Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
For the remainder of our trip to Santa Luz, we act as if the incident by the side of the road never happened. But neither of us has the same enthusiasm or excitement we held a few days ago. An hour outside of town, our conversation dries up and Fernando flips the radio on to fill the silence.
Lost in my thoughts, I replay some of the events from over the past few days. I think about the Alhambra, enjoying the orange ice cream in Seville, and finding out Dylan was engaged in Toledo. It’s amazing how a week can feel like a lifetime. So much has happened.
With each mile we pass and every city we visit, I’ve shed a little more of the old Ava. Regardless of how confused I am emotionally, I’m proud of myself for being able to hold everything together and know that while I’m hurting, I’m still helping out a friend.
Fernando exits the highway and turns onto a main road. There’s a long stretch of hotels and white sand beaches. I can see why this town is considered a hidden gem.
“Welcome to Santa Luz,” he says.
“It’s lovely.” I look out the window. Although it’s cloudy, there are plenty of people out and about. Some are dressed in bikinis or trunks for swimming, while others are walking their dogs. But most people we drive past are in wet suits. “Is surfing a big thing around here?”
“Sí. This time of year, we have some of the larger waves in the area.”
“Huh, I never would’ve guessed that.”
Fernando maneuvers the car into the left lane and turns onto a narrow road. The cobblestones shake the car, reminding me of a series of speed bumps. Wild bushes stick out from the hills on his side of the vehicle. On my side are a series of compact sand-colored flat-fronted buildings.
He comes to a stop in front of a building with a sign labeled “Pequena Casa de Luz” in gold and turquoise writing, and turns off the engine.
“This is it. My parents’ home,” he says tiredly.
“The little house of light?” I guess at the translation.
“Sí. They thought it would sound better than the Casa de Alvarez. It has about ten rooms.”
We step out of the car. I scrunch my nose. “Are they small rooms?” The building may be three stories tall, but unless the property extends out to the back, I have no idea how you’d squeeze ten rooms in.
“Hmm? Oh, they’re about the same size as what you might find back in America. The bed and breakfast is actually made up of three of these buildings. When Mamá and Papá renovated the place, they didn’t want to lose the character or the original features.”
“Oh, that makes more sense.”
He pops open the trunk and begins pulling out our luggage just as the front door swings open. “Ava! Fernando!” Mrs. Alvarez cries. “Welcome home. We’ve been waiting for you. You’re an hour later than we expected. Did you get stuck in traffic?”
Mrs. Alvarez is about my height, five-foot-six, and has curly hair that’s pulled back into an elegant updo. She has the same dark-brown eyes, hair, and skin coloring as her son.
“Something like that,” he responds. “Is Papá inside?”
“Sí, he’s watching football.” She rolls her eyes. “It’s the big match between Madrid and Barcelona.”
“I should’ve known.” Fernando snorts. “In other words, we won’t see him until the game is over.” Closing the trunk and turning to face me, he adds, “Papá’s team is Barcelona. We could have a volcanic eruption, and he still wouldn’t leave his office. Nothing else matters when a game is on.”
“Unfortunately.” His mother sighs. “I’m sorry he’s not out here to meet you in person, but I promise he’ll come and find you as soon as the game is over.”
“It’s okay. I understand. My brother-in-law is the same way when hockey is on. It’s like speaking to a wall.”
Fernando’s mom wraps an arm around my shoulder. “Please, come inside. And call me Mamà Alvarez. You must be famished. I have some fresh snacks and sangria waiting for you. Leave the bags for Fernando.”
I glance over my shoulder, but he shakes his head, mouthing, “Do as she says,” to me.
We enter the building. The ground floor is smaller than I imagined, but has a warm and inviting ambiance.
A set of four windows, all made up of stained glass, flood the area with plenty of natural light.
There’s a rich-red sofa and a quirky glass coffee table adorned with seashells and a small stack of magazines.
We continue through to an outdoor patio, where two other women are seated at a long rectangular table.
I recognize them as Tía Yulia and Tía Maria.
Yulia is the youngest sibling. She has shoulder-length blond hair, square glasses, and bright-green eyes.
I wouldn’t know she was related to Mamá Alvarez if Fernando hadn’t told me.
Maria, on the other hand, looks the most like Fernando’s mom. She keeps her brown hair long, pulled back into a braid that hits her midback. She’s wearing jade-colored glasses and a matching green silk blouse.
