"Mommy, can I have a piece of candy?"
"When we get to the checkout, baby."
"This is taking forever!"
Camila ignored Luna's whining and kept shopping. She knew it was taking longer than their usual trips to the grocery store, but this wasn't an ordinary grocery run.
Luna was officially on Thanksgiving break from school and not only was Camila very excited about one of her favorite holidays, but it would be her first time celebrating it in a house where she had her own full-sized kitchen.
It was her dream to be able to host Thanksgiving for her family, to have everyone eating happily around the table and eating all the food she'd cook just like her mom used to.
Camila called her parents earlier, casually suggesting she host this year, and after some back and forth, her mom agreed to let Camila host and cook almost everything—everything but the turkey.
Camila was a little disappointed that she wouldn't be able to cook the most important part, but maybe her mom just wasn't ready to give up all parts of one of their favorite family traditions.
Even though she wasn't making turkey, she was still making plenty of other dishes, so it was going to take a full cart of groceries. Camila filled the whole cart and after over an hour of shopping, Luna was on the verge of a meltdown.
"Look, we're at the checkout!" Camila smiled, grunting slightly as she pushed the cart towards the line. "You can pick whatever candy you want!"
Luna smiled and ran to the shelf by the checkout, carefully picking one as Camila loaded all the groceries onto the belt. She then paid and loaded all the bags into the cart once more.
Camila usually only had to take two or three trips to get all the groceries inside, but as she drove home she had a feeling it was going to take much longer.
If only she had a strong man to help her.
Camila grabbed her phone at the last stop sign before her house and texted Shawn, using plenty of pouting emojis.
'I'm bringing home a lot of groceries. Do you think you can help me unload the car?'
She smiled when she pulled into the driveway and saw Shawn waiting for her.
"Wow, this is a lot of stuff." Shawn said when she opened the trunk.
"It's for Thanksgiving dinner."
"Oh, yeah." He chuckled. "Almost forgot about that."
Camila rolled her eyes at his joke, knowing there was no way he forgot when he'd spent the last week before the break helping the kids make Thanksgiving-themed crafts at school. Camila had Luna's handprint turkey stuck to their fridge right now.
Shawn helped her carry in all the bags. Camila handed Luna a few light bags so she could help too. Luna then gasped and laughed as Shawn picked her up and carried her under his arm like she was groceries too.
Camila had asked Shawn privately if there were any kids at school bullying Luna or even the other little boy over what happened, but he assured her that they weren't, and if they were, he'd make sure to put a stop to it.
"Kids have short attention spans." Shawn assured her. "They forgot all about it."
Camila was pretty sure that wasn't entirely true, but as long as Luna didn't seem sad, Camila wasn't going to press the issue. She was just glad her daughter was so resilient.
They finished carrying all the bags inside. Camila had her arms full, walking through the living room towards the kitchen when she noticed Seth watching them from the open door to Shawn's.
She smiled at him before following Shawn into the kitchen and setting the last of the bags down. There were already so many on the counter that she just put hers on the floor and then got to work putting them away. Shawn insisted on staying and helping with that.
Seth stepped further inside, watching them put the groceries away. Luna was too short to do anything but take things out of the bags and hand them to the adults.
"Look what I got!" Seth was holding out a new toy for them to see. "My grandma and grandpa sent it to me!"
Camila looked to see him holding a plastic motorcycle. Luna stopped helping with groceries and went to have a closer look.
"Wow, that's so cool." Camila smiled.
"My parents think they're being funny, sending him that." Shawn said. "From the time I was like, fifteen, I always talked about getting a motorcycle for my first car. My mom always said I was never allowed to have one, and I never got why until now—now, he says he wants one and I totally get the parental fear."
Seth put the motorcycle on the tile floor and showed Luna how he could pull it back and let it go. It drove straight ahead before crashing into the fridge and falling over.
"Cool!" Luna gasped.
Seth let Luna try and Camila felt the motorcycle crash into her ankle as she tried to finish putting groceries away.
"Okay, enough—guys, go play somewhere else."
Seth picked up his toy and Luna followed him out. They could hear them giggling as they ran upstairs.
"How do they always have so much energy?" Camila sighed. "I'm exhausted just from shopping."
"At least you got some good stuff." Shawn said, looking through the produce. "Hardly anything canned."
"That's because a proper Thanksgiving dinner doesn't have anything from a can." She gently scolded him. "It uses fresh ingredients, and trust me, my mother can taste the difference. I really want to make her proud of me, so I have to do a really good job, since she's still doing the bird."
"I didn't realize Thanksgiving was so important to you. Canadian Thanksgiving is back in October, so I don't pay much attention to the American one, other than the three-day break from school."
"Me and my family were immigrants." Camila said. "We came here from Cuba when I was little, so Thanksgiving was sort of our way of celebrating being American. My mom would make all kinds of classic dishes, but like, with a Latin twist. They were all so unique and delicious, and we always felt so thankful for my mom for sacrificing so much and still managing to make such a good dinner. I just want to be able to make that too."
She hadn't even realized she was rambling until it was silent. She glanced up to see him staring at her, that soft look in his eyes that both pulled her in and made her glance away, blushing.
"Well, I think you can do it." He smiled. "You can make something even better than a turkey."
"I hope so." She said, smiling shyly as she opened the freezer and took out the secret ingredient. "I wanna make my own main course, so I got a really good deal from the vendor at the restaurant for these shrimp. I was thinking a sort of Cuban-inspired pizza, with these."
