“Perfect. I’ll text you the address. I’m here now, so whenever you’re ready,” he said before hanging up.
Mallory stared at her phone, the reality of the situation hitting her like a bucket of cold water. She didn’t do family. She certainly didn’t do family dinners. Eyes closed, she thought back to the things both her therapist and Dan had told her. She had to work through her past on her own schedule, but she shouldn’t let it determine her present.
She took a deep breath and recited a couple of her favorite affirmations. “I inhale peace and exhale worry.” Deep breath. “I am safe and in control.” Another deep breath.
She repeated the sequence a few more times and was in a much better state of mind when she finally got out of her car and went inside. She could do it. Christian’s family was not her family. Christian was not her abusive ex. If she wanted to leave the situation, she had no doubt Christian would let her.
Mallory double checked the address before parking the car and stepping out. The weather was that weird in between stage where one minute it felt warm, then it was cold the very next. She had decided on some loose-fitting black linen pants, a white fitted tee, and her favorite long black cardigan. The outfit would fit in for a casual dinner or a fancy one. It was really important to her that she make a good first impression. She told herself to relax before making her way up the walkway and to the front stoop.
The door opened before she even had a chance to knock. Christian grinned as he stepped outside to join her, closing the door behind himself. Dressed in a plain black tee and faded blue jeans, he looked sexier than ever. She’d seen him partially in uniform, in gym clothes, dressed up, and now casual. The dressed down casual look was her new favorite.
“Hey,” he said as he pulled her into a quick embrace. “I’m so glad you came. You look amazing.”
“Thank you … are you sure this isn’t weird? We barely even know each other and here I am meeting your mother.”
“It’s fine. Don’t overthink this. My mom would feed the entire neighborhood if they let her,” he reassured her.
He pulled her into another embrace. This time he didn’t let go until she began to relax in his hold. The strong hug was exactly what she needed. She smiled up at him when he stepped back to look at her.
“Okay. Let’s do this,” Mallory said before grabbing hold of his elbow.
When they walked through the door, she was immediately greeted by the mouthwatering aroma of garlic, onions, and—she didn’t recognize all of the scents that hit her, but her mouth really was watering.
“Come in! Come in!” An old woman stepped into the doorway of the kitchen and waved them inside. Her silver hair was pulled into a bun, and she was slightly hunched over in her simple green dress. “I hope you’re hungry.”
As they made their way to the kitchen, Mallory was shocked when the woman pulled her into a hug. “Hermosa,” the woman breathed as she looked Mallory up and down. “I’m so glad you could join us. Christian said he had dinner plans with you, and I insisted you join us. I’ve had thepernilcooking since early this morning. There’s rice and peas, green beans,platanos …I can’t eat all this food.”
“Mom, this is Mallory. Mallory, this is my mom, Gloria Ramirez,” Christian introduced.
Mallory immediately felt at ease. Christian’s mother was older than she anticipated, but she was a dream. Her warmth was genuine. “It’s so nice to meet you, Mrs. Ramirez. I’m glad Christian talked me into it.”
“Mom, do you need any help with anything?” he asked as he pulled Mallory to his side.
“Don’t pretend to be helpful now. You’ve been here for two hours but suddenly you’re interested in helping me in the kitchen?”
Mallory looked up at Christian and started laughing at the incredulous expression on his face. “Really, Mom?”
Mrs. Ramirez started laughing and shooed them away from the kitchen. “The food will be ready in fifteen minutes. Why don’t you two relax in the living room, and I’ll call you when it’s time to eat.”
Christian took Mallory’s hand and led her to the living room. The house was small. A large couch, a recliner, and television took up the entire space of the room. He took her to the couch where they both sat down.
“Thanks for coming. You definitely made my mom’s day,” Christian said has he entwined his fingers with hers.
The electric charge didn’t go away just because they were in his mother’s house. She did what she could to ignore it and suppress the shiver his touch caused. She turned her attention to the tattoo on his forearm. She’d been curious since she met him. Carefully, she ran the fingers of her free hand over it, ignoring his sharp intake of breath.
“What’s this say?” she finally asked.
He looked over at her and she could see conflict cross his features. He let go of her other hand and covered the one gently tracing his tattoo. “It loses something in translation.”
She watched his reaction. His usual confidence had begun to slip as soon as she asked him the question. Surely, she couldn’t be the first person to ask about his tattoo. He looked down at his arm before looking back up and maintaining eye contact.
“Roughly translated, it says ‘a lily never pretends, its beauty is that it is what it is.’”
Unexpectedly, her eyes brimmed with tears. She didn’t know the significance of the quote, but she could feel how important it was to him. She wouldn’t ask. He’d tell her when he was ready.
“That’s beautiful,” she murmured as she continued to look at the writing.
Christian placed a hand on her cheek and used his thumb to trace the path her unshed tears would have traveled. She felt his touch everywhere, causing her breath to hitch, despite her efforts to maintain control. When she looked up at him through her lashes, she found him watching her intently.
