I grind my teeth and wrinkle my forehead. There's no way in hell that Julie is Antonio's niece. How is that even possible? Why her of all people?

"Do you know each other?" My mom asks while looking between us.

Unfortunately... I think.

"Yeah. We actually have a class together..." Julie responds with a simple nod. She left out the part where she also dated Diggy, lied to him about having his baby, and tried to sleep with Jake but, you know, who's keeping track of all that?

"Oh, okay," my mom replies with a pleasant grin. "How nice! Well, it looks like we might be family now."

"Yeah... looks like it..." Julie replies in a regretful tone. She scratches her head and then awkwardly looks to the side.

After everyone greeted one another, the hotel venue manager showed everyone their spots up front and the wedding rehearsal finally began. Even though the focus was supposed to be on my mom and Antonio, I couldn't stop thinking about Julie's presence at this private event.

An hour later, rehearsal was finished. My mom stated that everyone - except the Pastor who had another engagement - would meet at the restaurant down the street from the hotel for our dinner reservation. It would be a private room, so it should be cozy and casual.

"No need to dress up. Just come as you are and let's celebrate and get to know each other!" My mom exclaims to all the wedding guests with a smile.

As soon as the rehearsal was finished, I wanted to leave the venue super quickly, but of course, Antonio had to stop and talk to his brother while my mama had to talk to Julie's mom. As the other wedding party people slowly trickled out, it was only us who were left behind. Wanting to avoid talk, I whip out my cell phone and pretend to be busy on it.

"You moved here recently, right?"

"Yes. A couple of months ago," Teresa confirms, her daughter Julie also on her cell phone showing only her side profile.

"How do you like New York City? Gotten used to the weather yet?"

"It is a bit too cold for my taste, but it gives me an excuse to whip out my new coats," Teresa chuckles while referring to her expensive-looking attire.

"Ooh, this is a nice coat. Where did you get it from?"

Our moms chat randomly about fashion as me and Julie keep it chill and distant. Just how I like it...

***

~Later, Rehearsal Dinner~

The private dining hall was a bit chilly, so I decided to keep my coat on for a little bit at least until most of the guests arrived. There was still around 20 minutes before the dinner was scheduled to start. Antonio and mama were chatting with their coworkers near the other end of the table and taking pictures. Their two empty seats sat to my right. To my left was Mrs. Justine and Mr. Joe who were glancing over the restaurant's menu. Then, the door to the private dining room open and in walked Javier, Teresa, and Julie. Antonio instantly greeted them with warm hugs like he didn't just see them 30 minutes ago, then showed them to their seats which were conveniently placed across the table from my spot. Great.

I sighed at their appearance - most of my frustration was aimed at Julie. I see enough of her at school, and now she's pooling into my family life too? It's like I can't catch a break. So my mom wouldn't call me out for being rude, I quickly shook hands with Julie's parents then sat down and wrapped my coat tighter around my body. It had started snowing again when we left the hotel, and this private dining area was lined with windows. I guess that's why it's a bit chillier.

Mrs. Justine must've noticed my shivering and rubbed my back. "Sam, are you cold?"

I nod my head.

"Zip your coat up, if so. Hopefully, you'll warm up once we start eating..."

"You two seem very close, like a mother and daughter," Teresa says with an envious smile.

"Oh, she is like a daughter to me. I've been watching her since she was a baby since her and my son grew up together. We're all pretty close."

"That's so nice. I wish my daughter let me take care of her... sometimes she doesn't even let me touch her," Teresa replies while looking at Julie, who is avoiding eye contact.

"Oh, that's how teenagers are sometimes. You gotta give 'em space when they want it, but they'll come around. As long as they know you care about them, they'll eventually show you that same love back..."

Teresa considers her response before talking. "Those are some words of wisdom."

"I have a lot of experience raising six kids... each of them show their affection differently, but the feeling's all the same."

"Six kids?! Wow! Sometimes I can't even handle one," Teresa chuckles then rests her hand on Julie's arm. "Just kidding. You're not too bad."

"Thanks, mother..." Julie sarcastically replies.

"Oh, I'm sure your daughter doesn't cause any issues. She seems very respectful," Mrs. Justine claims with a grin. Julie shyly accepts the compliment. She's oddly quiet tonight, but I don't care.

"We raised her right," Javier adds in. His posture is upright and flawless; he gives me that feeling of someone who doesn't play around too much. He seems pretty serious. "As long as she maintains her good grades and gets into Juilliard, we won't have any issues. If she does her part, then we'll support her."