"Very unique." He said. "I love shrimp, I bet it'll be awesome."
"Well, you can try it yourself. You're coming to my Thanksgiving dinner."
"Oh—" He turned slightly pink. "I don't wanna get in the way of your family time—"
"You won't! Please, my dream Thanksgiving means hosting for as many people as possible, and I really like spending time with you." She smiled. "You said you and Seth aren't doing anything, so the thought of you sitting next door while I have all this food is depressing. You guys have to come."
"Okay, sure." He smiled. "But, I wanna help cook, then. I'm no freeloader."
"I'm waking up at four-thirty in the morning to start." She warned him, watching his smile drop.
"Maybe I'll just bring some store-bought pie or something."
Camila did a small bit of prep before bed but then woke up at four-thirty, just like she said she would. She jumped out of bed, wondering how the hell her mom did that every year, and went downstairs.
She planned on maybe just starting a few things cooking and then taking a shower, meaning she only went to the kitchen in a bathrobe over her pajamas. She'd just turned on the lights and started taking some things out of the fridge when her phone lit up with a text.
'midnight snacking?'
Camila pictured him setting his own alarm, waiting to see if she'd really keep her word. She smirked, wiping her hands on her robe and typed back.
'yep. wanna come over and see?'
A moment later, there was a soft knock at the door.
Camila didn't feel shy about just being in shorts and an old t-shirt under her robe. She knew he'd be in pajamas too. She smiled when he stood at the doorway, his own t-shirt and plaid sweatpants on and his hair messy from sleep.
"Good morning." She giggled.
"Can I see what you're making?"
"I thought you didn't wanna get up this early?" She teased.
"Thanksgiving only comes once a year." He shrugged.
Camila told Shawn all about her plans for each dish and had him help with some of the easier prep.
She really did enjoy spending time with him. He always made her laugh, even now, when she was holding back both yawns and anxiety.
He played some music on his phone while they cooked. It helped get them energized and move in sync. She laughed when he was chopping vegetables on beat. He then put the knife down and grabbed her hand.
There were little things about having someone that she thought she'd never have again, and dancing in the kitchen was just one of those things she'd made her peace with not having.
But here she was again, feeling his hand so warm in hers, pulling her close against his strong frame. She felt her pulse skyrocket, waking her up completely as she landed softly against his body.
She looked up at him, feeling suddenly shy. His other hand went to her face, softly brushing her hair out of eyes and forcing her to look into his.
He smiled, instantly melting away any shyness.
It'd been over half a decade since her last experience with romance, and every guilty-pleasure movie and novel since then tended to have the same type of guy—brooding, stern, dark and tortured, but worth it when the heroine pulled him out of his shell.
Even Matthew was sort of that way—well, the brooding and stern part.
But Shawn wasn't like those love interests in media. He wasn't without sad parts in his past, but he didn't put up impossible walls for her to break down.
From the beginning, he was kind and sweet and funny. He was genuine and honest about how he felt, willing to tell her rather than making her work for it.
That was why she liked him, why she felt her like for him growing and growing every minute they spent together. She didn't even think she could fall so hard and so fast, and it was almost scary.
But his smile, his care for her and Luna made that fear so small.
From when they went out to sushi and he let her sit on the same side of the booth as him and lay her head on his shoulder, to now, actually dancing with her in the kitchen.
It made her feel so lucky to have found him.
Their eye contact broke for a second as he twirled her around. She laughed softly, feeling her own tangled hair and bathrobe fan out slightly behind her. His other hand grabbed hers and she was pulled close against him again, his bare feet perfectly in step with hers as they danced back and forth.
"How are you good at this?" She asked, still looking up at him.
"I'm not." He chuckled. "I'm just improvising."
They danced until the song ended, the silence afterwards had Shawn leaning down towards her. Camila closed her eyes, standing on her tiptoes and kissing him back.
Usually, they didn't get to kiss like this without interruption from the kids, but they wouldn't be awake for hours.
She loved the way he smelled. She didn't know if it was his aftershave or what, but he smelled so good. He tasted good too, his lips so soft and warm against hers. It made every time she kissed Matt feel like nothing.
His arms were around her back, feeling so strong even through her robe. Her hands were around his neck, touching his skin and she took the chance to touch his hair as well, her fingers sliding into his curls.
Everything in the world seemed to fade away except for the feeling of his hands on her, his scent, his lips. She really didn't think she'd ever have this again, and she never wanted to let go.
She only pulled back when her phone timer went off.
She quickly grabbed her phone off the counter and turned off the alarm before it could wake Luna up. Her heart was still racing and she still felt so warm. She shyly looked back at him, seeing his face red too.
"Um—that means I have to check the food."
"Oh." He cleared his throat. "Um, okay. I can help you."
Camila finished prepping almost everything and put a few things to cook in the slowcooker for the next few hours. Shawn was a big help, even if he kept purposely brushing his hands over hers.
She made a big pot of coffee and they had a break afterwards, drinking some to help them wake up, as if their makeout session hadn't already done that.
"My parents won't be here for a few hours." Camila said. "I'm gonna lay back down until it's time to make the pizza."
"I should head back over before Seth wakes up." Shawn said. "Also, I should get to the grocery store and get some pies."
