Chapter 31 #2
I nod because I don’t know what else to say to that. It makes sense, but there doesn’t seem to be an appropriate response. When I look up at Jorge, I can tell he doesn’t expect one from me.
There are plenty of other cars in the driveway, so he opens the door using the punch pad next to it.
He already explained to me that once upon a time there was an open-door policy to most of the homes.
However, more of the men have found wives and girlfriends, so that’s no longer the case.
Now they call or text each other as they go through community gates and then again as they pull into the private driveways.
It only took me a moment to realize this rule existed to avoid anyone walking in on the couples during intimate moments.
He’s implied all the couples, even his tíos and tías, are just as lusty as he and I are.
We hear several voices as we step into the foyer. It nearly overwhelms me as I consider all the people I’m about to meet. A flash of nervousness sends a shiver along my spine.
“Chiquita, everybody already knows your situation, so you don’t have to explain any of that. Just be as outgoing as you’re comfortable with. If you’d rather remain quiet and observe, no one will think less of you for that.”
“Thank you.”
He gives my hip a squeeze as we head into the living room.
Holy shit.
It’s like being in a house of mirrors. The family resemblance among the men is mind boggling. There’s only one man who doesn’t look like the rest of them, so I assume he’s Alejandro’s father. There’s also one Latina who doesn’t resemble the other two, so that must be Jorge’s tía Margherita.
I look between Alejandro and the man who must be his father.
They’re standing exactly the same way but in opposite parts of the room.
Their expressions are so similar, yet Alejandro looks like a younger version of the man who must be Enrique.
So much so you’d assume Alejandro was Enrique’s son, if not for his matching posture and expression to his father, Matáis.
Luciana and her sister, Catalina, resemble Enrique and the other man who must be Luis.
He and Enrique could almost be twins except Luis’s hair is slightly lighter than Enrique’s.
While he’s clearly an extremely muscular man, he’s a little leaner than Enrique.
If Jorge hadn’t explained Catalina’s a year older than his mother, I would believe they were twins.
The man who must be Pablo is standing next to Margherita.
He’s a carbon copy of his father. The only way to tell them apart is Luis has some gray around his temples, and they have different tattoos showing on their arms. It appears from here that the only feature Pablo inherited from his mother are his eyes—they’re dark hazel rather than brown.
Otherwise, she got no say in him because even Pablo’s posture matches his father’s.
I knew Jorge and Joaquin looked similar, but now that I see a man with a blonde woman standing beside him, there’s no way I could confuse him for anyone but Javier.
I get why they’re called Tres J’s and not just because that’s the first initial of their names.
They could practically be triplets. They’re all the same height, same build, same hair color, and same eye color.
I’m certain from the back it’s difficult to differentiate them.
Their faces are just different enough to be able to tell one from another but not by much.
The blonde woman looks close to my age. She comes to greet me along with Javier. As my gaze sweeps the room, I suspect the others are waiting for Jorge’s brother and his wife to greet me first. The men’s tight embrace reminds me of when Joaquin and Alejandro arrived in Frankfurt.
“Hi, I’m Madeline.”
“Hello, I’m Anne. It’s nice to meet you.”
“You, too. I know Javier’s been just as excited to meet you as I am. We’ve been curious to see who’s willing to put up with Jorge.”
The brothers let go of each other, and Jorge embraces Madeline.
“I’m not the one who wound up with Oscar the Grouch over here.”
Jorge tilts his head toward Javier. His next older brother scowls at him, and I admit he does remind me a little of the puppet from the children’s TV show.
I used to watch it when I was in elementary school to help me learn English along with the classes I took.
Javier offers me a hug as well. It’s not quite as warm as the one Jorge and Madeline shared.
But I think it’s because Javier wishes to respect me since he’s uncertain of whether I’d welcome the embrace.
When we step apart, Joaquin comes over to join his brothers.
