I am his

56

As I approached Leah's house, a wave of nostalgia washed over me. She had been my dear friend from the past, but life took us in different directions when she changed schools. I knocked on the door, and there stood her mother, Lucy, with an accent that echoed my own mother's.

"Umm, hello, can I help you?" Lucy inquired, clearly trying to recall where she knew me from. I understood; I had changed significantly since we last met.

"Hi Lucy, it's Kaden, Kaden Richardson. Is Leah here?" I greeted her with a warm smile.

"Oh my god, Kaden! I haven't seen you in ages. I didn't recognize you; you've changed so much!" Lucy's face lit up with genuine delight as she embraced me, welcoming me inside.

The real surprise awaited me as Leah emerged and gasped, "Oh my god, Kaden!" Her excitement was palpable as she rushed to hug me, wrapping her arms around my neck and her legs around my torso. I gladly reciprocated, wrapping my arms around her waist, savoring the reunion.

"God, it's been so long, te he extrañado," Leah whispered, effortlessly mixing English and Spanish in her excitement.

"I've missed you too," I replied, cherishing the familiarity of her presence.

Eager to catch up, Leah led me to her room, shutting the door behind us. We settled on her bed, and she played with my hair while we exchanged stories.

"I've got a boyfriend now, his name's Jake," she shared, her eyes gleaming with joy.

"Really, I've got a girlfriend, her name's Naomi, she's beautiful," I couldn't help but beam with pride as I spoke of Naomi, my cherished partner from our kindergarten days.

Leah couldn't resist teasing me, wondering if Naomi was the same adorable girl from our early years. Confirming her hunch, she playfully declared, "I knew it, I knew you two would end up together."

Yet, our delightful reunion took a turn as I confided in Leah about my past mistakes. I confessed to having cheated on Naomi multiple times and recently being falsely accused of infidelity by some unknown girl. In response, Leah's palm found its way to my cheek with a gentle but impactful slap.

Her disappointment was evident, and she didn't hold back, calling me out for my terrible behavior. "I don't blame her for not believing you, but you're a fucking asshole," she said, shaking her head with disapproval.

Aware of my wrongdoing, I acknowledged, "I know," though I couldn't help but roll my eyes in response.

In her no-nonsense manner, Leah pulled my hair while scolding me in Spanish, asking, "¿No te enseñé a respetar a las mujeres?"

"Woah, ouch, let go," I whined, and she relented, brushing her hair with a touch of sass.

"Bleh bleh bleh, shut up," I playfully retorted, mimicking her accent with a grin.

But Leah wasn't going to let my cheekiness go unpunished. With a swift motion, she slapped my head, and I exclaimed, "Ouch, stop hitting me, you bitch."

Amidst our friendly banter, she playfully laughed, "Sorry, I can't understand. Say it in Spanish."

Feigning ignorance, I chuckled, "Sorry, I can't speak Spanish," though we both knew that was far from the truth.

Amused by my attempt to pretend otherwise, Leah pointed out, "You're mother's Spanish; you've known the language since the age of two."

I couldn't argue with that, so I gave in, saying, "Okay, deja de pegarme".

In a moment of honesty, Leah smiled, reading me like a book, "You love her, sí?"

"Mhmm," I nodded, grateful for her understanding and friendship.