"You don't have to—"
"Of course, I do. I can't show up empty handed. I need to make a really good impression on your parents."
"You've met my mom before."
"Yeah, but that was as Luna's teacher. It's different, I'm your boyfriend now." He held her hand, smiling at her softly.
"Well, you're going to be here today, so you're already doing way better in their eyes than the last guy."
Just mentioning him but a slight heaviness in the air. Camila regretted it, but Shawn squeezed her hand, stepping closer.
"Have you heard from him lately?" He asked quietly.
"No, not since Halloween, and that was almost a month ago." Camila sighed. "I try to call him when Luna asks, but only when she asks. That makes me feel bad—like, I know deep down, I'm truly hoping she'll forget about him—"
"If she does, it's his fault." Shawn said firmly, squeezing her hand again. "That's the consequence of putting no effort into having a relationship with her. If she forgets him, it's because she doesn't need him. She already has a great mom who gives her everything she needs."
Camila smiled, standing up to kiss his cheek again. She knew Luna still missed her dad, but all Camila could do now was try and make her happy even though it was just the two of them.
In the end, she couldn't make Matt call and she couldn't make him answer when she did. He was the one missing out on Luna.
Shawn gave Camila one last kiss on the forehead before going back to his place. Camila went back upstairs and laid down, but found herself too wound up now. She scrolled on her phone, looking back at pictures and videos of Luna for a little while.
She got Luna up and dressed around eight, an hour before her parents were to arrive. Luna sat on the bed as Camila looked through her closet.
"Do you wanna wear your favorite pink dress?"
"My pink dress is too tight when it's zipped up." Luna sighed. "I can't move my arms in it."
"Really?" Camila asked, taking the dress out of the closet and looking at the tag. "I guess you are getting a lot bigger. We should take you shopping for new dresses soon."
"I have a loose tooth again." Luna said.
"Please don't pull it out at dinner." Camila said firmly, grabbing a different dress from the closet. "The last thing we need is blood and gore at my first time hosting dinner."
"Okay." She giggled.
She got dressed in a yellow-patterned sunflower dress instead, but whined that her white sandals were too small now.
Camila let her put different shoes on and braided her hair before going to put her own clothes on. She wore the same dress she wore on her first date with Shawn, noting that maybe she needed to go shopping for new ones too.
She curled her hair in the mirror and did her makeup just as there was a knock downstairs. Camila ran downstairs and answered it.
She smiled, seeing Shawn dressed in a blue button-down shirt and black slacks. He was carrying a pumpkin pie and smiling at her. Seth trailed behind, wearing a pink polo shirt and jeans that seemed too long, rolled up with thick cuffs. Camila realized they were probably the only jeans he had that weren't grass-stained or ripped.
"Aww, don't you guys look so handsome!" She smiled. "You can put the pie in the kitchen."
"I want some now." Seth said, following inside without looking up from the toy motorcycle he was carrying.
"Come on kid, you know no pie until after dinner." Shawn ruffled Seth's carefully-combed curls.
Camila went into the kitchen, helping move stuff around the fridge so Shawn could put the pie in.
She then finished some of the dishes, prepping the pizza to go in the oven. Seth put his motorcycle on the tile floor and let it go forward, almost crashing into Camila's foot again.
"Hey—go play with that somewhere else."
"But I need to do it on the hard floor or it won't go." Seth said.
"He'll be careful." Camila said, looking up from cooking. "Won't you, Seth?"
He nodded happily before going back to playing with his motorcycle. She knew kids changed their favorite toys a lot, and this one was new compared to Spider-Man, which he'd had for a few weeks now.
She told herself not to be jealous, when Seth reached into his jeans pocket and took out his Spider-Man action figure. He then carefully put it on the motorcycle and pulled it back, letting it drive full speed across the kitchen floor.
Spider-Man managed to stay on until the motorcycle crashed into the leg of the table. Spider-Man flew off in a front flip before landing on the floor.
"Woah! Did you see that?" Seth looked at them.
"That was so cool, buddy." Camila smiled.
"Seth, please go play somewhere else. We're about to set the table."
Seth pouted, picking his toys up just as Luna came into the kitchen with her Barbie car and two dolls in the seats.
"Kids—don't bring those in here." Shawn warned. "We're cooking. Go play in the living room."
"I have a loose tooth." Luna told Seth.
"Me too!" Seth gasped before opening his mouth and trying to point to it with his tongue. "This one—"
They both giggled before running into the living room. Camila smiled, hearing them laughing and attempting to drive their toy cars over the carpet.
"What?" Camila asked, glancing up to see Shawn looking at her.
"Nothing, it's just cute."
"What's cute?"
"The way you're so swayed by him, you let him get away with everything."
"I do not!" Camila said, blushing. "I can be hard on him, it's just that I never need to. He's well-behaved. He wasn't trying to bother us, and it's nice to see he still plays with the Spider-Man. I was a little worried he was bored with it."
"He's definitely not bored with it!" Shawn laughed. "He literally takes it in the bath every night, that toy is cleaner than he is! But I love that you're always so nice to him."
"Like you don't have a soft spot for Luna?" Camila smirked back at him. "Always giving her gold stars at school—"
"Hey, she earns those stars! She's very smart."
"She is, isn't she?" Camila sighed. "We have pretty good kids."
"The best ones." He nodded.