"Wow, Juilliard? That's great!" Mrs. Justine positively remarks. "What kind of arts are you interested in?"

"Dance..." Julie replies.

"Oh, you like dancing?" Antonio asks while he and my mom take their seats beside me. Guess they've finished talking to their friends. "That's so cool. I'm guessing you didn't get that talent from your dad though."

"Ooh, how did you know?" Teresa answers for Julie as both adults chuckle.

"Didn't think so. Javier might've been athletic growing up, but he was a horrible dancer," Antonio says with a chuckle.

"Eh, whatever..." Javier replies.

"So, Julie, it's nice to see you again. You probably don't remember me at all. The last time I saw you, you were the size of a loaf of bread," Antonio reminisces. "Now you're 18 and ready to take over the world."

"Yeah," Julie awkwardly chuckles.

"I'm so glad that you're here and healthy. Hopefully, after this weekend, we can spend a little more time together as uncle and niece, you know, whenever you have free time."

"Okay." Julie nods and grins.

"Great! So how's school by the way? Do you like it?" Antonio makes small talk with Julie for a couple of minutes, asking her the typical round of questions that adults like. How's school? And what do you like to do? What's your favorite class? And blah, blah, blah. It's annoying, but I can see that Antonio is really trying to make an effort with his niece. It's still super weird that SHE of all people is his niece. It really is a small world.

I check the time on my phone, waiting for this dinner to start so I can eat. I'm always gang for a free meal! It was five minutes until 5pm and all of the guests had arrived and found their seats at the long table. All except Diggy and his siblings.

Diggy's POV

I arrive at the restaurant just five minutes before the dinner starts, which is technically on time, but to the adults, it's late. I would've gotten here earlier but the traffic is crazy after 4pm. Plus, Russy and Miley were trying to play video games for as long as they could before I forced them to leave. My siblings follow me into the private dining area where we're met with friendly faces.

"There they are!"

"Ah, the stragglers..."

"Take a seat," my mom directs me, Russy, and Miley to the three open chairs beside her.

I quickly find a seat near the end of the table, feeling a whole bunch of eyes on me. I glance around the table and nod my head towards Sam's mom and Antonio, then greet the strangers to my left with a polite smile. My mom introduces us as her children as it's made known to us the names of Antonio and Mrs. Martha's coworkers. Everyone says their greetings and takes their attention off of me. As I settle in my chair, my gaze goes toward the other end of the table, where I see an oddly familiar face sitting next to a Caucasian woman and a Hispanic man. I furrow my eyebrow at the realization.

The woman glances my way and blinks a few times in recognition. "Hey-- I think I've seen your son before, Justine."

My mom looks a bit surprised at the woman. "Oh, really? Which one?"

"Your oldest," the woman says, squinting at me for what feels like the longest time. But it didn't take me that long to finally realize who she was...

"Oh, Teresa, you know what? My son Diggy also goes to Wesley High as well," my mom reveals.

Teresa gasps while covering her mouth. "Oh! Daniel? Is that you? Julie's boyfriend."

My mouth becomes dry at this sudden revelation. What is Julie's mom doing here? No... what is Julie doing here? Does she know Antonio somehow? I glance at Julie who looks wide-eyed with embarrassment at her mom's words.

"EX-boyfriend, mother..." Julie quickly whispers to her mother. The entire table grows a bit awkward. My parents and brother all glance at me in surprise; Russy gives me a smirk.

"I thought you looked familiar. You two broke up? That's so unfortunate... you were such a great young man for Julie--"

"Mom--"

I hear a chuckled snort come from my side of the table... that had to be from Sam, for sure. I grit my teeth and brush off her reaction.

The man who I realize to be Julie's dad sits up in his chair, eyeing me. I only met him once, but his demeanor feels a bit more intimidating than I remember. "Daniel. Nice to see you again. How ironic that we're meeting this way... you seem to be close with my brother's family so looks like we'll be like family after all. And I'm not sure what happened between my daughter and you--" he glances at my dad for a quick second, "But that's your business. I hope to get along well in the future."

"Me too, sir," I reply with a dry throat. This conversation is super awkward, but Mr. Martinez is taking this better than I thought he would. I don't know why, but I kinda expected him to be a bit angry with me after learning that things ended between me and Julie. I know how protective dads can get over their daughters. Plus, he was super welcoming when I had dinner with them one time; he even called me "son". But then again, why should I feel bad? Julie's the one that broke up with me and lied about multiple things. I didn't do anything wrong. I wonder if her parents know that?

