A Love Conflicted

26 | Christmas Eve

"Next round coming through. Move Richy!" I yelled at my older cousin who was blocking my path out of the kitchen. He takes an ice cold mojito off the tray I was carrying before moving aside and letting me through.

"Gracias prima" he cheesed as I carefully made my way into the living room. Our house was packed as it always was when family was over. My Dad is one of five, and the amount of cousins I have are endless. All of us kids ranging from ages ten to thirty. I adore my family, we're loud and inappropriate but the love we have for each other is limitless.

I set the tray of freshly made mojitos down on the coffee table. My Dad is the Mojito master and he passed his talents down to me. Unfortunately he was busy finishing dinner with a couple of my aunts, so tonight they were on me. I quickly took a glass before they were all gone.

"Riley, where's the Prince?" My uncle asked as he sipped on his fourth drink of the night so far.

"It's just Prince" I laughed "he's at home, he had a show last night"

"And? I'm sure he can catch a plane anytime, anywhere" his heavy accent on top of the alcohol caused him to slur his words in a way I couldn't help but find amusing.

"Next time" I assured him before walking away. I was hoping to avoid that question as best as I could. Of course I was bummed that he wasn't here, but I eventually got over it. Our conversation last night didn't leave either of us in the cheeriest of moods, but I was glad my family was able to take my mind off of it for the time being.

Grabbing an extra glass, I wandered into the backyard and found my Dad taking meat off the grill.

"Papi, cuanto tiempo más?" How much longer I asked him as I handed him the extra drink. I hadn't eaten all day and I was already a couple drinks in.

"Gracias mijita" he kissed my forehead thanking me before chugging the drink down in just a few gulps. I definitely get my tolerance from him too. "This is the last of it, take this and help your Mom yea?" I nodded as I took the platter of freshly grilled meats carefully with my drink in the other hand. Taking it into the kitchen, I began to help my Mom put the finishing touches on the table. A moment later I thought I had heard the doorbell ring, although it was hard to hear between my family and the salsa and reggaeton that was blaring throughout the house. I nearly dropped a glass on the floor when I heard my aunt's piercing scream coming from the front door.

"Tia?!" I called out to her in a panic "Tia, que pasó?!" I didn't hear a response, all I heard was her squealing at whoever or whatever was at the front door. I dashed out of the kitchen to make sure she was alright. I stood there in absolute shock as my mind made sense of who I had just laid eyes on. Prince stood in the doorway with my aunt wrapping her arms around him like a family member she hadn't seen in 10 years. I was frozen, all I could do was stand there in bewilderment with a fat smile on my face.

"Ma! Ma stop, get off of him" Richy told his Mom in embarrassment as he peeled her off of him. Half of the family was laughing while the others stood in amazement. Prince's reaction was priceless. All he could do was politely pat her back as she squealed in delight. "It's Prince! It's Prince!" she kept shouting as I tried my hardest to hold back my laughter. Once Richy successfully got his mom to calm down I walked over to Prince and hugged him tight, still blown away that he was here...in the flesh...at my parents house...on Christmas Eve. Part of me wanted to cry but I kept it together. I quickly pecked his lips as we broke our embrace and I led him into the house as my entire family gawked at the two of us. We stood there awkwardly as everyone waited for me to say something.

"Oh yea, this is Prince" we all laughed in unison and I tried my best to introduce him to everyone individually. I knew there was no way he could possibly remember everyone and their names by one introduction, but we went down the line regardless. My Mom was over the moon to finally meet him in person, she was part of the reason I became a fan in the first place. My Dad was still very apprehensive about our relationship. He greeted him politely but it wasn't the reaction that I think either of us had hoped it would be.