She isn't married to me

CHAPTER 7: Cake

Finally, it's Sunday morning, I'm more than ready and at my parents' house before they are even awake. I'm busy around here when I hear my mom screaming from the stairs, I flinch and hit my head on a shelve, she scared me. I am hiding some private pictures of me and what's going on with women screaming so loud lately?

My mom gets close to me and tells me "Andrew, you scared the hell out of me, what are you doing here so early?"

I laugh because seeing her like that reminds me of my dad, he loved to scare her when we were kids. I hug her and say "Mom, I didn't want to wake you up, but I invited a friend and I want to help you around here so everything looks good." I wink at her and leave the room.

By 12pm all my family is already here, I thought they'll be late but no, they came at 11am saying it's been a while since the family were together and they couldn't wait to see everyone.

I can't help to look outside the window every five minutes, I look like the dog of the house waiting for the mail man. Suddenly, I see her car outside, but I don't see her, where will she go? Out of the blue, I hear one of my annoying aunts saying "Andrew, where are you? A beautiful girl and her little sister are looking for you".

I run from the kitchen to the living room and I see them, Sophie is saying hi to everyone and Adria smiles from ear to ear when my mom and dad get close to them. Adria looks drop-dead gorgeous with that sundress on, everything on her looks so effortless, and as always, no makeup on her face, she looks really young, that's why my aunt thought Sophie is her sister.

They don't see me standing by the door's kitchen, so I take a moment to see how they interact. Adria is as always polite. Sophie is running to the backyard to play with the kids. My mom can't stop talking, my dad excuses himself, and I just can't stop staring at her, every word she says makes my mom smile more and more, it's like if they had known each other for ages.

I get close to them before my mom starts asking her questions about me "Adria, hi, thanks for coming, would you like something to drink?" My mom gives me a strange look before she walks away.

Adria stares at me, her eyes go to my lips, this is the second time she does that, I don't know if I'm misunderstanding things, but I feel like if she is being attracted to me as well. She takes me out of my thoughts by saying "Andrew, hi, oh no, thanks, I'm ok. Your parents' house feels so cozy, I grew up as an only child, so this is kind of new to me. Thanks for inviting me, I imagine growing up in this family had to be really funny".

Only child, I think I read about that on Google. I'm the one who can't imagine growing up with no siblings. I feel bad about her, Emma sometimes is a pain in my butt, but I love her, she's a great sister, so I only say "You imagined correctly, growing up with them has been an adventure, you have no idea. I'm only wondering if it's everything ok with Fred? He didn't get mad because you two came here, did he?" Fred, I can't avoid this feeling that somehow, he can come here in rage looking for them and for my head as well.

She doesn't look worried, she says "Fred? Well, we haven't seen him since yesterday so everything is fine, nothing to be worried about for sure".

That shit of man, it's obvious he doesn't care about them at all, If she would be with me, I will never do that to her "I'm sorry to hear that, it may be difficult for you not to know where he sleeps, right?" There it goes, I tossed the bomb, I don't care if I hurt her but she has to know the truth.

"I know he is with another woman, Andrew, but I can't leave him right now, he threats me to take Sophie away from me if I try to divorce him, I can't lose my daughter, moreover, something like this can ruin my career, I just need one more year before I publish a new book I'm working on and we'll disappear from his life."

"Wait, are you planning to live in another city or country?" I ask her with a worried tone on my voice.

She sighs and I sense a glimmer of hope on her words "Let's say that I have big plans for her and I, and they don't involve him whatsoever."

Now my words are the ones who don't have any kind of hope on them "Well, that sounds terrific, I bet you and her would be happy anywhere you go."

She smiles "I bet that, too."

I wanted to tell her my feelings in that same moment, but one of my uncles interrupted us
"Andrew, help me bring the cake from the kitchen."

C'mon who needs help carrying a cake? But then I saw it, my dad thought it would be a good idea to buy a cake that resembles this house, and four dolls around it, who I suppose are my parents, my sister and I. I excuse from Adria and start helping my uncle, we are heading to the backyard but I can't see a thing, I only hear his voice telling me where to go. Immediately I hear many voices saying many things at the same time, I can't hear my uncle's voice anymore, I only hear somebody screaming "be careful!"

I stumble with "daddy", my parent's dog, the old and dog was sleeping on the floor. Everything is blurry after that. I'm on the floor, everybody is screaming and many of them laughing, I raise my head to see that my uncle has a part of the cake all over his head, and I can't believe what I'm watching next to him. Adria, she received a side of the cake, too, but all over her back. I stand up as fast as I can and when I face her, I realize all my family is in shock staring at her.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't see daddy was sleeping on the floor, he is an old dog and he is deaf, he sleeps anywhere he feels good, I couldn't see where I was going." Please don't get mad and go home.

But now, is she... laughing? Everybody starts laughing with her, I can't find my laugh anywhere, I just want to kiss her. I've never met a girl who leaves drama and finds the funny side of something, she amazes me, I know I've found the love of my life, and although she doesn't know it yet, she will know it pretty soon.

"Don't worry Andrew, things like this can happen, I just need to clean myself, there is only one disadvantage, my arms don't reach my back, can you help me, please?"

Of course, I wasn't going to say no to an opportunity like that. Unexpectedly, my mom and my sister appear from nowhere, and my mom starts saying "Oh honey, I'm sorry this happened to you and your beautiful dress"

Then my sister "but don't worry, you can change with some of my clothes, come with me".

She grabs Adria's hand and disappears from my sight. I don't know how long I was lost on my thoughts when I hear my mom saying "sweetie, she looks like a nice girl, and I can tell by the look in your eyes that you like her and something else as well, have you invited her on a date already?"

I look down trying to find the words to explain this to my mom but I find none, I better tell her the truth "She's not a girl, mom, she's married, but you're right, I like her, I like her a lot."

I get distracted with Sophie playing, it's like seeing Adria as a kid.

Out of the blue I hear her "You what? You look as if you're... in love? You're nuts, she's cute in many ways, but to be in love you need to spend time with her at least, have you done that?" There she is, my sister minding other's people business.

"Listen this Emma, mind your own business" I blurt out the words so harsh she takes one step back from me and looks away.

"I am justconcerned about you; I don't want you to get hurt. By the way, are you readyfor what you are going to see?" Emma points towards the stairs like if I haveto expect a ghost coming down from the second floor.