"I'm not too familiar with my son's relationship with your daughter, Javier," my dad speaks up, "But best believe that I think we all want nothing but cool vibes, you feel me? We're here to celebrate the marriage between Martha and your brother Antonio - who I've grown closer to over the last month. He's great people, and you and your family seem to be as well, Javier."

"Thank you very much for saying that and for reminding me of why we're here," Mr. Martinez replies with a confident grin. He relaxes back in his chair as some of the tension dissipates. I glance at Julie but her eyes are on her plate. "It's also Valentine's Day weekend, and my wife and I's anniversary tomorrow. This should be a weekend of celebration for everyone."

"Oh, it's your anniversary tomorrow?" My dad asks in surprise.

Antonio butts in. "Yeah. It's a tradition in our family--"

"Oh, right! I think I remember you mentioning that."

Antonio nods and smiles. "Yep. That's why Martha and I chose tomorrow for the wedding date. February 14th is very meaningful to my family, and I just want to say how happy I am that everyone is here to celebrate this occasion with us. I know tomorrow's a holiday that some of us would want to spend with our husbands, or wives, or girlfriends, or boyfriends, or loved ones--"

"That is those who aren't single..." One of Antonio's friends interrupts. The adults chuckle.

"Yes. That sucks for you haha. But seriously, thank you for being here everyone. I also wanna wish my brother and his wife a happy early anniversary! I know mom and dad would be proud to see how far you've come"

"Thank you, Antonio," Mr. Martinez replies.

"Alright? Let's order some food should we?" Antonio asks with a clap of his hands.

***

SAM's POV

Everyone ordered their food and was chowing down for a good ten minutes. The meal was super fancy with a variety of meat, vegetable, and potato options. It was pretty chill for the most part since everyone's head was down in their plates -- until Julie's parents started being curious.

"So... Sam, you and Julie will be like cousins now. Won't that be fun?" Julie's mom enthuses but I'm not really impressed. "And you're around the same age and go to the same school. What a coincidence. It'll be so nice to have another girl around her age in the family. She's an only child," Julie's mom spills. "Do you have any siblings, Sam?"

"Nope."

"Ah! You're an only child as well? How nifty! You two already have so much in common." Teresa smiles at Julie who chugs down her glass of soda.

"So, Sam, I hear you're also a senior at Wesley High. How do you like it?" Julie's dad, Javier, asks me.

"It's cool..." I shrug while sipping on my drink.

Javier grins, seeming to expect more from my answer. After a few seconds of silence, he speaks. "Interesting.  So after graduation, do you have any big plans? Are you going to college?"

I sigh internally. "Uh, yeah. I'm going to UCLA to play basketball."

"Oh, UCLA is great. You play basketball as well?" Javier asks, looking surprised.

"Sam is the captain of the varsity girls' basketball team at school. She's been playin' for four years," my mom adds to our conversation.

Julie's parents look surprised. Javier replies, "Oh, really? I used to play basketball in high school. Point guard. Couldn't get anything past me."

I nod, acting like I'm interested in his old stories.

"Oh, yeah. My brother was really good. Could've gone professional if he wanted," Antonio adds while picking up his glass to drink.

"But I had more practical plans for my life... I went to business school and started my own company," Javier says with a grin at his brother. "Little bro eventually followed after me years later. I think he realized playing sports isn't a real career."

Oop. Oh, no he didn't. Seems like I wasn't the only one who found his comment shocking since other guests at the table turned their heads toward our conversation.

"You don't think playing sports is... practical?" I challenged Javier, using his own words.

I felt a few stares towards me as Javier grabbed his wine glass, swirling the red liquid around in the cup. He chuckles and tilts his head. "Well, if you really want to know my opinion, no. It's fun, of course. It's a nice skill to have - to be athletic, right? But I think our father would've enjoyed his boys having a career that involved using your mind and your intelligence to make things happen versus using your body."

"Come on. Do you really believe that?" Antonio asks. I guess he's surprised at his brother's opinion too. I mean, how can he say sports isn't a real career when he played basketball himself?

"I mean, hear me out. There's a small percentage of players who are actually good enough to go pro. And even if you do make it professionally, the industry is so unpredictable--"

"Okay, Javier. You don't have to explain," his wife, Teresa, butts in. She pats his arm looking a bit embarrassed.

"No, let me finish. Unlike business or finance, which is all about facts and figures. The numbers don't lie. If you know what you're doing, you could easily make a couple hundred thousand in one year--"

"You can make thousands a year with sports too if you're good enough," I reply, not agreeing with his logic.

