The Coffee Shop

Part 19

I was sitting next to Chris and my cousin Sarah all dinner long. I could notice how my uncle, sitting in front of Chris, was trying to get him drunk. I swore I didn't see Chris without a drink in his hand in the whole night. My mom, in the other hand, was offering food without a pause. At one point in the night, my cousin Sarah and I were saying to Chris non-stop: "Would you like something else?" We were laughing while he was trying to be as polite as he could be. I could notice how Nat was trying to give him an encouraging look. Pe was trying to stop my uncle to ask Chris a lot of question, kind of an interrogation situation, while my brother was cheering him to do it. I grabbed Chris hand under the table, trying to confort him and he smiled at me with the sweetest smile I had ever seen. The only way to distract them was when little Ana jumped into Luke's lap. I could notice Nora winking at me, she was the one who told her to go to her dad to save me.

My mom started to clean the table but my cousins and I offered to clean it while they went to the living room to relax a little. When Chris came to us, my brother and uncle asked him to go outside, they were going to smoke and in that house that was forbidden. One of the most amazing rule Nat has ever put in that house. I could noticed he asking for help but my uncle was faster and grabbed his arm pulling him outside the house. My mom joined them with a big smile. I was scared. Every time I went to the dinning room I checked up if Chris was still there or if he would have run far away.

"Stop checking on him, he will be fine." Nora said. "My father was very nervous in the car. He told us he wanted to make a good impression in Pretty Face ."

"I hate the nicknames he gave to everyone." Sarah replied. "Do you remember how he used to called Alex, my boyfriend?"

"Oh my!" Nora scream. "It was Pepperoni Slide because he was working at the Italian restaurant? Do you remember how he called Ben?"

"Oh my good! I remember! Sucker Soccer!" We laughed. "Well, so what do you girls think about him."

"Are you gossiping without me?" Nat came to the kitchen. "I gave birth to your nephews and that how you treat me! In my own house!?"

"Sorry Nat! I was going to ask you that yesterday but you started to talk about work."

"Fair enough, Skygirl!"

"No! I hate that nickname!" We all laughed.  "It's been ages since they called me that in High School." Nat and Luke met back in college when I was still in high school, so she knew a little shit about my past and I hated her sometimes for that. "Well, ladies. What do you about Chris?"

"He is so gorgeous!"

"And charming!"

"And talented!"

"He eat with his mouth closed!" Nora said making all laugh. "So you think you will continue our legacy? I mean, Sarah is now engaged to Pepperoni Slide and I'm planning on moving with Ben."

"Nora! Really?" Sarah replied while putting some dishes in the dishwasher. Nora just smiled at her and shrunk her shoulder. "What tell us, Juls? Do you think he can be the only one for you?"

"I don't know... I mean... He is amazing, caring, such a good person but I don't know, sometimes I wish Gammy..." I cleaned a tear of my face and Nat came back straight to hugged me. The last year had been very hard in this family, we just lost my grandmother in her second cerebral stroke and she was able to meet every single of my cousins partner. She loved so much Nat, every time we told we were going to see my brother's family she was the first to look for flight tickets and everything. The guest bedroom was original made for her. I could notice my two nephews holding each other hand.

"I think you know, sweetie." Nat replied. "But don't worry, she will love the man you choose, okay?"

"She won't be able to give her approval! You know how much she smiled when she first met you, Nat! " I said cleaning the tears of my face. My two cousins join us in the embrace. They knew how much that was hurting me since the day she has left us. I was able to be there the day that both of my cousins introduced their partners to her and I knew that Ben and Alex has asked her if they were enough for her granddaughters. "Let's stop crying! I don't want to ruin Christmas."