sorry. I’m just nervous. And…I think it’s me that’s forgotten everything romantic.”
“Happens when you have a kid. You put every lovin’ thought into them and forget each other. Happens to all of us. But it’s folks like you that realize it’s missin’ that get it back on track and last a lot longer than those who keep on forgettin’.”
Herb took the time to remember their first kiss, their first shared smile. He knew he loved Basil practically from the second they met. The only reason they had Sage and had everything they did was because of that love. It was all born of it.
“There’s that puppy-dog face ya had when you were first together. All I've seen lately is the two of you crinklin’ up your foreheads. Now, get to writing.”
“Yes, ma’am. How about a nice dinner? I mean…his favorite foods are tamales and his abuela’s chocolate cake.”
“Too heavy, and no matter what, you won’t make them like his mama. And don’t you think about asking them to make them.”
She’d read his mind. Herb laughed aloud, nervously, which scared Sage and made him cry. Lila picked him up and held him while she cooed. “He’s a silly daddy, yes, he is. How is it a romantic gesture if someone else does all the sweatin’?”
Sage was smiling and drooling, his usual, so Herb granted, “Okay, it’s true. I should make something light.”
“You got a month, think on it.”
She had a brilliant point. “Okay. Okay, sure! I can do that. The gift I think I have in mind will come with dessert. If we have that. Maybe some fruit with cream. Now, music.”
“Music. Well, I know you don’t understand it much, but Basil was raised with two folks in love, and they loved the romantic tunes that are sung in Spanish. You got the internet, get on there and find some of the newer songs that mean nice things, loving things.”
“That’s great, Lila. That’s absolutely perfect. Basil’s told me stories of coming into the living room at night on his way to get a drink of water in the kitchen. He’d find his folks dancing to slow music, and yeah, it was Spanish language.”
“Brings back nice memories for him, sure. Of course, you don’t want to dwell on his folks. That won’t do you no good with the sexy parts.”
Herb’s groan made his son laugh. “Sage, baby, don’t pay any attention to the things Auntie Lila says.”
“Babababa,” came out of his mouth, along with a generous amount of drool that Lila wiped away with her napkin.
“Okay, well, twinkle lights, food, music, gift. I think I’ve got it.”
“You sure, now? I can help.”
