A bit of time had passed since the incident in Malibu. Andrea had been on edge for the past month and a half, and it had been affecting her time with Joba. This trauma that she had to deal with before was always in the back of her mind, and he could feel the change in her. He didn't want to be insensitive and so he just did his best to be there for her.
Part of him felt really bad that she didn't feel safe with him. He knew she couldn't help it, that it was her subconscious freaking her out, but he wanted to do everything in his power to make her comfortable. If he could take the pain away, he would.
They had spent some time together, but she was pretty closed off and had been spending the majority of the past few weeks to herself. She needed time to process and reevaluate her life. Joba didn't want to push her because he knew this was difficult for her, so he stepped back to let her figure it all out.
The apartment was getting even more lonely because Alicia and Matt were leaving for Miami. Matt was pretty nervous because he didn't know what to expect from Alicia's family. She hadn't told him much about them and he wasn't sure what to do. He wanted to be himself, but he wanted them to like him. He knew how important her family was to her.
He was specifically worried about meeting her dad. The two fo them were really close and he knew it was important to have his support. He was also really excited to learn more about her culture. Alicia was really proud of her heritage and how she was brought up. She loved everything about Miami and would still be living there if she could, but she had better career opportunities in LA.
Andrea hugged Alicia and Matt before they left to LAX. Alicia signaled for Matt to keep going and stopped to face Andrea.
"Are you sure you're gonna be okay alone, Andrea?" Alicia said, a worried look in her eyes.
Andrea nodded slowly "I have Joba and I'm getting a bit stronger each day so." Alicia hugged her tightly. Alicia often felt gulity for not coming to Malibu and saving Andrea, but she didn't exactly have the funds or the time. Plus, Andrea barely spoke about any of that to her at the time.
"You should invite Joba over today, I bet he misses you. And I'm pretty sure you miss him too." Alicia said smirking as Andrea rolled her eyes.
"Goodbye, you're gonna be late." Andrea said, chuckling as Alicia smiled and turned around.
Andrea closed the door behind, debating on whether she should call Joba. She did love his company and he could make her laugh in an instant. But she couldn't ignore the voice deep in her head, saying that Joba was capable of becoming Cody. She didn't want the image of hime to be ruined.
-
Landing in Miami was like a breath of fresh air for Alicia. She was so excited to see her family. It had been almost 2 years since she had seen them in person. She waited at the baggage claim impatiently, tapping her foot.
"Babe, calm down. We'll see them soon." Matt chuckled, wrapping his arms around her from behind. He rested his chin on the top of her head and his arms on her shoulders. She intertwined her fingers with his, leaning against his frame.
"Sorry, I guess I'm anxious. I've never brought a guy home." Alicia admitted, biting her lip nervously.
"Never?" Matt asked, pulling away. Alicia turned to face him, shaking her head.
"No, I never felt like they were worth introducing. I've never felt like this before."
Matt smiled widely, lifting her chin and pecking her lips lightly. He was in love with her and whenever she reassured him that she felt the same, it made him breathe a sigh of relief.
"That made me kinda nervous."
"Listen, it's gonna be fine. They're gonna love you. Plus, we're in Miami so now I can unironically call you papi." She joked, poking his sides and making him chuckle.
"I just don't want them to be disappointed."
"My dad is literally already obsessed with you. Just be yourself, they'll love you."
Their luggage finally came down the carousel. Matt grabbed their suitcase and dragged it behind him as they walked out to the airport pickup. Alicia scanned the different cars, smiling widely when she saw her dad texting away in the drivers seat.
She ran up to the car, Matt walking a bit behind her. She attacked her dad with a huge hug, screaming excitedly. Matt finally walked up, watching as the two exchanged words in Spanish. He was completely out of his element but he smiled politely.
"Dad, this is Matt." she smiled sheepishly, gesturing towards Matt. He shook her dad's hand firmly, trying his best to not make a fool of himself.
"It's great to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about you." Matt said carefully, looking down at Alicia to calm himself down. He didn't know why he was this nervous. He was normally pretty chill in most situations.
"You too, man." Her dad laughed, slapping Matt's shoulder playfully and helping him put the suitcase in the trunk. Matt was sort of taken back by his demeanor but it instantly made him relax.
They hopped in the car, Matt sitting in the back as Alicia took the passenger's seat. It was Matt's first time in Miami, and both him and Alicia were silent as they watched the skyline as they drove down the highway.
She asked her dad something in Spanish, Matt doing his best to try and dissect what she was saying. He came up with nothing.
"We're gonna eat dinner on the beach since it's your first time here." Alicia smiled, turning back to face Matt.
Alicia messed with the radio, looking for music that was tolerable. She gave up, connecting her phone and shuffling her music library. They pulled up to the restaurant, parking against the curb and hopping out.
Alicia squealed as she realized that the rest of the family was at the restaurant as a surprise. She hugged them all, introducing everyone to Matt. The two took a seat at the end of the table next to her cousin, one of the people she was the closest to.
"If there's one scary person you have to impress, it's her." Alicia joked, squeezing his hand under the table.
"So, I remember the days Ali would joke about bringing a white guy home. Yet, here we are." Her cousin smirked, making Alicia's cheeks go red. Matt laughed loudly, instantly feeling at home with her family.
-
Andrea sat on the couch, munching on some grapes absentmindedly as she watched old episodes of The Office. The doorbell rang and she hopped up excitedly, expecting her Uber Eats. She opened the door to reveal Joba holding a beautiful bouquet of flowers.
Her heart warmed immediately, and she instantly felt guilty for blowing him off as much as she had been.
"Carebear, hey." she smiled, opening the door wider.
"I know flowers don't mean anything, but I missed you and I wanted you to know that I'm not that guy. I love you." Joba mumbled, setting down the flowers on the counter.
"I know you're not. I love you too." She blushed, wrapping her arms around his neck and smashing her lips against his.
They spent the rest of the night snacking away and watching the Office cuddled up on the couch in each other's arms.
