R U S S O 18+

R U S S O 40

R U S S O 40

Lunch with the Baileys was just as good as dinner with the Russos, if not better. It was incredible.

Initially, Larry wanted to be the scolding father and not open up to Mateo in order to seem stern to the young man. But Mateo was endearing. Larry was unable to contain his laughter or smiles, and he felt joy that a person like Mateo could exist for his daughter.

Fathers were scared of their little girls getting hurt, including mothers. So when the Bailey's found out their daughter had taken a shift in her relationship status, they were worried if she was making the right decision.

Was she falling for the right person?

Would she conceal her pain so her parents wouldn't worry and doubt her happiness?

Anastasia is their darling sweetheart. They want her happy, and seeing the way Mateo was attentive to their daughter gave them peace that she was in his hands.

They were impressed by Mateo's charm, his wit, and his vulnerability. He was comforting and a gentleman, and watching them two together was living proof that young love exists.

Larry adored Mateo and hoped he'd be around long—as long as the relationship was good. Her parents only hoped that when they were down, the ugly sides of them weren't intoxicating.

Larry liked Mateo so much that after their lunch, they went out to play some pool. He liked that Mateo was competitive and didn't let him win, as it was much more fun than beating Anastasia's boyfriend in 8-ball.

Paula knew a little about Mateo prior to the outing, but she allowed the man before her to show the side of himself that Anastasia found so appealing. He didn't shy away from conversations; he engaged, and the energy surrounding them felt wholesome.

It was almost like they had plenty of outings together already when it was actually the first.

Paula watched how her daughter was safe with him—so safe that she hooked her arm onto his and let him be her eyes as they crossed the street.

Their daughter was herself with Mateo, which told them a little more about their dynamic.

Anastasia knew the day went great, but not even two seconds after they left to head back to hers, her parents texted her: We love him. Keep him around.

She couldn't fight the smile on her face, and Mateo looked at her weirdly because she started hopping around in the parking lot. Mateo clowned her a little for it, but seeing the message for himself, they high-fived now that the meet-the-parents stage had gone well.

They spent the remainder of the weekend buried in each other, getting back to campus Tuesday morning with even more vibrant energy.

Anastasia was hunched over at some bench, scribbling down words for an assignment that she missed.

She flipped back a few pages of her notes to come up with a response, but as a college student, Google was her homegirl.

Getting towards the final lines of the page she was writing on, she feels fingers pushing through the top of her hair.

Her scalp was caressed with delicate strokes. She leaned into the comforting touch and raised her head to see who had a hold on her, even though she had a good idea.

"So, this is where you been," Mateo says, his hand slipping from her curls.

She didn't even hear him walk over. "Yeah. Sorry about that. I realized I didn't finish my homework, took a seat, and didn't stop working."