"Don’t be. Look, you know that dealing with your sexuality hasn’t been the easiest thing for me. But I think I’m getting better. And you know I think the world of Frankie. And Tanya’s getting older. I was way too uptight when you were Tan’s age-I don’t want to do that to her."
"Oh, Mom," was all I could say. "You were never that bad."
"Thank you for saying that," she smiled. "I was overprotective, though. Because of the accident."
"Hey, I was overprotective of myself." My voice dropped. "Yesterday, and today, are the only two times I’ve ever made love in a lit room with my shirt off."
"Oh, Honey," she said, and then looked at Frankie. "You’re a good man, Frankie Gutierrez. I’ve always known that. If I had to catch my daughter in bed with someone," she giggled, "I’m thrilled it was you. I mean that." Frankie just blushed. "Tan wants to come up and talk to you."
"OK," I said.
Mom left, and Tanya came right up and entered the room, looking sheepish. "I’m sorry I didn’t knock," she said, looking downcast.
"That’s all right. Sit," I pointed to the chair at my desk. Frankie and I were sitting on the bed. "Mom knows, but, outside of her, you should be the first to know, anyway."
"Yeah, since you predicted it back on Monday," Frankie laughed.
"Wait a minute, that’s right!" Tanya laughed. "You do like her!" she said to Frankie.
"I love her, actually," he said.
"And I love him, too," I said.
"Wow. That is so cool!" Tanya enthused. "Were you two just sleeping, or did you, uh…"
"Have sex?" I laughed. "Yes, we did. We did yesterday, too, but we managed not to fall asleep then."
"Wow!" Tanya said. "I can’t wait to tell Rosa!" she said, starting to stand up. Then she stopped. "Oh, well, I guess you’d rather tell Rosa yourself, Frankie? I almost forgot she was your sister," she giggled.
"No, that’s all right. Since you predicted it, you get to tell Rosa," Frankie laughed.
"COOL!" and she was out of the room.
I just looked at Frankie and laughed. "She’s almost as happy about this as I am," I said.
"You’d better watch out. I think her and Rosa are going to start looking for those bridesmaid’s dresses any time now," he laughed.
"I’ll have to tell her that I’d kinda like to go to college first," I giggled.
"Good plan."
Just then, Mom showed up. "Uhm, guys? You need to go to Frankie’s house, OK?"
"What’s up?" Frankie asked.
"Well, when Tan told Rosa what was up, I guess she screamed ‘Frankie and Cassie are in love? And they had sex?’ Right within earshot of your mother."
"Madre de dios," Frankie said with a smile. I grinned back. I knew all about he and Rosa’s code word.
"So, your Mom got on the phone, asked for me, and then told me that she’d like to talk to the two of you."
"Oops," Frankie said. "So, shall we go face my mother-and kill Rosa while we’re at it?"
"Yeah," I laughed.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE FRANKIEWe walked over to my house. Tanya tagged along, apparently hoping for some fireworks.
Rosa saw us coming and opened the door. "Madre de dios!" she said with a big grin.
"You, little sis, are dead meat. Fajita filling. Sliced and diced."
"I’m sorry, Frankie," she said, "I forgot Mama was there."
"It’s OK," I said. We walked into the kitchen to find Mama. She was working on the supper. She looked up, and gazed upon us with a stern expression. "Hi, Mama. You wanted to see us?"
"Si," she said. "So, you finally woke up, eh?"
"Huh?" I said.
"You two. You finally woke up. You two were made for each other." She looked at me. "I was wondering when you were going to figure it out, el stupido." Then she looked at Cassie. "You, too. You think I don’t see? You live right over there. Your sister is in my home all the time. You think I don’t see your boys? Like that one last year, that pendejo you wasted six months on." I was shocked-Mama never cursed! "And you," she looked back at me. "All those flighty little girls. Always looking for the one, when she was four doors down all the time. I don’t interfere, but I wondered if you two would ever wake up." Then she smiled, walked over to Cassie, kissed her on the cheek, and said, "Welcome to the family."
"Thank you," Cassie managed to get out. I think she was in shock. I know I was.
"What?" Mama said to me, seeing the expression on my face. "You think I’m shocked? You think I brought you over here for a lecture?" I nodded. "Feh. I know everything. You and Rosa, with that ‘madre de dios’ stuff, you think I don’t know?" I just looked at her. She smiled. "Why do you think I keep saying it, every time sex comes up? To give you two more ammunition." She looked at me. "I was brought up in a different world, it’s true. Your grandparents are very traditional, you know that. But I know the world my children are living in, and it’s different. I wasn’t ever really worried about what you were doing, it was who you were doing it with. Frankie, you’re my firstborn, mi bambino. And I watched you falling all over yourself over the likes of Renee Boddicker. I wanted to barf. She wasn’t worthy of you." She smiled at us. "But you two together, that’s what I’ve been hoping for. Cassie, now she is worthy of my firstborn son. Just don’t let the little ones see all that ‘madre de dios’ going on, OK? And I want grandbabies from the two of you, but not now!"
I cracked up laughing. "You don’t have to worry about that!"
"Good. Now, go! Get out of here. Eddie Bauer called and told me to tell you that the gang is going to The Burger Hut if you wanted to come. Go. Go celebrate with your friends." She leaned over to me and dropped her voice. "And I’ll prepare your father. He’s much more old fashioned than I am," she grinned.
I laughed, stood up, and hugged her. "Thanks, Mama. You’re the best."
Cassie and I left the kitchen hand-in-hand and walked through the living room like that, through the "Ooohhhhh!" comments from Rosa and Tanya. Then we headed out to the Burger Hut.
"Wow. Who woulda thunk it?" I said.
She laughed. "I like this. Think about it. We got together because we wanted to-but we’ve managed to make everybody around us happy about it. That’s pretty cool, huh?"
"Yeah, that is very cool."
" Although," she added, "I think we now have to worry about your mother looking for her mother-of-the-groom dress. I almost swallowed my tongue when she started talking about grandbabies!
I laughed. "You think we should get tee shirts made up that say ‘Shut up, we’re going to college first?’"
"That might be a good idea," she grinned. "Frankie? Tell me something. Why does it seem like we’ve been together forever, and not just a couple of days?"
"Because we’re comfortable with each other. We always have been. The only thing that’s really new is the chemistry between us. And, looking back, I think that might have always been there, but we were willfully ignoring it. At least I was."
"Good point, and I think I was, too," she said. "I guess your mother was right about that."
"Well, since you’re now a member of the family and all, you’ll have to understand something. My mother is often right. Infuriatingly so at times, but she’s often right."
She laughed. "Yeah, your mother, and my sister!"
We got to the Burger Hut, and walked in, hand-in-hand. We went up to the counter and ordered, got our food, then wandered into the dining room.
"Frankie! Over here!" Lily yelled. She waved us on over to where the whole gang had commandeered a table. We walked over hand-in-hand. I could see the questions on some of their faces.
"Hey, where were you? Your mother didn’t know, so we didn’t know if you’d show up," Ed asked.
"We fell asleep," I said.
"We?" Lily asked.
"Well, we fell asleep in my bed, so I hope I was there," Cassie grinned.