As I return back to the kitchen, I let out a relief sigh. Peyton smiles at me as she puts the scissors away in a drawer.
"Thank you so much for helping me, half of the people here had no clue on where to begin. Yet I feel as if I ruined your plans."
"Plans? Chinese food and sex aren't real plans. It was lucky we were driving close by on the way to Cutie's place. Being both Jewish, we didn't have any plans to meet with family."
"I'm gonna miss you," I say while hugging her. "I know you are only two hours away from here, but it won't be the same without you in the house."
"I'll miss you too, but that job offer was hard to resist. What about getting a new roommate?"
"It's an option since Devin and I are still, you know, starting."
Peyton snorts. "Longest start ever. Has it ever crossed your mind to move in together?"
"Sometimes. Now with Roxy around, I think we should take things slowly and see how it works out."
"The taking things slowly got sped up for me with that new job. Cutie is coming along and we'll try the living together thing."
"Will you ever call him Mark?" I laugh.
Mark's currently entertaining the little kids in the family with some coin and card tricks. One of the boys packs a coin and tries to repeat the trick without success and then Mark pulls it from his ear to his complete surprise.
I will miss Peyton's love adventures and it makes me feel nostalgic already even though she won't leave until February. My eyes fill with tears and Peyton's do too, she's my soul sister after all.
"Aren't we two sentimental idiots?" She takes out a compact mirror from her purse and pinks away a bit of her ruined makeup. "Is everything ready?"
"As ready as it can be under 30 minutes. He should be here soon."
Peyton and Mark say goodbye, even after we insist they stay. I guess Chinese food and sex still sounded more promising than spending Christmas with an overwhelming Cuban family. After helping my mom to bring some food outside, I check my watch and at that moment, Devin walks through the main entrance.
"The guest of honor, who doesn't know he's the guest of honor, is here," my mom whispers in sing song.
"Promise you'll manage them to keep their mouths shut," I point with my nose to the crowd in the backyard.
"No worries, all is under control," she grins as Devin joins us in the kitchen. "Merry Christmas! How are you doing in your- this special day?"
My eyes roll involuntarily at the slip. So much for having things under control.
"All is well. It's busier in here than the last time. Where's Roxy?"
I point to the bunch of kids surrounding the son of one of my cousins trying to replicate Mark's tricks, and how his daughter watches everything he's doing with an incredulous face. She notices her father is in the house and leaves the group to give him a hug.
"Are you having fun?" He asks her.
"Yeah, and I have an abuelita!" Roxy grins at my mom.
"Who wouldn't want to be your grandma?" My mother coos at her and squeezes her in a hug. "I'm the only one here without grand-kids. Not that I mind a lot. It keeps me young, you know?"
I burst out in laughter, because if there's someone who's been whining about not having grandchildren since I went to college, that is my mom.
"I see the usual suspects in the backyard, but I want to talk with you first," Devin says to me while my mom offers some grandma wisdom to Roxy about the proper way to stir a pot of natilla.
Devin and I head to my old bedroom. He smiles as the remnants of my younger years as we sit at the edge of the bed.
"You know, if we wanted to do it, they'll never notice," he winks at me and at that moment, one of my cousins comes out of the bathroom, startling him.
"A thing you should know is that whenever there's a party in this house, it's never just us inside," I chuckle.
"Well, I hope they give us enough time alone for what I have to say. I want to apologize for getting upset with you. After thinking things through, it's Stephen who I should be upset with, and even that doesn't bother me anymore. I was scared and I still am to lose my daughter. I have her temporary custody, but social services could have also sent her away since my case is still pending."
I didn't give it a thought before and I can see how this is a point of concern. "What was Tessa doing at your house?"
"She got out and the first thing she wanted to do was see Roxy. You can imagine my surprise when I opened the door. The experience seem to have changed her, and we had a good, honest talk after you left. The air is now clear and she managed to get hold of her lawyer. We'll share a more balanced custody in the coming time, and hopefully my situation will solve. Only this has implications for us. I won't be a weekend dad only and don't want you to feel pressured to accept my situation."
I stand up from the bed and look out of the window towards the backyard. My dad dances with Roxy while my mom claps happily to the rhythm of the music.
"Remember when we talked about me accepting a pre-started family? I believe we are past that," I turn around and smile at him. "Roxy has accepted me, us, them, and I'm fine with that."
Devin walks to me and holds me in his arms while kissing me deeply. One of my aunts enters the room to use the bathroom and Devin doesn't care, because he's also one of us.
"We should go downstairs. We are missing your- the party."
