“Mija!My goodness!” she shouted, rushing me to yank me into her arms. Thankfully, Darren had fast reflexes and grabbed the pie from my hands before her body crashed into mine.
She was a plump, Mexican woman with graying hair, the scent of flowers ever present on her clothes, and who barely reached my chest in height. She had the biggest heart of any woman I’d ever known and treated every person she met like they were her family.
“Mama Torres,” I laughed, squeezing her back with equal affection, relishing in the familiarity of her embrace.
She pulled away and framed my face with her hands, smiling up at me with so much love and warmth it made my heart skip a beat. It’d been too long since I felt that motherly love she exuded.
“You’ve grown even more beautiful than I imagined. Your papa would be so proud of you and all your accomplishments, baby,” she told me sincerely.
“I sure hope so,” I responded blissfully, hopeful that the sentiment was true.
She surveyed me and clicked her tongue. “Ay,mija, you need to eat something. You’re getting too skinny. Has my son not been feeding you?” She leveled him with a serious look.
“Ma, I swear I feed her. Sophia is perfect just as she is.”
“Cállate, Chico,I know she’s perfect. Go fix her a plate anyway,” she ordered him, swatting his arm.
“Ah! Ma, come on!” he complained, rushing away before she could get at him again, making me and the others laugh.
When Mama Torres turned back my way, she winked and gave me a little smirk. “I’ll let everyone else have a turn saying hello to you, baby girl. But find me later and we’ll catch up,” she told me, patting my hand lovingly before walking away.
“Pretty sure she’d cut Porter loose and adopt you instead if she could,” Alden commented humorously.
“She would not!” I elbowed him playfully. “She just missed me is all.”
“She did, but I think I agree with Alden. Then again, you’re hard not to adore,” Darren added, whispering that last part in my ear.
Heat rushed to my cheeks as we finally made our way over to the rest of the groups gathered around the food table. Duvie gave me a welcome hug and a few other firefighters and their families greeted me. Some I knew from years back, others I’d only just met.
The smell of the food being tossed onto the grill was mouthwatering, and I found myself gravitating toward the table where Porter stood, a plate for me all ready in hand. Without hesitation, I stood on my tiptoes and pecked his cheek with a quick kiss in thanks.
With a hand at my back, he guided me to an empty picnic table that was set amongst a dozen other tables in the field next to the station. Music, kids laughter, and happily chatting voices filtered through the air as we sat and ate with Alden and Darren joining us after they’d made their own plates.
When a fun, fast paced country song picked up on the speakers a few couples broke off and began dancing around, spinning and laughing together as they did. Porter decided I needed to get in on the action and tugged me to my feet to swing me in that direction. I giggled profusely as he twirled, dipped, and spun me to the beat, moving his feet like I’d never seen him do before.
“I didn’t know you could dance,” I teased with laughter.
“Oh, sweetheart, you ain’t seen nothing yet,” Porter replied cocky, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively as he spun me again.
We danced through several more songs before I had to catch my breath, excusing myself to use the restroom. Mama Torres stopped me on the way, a knowing look on her face.
“I had a feeling my boy would realize what a catch you are,” she told me confidently.
I blushed, and cleared my throat nervously. “What makes you say that?” It’s not that I didn’t want her to find out I was dating her son, it was the fact I was also dating her son’s best friend that worried me. Would she think less of me?
“Oh,mija,that boy looks at you the way every woman wants to be looked at by a man. He’s in deep.”
“Really?” I glanced over my shoulder at the man in question to see him and the Duvall brothers all chatting and laughing together at the table. When Porter noticed me staring, he beamed, showing off those perfect white teeth. Darren and Alden glanced over as well, Darren wore a similar expression, and Alden had a look I couldn’t describe. Longing was maybe the closest word I could come up with.
“Seems he’s not the only one,” Mama Torres chuckled, snapping my attention back to her. I gave her a wide-eyed stare, not sure how to respond, which seemed to make her laugh more.
“Baby girl, you are a beautiful woman with a big heart. No one ever said people couldn’t love more than one person, and youmijahave it just as bad as those boys.”
I swallowed thickly then gave her a soft smile.
“Go on, I’ll stop putting you on the spot. Just know you’re always family to me, no matter what.” With that, she hugged me briefly, then walked away, leaving me a bit dazed.
I forced my feet to move, wanting to get to the bathroom to collect myself a bit. I didn’t think even Porter understood how perceptive his mother was, but her support meant the world to me. I knew not everyone would be so appreciative of the lifestyle I was choosing to live with these men, cause let’s face it, there’s not many Mama Torres’ and Alice’s in the world. I did however know I needed the people in our lives to accept it as wholly as I did, and Mama Torres helped give my heart that little bit of hope and relief it was wanting.
