𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧.

Cholados, Passion In The Sheets And Mazes.

(First Edit)

𝐉𝐚𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞

"You thought you were in control with your big speech and colorful vocabulary didn't you? Well you thought wrong. It's not you who's in control Jasmine, but me. You managed to find your way back to Medellín but that's as far as you'll go. As long as you and your in-laws keep to yourselves and don't make any trouble for me we should all get along just fine."

I nibbled on my fingernail while pondering on her words, her condescending words spoken in such a devious tone. 'It's not you who's in control, but me'. 'As long as you and your in-laws keep to yourselves and don't make any trouble for me we should all get along just fine'. Was that her way of telling me not to step out of line?

"Oh Jasmine, don't chew your fingernails, it's a disgusting habit," Tía Juanita said as she moved my hand away from my mouth.
"Sorry Tía," I said sheepishly.
"So tell me, how have you been these past few months?"
"I've been great. College is a little hard but I'm managing just fine."
"And your marriage?"
"It's going wonderfully. I love being married to Valentino."

"She says that now. Just wait until they have kids," Tía Sofia muttered. "Babies are sweet little things but once they hit six all the cuteness turns to madness. They'll run you ragged twenty-four seven. So cherish this quiet time while you still have it."
"Speak for yourself, my kids were perfect angels," Tía Tulia said.
"That's because you used to beat them when they misbehaved."
"At least I'm not like most American mothers who are afraid to even raise their voice when disciplining their children."

I smiled and placed my hand on my stomach. I know Valentino said we won't have any kids until I graduated and that he wanted us to have some time to ourselves before we started planning our family, but the very thought of getting pregnant with Valentino's babies, the thought of walking through the mansion with a baby bump swollen with his offspring, filled me with a warm and fuzzy feeling. I couldn't explain it. But it was there.

"If you keep smiling like that your family will think you're nuts," Sabrina giggled as she sat next to me with her glass of Cholados Colombianos: fresh fruit and crushed ice, drizzled with fruit syrup and condensed milk — a delicious combination between a drink, a fruit cocktail and a frozen dessert. It was a perfect snack for hot summer days, very popular in Colombia.

"They're her family. They know she's nuts," Damen laughed as he and Dad sat on the other sofa with Mom and Aunt Nancy while Valentino sat next to me.

"How are you liking the Cholados Colombianos?" I asked him.
"It's very sweet," he said. "Have you had a lot of this as a child?"
"Mmm. Tía Juanita made these for us a lot when we were kids. She'd put more condensed milk in the older kids' glasses and the younger ones would always complain."

"That's because the older kids could handle it," she chuckled. "The little ones would be bouncing off the walls like rubber balls if I gave them any more."

I shook my head and continued eating my dessert. The fruits were so sweet and juicy, having been picked fresh this afternoon. In Colombia and many other tropical countries fruits like mangoes, pineapples and passion fruit grew in abundance as did cherries, guavas and watermelon. The hot climate proved advantageous to growing all the best produce.

"So Valentino, you're married to my granddaughter hmm?" Abuelo asked with twinkling eyes.
"Yes I am Carlos. For the past six months," Valentino said as he ate another spoonful of the Cholados.
"Did you buy her a ring for your engagement?"
"A fifteen carat diamond."
"Did you give her the wedding of her dreams?"
"Everything she could ever ask for."
"Did you take her on a romantic honeymoon?"
"Two long weeks in Mexico."
"Were you gentle with her on your wedding night?"