Shawn helped set the table as Camila took the pizza out of the oven. The stovetop and counter was now covered in various dishes, vegetables, sides, and sauces. Camila thought it looked wonderful and complete, even without turkey.
There was a knock on the door again and Camila quickly made sure she looked composed before answering it. She smiled, trying not to look sweaty or tired as she greeted her parents and sister.
"Hi!"
"Hey! Happy Thanksgiving."
She hugged them all, feeling her dad kiss her on the forehead and laughing. Luna left her Barbie car on the floor and immediately ran to hug her grandparents. Camila's father picked Luna up and she laughed.
"Oh my! You're so big now!"
Shawn stepped out of the kitchen and Camila went to hold his hand. She turned towards her parents with a smile, feeling Shawn squeeze her hand back.
"Guys, this is Shawn—my boyfriend."
Camila wasn't sure why she expected, but her mother just smiled at them.
"It's very nice to see you again, Shawn." Sinu said.
"Nice to see you, too." Shawn replied. Camila was watching her father, the slight look of suspicion in his eyes.
"I hear you're also Luna's teacher?" Alejandro asked him.
"Yes Sir, I am." Shawn nodded.
"Well, is Luna a good student?"
"She's one of the best." Shawn smiled. "Me and Camila were just talking about that."
Luna giggled proudly before tugging at her grandpa's hand.
"Abuelito, I have a loose tooth!" She said, proudly jumping up on her tiptoes.
"Oh, me too!" Seth said.
Camila's parents smiled, looking down at him.
"This is definitely your son, then?"
"You can tell with that curly hair!"
Seth's cheeks went pink as he looked away, covering his face with his hands.
"Hey, since when are you shy?" Shawn laughed. "I thought you loved to be the center of attention, especially at school!"
"Ale, help me bring the turkey in." Sinu said.
"Oh, I can help you." Shawn said.
"Are you sure?" Camila asked. "It's probably like twenty-five pounds."
"I can handle that, no problem."
He flashed her that confident smile that had her smiling back, her face warm as Shawn followed her mother outside to their car.
Sofia grabbed the tv remote and tried to find something to watch, scrolling past kids' shows as Luna complained she wanted to watch those.
Camila's father followed her into the kitchen and Camila held back a proud smile at her setup of so much food as she moved some things around to make room for the turkey.
"All of this looks so good, Mija." He said.
"I feel like a real host." She smiled, opening the cabinet to get the plates. "Just like Mami."
"Camila, I have to ask you—he is good to you, isn't he?"
Camila looked at him, knowing in her heart why he was asking. Of course he still worried about her and Luna. She knew if her dad could have it his way, maybe he'd have some very choice words for Matt, but he'd always held that in for her sake.
She didn't want him to have to worry anymore.
"Yes, Papi." She turned towards him completely, giving him her most honest smile. "He is. He's so kind to me and Luna, and it's so sweet to see the kids play together and it's just—nice. It's so nice to be with someone who's nice. He makes me happy."
"I'm very glad." He smiled, pulling her in for a hug.
Her father kissed her head as Seth came into the kitchen with his toys again. Luna watched as Seth began making the motorcycle drive across the tile floor.
"Wow, that's a very nice bike." Alejandro crouched down to watch them play.
"My grandma and grandpa gave it to me." Seth said. "And Miss Camila gave me Spider-Man. Watch this—"
He put Spider-Man back on the bike and let it go. It rode across the floor just as Shawn came in carrying the turkey.
"Watch out—" Camila gasped. The motorcycle went towards Shawn's foot but he stepped out of the way, letting it crash into the counter.
"Seth, didn't I tell you not to play with that in here?"
Seth picked up the toys and then waited until Shawn's back was turned before sticking his tongue out at him. Alejandro smiled as Luna and Seth giggled before running into the living room.
Shawn set the turkey down and Camila sent everyone into the living room while she finished the last of dinner, sliding a pan of rolls into the oven as Shawn raided the fridge for drinks for everyone.
"Oh, I bought these." Camila whispered, taking four wine glasses from the cabinet. "I didn't have any either, but they don't need to know that. I wanna look like a good host."
"You're being a great host, baby." Shawn kissed her forehead.
Camila was still smiling over Shawn calling her a pet name as her mother came in to help. They finished making sure every dish was ready. Camila took the rolls out and cut the pizza.
"Pizza? And is that shrimp?"
"Well, there was leftover shrimp at the restaurant and I didn't want it to go to waste." Camila stared down at the food nervously.
"You wanted to compete with my turkey?"
"No! I—"
"I'm just playing with you, Mija!" Sinu laughed. "You don't have to be so serious."
Camila thought that was easy for her mother to say. She was worried deep down that even though she made so much food, cleaned her house, and was going to be the best host—at the end of the night, everyone would be praising her mother's turkey.
Camila really hoped she could count on Shawn to at least praise the pizza.
She finished setting the table, pausing as she realized she maybe couldn't fit everyone like she thought.
"Maybe we should get another table for the kids?" Sinu asked.
"I'd rather die than tell my fifteen-year-old sister that she has to sit with the five and six year old."
Still, she asked for help and Shawn brought over a foldout card table. They put it up against the dining table. It was only slightly lower than the dining table, but when Camila rearranged the place settings and pulled the table cloth over both, it looked fine.
"Okay, dinner is ready!"
One of Camila's rules of hosting that she learned from her mom was to make the kids' plates first, which got them out from underfoot and kept them from whining about being hungry.
