✿ Aileen's POV

I'm lining up to take another shot when Tracy walks in. She takes one disdainful look at us and shakes her head.

“Why do you encourage such activities, Lee?” she asks.

I throw my remaining can at Tracy, hitting her on the shoulder.

“I refuse to play,” she say, as if hitting her with the can had been an invitation.

Tracy had brassy blonde hair, the result of the highlight touch-ups she'd done herself since high school. Today, her hair was knotted high on her head.

“Aw, come on, Tray,” Landon says, catching her in his arms and making her dance around a tight little circle with him.

“The game is pointless,” Tracy insisted. “Besides, no one ever pays up the promised prize”.

“Stick in the mud,” Landon says with a grin and lets her go.

“Your stick in the mud is what normal people call mature!” Tracy calls over her shoulder as she walks away.

Matthew stands up next on the three-point line.

“He's going for three! The crowd goes wild!” Landon cries, then makes a noise like a crowd cheering.

He misses and hands his can to his father, Joe.

“I'd love to stay and kick butt, but I've got to go help your mother. Hello, Aileen dear.”

“Old man Joe” I smile.

My uncle wanders into our midst and pauses to look sternly at Joe.

“What?” he asks innocently.

“Watch this, old man,” my Uncle challenges him and tosses the can into the basket from the three-point line. “Champion!” he shouts, throwing his arms in the air. “Again.”

“High five,” Landon cheers, lifting his hand to my uncle. “And lucky you, it's your Starbucks card.”

“When's dinner starting?” Matthew asks. “We athletes need to eat.”

“As soon as Natalie and Sophie get here,” Jane, their mother answers. “Lee, I love your hair!” she adds, reaching out to me. “And this outfit, gosh!”

“She went out of town” Bonnie chips in.

Jane catches me by the arms and leans back, studying my hair with a critical eye. My hair had always been unmanageable. I could remember the agony of Nora trying to run a brush through it to tame it.

“Cute,” Jane says, nodding her approval. “You always look so cute.”

“Janey” I chuckle.

“Okay, I won't gush. Hey, did you look at those recipes I sent you?” she asked eagerly.

“Yes, and I loved how easy they are,” I tell her.

“That's great,” she says with delight. “I also found these—”

“Jane? Janey!” her husband, Roland was suddenly standing beside us, papers in hand, reading glasses perched on the end of his nose, and wearing his Western shirt.

Where Sophie's mother was soft and a little rounded with age, her father was tall and thin, with graying blonde hair. He peers at me over the rims of his glasses.

“Hi, pumpkin,” he says, leaning over to kiss my cheek. “Did you do something to your hair?”

“Sort of” I smile.

He returns my smile.

“Jane, I cannot read this,” he says sternly to his wife. “Where did you learn to write?”

“Freemont Elementary, same as you,” Jane says, snatching the papers out of his hand and squinting at them. “Tennessee, Ro. It says Tennessee.”

“That's not the only thing I can't read. I need you to go over this with me, please.”

“You couldn't leave this at home, Ro?” Jane sighs.

“It's important, Janey.”

“Honey, I've told you a dozen times that you need new reading glasses,” Jane says. “Just go down to Walgreens and pick them out. It'll cost you just fifteen dollars.”

“Okay, okay, but I have to finish this, so please come and help me.”

“All right,” Jane says and rolls her eyes at her husband while smiling.

“Oh, Miha,” Nora calls out to me. “We're having Bon's eggplant parmesan tonight. Would you mind making a salad and putting it in the dining room? I'll be in to help in a bit.”

“Sure no problem.”

I grab the serving bowl and get to work. I finish adding tomatoes when Sophie and her sister arrive with shopping bags.

“There's our white lady!” the guys call out in unison.

Sophie grins. The guys adored her and they simply loved to greet her like a returning warrior.

“You won't believe all the great stuff I found!” she trills, dumping the bags on one of the couches. “Tray, I found that face cream you like, and it was a full fifty percent off!”

With a smile, I pick up the salad and a pair of tongs, sidestep Bonnie, and make my way to the private dining room.

The private dining room was used only when the entire family dined together and on special occasions. There was a fireplace we used in the winter and a large picture window that overlooked their kitchen and herb garden. The walls in the dining room were adorned with pictures taken over the years.

In one picture, taken in the late thirties, my great-grandparents stood proudly. In another was my uncle and my late father. In another one, taken when we were younger, Bonnie, Sophie, Matthew, Landon, Tracy, a toddler Natalie, and me. I smile and set the salad down.

“How was your out-of-town trip?”

I turn and my uncle is staring at me. I nod.

“Eventful” I smile.

He nods.

“I was just talking to Bon,” he says as he gathers the silverware and begins to set the table. “The children's store is having a big sale this weekend. I was thinking of going to get Cami her big girl bed. You wanna go with me? I'll buy you that giant plush eagle you always wanted.”

I chuckle.

“Sure Papi,” I say.

I wasn't quite ready to drop my big news.