"But at what cost? Having a body injury like Antonio's and never being able to do major physical activities ever again?" Javier shakes his head. "I'll stick with using my brain."

A few mumbles and chuckles were heard from the wedding guests. This guy is really doggin' sports like it's not a legitimate career. Plus he trying to say that athletes are stupid? Heck nah.

"You use your brain in basketball, too. Honestly, I'd rather be on a court all day thinking up playbooks than be stuck in an office cubicle with bad posture and carpal tunnel..." I respond, which gets a few chuckles around the table. Javier smirks at my remark and takes a sip of his wine. Julie makes eye contact with me for a second, looking like a deer in headlights before looking down at her plate of food. I glance at my mom and sit up straighter in my seat as I try to challenge Javier.

"Just because you're not sitting in an office from 9 to 5 doesn't mean you don't have a legitimate career. Anything can be a career as long as you're good at it and you're happy," I say while crossing my arms matter-of-factly.

"Can I also say..." Diggy speaks up from the other end of the table as heads turn. "I play varsity basketball too, and I've always wanted to play basketball since I was little. I'm good at it and I enjoy it. Sometimes it's just that," he shrugs. "It's not always about the money..."

"That's true," Diggy's dad agrees. "Sometimes all you need is a certain passion for what you're doing and you can make anything into a career."

A few of the guests nod along in agreement, quietly mumbling amongst themselves. I feel good that someone else has my back in this discussion.

"Well... if you say so," Javier responds in defeat. "I suppose I just like to live traditionally. This new generation of young people are just... different..."

"Different isn't always bad, sir..." Diggy speaks up, surprising me and Julie who give him a glance filled with pride and surprise. He better let him know! I swear some old folks think their way is always the right way, and they never think that we know anything. Just because we found new ways of living our lives doesn't mean that it's wrong.

"And on that note, could we stop the sports talk? I feel like we just watched an episode of ESPN, am I right?" Julie's mom comments with a forced laugh. Her joke was dry since no one else laughed along with her.

"Yeah. Let's change the subject before things get too carried away," Antonio says with that same old signature grin. "I do have to say, Sam and Diggy made some good points though." He gives me a head nod of support, causing me to grin.

"They sure did," my mama agrees. "So if we're done talking about sports, let's talk about dessert. Who's ready for some sweet treats?"

***

Everyone had finished their main meal and started on their desserts. There was cheesecake, gelato, pies, and cakes around the table, everyone digging into whatever their preference was. Everyone was lightly chatting when Antonio tapped his fork against his wine glass and stood to his feet. Everyone looked at him and became silent as he prepared to make a toast.

"Could I get everyone's attention? First of all, thank you all for coming out tonight to celebrate the union between Martha and I." Antonio sends a sweet smile to my mom as she blows him a kiss. "Where should I start? Over a decade ago, I was introduced to Martha through some of my work buddies who are here tonight and who I'm grateful to consider my friends."

His group of coworkers sitting at the other end of the table start playfully hooting and hollering at the mention of themselves. 

"Without them, I don't think I'd have to courage to say hello and then eventually ask Martha out on a date. My first impression of Martha was that she was a beautiful, hard-working woman who took her job very seriously. I had seen her a couple of times in the company building walking around with a certain confident, focused energy. One glance at her and most people may find her intimidating..."

"Where is this going?" My mom asks with a little sass in her voice, causing the guests to chuckle. Antonio peers down at her seated form and smiles.

"...but deep down, once you get to truly know her, you'll find that she's the kindest, sweetest, most caring woman that you'll ever meet."

"Ah, that's what I like to hear," my mama states in satisfaction.

"I could ramble on about how she's funny, and a great cook, and an even better mother but I'll just say this: I'm super grateful that you were brought into my life because ever since I've met you, my days have only gotten brighter."

"Aww..." Mrs. Justine looks like she's about to cry as she grabs Mr. Joe's hands.

"That's so beautiful, Antonio," Teresa remarks with a hand over her heart and a smile.

Antonio faces my mother, grabs her hand, and gently kisses it. "I love you, Martha. Forever and always."

"I love you, Antonio," she replies with a shaky voice. As they kiss each other, everyone gives them a round of applause.

