One Night ✔️

Finale (pt.1)

SIENNA

9:15 a.m.

"Voy a reír (I am going to laugh)

Voy a bailar (I am going to dance)

Vivir mi vida! La la la la (Live my life)

Voy a reír (I will laugh)

voy a gozar (I will enjoy)

vivir mi vida!" (Live my life!)

I thought I'd only be hearing Marc Anthony's 'Vivir Mi Vida' on Sunday when it was cleaning day. But here I was on a Wednesday - the morning of graduation - listening to the upbeat dancing tune as I stirred from my heavy sleep. I rolled onto my stomach and folded my arms underneath my pillow, resting my head on top.            

The sun warmed my cheeks as it poured through my open blinds. I thought about going back to sleep for half an hour more, basking in this beautiful moment until I heard my bedroom door open. A few seconds later, Marc Anthony, along with my father's passionate singing voice flooded the room.

"Pa' qué llorar, pa' que sufrir. Empieza a soñar, a reír!" (For what to cry, for what to suffer? Start to dream, to laugh!) he sang joyously.

I shifted onto my side, looking up at the tall smiley man before me. He was swaying back and forth in his apron and red fuzzy pajama bottoms. I took in his messy hair and even messier apron splattered with what I hoped was his homemade waffle batter. My stomach growled.

"Buenos días, Mariposa."

I shot upright in my bed so quickly that I hit my arm on the headboard. A shooting pain traveled from my elbow and down to the tips of my fingers, leaving them feeling tingly.

"Huh??"

Only Joseph called me that name, and even so it wasn't often or ever that my dad was around to hear it. However, my surprise didn't faze him. He kept dancing, stepping in and out and side to side. It wasn't until he added in a fancy spin that I noticed he'd been holding a bouquet of flowers behind his back. Pale lavender peonies they were. I was more than awake now. My brows formed a confused frown as I rubbed my tender elbow.

"Are... are those for me?" I croaked.

He hummed in response.

I scooted to the edge of my bed as he extended his arm to me. There was a card tucked into the front of the vase and I graciously accepted both. Being careful not to hurt the flowers, I plucked the card out and set the lovely peonies on my bedside table after inhaling their beautiful scent. I looked up at my dad.

"Pa, what are these for?" I asked.

He didn't tell me, but instead smiled a knowing smile and shrugged before dancing his way out of my room and shutting the door. What a quirky man. I fiddled with the crisp white envelope, poking the corner of it at the palm of my hand. After a minute or two I flipped it over and read out loud starting with the name written on the front:

"Mariposa."

So that's how my dad knew. My heart skipped not one beat, but a few. A letter? From Joseph? I slowly raked my eyes over his slanted lines.

"I hope you slept well last night. My original plan was to call and spend the morning talking to you, but I wanted you to sleep in. Hence why I'm writing to you now. I've never written a letter before, so please try to keep your giggles and eye-rolls to a minimum. I'm watching you."

My lips quirked up into an amused smile as I read on.

"First, I want to start off by saying how proud I am to be able to call you my friend, as well as my girlfriend. I mean- how often is it that a guy manages to snag a girl whose insides are just as beautiful as her outside? I'll tell you how often: it only happens in books or movies.