Wanting You - Mandy Gonzalez X Chris Jackson - COMPLETED

28 - How We Met?

"So how exactly did you two meet and when did you become a thing." My dad asked. I'd told him this story before, at least twice but I figured he'd want to hear Chris's side as well.

"Okay, so when Adam dumped me two summers ago, I fell, cut my knee and blacked out. Four hours later Chris found me and helped me up, cleaned my wound and gave me money for a hotel room because I had nowhere to go. We both told each other we were actors and I said how I'd failed with Vampires and he mentioned to me about In The Heights. He told me they were looking for Latinas for the ensemble still." I told them. Chris continued on.

"I gave her the contact information and suggested she checked it out. I then left and went home to my wife and Douglas. I met Veronica in 2002 during our first reading of the show and she played Nina. The two of us fell in love, got married and had this monster." Chris ruffled Doug's hair as he giggled in response.

"Come January 2007 I was still moving from hotel to hotel and gave up on acting. I found the information card Chris had given me and decided just to have one more attempt. I met Lin the following day, you'll meet him later, he wrote and composed the show and plays Usnavi. I had an audition and didn't hear anything."

"So Lin hadn't told me Mandy auditioned despite me asking him every week for six months. We opened off-broadway and my wife Veronica fell very ill. A few days later we got the news that she only had a few weeks to live due to a very serious and large cancer that they couldn't get rid of. We both pulled out of the show and we spent her last three weeks as a family without worrying about the show at all. February 16th 2007 she passed away, almost five years after we first met, leaving me with our three and a half year old son."

"I was then offered the role of Nina in March after Veronica died, not knowing what had happened. Chris returned to the show for the final week and I got to watch him. I told him before the show that i had the role. He asked me if I had a place to live yet and I said no."

"Since I now had to look after myself and Doug off half the salary, I couldn't afford a sitter anymore for him. I made Mandy a deal of if she could watch Doug I the evenings while I worked then she could live at my place and stay in the spare room. And she thankfully accepted."

"Best decision of my life so far." I kissed his cheek and continued. "We had a few months of just chilling around. We got to know each other better, learnt about our past and everything like that. I bonded with Douglas loads and I felt a real connection. We became much more touchy with each other. We'd hug, hold hands, he'd kiss my forehead quite a bit but only as friends, or so I thought. I was beginning to get strong romantic feelings for him but kept it hidden, worried he didn't feel the same way."

"Except I did and just was to afraid to tell her. After losing my wife I was worried what she'd say about if I had moved on too quickly given it had only really been six months. We started rehearsals late August and the feelings grew stronger as I got to perform with her. We had so much fun and we supported each other throughout the whole process. Lin asked if I liked her and I admitted to him that I did. A week later we did our final rehearsal with just us and I kissed Mandy."

"There are three points in the show where we kiss. End of act one, beginning of act two and near the end of act two. In the rehearsals we never kissed because I didn't want to have to put it in so quickly when we had 6 months before opening. I knew he had the feelings for me that I had for him because I over heard their conversation about it."

"You did?"

"Of course I did. You know Lin cannot be quiet, and neither can you. Even if I tried to block you out I couldn't."

"Oh. That's kinda funny. Why didn't you say anything. I didn't want to be awkward so I just stayed quiet knowing you would ask me out eventually."

"Well I guess so. Anyway, when I kissed her I felt the fireworks and knew instantly that it wasn't just that I liked her. I loved her. We both increased the intensity and that's how it all started."

"The following week, I had a day off. Chris asked me to be his girlfriend officially, in the cutest way possible by making me a granola bowl with a fruit heart in it. Then he gave me a card and while I read it he changed, laid out a trail of confetti hearts and stood waiting for me. Finally I finished and saw the trail. I followed it and he asked me. And of course it said yes. Then he asked me out on a date and we've been together ever since."

"And I couldn't be happier. I love your daughter very much and she means the absolute world to me and to Doug, doesn't she buddy?"

I looked down as he looked up st me. "I have the best step-mama in the whole world." He knelt up and kissed my cheek before I kiss him back.

"And I love you both so much. You are the lights of my life and I couldn't be happier." I gave Doug a kiss on the top of his tight curly hair and gave Chris a peck on the lips.