*** Evelyn's POV ***
I'm nervous. Rafael has been a champ through so much, but my dad is a whole other story. He disappeared into his den with Rafael almost an hour ago. I've been downing glasses of wine on every quarter hour.
"Dad says you drink too much." Hannah tells me with the brazenness of any teen.
"Like he's one to talk." I counter, very immature in my response about my brother, her father.
"He's cute. Are you going to marry him?" She inquires.
"Raf?"
"Did you bring any other boyfriends home with you?" She quips sarcastically.
I purse my lips. Apparently teen snark starts earlier and earlier. But the fact is that he is the first boyfriend that I intentionally brought home. Miguel just sort of followed me.
"No."
"So I'll repeat my question. Are you going to mar..."
"Why does that have to be the next step? Maybe I just like fuc... screwing around with him." I counter.
"No, I see the way you look at him. It's more than sex." She observes correctly.
"Yeah. Yeah it is." I admit.
"So?"
"I don't know... maybe. And if not, that's okay too. I don't want you thinking that there's only one acceptable way." I inform her.
She smiles like she knows all there is to know in the world. I smile knowing how short-sighted she is at her age. The door to my dad's study opens and I hold my breath.
Rafael emerges and I quickly inspect him from head to toe for signs of duress. My dad follows, hobbling on his crutches and calling to my mother. "Abigail, the doctor here says we need to find a new dentist. Stano is using outdated tech."
My mother just smiles and attends to the side salad she is making. Rafael comes to stand next to me and I whisper. "Blink twice if you're in need of a rescue mission."
He kisses my cheek and whispers back. "It's under control."
"How about some horseshoes?" My brother suggests. The nephews are eager to tug on Rafael, their shyness gone since his stunt to warm them up to him.
It is just shy of midnight before everyone leaves my parent's house and my parents wish us goodnight. We had gathered around a fire pit, a recent acquisition for my parents. Apparently my mom was intrigued by it at the Baumamns and my father researched what was allowed in Texas. My parents are rule-abiding citizens and very serious about following the safety and extinguishing guidelines. My dad spent at least thirty minutes explaining the process to Rafael.
"Want to move to the hammock?" Rafael asks me.
"Oh boy. Not really." I admit. I am good and wine buzzed, not feeling the least bit coordinated.
"Come on."
"Twist my arm." I quip back. It takes us at least ten tries to get in the damn thing together and we are giggling like a couple of drunkards. My dad started pulling out after-dinner drinks to impress God knows who and Rafael was expected to keep pace. He did, of course, but both of us are not functioning optimally at the moment.
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Oral Care
Romansa*** COMPLETED STORY *** Evelyn is stubbornly resistant to fitting her family's model of perfect, demure wife material. She flees her hometown and an unwanted relationship to pursue her career and get away from their ridicule. Following a hot resort...