"I'm also feeling very happy that my older brother is here," Antonio continues. I haven't seen him since high school... wow. It's been too long. We were always together back then. He played basketball and I played football. We liked talking about sports, we trained together at the gym, and just did what brothers do. We horsed around... me more often than him." Soft chuckles filled the room. "He was always so focused and knew what he wanted. I admired that about Javier. I wanted to be like him when I grew up. Strong, personable, intelligent, a go-getter. I know this weekend is supposed to be about me and Martha, but I just wanted to say how grateful I am to see my brother here with his wife and my niece. I love you all."

Javier raises his glass and nods. "Thank you, brother."

***

Half an hour passed as everyone went around and shared their stories about Antonio and my mother...

"As a kid, Antonio, or Tony as I called him, always followed me around everywhere," Javier shared. "He did what I did, ate what I ate, wanted to wear the exact same outfits as me. And who could blame him because look at me!" Guests chuckle. "Back then it was kinda annoying to have your little brother copying you... but now I feel honored that he looked up to me so much..."

The group of coworkers shared their impressions of Antonio and my mom, cracking jokes about how they'd overhear them flirting in the break room and taking lunches together. Apparently, their chemistry was the talk of the town at work. Later, Mrs. Justine shared her experience as my mom's best friend and how they'd always fantasize about marriage...

"I always had high hopes that Martha would find her true soulmate, someone who was sensitive to her needs, open and honest, and a true family man. And I believe she found that in Antonio," Mrs. Justine remarks. "Although her first marriage ended sooner than expected, I believe that God is a god of second chances. And this is her second chance at true love and true unionship with her life partner!..."

***

After the speeches were over, there was a slideshow of old pictures of my mom when she was growing up as well as of Antonio when he was younger. Pictures of family and parents who had passed away, school pictures, church choir pictures, birthdays, basketball games - you name it. It's always so weird seeing old pictures of adults. It's like I forget that they lived entirely different lives before I came into the picture. One thing I noticed is that there were no pictures of my dad on the slideshow, just my mom. I mean, why would he be on there? We haven't spoken to him in four years. He's the one that tore the family apart and broke mom's heart. Still... I guess I wanted to see any pictures of them smiling together and acting like a family.

"Sam, you okay?" My mom's voice shakes me from my thoughts.

"Huh?" I look at her in confusion.

"I said do you wanna go grab the goodie bags and pass them out to everyone while we sort out the gifts?" She asks with a smile.

"Um, sure," I reply, awkwardly standing to my feet as Teresa, Mrs. Justine, and the coworkers hand over their nicely wrapped gift boxes toward my mom and Antonio's side of the table. There were around seven gifts from everyone. I spotted the goodie bags in the corner of the room and picked up the cardboard box they sat inside of. There were bags for at least 13 people, and they were filled with snacks, gift cards, and other random necessities. I easily passed it to every single person then sat back down in my seat.

After my mom and Antonio unwrapped their wedding gifts, it was time to take some pictures before everyone left. My mom and Antonio stood against the wall of the private dining area and smiled as the guests took their pictures with happy looks on their faces.

"Sam, you get in there too!" Mrs. Justine insisted. I hesitantly got to my feet and strolled over to my mom to take a picture.

"Okay. Now Javier, Teresa, Julie, let's all take one together like a family," my mom suggested which made me feel icky inside. It's gonna take a long while before I consider those three to be anywhere close to family. I just got used to Antonio living with us and taking up space. I'm sorry, but Javier and his family can go on somewhere. I'm not looking for no aunties or uncles.

The guests snap several pictures before Teresa says: "Could I just get one with Julie and Sam? I'm just so excited to have gained a new niece!"

The adults walk away from the wall, leaving just me and Julie awkwardly standing there with a gap of space between us. We don't make eye contact; we just look into Teresa's camera and wait for the light to flash.

"Get a little closer," she chuckles. "Act like you like each other. You're cousins now."

Yeah... cousins... so fun...

Next, my mom, Antonio, and Diggy's family stood against the wall to take a picture -- and of course, they had to call me up there once again. I was perfectly fine sitting in my chair. They decided on kids in the middle and adults on the outside, so I had to stand with Diggy on my left, Russy on his left, and Miley in the front since she was the smallest. I wasn't thinking about Diggy one bit today until now. The feeling of distance between us felt even greater after not speaking with him for a couple of days. We haven't spoken since we played bowling at the arcade last week and Dana had all that stuff to say about me and Jake. Maybe I should forget about it, maybe I'm overreacting, maybe it's not a big deal, but I'm upset! He didn't defend me at all. What kind of friend is that?

"Say cheese!"

The flash of camera lights blinds me as I force a smile...