gold rush ☆ brock purdy

seventeen ✬

the drive from san francisco to los angeles felt nostalgic, with familiar sights out the window and brock humming along to the christmas songs on the radio. it was comforting, knowing we'd be spending christmas eve with my family, where the warmth and chaos of a traditional hispanic holiday would make him feel right at home—or so i hoped.

by the time we pulled up to my parents' house, it was already alive with the sounds of cooking, laughter, and that signature warmth that made this place feel like home. i was super excited... to eat.

"natalia!" my mom's voice came from the kitchen.

she was hunched over the stove, apron on and hands busy. she wiped them quickly on her apron and came over to give me a huge hug.

"brock! so glad you're spending christmas with us." she pulled him into a warm hug too.

my dad appeared soon after, clapping brock on the back with a grin.

"you're just in time. we've got plenty of food—and tamales for days. get comfortable, mijo," my dad said, his eyes twinkling.

i love how my dad gets along with brock. i know my dad is super protective of me and andrea, and he only wants what's best for us.

we took a seat in the living room, surrounded by some of my aunts and cousins. we were all eagerly awaiting the christmas eve dinner. brock, in his usual calm and thoughtful manner, engaged with everyone effortlessly, even with my aunt, who was asking him if he knew any spanish.

"estoy aprendiendo, pero no soy muy bueno," brock admitted with a shy grin, and the entire room laughed.

seeing him try to speak spanish was so cute; he got super shy after. this man is everything to me.

i walked into the kitchen with my mom, and we watched as brock walked outside with my dad to start the hoguera.

"i can tell he's the one, mamita. he takes care of you in a way that makes me sleep peacefully at night." her words touched me in a way that brought a sudden warmth to my heart.

"yeah, he does, mamá," i said softly.

"he fits right in here," she said, smiling. "and you look so happy with him, natalia. your dad and i are so glad you found someone like him."

as we continued to chat, my mom finally announced that the food was ready, and brock and my dad walked in for dinner.

brock sat next to me, grabbed my hand, and squeezed it softly. i looked over at him, and he was all smiles.

"natalia, when are you going to serve him?" my aunt said from across the table.

"it's okay, i can serve us," brock said and grabbed a plate. i knew this was going to cause some controversy.

"no, natalia is your lady; she can serve you! nat, you're not being a good girlfriend," my aunt said. she looked at my other aunt and muttered something.

i looked at my parents. my dad looked mad, and my mom looked like she didn't want to start anything on christmas eve. i swallowed my pride and avoided saying anything. i got the plate from brock, but he snatched it back in a polite way.

"it doesn't matter, i'm her man, and i can serve her. she does so much for me; she doesn't have to serve me. i think we're in a new time where none of that sexism matters. she's my lady, so i'm going to serve her," brock said in a respectful yet bothered tone.

he continued to serve me. the silence was loud, but eventually, my other aunt broke it by complimenting my mom's cooking.

i looked over at brock. "thank you, baby," i said softly. my aunts were raised in a time when you had to stay home and be there to feed a man, to stay with a man only because he provided.

times have changed, and both can do things for each other. i saw my dad look at brock, and he just smiled at him. my dad bites his tongue a lot with my mom's side of the family, so i know he was glad to see brock stand up for me.

everyone at dinner had their own conversation. my dad kept asking brock about football—how practice was going and the anticipation of playoffs.

"i'm telling you, brock, you keep playing the way you're playing, and there's a super bowl ring in your future," my dad said, pointing at him with his fork. "and maybe," he added with a smirk, "a wedding ring somewhere in there too, eh?"

i felt my cheeks flush as everyone laughed. brock smiled and caught my eye across the table, that boyish grin that made my heart flutter. "i'm taking things one ring at a time," he teased, but there was something deeper behind his words.

after dinner, everyone gathered around the tree, and my younger cousins were practically bouncing off the walls, impatient for the clock to strike midnight so they could tear into their gifts. we sat on the couch, brock's arm around me, the christmas lights twinkling softly in the background. i could feel his thumb lightly tracing circles on my shoulder.

as midnight approached, the gift-giving frenzy began. my cousins, parents, and even brock exchanged gifts. i handed out a few of my own, watching everyone's excited reactions, when suddenly, brock pulled out a small, carefully wrapped box from his coat pocket.

"this is for you," he said, his voice soft and full of affection as he handed it to me. my heart skipped a beat as i carefully unwrapped it, aware of my parents watching closely.

inside was a delicate necklace, a small diamond heart locket. i opened it, and there was a picture of us. i looked up at him.

"brock, it's beautiful," i whispered, feeling my eyes get a little watery.

"this is just something for now; the rest are at my parents' house," he said softly, leaning in to kiss my cheek.

my parents exchanged glances, and my mom couldn't help but give me a wink. i chuckled a bit; i already knew what she was thinking.

we continued to exchange gifts, and after all the wrapping paper had been torn and hugs had been shared, my family began to settle in for the night. my cousins were already starting to doze off on the couch while my mom brought out some blankets for those staying over.

brock and i slipped away to the porch for a little fresh air.

"i love your family," brock said quietly, his voice full of sincerity. "even though your aunt was trippin' earlier, it's like i'm part of something so special when i'm with them—and with you."

"they love you too," i said, resting my head on his shoulder.

he took a deep breath, his hand tightening around mine. "baby, i know we've talked about this before, but tonight... being here with you and your family—it just makes me more certain of us. i want to give you everything, you know that, right?"

i looked up at him. "you already do. i don't need anything else but you."

he kissed the top of my head, and we stood there, the world quiet around us, just enjoying the moment. i always wonder where i'd be if i hadn't gone with kristen to begin with. i'm glad i did. yet, if you would've told me a year ago that i'd be in a happy relationship, i'd have laughed at you.

the next morning, brock and i packed up the car and started the drive to arizona. we celebrated christmas eve with my family; now we were off to celebrate with his family. but as i sat there, watching him drive, my hand resting on his leg, i couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and nerves.

my family would fly over later today. this was the first time they'd be meeting each other, so i was nervous about that as well. we'd just have to wait and see.

‎♡‧₊˚

authors note: hi, i know it's been a while. i'm so sorrrryyyy!!

- dayadomi ‎♡