We reach the door and take a moment to gather our courage. “Are you ready?” I ask.
She nods, and I’m about to push the doorbell when she stops me. “Wait, before we go in, I have something I need to confess.”
Now?! Seconds before seeing her parents? “What?”
“The bag of potato chips didn’t disappear from your cupboard. I ate it and then got rid of the evidence.”
I laugh in disbelief. “You cunning little raccoon… I thought I was going cra—”
The door opens wide, and behind it, Andrea’s mom is eagerly smiling at us, wearing a Mrs. Claus apron. “Will you two stay out here the whole night?!” she excitedly asks.
Shit, I don’t think I’m ready for this. Not according to the ball of stress sitting in my guts.
“Hi, Mom,” Andrea answers with a grin.
“Hi, pollito! Come in! Come in!”
Moving to the side, she lets us in and hugs Andrea tightly. I’ve just put the bags down when she moves on to me, giving me a similarly intense embrace. Andrea warned me that her mom could be handsy like this, but I think I now understand why touch is such an important love language for her. Unused to such displays of affection, especially from a perfect stranger, I hesitate on what to do and decide to wrap an arm around her and pat her back. She smells like gingerbread, which is oddly comforting.
“I’m so happy you guys could make it,” she says, still holding me tightly. “Welcome, Alexander.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Walker. We’re happy to be here, too.”
“I’m Isabella to you,mijo.”
“Alright, you can release him now,” Andrea intervenes.
Her mom complies and closes the door before helping us remove our scarves and coats.
“I hope the drive was fine,” she says.
“Yeah, all good. Lex’s car is super nice.”
“Any car is nicer than yours, Deedee. When are you getting a new one?”
This is definitely a sentiment I share, so I say, “I’ve been telling her she needs to get rid of that rolling coffin.”
“Rolling coffin sounds about right. Listen to him,puerquita.”
“Okay, we’re so not doing that,” Andrea protests. “You made me,” she tells her mom before turning to me, “and you love me, so you two have no business ganging up on me like that. Especially not onChristmas.”
Her mom rolls her eyes, something I often see with Andrea. “Come on, everyone is having a drink in the living room.”
We leave our things in the entryway and follow her. My hand finds Andrea’s, and I entwine our fingers together, needing some of her unwavering strength.
“Here they are!” Isabella announces. Of the four people there, I only recognize Andrea’s friend, Katherine Knox—whom I met while acquiring her app. But I easily identify Andrea’s brother next to her, as well as her father and abuela.
“Hi, everyone!” she greets them. “This is Alexander. Lex, this is Michael, my dad. Maria Carmen, my abuela. You’ve already met Kate. And that’s Rafael, my brother. Oh, and my mom, Isabella, who didn’t let me do this before jumping you.”
“It’s a pleasure meeting all of you,” I say, signing the words for Rafael. “Thank you for having me on such short notice.”
“Don’t be silly. It’s our pleasure,” Isabella insists.
Everyone stands to welcome us, and Andrea gets hugs while I get friendly handshakes. Even though I’m taller and broader than her father, it isn’t lost on me that he tries to assert some authority as he salutes me. I also notice the looks her abuela gives her, finally getting the confirmation that I am, in fact, real.
When we all sit, I find myself away from Andrea, on the small couch with her father while she’s on the big one with Katherine and her mom.Fuck.
“So, Alexander, I’m told you’re a brilliant programmer,” her father says, more inquisitive than assertive.
