-Eleonora-

"Hello sweetie " Uncle Joe greeted me laughing my attention, I smiled giving him a bug hug

"Hi Uncle Joel" Uncle Joel was Julia's father, he was a very nice man and a wonderful uncle. He was a very free and happy soul since I remember, 7 years ago he changed a bit, he entered a depression after aunt Lauren died, he loved her very much and never was the same, however he is trying hard to be better, for his family specially for his father and his grandson, Charlie.

"So you married that big guy?" he questioned poiying at Blaze

"Seems like it" I smiled at my uncle

"He looks like a decent guy" he affirmed.

Does he?

"We have to test him"

"Be careful"

"I will only follow the rules"

"Hello kiddo!" Uncle James interrupted. Uncle James was a very funny figure, he was my aunt Paloma's 3rd husband. He was a very caring man but a bit...unintelligent, he was rich or so my aunt says and he is English, so whenever we are drinking a expresso he asks for tea and milk, this when my abuela is out, the first time he asked for a tea, my grandma attacked him with coffee beans.

I still can hear her in the back of my head shouting in Spanish that tea is for bastards, she kept saying he was a shit eater. "QUIERES TEA? TEA? COME MIERDA CABRÓN!TEA? DIOS MIO!"

I shook my head taking those images out of my mind

"Hi Uncle James!" I greeted kissing his cheeks "How was getting Nana at the airport"

"Loud" Uncle Joel laughed

"Very loud indeed" Uncle James agreed

"I imagine" I smiled. We gather in other table sitting down to eat.

"So..." my grandmother started "you, pendejo!" she called caughting Blaze attention " Do you like spice?" she questioned handing aunt Paloma the per-peri bottle, then to Lorena, and to Larissa finally reaching me. Peri-Peri or piri-piri, was a sauce that comes from chili peppers, is usually used as seasoning or marinade, it's very very spicy and very very known and eatable on this family.

I handed him the red bottle not even looking in his eyes "I never tried it, but I am willing to try" he said taking the tap of the bottle and pouring a big amount on his plate making me quickly grab the bottle out of his hand.

"Are you insane?" I whipered

"Elena!" my grandmother exclaimed from the top of the table making me put the red bottle on the table calmly. Everyone stood quiet to see Blaze reaction, which surprisingly was none.

"It's good! Is it homemade?" he questioned to my mother, she was about to answer when my grandmother stepped in

"It's a family recipe" she said

"Well it's very good!" he said giving a smile at my grandmother, near me and Blaze was my mother at the other end of the table she looked at me with widened eyes, as if asking me how the hell can he handle piri-piri.

Well, I don't know.

My grandmother hummed not very pleased I think "Why do you want to date her?" she questioned making Lorena and Larissa giggle "She is very small, no meat, just bones, no boobs or big ass, only works, bad losing temper, not serious, only jokes, doesn't like yogurt, eats with mouth open when watching the cartoons, rambles to herself and speaks when she shouldnt "

My grandmother is my 13th reason

"What is this? Are you asking him why he is married me or are convincing him to divorce me?"

"It's all trues" she said looking at me

"Oh my God grandma you are so-"

"Elonora!" My mother exclaimed making me shut up.

"So... Why?" my grandma asked while looking at Blaze, I sensed his eyes on me but I simply crossed my arms and pouted. I knew I wasn't perfect but there was no need to list all the my defects

"Well. I guess because I like her flaws, isn't that what love is?" he answered I looked at him dumbfounded, where the hell did he took that from "Loving your all of your partner even their flaws? Sometime it's hard butthat what makes love... Love. If it wasn't hard it would be not love but just adoration, love without devotion is nothing but a simple attachment."

My grandmother stood quiet, she hummed again nodding "ok, eat now" she simply said. I looked at him eating calmly

"Where the hell you took that from?"I asked him

"You told be me to prepare myself so I did. I never fail you know that" he answered subtly catching my eyes. That flaws conversation reminded me Blanca-

"It was Alfonso wasn't it?" I questioned him

"I am not telling you"

During the whole lunch my family kept throwing him questions, all sort of stupid questions, my granny just listened to his answers quietly...

How many chickens would it take to be able to kill a lion? I don't think chickens could ever kill a lion

If I asked you to take care of my piranhas, would you? I never did it, but I am willing to learn

If you could...What superpower would you choose? None, I think I would be a bad superhero

Who wins. Zorro or Batman? Zorro, Batman is nothing without money

You have 10 bucks with nothing to eat at home, what would you buy? Vegetables and some wine. I would make soup.

What's the best country in the world? None

If you were in a video game, would you cheat to level up? Yes, of course.