I could kill him.

I sigh.

“What's up? Do you and the girls already have plans?”

“What... no, no. I'll go with you” I smile.

He nods. My hand unconsciously fiddles with my ring.

“Actually Papi... there's something I wanna tell you.”

“Mm... what is it?”

I draw in a breath.

“My boyfriend asked me to marry him.”

My uncle stills.

“And I said yes” I add, lifting my left hand to show him the ring.

There, I said it.

I move closer to him.

“I'm engaged, Papi.”

He slowly put down the silver he was holding.

“Engaged?”

“I know, but I've thought long and hard about it, Papi and—”

“You've thought long and hard about what? Getting married?” he asks, his voice a little incredulous.

I nod.

God, this is hard.

His gaze flicks to the carpet for a moment.

“Lee, I know you're a grown woman now and you can decide for yourself but... marriage? When did you even start dating?”

“Papi—”

“Who is this guy, huh? And why did you keep this from us... from me till he proposed? You didn't think this was serious?”

My stomach sinks.

“Papi I—”

“Are you sure this is what you want, Aileen?” he asks.

I suck in a breath and pinch myself before I painfully nod.

“I'm sure, Papi” I whisper.

He exhales.

“I knew this would happen one day, but I didn't know it was going to... to happen today”.

I lower my head.

“I'm going to tell everyone today,” I say. “But I wanted to tell you first because your approval means more to me than anyone else's.”

My uncle approaches me and tips my chin up. His smile was a little sad.

“Okay,” he says, nodding.

I watch him cross his arms over his chest like he was suddenly cold.

“If you believe this man is who you want to start your life with then okay.”

“Papi... are you okay with it?”

“Yes!” he says, a bit too emphatically. “But it doesn't matter if I or anyone else is okay with it, Lee. You have to be okay with it. This is your life and your quest. I just don't want you to get hurt,” he says.

God!

“You're still my little girl and that's the only thing, sweetheart. I want you to be happy, but I can't and won't stand to see you hurt.”

I step closer to him and wrap my arms around him.

“I won't get hurt, Papi,” I say reassuringly.

This is for my legacy.

My uncle slips his arms around me and holds me tightly for a long moment.

“Well,” my uncle says, pulling away. “I better get the egg parm before it burns.”

During the meal, he's unusually quiet. Not that anyone would have noticed, what with the running debate of Matthew's love life being waged across the dinner table. Landon thought Matthew's current girlfriend, Aubree, wasn't his type.

“You know who I liked? I liked Holly. Now that girl was great” Landon says.

“She was,” Matthew agrees “But she didn't think I was so great, remember?”

“Then she must have been an idiot,” Sophie says firmly.

“You guys have this all wrong,” Tracy announces. “Matt's at that age where he likes anything that moves.”

“Stop right there, Tray-Tray,” Matthew says with a playful groan.

“I just don't think we should all guilt him into anything he's not ready for” his sister adds again.

“You guys have no clue,” Matthew says, chuckling. “But if it's okay with the jury here, I like Aubree. She's nice. You think so, don't you, Lee?”

“Hm?” I ask, looking up from my plate.

“Aubree,” Matthew says, sketching a female shape in the air with his hands. “Brunette? Hot? Med student?”

I bite my lower lip.

“She's a twin. Her identical twin sister, Breanna is married to that hot shot celebrity... what's his name?”

“Beckett Lewis” Sophie chimes in.

“Oh yeah. Aubree's nice” I say, trying to remember her.

I'd only met her once, and she seemed snobby. But then again Matthew was a bit of a serial dater.

“What's the matter, Miha?” Nora asks. “You've hardly said a word tonight.”

“Who, me?”

“You don't like the food?” Bonnie asks.

“No, no, of course, I love the food, Bon. This is great” I smile.

“So you're okay? Because you seem distracted” Joe says.

I look around at their expectant faces.

These were the faces of the people I loved. These were the faces that I could depend on to be with me from beginning to end. And I was going to lie to them?

I've lied to my Papi already so this should be a piece of cake!

“Actually no. I have an announcement to make.”

“Did something happen, pumpkin?” Roland asks, pushing his reading glasses to the top of his head.

“Okay,” I exhale through my mouth.

I put down my fork and brace my hands against the table's edge.

“You guys know how I've been sneaking around... lately?”

Sophie scoffs.

“Called it” she high-fives Cami.

“Right,” Landon says, nodding.

“Well, there's no... there's no easy way to say this but I can't hold it in any longer and I have to tell you before you read about it in the news so...” I pause, take a breath, “... I'm engaged,” I blurt and lift my hand.

“Huh?” Landon asks, confused.

“I know. Crazy. It was sudden but I'm fine... because love is really all that matters” I shrug nervously, repeating the words I'd stared at through the card shop all afternoon.

My announcement is met with silence for a moment. My family all look around at one another, then at me again.

“Well, well, well,” Landon chuckles. “Well. well. well.”