Camila offered to make Seth's, hoping she could get him to eat more vegetables. Sinu made Luna's, putting some of everything on. Sofia was able to make her own, doing the same.
"Seth, do you like macaroni and cheese?" Camila asked.
"Yes!" He said excitedly and she smiled, putting some on his plate.
"What about sweet potatoes?"
"Yes!"
Camila put that on. She skipped over asking about green beans, knowing his answer. Still, she put a few on anyway as well as corn, cranberries, stuffing, and a piece of turkey.
"And do you like pizza?"
"I love pizza!"
Camila smiled and put a small piece of her Cuban shrimp pizza on his plate. She took his plate to the table and set it down, going to get him a juice box. She came back to find him picking at the pizza, a skeptical look on his face.
"You'll like it." She said, hoping he wouldn't be weirded out by all the peppers and spices. "It has shrimp on it."
"I don't like that, I've never ate it."
"I think you'll like it." She smiled. "It's basically the same thing as chicken."
She heard Shawn laughing softly and she glared at him over her shoulder. She just really wanted Seth to like the food she made, even if she had to lie a little bit to get him to try it.
Seth curiously pulled a shrimp off of his pizza. Camila was worried he was going to throw it away but it ate it, chewing softly with an unsure look on his face. Camila smiled in satisfaction.
She put the straw in his juice and then went to make her own plate. Sinu finished Luna's plate, and after all the adults swarmed the counter, they all sat down to eat together.
"This is really good, Camila." Sofia said, trying the sweet potatoes.
"I think we should toast." Shawn said, grabbing his glass. "To Camila for making almost everything."
"Shawn—" She blushed
"Seriously, you woke up at like four-thirty in the morning to make all this."
"So did I." Sinu said. "To start the turkey. I agree, it is a lot of hard work. We should toast to that."
Everyone raised their glasses and Camila wondered if her mother meant to sort of steal her spotlight like that, but she let it go, raising her own glass and chuckling when Shawn clinked his glass against hers.
Camila's parents asked Shawn a little bit more about himself and Camila basked in the nice conversation, feeling like a proper host.
"Well, right now I'm just a teacher's aide, but it's a lot of work." Shawn said. "Mrs. Bailey is kind of older, so it's up to me to be able to wrangle all the kids at recess."
"Mr. Shawn always chases us around." Luna said. "He's faster than all the kids."
"I also help them with their work and stuff in the classroom." He chuckled.
"Oh, Camila gives us some of Luna's drawings to keep." Sinu said. "We have the one she drew of you and Camila at the restaurant."
"Oh yeah, that was when we were teaching them about careers and understanding what their parents do." He said. "You know, get the kids thinking about what they wanna be when they grow up."
"Do you wanna cook like your mommy when you grow up?" Sofia asked Luna, who nodded.
"Yeah! I'm gonna make tacos and enchiladas and cupcakes in my own restaurant." She nodded, taking a bite of turkey.
"What about you, kid?" Alejando asked Seth, who was taking a break from eating to play with his toy motorcycle on the table. "I bet you wanna drive a motorcycle when you grow up?"
"Yeah!"
"He does not!" Shawn said and Camila laughed. "Seth, I thought you wanted to be Spider-Man when you grew up?"
"I can't be Spider-Man, Dad." Seth said. "There's only one Spider-Man."
"No, I'm pretty sure there are like three of them." Shawn said. "I saw it in the movies."
Everyone laughed, Camila giggling when she saw Seth's little face going red as he scowled down the table at Shawn.
"Dad—you're being weird."
"I'm weird?" Shawn gasped, pretending to be offended. "Why don't you just eat your food, okay?"
Camila tried everything, having to admit that the turkey was just as good as always. Even if all the sides were good, they were nothing without turkey. She tried the pizza too, and while she liked it, she had to admit that it didn't seem to be that big of a hit with everyone else.
She tried not to dwell on that, forcing a smile as she listened to her parents tell them how thing were going at the construction company they ran as well as Sofia telling her about school.
"My grades are better, but I still think my teachers don't like me."
"They don't like that you talk in class and don't pay attention." Alejandro said firmly.
"I don't do that—"
"Daddy—I don't feel good—"
"Mommy, Seth's face is all red!"
Camila looked down towards the end of the table where the kids were, seeing Seth scratching at his arms. Even from the far end of the table, she could see what looked like a rash all over his arms.
Shawn got up from his chair and went around to couch down by Seth. Camila stood up from her chair too, watching as Shawn put his hand on Seth's face.
"What's wrong with him?" Luna asked.
"Seth?" Shawn asked, his voice nervous. "Are you okay?"
Camila's heart was pounding as everyone was getting up from their chairs and crowding around them. Seth took a deep breath, wheezing slightly.
"I think he's having an allergic reaction!" Sinu gasped.
"To what!?" Shawn seemed to be panicking now, picking Seth up and holding him, looking down at his plate. "He's had all this stuff before—"
"Shrimp." Camila's voice was trembling and she felt tears flood her eyes. "He's allergic to shrimp!"
"You're gonna be okay, buddy, take deep breaths." Shawn had tears in his eyes too and Camila's heart ached at the sound of Seth's wheezing as he struggled to breath.
"I'm calling 911!"
Camila grabbed her phone and called the emergency number. Alejandro told Shawn to take Seth outside where the fresh air might help. They went out into the front yard and Camila sobbed as she told the dispatcher what was going on.