Is America great? No, I don't think it ever was

Where is Portugal? On the western point of Europe, next to Spain with a great entry for the Pacific.

Elton or Madonna? Elton

Favorite Singer? Dolly Parton

7x14? 98

After a cmplicated lunch, some of them gather to play cards like usual and politely asked Blaze to play to.

"Sientate maricón!" Uncle Joel exclaimed with a smile on "Let's play Sueca!"

"Oh come on! That's a though one!" I said, I know he doesn't know that game is a Portuguese game that grandad taught us, is very known that but not very worldwide, it's a harsh game that not everyone knows how to play and I bet Blaze and never even heard of that name before

"Mamá, que juego?" uncle joel asked Nana what game should they play

"Desconfío" my gramma said eyeing Blaze while he sat down

I reached behind him crouching to be at his level "It's the Bullshit game" I informed him

"If she ever doubts let her win and don't you ever say bullshit to her! " I warned him, he nodded with his cold face not really paying any attention to what I said

"Elenonora ! Let your husband and come play!" uncle joel said tapping the chair next to him. I took a deep breath and sat next to him, on my other side was uncle James and then Larrissa, Blaze and Lorena, Paloma was next near Julia and finally granny.

"Very well! You all know the rules right?" Paloma questioned making us all nod in synch "the best liar with no cards wins!" she said distributing the cards. We were in a round table playing with two decks, i was perfectly positioned to win, besides my uncle how he was a bit of a cheater and was right next to me, I have that I needed to be in front of him to see him lie... My competitive side is starting to show but I need to focus on Blaze.

The cards were given and Nana started followed by aunt Paloma

"More 2 Aces!" she said smiling while chewing her gum. The game carried on till with some loses and wins. Blaze didn't spoke much or my granny. The game was going pretty well or maybe I was already distracting in winning.

"One King!" Uncle Joel said. True.

"A king!" my grandmother said next. True.

"Three Kings!" My aunt Paloma cheered placing them in the center along the other cards. True

"One king." Lorena said placing the cars in the deck while wicking at Blaze

"One King" Blaze said... What? Wait a minute...

1+1+3+1=6, I have the other two kings and I know everyone told the truth... Mr.CEO is lying big time but is face didn't seemed like he was lying at all.

"Bullshit!" I exclaimed with a frown making 'o' sounds raise in the table.

"Your doubting your own husband?" James asked

"Are you sure of that?" Uncle Joel questioned laughing "Your going against your own husband?"

"This is not a team game" I informed my uncle

"Are you sure?" Blaze questioned raising an eyebrow

"Turn the card" I said looking at his hand holding the card.

He turned the card and there it was a big fat- King?

"How is that possible?" I asked roaming through the previous cards played, everyone was laughing at me

Lorena told the truth, Aunt Paloma told the truth, Nana told the truth and Uncle Joel-

"You!" I exclaimed turning my eyes to the man at my side, a traitor, a cheater a liar " You big liar!"

"I'm sorry chiquitita. It's the rules" my uncle said with a smile on his face. I grabbed the big amount of cards since he was saying the truth, my face changed and suddenly this became personal.

It's no lie I do have a bad temper when losing, that's why trivia night was politely dismissed for the rest of this marriage. Now this was personal, he stepped into my mothers house all smiley, sit on her chair and plays our game and dares to scam me.

I want to tear him down at winning this game, him and uncle Joe who doesn't stop laughing.

Thank God, I was good at this game. I had only three cards on my hands. I was preparing myself for the big win.

"One Ace" Blaze said. I looked at my game while bitting my lips inside my mouth. It was a habit of mine I earned from my mother it was almost impossible to see from the outside but made me a lot of swelling and bleeding when I was young.

"Another Ace" Lorena smiled placing the card on top of the words while looking at Blaze

"Two Aces" James said next in the most British tone possible

"One Ace" I affirmed placing the card normally on top of the cards

"O-" Joel was about to say but was quickly interrupted by Blaze

"Bullshit" I looked to my front catching his eyes. I raised an eyebrow looking at the game on the table, he was bullshiting me?

"What?" I asked while trying to cover a smile

"I said Bullshit" He clarified

"Look at that!" uncle joe laughed

"You are getting out of this house divorced" My aunt Paloma joked making everyone giggle

"Are you sure about that?"

"I am" he smiled, my pride quicker in terribly perturbing my mind. I grabbed the card and turned it.

"Ohhhh" the whole table laughed and made 'o' sounds teasing me

"What a weird-looking ace huh, niece?" Uncle Joel smiled tapping back

I grabbed the jack of hearts, while giving a deadly look at Blaze.