“Isn't anyone going to say anything besides... 'well, well, well'?” I ask hopefully.

“Engaged?” Bonnie asks as if she couldn't quite grasp the concept.

“I think it's great,” Natalie says. “As long as it isn't to the hipster? Go for it, Lee. Wooh!”

“Go for what?” Tray asks. “What if this person she's engaged to... him and his entire family... what if they are all a bunch of nutjobs? They would torment you, Lee.”

You could always count on Tracy to say what everyone was thinking.

“When did you even start dating?” she scoffs.

“Have you met my Lee?” Matthew asks “Of course she can handle nutjobs” he winks at me. “I'm with Nat. Go for it, Lee. Wooh!”

“No!” Bonita cries. “No wooh!” she scolds. “You can't just get up and get engaged. This isn't a game, Aileen.”

She hadn't called me Aileen since I was in third grade.

And I was worried about Papi's reaction.

“You're doing this out of pressure, sweetie. Call it off.”

“Bonnie, calm down,” Jane tells her.

She forks a healthy portion of eggplant into her mouth and points her fork at me.

“I've never been the 'mother figure' to you Aileen, because you're more of a little sister to me. And I have supported you in every decision you've ever made. But this one? No way in hell, Aileen Teresa Wilmore. Call the damn thing off.”

I rub my forehead.

“Bon, if you would just—”

“No Lee, I'm only saying this because I love you. But you should never rush into these things. It's not something you can just back out of, okay? So call it off!”

“Honestly, I'm with Bonnie on this” Sophie frowns. “You've been seeing someone and you didn't tell anyone? What is this person you're trying to become? Sneaking around? Keeping such big secrets? We're your friends and family... all in one package. And you just decide to hide something this delicate from us and tell us over dinner? That you're engaged? Who does that, Lee?”

Her voice was pained.

“I just want you to understand—”

“Understand what?” Nora asks. “You're our Lee. And some guy just swoops in and wants to take you away from us and you want us to smile about it?”

“Try and be more supportive ladies,” Joe says. “This is very important to Lee.”

“It's not that we're not supportive, Daddy,” Tracy protests. “But here's the thing, Lee. This guy... what if he doesn't truly love you? What if it's all a plot to get you in his bed? I've heard of situations like that. What if he has an ex he's still secretly in love with? What if he's using you to get back at his ex? All I'm saying is, if it's not Geoffrey, it's not worth it. So why put yourself through that humiliation? We care about you, Lee. We're your family.”

“Tray, eat some more pasta,” Matthew suggests firmly to his sister.

“I know you are my family, okay?” I say with an exasperated sigh. “And nothing in this world could ever change that.”

“I'm not sure you know that Lee” Sophie says.

“If you did, you'd take off that ring and call this damn thing off because it's pure bullshit!”

Natalie holds out her hands to cover Camari's ears as I rub the back of my neck again.

“If this is what you want, Lee, then you have our blessings,” my uncle finally speaks up and says firmly.

Tracy drums her fingers on the table.

“I'm not trying to piss anyone off, I swear I'm not. You know what they say... be careful what you wish for. But hey, if you're ready to do this, Lee, then I support you one thousand percent. Wooh!”

“Thanks, Tray-Tray” I say with a little smile.

Bonita scoffs.

“Auntie?” I ask.

“Miha, whatever Hank said. You have our support” Nora replies.

“Are you two fucking kidding me?!” Bonnie exclaims. “You're letting my little girl marry this person none of us have seen before? Unbelievable!”

“Bonnie, please,” I say quietly.

“Don't Bonnie me, Aileen!” she scolds and stands up. “You don't know what you're doing.”

I huff.

“Bonnie I'm engaged, not on a death row. And Reid isn't going to hurt me because he needs me and I need him for this whole thing to work. So nothing bad is going to happen to me” I exclaim.

I watch her shoulders droop.

“Reid?” Tracy questions.

“That's his name?” Jane asks.

“That's the name of the jerk who's ruined everything for Geo?” Sophie scoffs.

I take in a deep breath.

“Reid Dalton isn't a jerk. Well when I first met him he acted like one but he's a nice person, and he's not going to—”

“I'm sorry... did you say, Dalton?” Tracy cuts me off again.

Is she not listening?

Natalie takes her hands away from Camari's ear, pulls out her phone and I brace myself.

“Holy shi—” she catches herself.

Her eyes lock on me.

“Hashtag gold digger? That's you? You're her? He's him?”

Sophie snatches her little sister's phone away from her to look at it.

“Shut up! Lee is the fiancée the world's been buzzing about?” she gasps. “That's why you gave such a shitty comment about what he said?”

Bonnie shakes her head and walks out of the dining room.

“Where are you going?” Landon calls after her.

Camari pushes her plate away and pouts.

“I'm not very hungry anymore” she mutters.

I close my eyes and sink back into my chair-Tracy's warning banging around in my head.

Be careful what you wish for.

Thank you for reading!
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Ciao
~the_atticwriter