"There's a little boy having an allergic reaction—he can't hardly breathe—please hurry!"
She gave them her address before going outside to where everyone was. The dispatcher told her to stay on the line until they saw the ambulance.
Shawn had Seth laying on the grass in the front yard and Camila knew he must be terrified, especially with everyone crowding around him panicking.
Camila gently pushed between her mom, crouching beside Shawn, watching the way he was squeezing Seth's hand, tears down his face as he kept telling Seth to take deep breaths.
Seth's eyes were wide with fear, his face and arms covered in hives. Camila tried to answer the questions the dispatcher was asking her.
"Is he still conscious?"
"Y-Yes."
"Is he breathing?"
"Barely."
"They're on the way—Ma'am, can you make sure someone is outside so they can make sure the ambulance doesn't miss you."
"We're all outside."
"Okay, they're on the way. Stay on the line with me, Ma'am."
Camila blinked away the tears in her eyes, feeling them roll down her cheeks as she pressed her shoulder against Shawn's. He was still squeezing Seth's hand, telling him it was going to be okay as tears flowed down his own face.
Camila was vaguely aware of her parents and sister, of Luna sobbing and Sinu taking her arm and gently pulling it back.
Seth was still wheezing, his breathing becoming more and more strained. His eyes were still wide with fear, the red hives on his face spreading. Camila looked away, panicking as his lips seemed to be turning blue.
"Please, hurry—"
Camila yelled into the phone just as she heard the sirens on the next street over. She heard Shawn gasp, looking up at the end of the road. Camila looked too, staring as the siren grew louder and finally, the ambulance turned on their street and came towards them.
"Hey! Over here!"
Camila got up and ran across the yard, waving her arm. The ambulance sped towards them, finally slowing down in front of the house.
The dispatcher could hear the siren and told Camila it was okay to hang up now. She hung up the phone, watching as the EMTs jumped out of the back and went to Seth.
They surrounded him on all sides, one of them asking Shawn to stand back. He seemed frozen, still holding Seth's hand. Camila gently put her hand on his shoulder, pulling him back.
The last EMT took Shawn's place right at Seth's side and Camila watched as he took something from his medical bag. The other EMTs were talking among themselves, one was shining a flashlight in Seth's face.
Seth's breathing was so shallow now, his eyes widened and his mouth opened, but he couldn't even scream as they injected something into his leg, stabbing the needle right through his jeans.
Everyone was quiet, watching Seth. Camila could only hear Luna still crying and whimpering, and the soft sound of her parents telling her it was going to be okay.
Seth suddenly gasped, finally able to breath. He kept taking deep breaths, his face still red from the hives. One of the EMTs then picked him up.
"Daddy—" Seth whispered, his voice raspy.
"It's okay, I'm still here." Shawn said, still crying.
They put Seth on a gurney and wheeled him into the back of the ambulance. One of the EMTs told Shawn that one person could ride with Seth to the hospital.
"Go, Shawn." Camila said. "I'm gonna be right behind you."
Shawn climbed into the back and took Seth's hand again, talking softly to him as they closed the doors. The siren started up again and they drove off as Camila ran inside for her car keys.
"Mommy—" Luna was still crying, grabbing onto Camila's leg. "Is Seth gonna die?"
"No, sweetie." Camila crouched down and looked her in the eyes. "He just got very sick. I'm gonna go to the hospital and check on him, okay? Stay here with everyone else."
"But Mommy—"
"It's okay, Luna." Sofia tried to smile at her. "I'm sure your mom will call you as soon as the doctors make Seth better."
"We'll watch her." Sinu said. "Go, it's okay."
Camila gave Luna one last firm kiss on the forehead before going to her car. She tried not to cry, not to let tears obscure her vision as she drove to the hospital.
She was barely holding it back as she pulled into the parking lot. She went inside and explained who she was there to see.
"He's five years old, he was brought in for an allergic reaction."
The receptionist typed on the computer for a moment before smiling.
"He's in recovery. I think you'll be able to see him."
She told Camila the room number and Camila still barely held back her tears as she took the elevator.
She stood in front of Seth's room door, wanting to go inside, yet feeling frozen. Everything she'd been feeling started to show through. She felt tears in her eyes, looking up suddenly to see Shawn standing in the doorway looking back at her.
"Camila—"
"I'm sorry—" Camila broke into full on sobs, pressing her hands to her face. "I'm sorry—it's my fault—it's my fault—"
"Hey, it's not your fault—"
"Yes, it is! I gave him the shrimp! I poisoned your baby!"
"Camila, you had no way of knowing he was allergic! I didn't even know that!" Shawn put his hands on her face, wiping her tears with his fingers and forcing her to look up into his eyes. "I know you'd never hurt him on purpose. Please, don't blame yourself. I'm the one who should have known. I feel like I failed him..."
"No—Shawn, you didn't—"
Camila wrapped her arms around him, still sniffling softly into his shoulder. He wrapped his strong arms around her and Camila could feel his body shaking too, like he wanted to cry more but was forcing himself to hold it all back.
"How is he?" She asked.
"He's doing better. They gave him epinephrine at the house, and now they've got him on some other medicine. They stopped the swelling in his throat and he can breathe."
Shawn squeezed her hand and took her inside the room. Seth looked so small in the hospital bed. They had him changed into a gown with an IV in one arm and a breathing tube looped around his ears and under his nose.