Both aunts stand, come over, and hug me. They lead me to the table, and I’m seated between them like a queen holding court.
“Ava, we’ve been waiting so patiently for you to arrive. Fernando’s kept you to himself for too long,” Tía Maria starts. “How has your trip been so far?”
I help myself to a fresh caramel empanada and take a bite, letting the sweet apple settle on my tongue as I compose my thoughts. “It’s been great. It’s my first time in Spain, and I wasn’t sure what to expect, but Fernando’s been an excellent tour guide.”
“I bet he has.” Maria glances in the direction of the door, where Fernando’s mother has him trapped.
“Yesenia mentioned that you made the first move. I’m glad you did. Left to his own devices, Fernando would never have had the courage to ask you out,” Yulia teases.
“I don’t know, he’s pretty brave,” I say defensively, offended they’re not giving him more credit.
Tía Yulia shrugs and moves on, asking about my family. Soon, it becomes apparent that those first couple of questions were just the warm-up. Over the course of the next hour, Yulia and Maria push me into the deep end of the pool, covering the hard-hitting topics.
We discuss how many kids I think I may want in the future, which is three. They promise not to tell their nephew what I say. Then they feel out if I’d consider settling in Spain when I marry Fernando. Not if. When.
I try my best to give non-answers, but the sisters make it hard. They’re gifted at finding ways to redirect the questions I’m reluctant to answer, like an expert team of lawyers. I appreciate that they’re looking out for their nephew, but it’s still a shock to the system how much detail they want.
“Mamá, I think we have more than enough food here.” Fernando enters the patio carrying a tray of flaky rolls in each hand.
He scrunches his nose as he looks for an empty spot to place them.
“If you bake anything else, we’ll have to open a stall at the market.
” Walking over to me, he places a hand on my shoulder.
“If you need any more help in the kitchen, Tía Yulia or Tía Maria can lend you a hand. I’ve neglected Ava long enough. ”
Fernando leans forward and places a soft kiss near my ear. The sensation sends a wave of pleasure through my core. The three women eagerly watch us, sighing contentedly. “Do you need an escape?” he whispers so quietly, I barely hear him.
“Yes,” I say through my teeth. I’m overwhelmed. I need some quiet time to reset and recharge.
“Before it gets too dark, I’m going to give Ava a tour of the neighborhood. We’ll be back before dinner,” he announces.
Not waiting for the aunts to get another word in, I stumble to my feet. Some of my muscles cramp from sitting for so long. I ignore the pulling sensation and loop my arm through Fernando’s.
“Take your time, you two. Dinner can wait for you.” Tía Yulia winks.
“That was . . .” I search for the right word. “Intense. I know you warned me your aunts would be intrusive with their questions, but I didn’t expect it to be like that. My brain’s turned to mush.”
Fernando and I are walking side by side down one of the narrow side streets a few blocks away from the B&B. The buildings are a similar sand color, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d think we were back where we started.
“I’m sorry you were stuck alone with them for so long. I tried to escape the kitchen, but Mamá had other ideas. I came as soon as I could.”
“You don’t have to explain. It’s the same way with my parents. Just please tell me you’ll be around for round two.”
“I will,” he confirms. “Dinner has already been made, and as far as I’m aware, there’s nothing else left to cook.”
“That’s a relief.” I exhale.
Fernando rubs the back of his neck. “If you’re too tired, I could make excuses that you’ve had too much excitement for today and need to rest.”
“Nope, we aren’t pulling the ‘get out of jail free’ card yet.” I don’t want to leave him to the sharks. Acting as the protective metal cage is the whole reason I’m here. “I’m curious. If you hadn’t brought me, what would your aunts have done when you arrived?”
“Set me up on another blind date.”
“On day one?”
“Uh-huh.” He strokes his jaw. “The tías don’t waste time.”
“Have you told them how you feel about dating and their meddling?”
He nods. “Yeah, right after the breakup with Isabel.”
I frown. “And they didn’t respect your wishes?”
“They didn’t believe I was serious. They can’t get it in their head that I’d purposefully choose to be single when everyone else in the family is married. All that happened out of that conversation was that they pulled back on the number of dates they set up.”
“That’s not right. They have to see that not everyone can fit into a cookie-cutter mold and want what they want.”
“No,” he says softly. “But as I’ve learned over the years, you have to pick and choose your battles. It’s not worth the energy fighting them. I’m only home once a year. I’d rather spend my time here making them happy than being at odds with them.”