"I just have a question. How did you know she was lying? There's a lot of Aces out there, how could you know?" Uncle Joel questioned Blazed

"Yeah I also did the math and there's 5 aces left" uncle Julia said

"It's spectacular" James said surprised "How did you know?"

"I saw her face" Blaze said, my granny hummed again

"You knew I was lying because you saw my face?" I asked nit believing him, he only nodded "Are you cheating?" I questioned

"I am not"

"You are"

"I am not"

"You so are. You did the same on trivia and on Uno and on Checkers!" I recalled our game night

"I did not!" he exclaimed offended

"You did!"

"Elena!" My grandmother exclaimed shutting me up. I closed my mouth serenely we continued the game. After a lot of cheating and Uncle Joe and Blaze won the first place. The kids jumped to the pool while we prepared afternoon snacks, fruits, shellfish, cheeses, toasts, breads, chips and sauces, and my personal favorite mom's pancakes.

"Honey, Ined to take this call!" Dennis exclaimed meeting her near the kitchen isle "Blaze is with Charlie"

"He is what?" I asked placing the knife and kiwi I had in my hands on the counter

"Calm down. Don't you trust your own husband?" My cousin asked me with her sweet smile

"If I said yes would you believe me?"

"I think so?!"

"Then yes" I said vanishing outside to meet Charlie and Blaze sat on a blanket over the red grass playing with legos.

"What are you guys doing?" I questioned looking at the bizarre scenario

"Godfather Blaze is really good at building !" Charlie said happily, he got up with some difficulty and ran to me showing me a fire truck

"Wow" I smiled at him "It's beautiful Charlie"

"Blaze helped, I couldn't finish it but he helped me" the little boy smiled "I am going to show it to Nana!" he said running to my grandmother sat on comfortable chair catching the big parasol shadow.

"Don't run Carlos!" Nana ordered the little boy

"He is not Carlos Nana!" Julia screamed from inside making me laugh. I reached Blaze who was sat at the blanket alongside Charlie's toys

"You're good at Spanish, you can handle spice, you memorized some love dovey stuff of Alfonso, you answered all the questions effortlessly" I said approximating myself him "you played and you cheated" he gave a sly smile "and now you babysit. You surely are trying!" I exclaimed sitting down next to him

"Yeah. I just like to see your face when you lose. I have now the chance of seeing that face a whole week, I am doing what I can" He smiled looking at the kids on the pool

"Wow" I let out. Unbelievable. His effort was to see my bad humor and stern face.

"By the way. Why Elena?" he questioned looking at me now. Ah yes my grandma called me Elena and no one else did that but her.

"Elena is Spanish. But Eleonora isn't, like Charlie she insists on Carlos" I explained which he nodded

"But she named your mother Tiffany?"

I giggled "No, my mom named herself Tiffany she hated the name Teófila. Nana still calls her that though.

"She is really attached to your origins isn't she?" he questioned looking at her with Charlie on her lap.

I watched them play and smiled "Yeah. She tries to honor grandpa whenever she can. He was never much rigid on it since he was the one who brought my grandmother to the States"

"They must of had a complicated life"

"Yeah"

"Tell him!" Isabel exclaimed reaching us

"No! It's too long!" I defended

"What? " I heard him ask

"It's my favorite story!" Charlie cheered leaving Nana and quickly running towards Blaze lap

"It's a beautiful love story!" Larissa said sitting down with us

"And you tell it so well Eleonora!" Lorena exclaimed

"Please!" they all begged, I looked over at Blaze seeing his smile one

"Please" he said to making me giving in

"Alright alright" I said straighten myself up while our family gathered around us even Nana

"Well... Once upon a time...a long long long -"

"Watch it!" Nana warned

"A not-so-long time ago" I continued "There was a beautiful man in the Iberian Peninsula. Carlos Eduardo Vargas was a cooker on his parents coffee in Galicia, later on to expand his skills he decided to travel to the capital of Portugal. He worked on a big restaurant on Lisbon,he made a lot of friends and some of them told him to travel to Africa or to South America to expand the flavors and his cuisine. So Carlos did that. But what he didn't know was that Columbia would catch his heart." I looked at my granny she was listening carefully with approval fax on so I carried on "There was a traditional restaurant, very know on Bogota, the capital of Columbia, 'Los Gárcia'. Hestarted to work there, they needed all the help to defeat the restaurant next door 'Lopéz'. They were the biggest traditional restaurants on the capital that fought with each other, only one could win the town. Once when he was about to enter the restaurant he catches a glimpse of woman, a beautiful woman, with plump lips, brown eyes and curly hair, her nose was defined but what topped it all was her smile. Trough the window he saw her, she smiled greeting the people inside. Right there in that moment, on Bogota at 9 in the morning of 23 of April of 1964, Carlos had decided that his life goal from that moment on was to make that woman smile. For a long time he arrived early trying to meet this woman, and after a month when he was desperate thinking he would never see her again or she was only product of his imagination, but to his surprise one exact month later there she was walking down the street in a pink dress. Cautiously, he approached her greeting her and introducing himself, Carlos was a very handsome man and also a gentleman he said he was a cooker and he loved her smile, but Ester wasn't for playing around so if he wanted to take her on a date he had to make her smile. On the next day they met earlier and secretly he prepared her a famous Spanish dish, a montadito, a small sandwich, which he called 'Ester Smile' and after Ester tasted it, she-"

