𝐄𝐍𝐌𝐈𝐓𝐘 | 𝟏𝟖+

6

Love's POV

"Bye, Daddy," Lina said, waving to Santiago with the biggest smile spread across her face.

I called Santiago this morning and practically begged Catalina to spend the night with me. She has school tomorrow, and I offered to take her. A small price to pay for her bubbly presence.

"Be good. Daddy loves you, bubble gum." Santi said before Lina ran off to play with the new toys I just bought her.

"Alright, you girls have fun. Call me if she gets too out of hand," he said, setting Lina's bag on the nearest surface.

"Go have a good time tonight. You need it." I joked while watching Santiago descend down my apartment hallway.

I sat down on the couch without taking my eyes off of Lina. "It's just me and you, babe. Are you hungry?"

Catalina paid me no mind, so I got up and put some macaroni on a plate and ate it while looking over new software developments.

Lorenzo has been on my mind the entire week, partially because he's my boss, but mostly because I can't get him out of my head.

Every time I look at him, even if it's just for a second, I see the person he used to be.

We were completely different back then. Young, reckless, and clueless.

We're still young, but we both hold a certain level of maturity you don't see in many people our age nowadays.

I picked up my phone as it rang, and put it to my ear.

"Mama?"

"Hey, Lovey. Just checking in on you. How are things?"

"They're good. I'm babysitting Lina tonight, my life has been duller than unusual."

"I miss her! Tell her Abuela got her a present."

I passed the message on, and Lina only smiled.

She was such a happy baby, sometimes I wondered if she was real. She never cried, she stayed quiet, and she's friendly to animals.

"I saw you on the cover of Vogue." I heard my Mami squeal.

"Let me guess," I laughed, "you bought twenty copies."

"Thirty this time. You did that shit, Love. You're the embodiment of beauty."

I blushed at her comment. Everyday in the mirror, she had me say affirmations, which now I see has helped my self-esteem tremendously.

"Where's Papa? I haven't heard from him in a few days. He's never MIA."

"He's sleeping right now. I told him he needs to retire soon, but whenever I bring it up, he gets angry."

My Papa aged very well if I do say so myself. He looks the same as he did in his late twenties, only now with gray hair.

"He's only like fifty. He looks good. He's still young, too."

"Hold on, princess. I have a call on the other line about the charity event I'm hosting. Besitos."

Before I could reply, she hung up the phone, and I watched Catalina fiddle with her obnoxiously loud rattle that I regret buying her.

༺♡༻

"Look!" Lina pointed to the tv that showed Swiper trying to steal Dora's things. "Swiper no swiping!"

It was amazing how well she spoke. Sometimes it was incoherent and her words got jumbled up, but with the use of common sense, it was pretty easy to understand.