He looked like he was sleeping but he opened his eyes and sat up when they came back in.
"Hi, Seth." Camila tried to smile at him. "How do you feel?"
"Still kinda itchy." He was scratching at the faint hives still on his arms. "Daddy, can I take this thingy out of my nose?"
"Not until the doctor says so, buddy." Shawn said. "They're just making sure you have plenty of air to breathe."
There was a single chair beside the bed and Shawn grabbed a second one from under the window and pulled it closer. Camila and Shawn both sat down. Seth went from scratching his hives to picking at the tape over his IV.
"Don't mess with that, Seth." Shawn said firmly. "It's medicine, remember?"
"My arms itch." He whined, flopping back against the pillows. "I wanna go home!"
"In a little bit, Seth." Shawn took Seth's hand to keep him from scratching. "You had an allergic reaction, okay? Do you know what that is?"
"That's why I couldn't breathe? And why I had to ride in the ambulance?"
"Yes." Shawn said. "An allergic reaction is when you eat something or touch something that your body doesn't like and it makes you sick."
"What did I eat? I only had sweet potatoes and mac and cheese and I've eaten that a lot before."
Camila leaned over the bed now, placing her hand over Seth and Shawn's. Her voice was still shaking too, but she forced herself to stay strong.
"It was the shrimp." She said. "Remember, I made you try it? Well, I didn't know that you were allergic and that you would get sick. I'm really sorry, Seth. I would never have given it to you if I had known."
"Oh, yeah." He seemed to remember eating it now. "That tasted weird, I was only pretending I was gonna eat it."
"That's okay." Camila laughed softly, hearing Shawn chuckle. "You never have to eat it again, I promise."
The nurse came in to check Seth's vitals as Camila stepped out into the hall to call her parents. She asked them to let Luna know that Seth was just fine before asking them to wrap up the food for later.
"Just throw the whole pizza away, please." She told them. "And there should be some Lysol wipes under the sink. Wipe off all the tables and counters, please, and take the trash outside. I don't want any traces of shrimp."
After seeing that Seth's breathing and blood pressure was back to normal and his hives were practically gone, they were able to discharge him.
The doctor came in to ask Shawn a few last questions.
"Other than shellfish, does he have any other allergies? Dogs, cats, peanuts?"
"No—No, he's been around dogs and cats before and he eats peanut butter." Shawn said. "It's just with shellfish, he's so picky that he'd never try it before."
"Well, as long as there's no danger of him coming in contact with it again, we can send him home." The doctor wrote something on a pad. "This is for epipens. Make sure you keep one on hand at home as well as take one with you when you're out. It might also be a good idea to give one to his teacher so you can keep one in his classroom."
"I'm his teacher, and yeah, I can do that." Shawn nodded.
Shawn got the epipens from the hospital pharmacy as well as some cream in case Seth was still itchy. Seth got his IV taken out, a bandage placed over the spot in his arm, and was told he could change back into his clothes.
He put his clothes back on, Camila helping him as Shawn was still waiting in the pharmacy line.
"I wanna go home. I left my toys at your house."
"I'm sure Luna is looking after your toys." Camila said, ruffling his hair and crouching down in front of him again. "I just wanna make sure you know I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you sick."
"I know. It's okay, I'm better now."
He was so cute, giving her a little smile. Camila leaned over and kissed the top of his head, hearing him giggle as Shawn came back with the bag of medicine and took Seth's hand.
Camila drove them all home since Shawn didn't have his car. Seth looked sleepy in the backseat and Camila figured it was from everything that day, and the medicine probably didn't help. It was getting dark when they finally for home.
But he didn't go towards his own house when they pulled into the driveway. He ran towards Camila's door and they followed him inside.
"Seth!"
Luna jumped up from the couch beside Sofia and Camila's parents came out of the kitchen. They were all around him, asking if he was okay. He still seemed a little shy about the attention.
"I'm okay." He said shyly.
"We were all worried about you, little guy." Sofia patted his head. "Glad you're doing okay."
"You left these on the table." Alejandro held out Seth's motorcycle and Spider-Man.
"My toys!" He gasped, taking them and smiling happily.
Luna was still looking at Seth, her blue eyes filled with worry. Camila knew she'd been scared and crying before, but Camila had assured her over the phone that everything was okay.
"I thought you were dead!"
"I thought I was dead, too!" Seth said.
Luna then wrapped her arms around Seth and hugged him, something Camila didn't think she'd ever seen them do before. It melted her heart at how cute it was, especially that Seth wasn't shy about it, hugging Luna back.
"Aww!"
"So sweet! They love each other!"
The kids pulled back when the adults started going on about how cute they were, their faces red. Camila offered to make a turkey sandwich for them if they were still hungry, but they said they just wanted to play. They ran towards the kitchen when Camila held out her hand to stop them.
"I wanna make sure everything's cleaned up in there, so you'll have to play somewhere else."
"But, we need the hard floor to make the motorcycle go." Seth held up the motorcycle, giving her an adorable pouty face.
Camila was just about to give in when her dad spoke up.
"Why don't we see if we can make a ramp for your motorcycle. Wouldn't that be cool if Spider-Man could go up the ramp?"
"Yes!"
Seth and Luna crowded around the coffee table as Camila's father cleared it off and then began arranging hardcover books into a ramp.
