Unveiling Love

Chapter Seven

After lunch and an hour into shopping I already had everything I needed. Ivy was having such a great time that I let her lead the way through the mall. She stopped in almost every, single store. It wasn't until we'd stopped to get a Cinnabon that she nearly gave me a heart attack. 

"So, you've liked Sandro since you were thirteen years old, right?"

I took a deep breath and blew out slowly, trying to gain courage I didn't seem to have. "I had a crush on him, of course. I was very boy crazy, as I'm sure you remember."

"Oh, I remember. I thought Dad was going to tie you up and lock you in the basement," she said, laughing. 

"The year I turned eighteen you all came home for Christmas and you brought Sandro with you, I think that was the year I actually fell in love with him."

Ivy spit her drink out all over the table. All of a sudden, there were about twenty people giving us dirty looks. "Mind your business, people! I'll clean it up!" She shouted. She ran up to the kiosk and ran back with some wet paper towels. She sat back down after throwing them away and looked at me like I was crazy. "In love?" she asked, dumbfounded. 

"That's what I said."

"Does Sandy know this?" she demanded. 

I grimaced. "He does. He doesn't want anything to do with me though, but Ivy if I tell you something, I need you to swear a sister-oath that you will never tell a soul as long as you live."

Her eyes widened. "I swear to you on our sister bond!"

"Sandro kissed me on my twentieth birthday."

Her mouth fell open and then nothing. She was looking at me, but not really seeing me. She abruptly stood up and yelled, "What?"

"Oh my gosh, Ivy! Sit down! People are looking at us again!"

She fell back down into the chair and whispered, "He kissed you?!"

"Yes."

Her head fell forward and landed on the table with a thud. I glanced around to the curious eyes surrounding us. "She's fine," I announced. 

"Rosa," she murmured. "What in the world are we going to do with you?" She sat up and looked at me. "You can't date him, Rose. He's practically old enough to be your father."

"That's extremely dramatic! He's only fourteen years older than me."

"Rosa! Fourteen years! That's an insane number."

"But what about Mom and Dad? He's eleven years older than her!"

"But you're only twenty-two," she fired back.

"Mom was twenty-two when she met Dad."

"Dang-it, would you stop?"

"Ivy, I'm an adult. I believe in love. I believe I love Sandro. Can you please just let me figure this out without being negative? Can you please support me and then if things don't end the way I hope, love me through my heartbreak? I know what I want and even if you don't think it's best, I'm old enough to do whatever it is anyway. But I really don't want to do anything without your blessing, or at least your understanding."

She sat back and let out a huff. "I'm just shocked right now, I guess. I knew you had a crush on him, but I had no idea it was this serious. And I sure as heck didn't know he kissed you. I can't believe he never told me!"

"I need to remind you that you swore you wouldn't tell," I said quickly.

She nodded. "I know, and I really will keep it between us. I don't want you to get hurt. You're my baby sister, so the thought of your heart breaking already breaks mine. But I also understand needing to figure things out on your own. I was a lot like you when I was your age. I also left Ohio and chased a guy to Colorado." She grinned at the memory. 

"So, you won't try to stop me?" I asked.

"I won't stop you. I don't know that I can give my blessing, but I absolutely understand."

"Thanks, Ivy," I said as I leaned over the table to hug her.