"Smiled!" Charlie exclaimed on Blaze's lap

"She did smile. But after the date there was a problem. Ester was 'Lopéz' boss daughter. So they dated secretly, after some time Ester dad find out and restricted them to see each other forever! Her dad had planned her marriage with a nice Columbian but Carlos could never take that. So one night, he sneaked into Ester bedroom by her window and took her away. They ran out of Columbia, with only a backpack and each other but that was all they needed. They traveled to the North America and opened their own business, they had 3 beautiful kids, and lots of grandsons, and they live happily ever after " I finished the story, everyone clapped making me smile. I looked over at Charlie clapping

"Did you like the story?" I asked Charlie

"Yes. Did you like the story?" Charlie asked looking at Blaze

"I did! Your godmother told it very well didn't she?" Blaze asked looking at the little boy

"She is the best telling this story" Charlie smiled

"Thanks Charlie! I think you're the first one to say something nice to me today"

"Stop being dramatic" Nana said. I rolled my eyes getting up, everyone was already eating I looked over at Charlie and to his extended hand he wanted me to help him get up.

I grabbed his hand and he got up with a jump and happily ran to the table of snacks, while Nana was already picking her food too, Blaze was still sat on the floor with an extended hand towards me.

I raised an eyebrow while looking at him "in your dreams"

"I though you could be nice for 5 seconds" I rambled getting up by himself

"I though you wouldn't survive here 5 seconds " I commented "we all got our problems"

"I guess" he said walking to the table. After the snacks, they started to say their goodbyes besides Nana she was staying at my mom's.

We were the last ones leaving. I say my goodbyes to everyone while they whispered in my ear they liked Blaze making me have mixed feelings. One side of me was happy for maybe having a nice chance that granny liked him and the other side of me wanted to kill him for being so good at something he was suppose too.

"Bye Ma!" I kissed her cheek and hugged her tight "Send kisses to dad!"

"I will honey" she gave me a small smile while caressing my face.

"Thanks for the food Mr.Hart" Blaze said his goodbyes

I walked to my grandmother who was standing on the hall eyeing me up and down. If I told you she had 77 you wouldn't believe me, honestly her aging was so good lik, imagine if Jane Fonda was Colombian, that's my grandma. Her hair was painted of a platinum white and above her shoulders, she would always wear black, she would change her hats and bags designs but her main clothes and shoes were always black. She was sort, but her high hells made her about my height, she was always wearing jewelry and make up. I wish I had 77 and be able to like her, have her body and her face muscle flexibility.

"So.." she started to touch my coat, closening it to my neck "Don't you dare to lose that man"

"What?" I asked frowning

"He is rare! Keep him!"

"You like him?" I asked still in disbelief

"He passed for now" she said while brushing my hair with her hand

"You liked him?"

"Do you want me to not like him?"

"No it's just... Why?" I questioned curiously while gazing him talking with my mother

"Well, he seems like he would do a montadito for you" My grandmother smiled making me snort, he was definitely good I had to give him that, I don't know how he tricked Nana but it's wonderful, I don't what he did but whatever it was he nailed it

"Let go of that sarcasm already" My grandma nagged "A man like him with someone like you, you should thank God!" she exclaimed

"Thanks grandma"

" So skinny and no material " she said mentioning my ass and boobs " Hard personality, always sarcasm, SSNs acts lure a child. You are not pretty forever " she warned me

"Thanks I needed thaf" I said, sarcastically! Of course it was sarcastically everything she says its to put me down slowly.

"Blaze! Pleasure to meet you, pendejo!" My grandmother said jokingly

"Surprising enough I felt the same " he left

We said final goodbyes and got in the car. "I passed" he commented

I rolled my eyes "I know"

"It's going to be a greet week" he said. I laid my head on the seat and wished this week would rapidly end.