"Watch out, or your father will steal that little boy." Sinu laughed.
"What?" Shawn chuckled.
"He has two girls, I have a little girl, and even my cousins are girls." Camila said. "He's never had a little boy to play with before."
Camila watched her father hold one of the books on the steady, Luna watching engrossed as Seth pulled the motorcycle back, put Spider-Man on, and let it go.
The bike made it up the ramp and flew through the air, landing softly on the couch as they all gasped and cheered. Shawn then went to go join their game.
"Let's see if we can make it flip!"
Camila left them all to play as she went to the kitchen. Her mother followed her, helping her wrap up and put away the last of the food.
"Well, I guess you can say it now." Camila sighed.
"Say what?"
"That my first time hosting was horrible. Maybe you were right not to trust me to make the turkey."
"Mija—you really think I didn't trust you to make it right?"
Camila just shrugged, feeling emotional again. She turned away, not wanting to tear up. Sinu put her hands on Camila's shoulder, forcing her to look at her.
"Camila, of course I know you could do it, I just know it's a lot of work and I thought you'd already be so busy—"
"The turkey is the most important part, Mami. Of course, I wanted to make it! A real hostess makes it. I just—I wanted it to feel like the family dinners we had as kids. And when you said you didn't want me to make it, it felt like—like—"
"Like what?" Sinu asked as Camila was sniffling again.
"Like you didn't think I was worthy of making the family dinner because I'm not in a real family anymore. Matt's gone, and it's just me and Luna—"
"Camila!" Sinu pulled Camila into a tight hug. "Of course you're worthy! You and Luna are doing just fine, you're still a family, even without him. I just—I just didn't want to give up on making the turkey just yet. Like you said, it's just like when you girls were little and it was always my job. I suppose now, it's time to hand the reins over. I never want you to doubt how proud I am of you."
"I know, Mami." Camila pulled back, wiping her eyes. "You're right, of course you just like doing it. I shouldn't have taken it so personally. I wish I never made that stupid pizza."
"Don't worry, your father bagged that and threw it in a dumpster down the street." Sinu said. Camila laughed, wiping her eyes again. "I promise, next year, you can make everything if you want."
"Maybe I will, but I might need some help."
Camila hugged her again, feeling her mother's warmth and feeling like a little kid again.
"You know, you say it's just you and Luna, and that was true when you first moved back here, but I don't think that's the case anymore."
Camila was about to ask what she meant before realizing.
"Mami—we haven't even been together that long."
"So? Does that really matter?" She pulled back, looking Camila in the eyes. "He cares for you, and you care for him. You obviously love each other's children like your own, don't you?"
Camila remembered the fear of seeing Seth unable to breathe, knowing she'd felt just as scared as if it were Luna. She nodded slowly.
Sinu kissed Camila's forehead, making her feel even more like a little kid in the best way. They finished putting away the leftovers before bringing out the pies. Camila carried the plates and pies into the living room, smiling as she saw the elaborate ramp they'd set up—even Sofia was filming it on her phone.
"Mommy—watch this!" Luna said just as Seth was pulling the bike back.
Everyone was watching in hushed silence as Seth let go. The motorcycle drove forward, up the ramp of books, flipping through the air, before landing on the couch with Spider-Man still intact on top.
"Wow!"
Everyone was cheering and Camila laughed at how excited Shawn was.
"That was so cool, Seth. I think that deserves some pie!"
They all ate in the living room, Camila deciding that she'd worry about crumbs later. Sofia changed the tv from sports to the national dog show. Luna and Seth gasped softly, looking at all the dogs and talking about which ones they thought were cutest.
"I want a dog." Luna said.
"Me too." Seth said. "Daddy, can we get one?"
"You're already too much work for me." Shawn laughed. "Ask me again in five years."
Camila laughed, sitting closer to Shawn as they each ate their pie. She laid her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes and basking in the laughter, the warmth and joy of hosting.
"You okay, baby?" Shawn whispered softly and Camila just nodded, smiling.
"Yes, I am. I'm really happy."
Camila's parents and sister finally left when it got late. Camila insisted they take plenty of leftovers with them and they all kissed Luna's forehead. Camila smiled when her father shook both Shawn and Seth's hand.
The living room was still pretty messy, but Camila didn't worry about that right now. She just sat beside Shawn and put her head on his shoulder again as the kids played.
"Daddy, Luna's grandpa says that if I put a trading card in the spokes of my bike, it'll sound like a motorcycle when I ride fast. Can we try that?"
"Sure, but you have to be really good at riding if you wanna go fast. You wanna practice some more?"
"Yes!"
"Me too!" Luna said. "I wanna take my training wheels off."
"Okay, I can take them off for you tomorrow." Shawn said.
"Yay!"
Camila closed her eyes again, feeling Shawn put his arm around her as the kids went into the kitchen to finally be able to play on the floor. She opened her eyes and looked over at him.
"Shawn, I really am sorry about Seth—"
"Hey, I mean it, don't blame yourself." He squeezed her shoulder. "I know you, Camila, you'd never hurt him on purpose. He's alright now, and that's all that matters."
"I know."
She closed her eyes again, listening to the kids play as Shawn grabbed the remote and changed the channel. She still felt so warm and happy, knowing her mother was right.
She and Luna weren't alone anymore.
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A/N: I finally got this chapter out!! please comment and tell me what you think!!