someone like you (joel pimentel)

chapter four

• vanessa •

"Brandon! Your dad's going to be here any minute now!" I shouted, trying to find the three-year-old. "Brandon Isaiah Alvarez-Gomez!"

"Oh no!" I heard a small voice coming from the cupboard underneath the sink. Seconds later Brandon climbed out and rushed to his room.

"Your dad's already late, and we need to find your shoes," I told him while I walked into his room.

"Look!" Brandon smiled, holding his two sneakers in his hands. "I found them."

"Good job, bubba," I told him. "Let's put them on, and dad's going to be here really soon," I hope. I knew his Friday class ended at four, and it took twenty minutes to drive from campus to here, and it was almost five. And Joel told me to be ready by five thirty.

"That's dad!" Brandon shouted when we heard a knock on the door. I tightened his shoe, and stood up and went towards the door. I opened it, and Antonio was standing there.

"You're late," I told him.

"I'm sorry, I had to talk to the professor and he just wouldn't stop talking to me, then I had to stop for gas, and I saw this at the gas station," he handed me a bag. I gave him a look while I grabbed it from his hand, and looked inside. "Your favorite candy and I'm sorry for being so late— you look nice."

I looked down at my outfit, and then back at Antonio. "You said you needed to tell me something," I changed the subject. I glanced at my watch, it was exactly five.

"Right," He motioned into the apartment. I moved away letting him walk into my apartment. "Do you remember when I mentioned I was seeing someone?"

"Brandon told me about Juliana," I told him, letting him relax.

"You're not mad I didn't tell you first?"

I shook my head. "I mean, I was, but why should I be? You're happy, and Brandon likes her. But she's not going to be a jealous girlfriend that's really obsessed with the ex and your son's mother?"

Antonio laughed. "She's not, I hope. But she does want to meet you," Antonio paused. "Uh, your mother showed up at my parent's house last night."

"Dios mio."

"My mother wasn't happy," Antonio told me. Isabel was always like a second mother to me. She's still like a mother to me even after Antonio and I broke up. "I guess she's back because she wants to meet Brandon—"

"My dad stopped by earlier today. He wants me to see her, and with Brandon," I interrupted Antonio. "I'm not letting her meet our son. She had her chance when he was born, and every day since. He's almost four, and he's been fine without her in his life, and so have I."

"That's exactly what I was thinking."

"What if she stops by when your mom's babysitting?" I questioned. If she already went to the Gomez's house, what would stop her from going again?

"I wouldn't worry about that. My mom knows how you felt when your mother left, and she wouldn't let you go through that again or have to relive those memories. And the things my mom told her, ella no regresará."

"Dad!" Brandon came in running and jumping into his father's arms. "I missed you, this much," Brandon opening his arms as wide as he could.

"Are you ready to go, B?" Antonio asked.

"Duh!" Brandon smiled.

I loved watching Brandon and Antonio interact with each other. Antonio could have made a different decision and chose not to be in Brandon's life, but he chose to be in it. I didn't want to say it takes a real man to man up and be a parent, but I'm glad Brandon's father was Antonio. Because if it wasn't, I could've been in a different position than I am today. I'm glad Brandon has both; a mother and a father.

"¿Donde esta tu chaqueta?"

Brandon looked at me, "En tu cuarto, papi." He jumped off his father's lap and went to find his jacket.

"So, where are you going on your date?" Antonio questioned. I gave him a confused look. "You really think Tatiana wouldn't tell me? It might've slipped, but you know I hear everything."

"She's telling everyone that I finally said yes to a date," I responded. "But I think we're going to the carnival."

"You love the carnival," Antonio told me. "Just don't eat too much funnel cake," he laughed at the memory.

"It wasn't the funnel cake," I reminded him. "You deal with morning sickness and you find out real quick that it isn't always in the morning."

"Found my jacket!" Brandon said running back into the living room, handing it to me. I helped him put his jacket on and zipped it up. "Gracias."

"Is there anything I need to know for the week?" Antonio asked. "How's the potty training going?"

"Oh, he shouldn't need pull-ups, but sometimes accidents happen during the night. You'll have to remind him to go when he wakes up," I told him. For every two weeks that I have Brandon, Antonio has him for a week and two weekends. "He's also getting rid of a small fever, but you have some medicine at yours right?" He nodded. "If it goes up, dose him up, and he should be fine."

"Anything else?"

"Nope, I think that's it," I answered.

"Okay, I'll see you next Sunday?" I nodded, walking them to the door. "Oh, and V?" I hummed. "Have fun on your date tonight." And with that, Antonio was gone with Brandon.

It was an odd but calm quiet whenever Antonio had Brandon. I didn't hear Brandon's movies or videos playing in the background, or hearing Brandon's giggles whenever he was doing something he wasn't supposed to, and then his little "uh oh."

While I was packing my purse, there was a knock on the door, and I did a quick look in the mirror, pushing my hair behind my ears, and opened the door.

Joel was standing there, in mid-knock. I smiled. "For you," Joel told me handing me flowers. Carnations have always been my favorite flowers. Tatiana probably told him, or his friend.

"Thank you," I took them, and set them on the table beside the door. I'd put them in a vase later.

"Crap. I'm Joel, and— you probably already knew that."

"Vanessa," I introduced myself. We were meeting for the first time. We might have texted each other in the past couple of days, but this was the first time meeting in person.

"Are you ready?" Joel asked. I nodded, putting my purse over my body, grabbing my keys from the key holder.

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This is another filler chapter

this isn't edited and i didnt proofread, so I'm
sorry if it sucks. 🙃

So joel's in the story now!!
and the dates in the next chapter
😊

thoughts?