“It’s uncanny, isn’t it?” Madeline’s voice is soft as she speaks to me, but I hear the laughter in it.
“It truly is.” I can’t stop staring.
“It makes me wonder when Javier and I have kids whether they’ll look more like his side of the family since the Diaz genetics are so dominant.”
I consider what Madeline says, and a wave of curiosity and a sense of excitement surprise me because I’m now picturing children with Jorge.
Dark hair and dark eyes are dominant genes.
Since no one in his family has blonde hair or light eyes, I doubt any children we’d have would possess those recessive traits.
Same thing for Madeline, whose blonde hair is a couple shades darker than mine, but not by much.
I observe the brothers together in what I’d call their natural habitat. They appear so relaxed, yet there’s something about them I can’t quite put my finger on. Madeline nudges my arm.
“Don’t be fooled by their resting bitch faces. They’re really not that bad. Even mine, who’s the prickliest one of the three of them.”
I can’t help but laugh since Madeline’s hit the nail on the head. None of them appear exactly unwelcoming or unfriendly, but none of them seem the type who’d strike up a conversation with a stranger or want a stranger to talk to them.
I recall what Jorge told me a while ago about Joaquin being shy.
That surprised me considering how outgoing he was with me.
But Jorge explained Joaquin was comfortable with me from the beginning since he knew I’m so important to Jorge and because Jorge trusts me.
If that hadn’t been the case, Joaquin would’ve been far more reserved.
He also shared with me that Javier’s the most introverted.
He’s the most suspicious of them, but that’s not what made him enjoy his solitude before he and Madeline got together.
Instead, Javier simply enjoyed his own company and would spend hours assembling Lego sets.
Even though they can now order them online, it’s a tradition for the brothers to go to the store together to pick up new special edition sets for Javier.
Jorge shared that when they were younger and lines still formed outside stores for the special edition sets, they’d camp out together.
That story warmed my heart as I pictured three brothers hanging out and enjoying each other’s company and supporting each other’s hobbies so much. I could imagine Heidi doing that for me and me doing that for her, but neither of us was ever into anything so deeply that we’d want to.
Introductions to everyone else follows, and by the time we sit down together, I feel welcomed by everyone.
Even though Madeline introduced herself first, I find myself gravitating toward Florencia.
I think it’s because she and I are both newly arrived in the U.S.
, as well as this family. Madeline’s been so kind to both of us, making sure we feel part of the family and know where everything is.
It surprised me at first, but Jorge reminded me Madeline grew up coming to this house since her family used to be so close to Pablo’s.
Madeline’s family used to alternate Sunday dinners with Luis and Margherita.
Apparently, Pablo’s younger brother, Juan, used to be best friends with Madeline’s older sister, Laura.
I didn’t get all the details, but something happened between Juan and Laura that severed the bond between those two families.
They’re now merely neighbors who coexist side by side.
I suspect whatever Juan did to Laura led to his death.
Jorge gave me no details about that, and I haven’t dared ask for them.
I figure if and when I should know, I will.
At the end of dinner, the men gravitate to each other.
Soon they’re in the kitchen doing the dishes.
It’s nice to see a stereotype obliterated when the men wrap aprons around themselves to protect their tailored suits.
I notice Enrique’s wife, Elle, is in the kitchen with them.
At first, I thought it might be because this is her home too, but she’s involved in a conversation with the men.
She stays in there and out of their way while the men clean up around her.
I glance over at Luciana, who’s talking to Madeline and Margherita. Catalina and Florencia are talking to me—or rather talking around me—as I stare at the kitchen. Catalina saying my name draws my attention back to her. I’m embarrassed that I was ignoring the two women.
“It’s not that the women always do all the cooking, but when we do, the men always do all the cleaning up. As moms and wives, we’ve instilled it in the men that if they can make the mess, they can clean up the mess.” Catalina’s smile is infectious, just like her sister’s.
“I’ll be sure to remember that.”