And to think that I blamed my mom for the same slip.
Devin and I join the crowd in the living room, and my aunts shower him with hugs and kisses, leaving deep red lipstick stains on his cheeks.
"I think one of them kissed my mouth. They are an intense bunch," Devin says as he cleans his face with a paper napkin.
"We call it pasión cubana," I laugh.
"Right before I walked in, one of your uncles asked me when I was going to 'put a ring on it'."
"Ignore! Uncle Tito has just discovered Beyoncé."
"I mean, we are good together. I certainly want to marry you someday-"
"Hopefully you will ask for my permission first."
"Ours."
I disguise my surprise with a cough. The red color starts on Devin's neck and quickly creeps to his face. I'm trying to keep a neutral face but I just want to laugh madly. Dad stands behind us with his arms crossed and my brothers have a mean look.
"Yeah, of course, sir," he says in a strained voice.
My boyfriend can't seriously feel afraid of a tubby, short, bald, Cuban man, and my goofball brothers.
"Just joking," my Dad laughs and gives him a friendly punch in his arm. "Beer?"
Devin nods as my dad hands him a bottle.
"They are joking. My father likes you, even more than my brothers," I place my hand on his arm as we make our way through the crowd.
"I still feel new to the boyfriend thing. Maybe I need a book or something."
I then jump at a screeching sound and something made of metal falls on the floor. My mom curses loudly at the same time and right before her words get worse, music comes from the backyard area.
"They hired a band?" Devin looks to the direction of the sound.
At the backyard, the family makes a line at the potluck-style buffet while dad's friends play old songs. We pile our plates with food and find a place to sit. Devin lets out a deep breath when he sees my mom feeding Roxy.
"It's a miracle. She's a difficult eater."
"My mom is a miracle worker," I say, thinking about how she helped me with my fast plans.
Throughout the afternoon the guests dance and eat, dance and eat some more. My mom stands by the door and gives me a small nod.
"Be right back."
I walk to where Mom waits for me. "It's all ready," she whispers. "I'll keep the nena busy."
"Thanks, Mom," I kiss her cheek and she sends me on my way.
"Come with me," I say to Devin, whose eyes are glued to my uncle, who has his hands on my aunt's butt as they dance.
I bring Devin to my Dad's working shed where we have hung spare white Christmas lights and paper garlands; a small chocolate iced cake, dusted with powdered sugar sits on the working table which is now covered with a sparkly white tablecloth. Mom's best coffee pot and cups, the kind you can only wash by hand lay next to the cake, together with her silver cake serving set from her wedding and carefully folded cloth napkins with their monogram accompany the setting.
"What's this?" Devin asks as he gazes around.
"Something special, we couldn't let this day go by without celebrating it. My mom had all of this in a closet, gifts received when she married Dad. I can deny that I got my love for entertaining from her."
"I love your family. Never met a more genuine bunch, even when they spilled the beans about me."
"Would you like some cake? My mom made it. I could sing for you, but I don't have the best voice."
"We have enough music out there," he motions with his head to the backyard. "And I could never say no to any food your mom makes."
As I serve him a large portion of cake and pour coffee for us both. I feel it's the right moment to ask about something that surprised me earlier. "Were you serious about what you said before? About wanting to marry me?"
"I'm very serious. I love you and like how we are when we are together. This is probably the most delicious chocolate cake I've ever had."
I laugh, choke on my coffee, and then my eyes fill with tears for a second time today.
"You okay?" He pats my back as I cough.
"I never thought I would marry. Well, you haven't really asked me and I'm getting ahead of myself, but just the thought is overwhelming, but the good kind. And now you probably don't want to do it anymore and maybe you feel pressured. Oh God, I've ruined this, right?"
Devin watches me with curious eyes as I walk around the shed. "Want me to go and ask your dad for your hand now. He's had a few beers and won't give me a hard time."
"Oh God, you are serious about it."
"What can I say or do to prove it? Wait... this will have to do."
Devin moves to one of the work benches and searches for something in a hardware bin. When he finds whatever he needs, he goes on one knee and presents me with a lock washer, big enough to put my pinky through it.
"Tania, will you marry me?"
I nod, and it's the only thing I can do because the knot in my throat won't allow anything else. Devin stands up and holds me in his arms. When I calm down, I look into his beautiful eyes and let out a sigh.
"I will never forget this. Getting a proposal on your birthday."
My boyfriend stares at me for a minute, then at the room we are with its sparkly decorations. He seems to realize something and his smile widens.
"Definitely will never forget it, because it isn't my birthday."
THE END