Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
The remainder of my stay in Spain passes too quickly.
Now that we’re officially a real couple, I scrap my original plans and dive headfirst into Fernando’s world.
His mamá continues to parade us around to every cousin, great-aunt, and second uncle within what seems like a hundred-mile radius.
I’ve never eaten so much in my life—or been kissed on the cheek so many times by strangers calling me mi amor.
His aunts give us a little more breathing room and only monopolize us at dinner. We spend a lot of time watching old home movies and looking through his family photo albums. Spoiler alert: Fernando was an adorable kid.
His dad eventually apologizes. He makes an effort to get to know me better, but he’s still not my favorite person.
I’m still angry about how he treated Fernando by bringing Isabel here.
Nevertheless, we form a fragile truce while watching a Barcelona match together.
I hope in time, the frost between all of us will thaw.
We only get to Barcelona on the last day. Which is a shame since it’s the city I end up enjoying the most. At least I know that with a Spanish boyfriend, there’s a good chance there’ll be a return trip in my future.
Saying goodbye to him is difficult. Knowing that he’ll be back in Sequoia Valley again in two weeks is the only thing that allows me to board the plane home. It’s then and there that the dream world I’ve been living in for the last two weeks disappears and it’s back to reality.
“How does it feel to be back in the good ol’ US of A?” Daphne asks as I stand crouched in the kitchen scratching Max’s belly. His tail wags almost violently side to side. My hands are covered in slobber from all his licking.
“Weird,” I answer honestly. “I know I wasn’t gone that long, but it feels like a lifetime ago. So much has happened. I left here planning to spend time by myself getting over Dylan.”
“And now, here you are with a tan in the middle of December and a sexy, hot ice-skater boyfriend.” Daph leans against the door frame and crosses her arms. “You’re going to be the envy of every female at the rink! Especially the moms.”
I grimace. “I hate being the center of attention.” There’s one thing that hasn’t changed.
“It won’t be that bad.” She laughs. “The ladies know Fernando wouldn’t pick just any person to date. It would have to be somebody extra special.”
“Like someone who knows next to nothing about ice skating or sports in general?” I say in a hopeful tone.
“Exactly. Somebody just like you.”
Max rolls upright and barks in agreement. I continue to scratch him firmly under the chin. “I think you’ll like him just as much as I do, boy. Fernando is a dog man.” He barks again. Daph and I share a laugh.
“Max was a good boy while he was here. The kids loved having him around. Just, er, don’t be surprised if he’s gained a little weight. I didn’t catch it until the other night, but the kiddos have been feeding him some of their dinner under the table.”
I stand and brush my jeans off. “Is that true, boy?” He continues to pant, giving me a wide-eyed, innocent look. “Well, it could be worse. It just means no more treats for a while.” I sigh as I attach his leash to the clip on his collar. “Even if Christmas is right around the corner.”
“What are your plans for the rest of the day?” Daphne asks.
“After I drop Max off at home and pick up the mail, I’m gonna swing by the clinic. I’m anxious to touch base with my friend Laura and see what you and Vicki have been up to.”
“I’ll come with you. I want to see what you think about the updated decor.”
I arch an eyebrow. “What about the kids?”
“Brian’s off today. He can watch them for an hour. Let me grab my keys and my coat.”
I settle Max in his kennel in the back of my truck, then slide into the driver’s seat as Daphne pops into the passenger side.
“Have you given any thought to Christmas?” she asks. “Are you planning to come over with Fernando? Or is it going to just be the two of you?”
I start the engine and back up, shifting gears. “He won’t be back until New Year’s. As of right now, I’m planning to do what I always do. Spend Christmas Eve with you and the kids, and Christmas Day with Mom and Dad.”
“Mm-hmm.” Daph nods.
I steal a glance in her direction. “What?”
“Nothing. Nothing,” she says a little too quickly, fidgeting in her seat.
“What is it that you want me to ask you about?”
“I suck at trying to keep a big secret from you.” She snorts. “I thought I’d give you an early present and hint that I know your boyfriend changed his plane ticket and will be home for Christmas.”
I inhale sharply. “But I already took him away from spending a lot of his time with his family. Christmas should be spent with them.” I scrunch my nose. “Who’s your source?”
Daph ignores the question and clicks on the radio. “Oh, I love this song.” She hums along and dances in her seat to the tune of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas.”
I roll my eyes. I’ll have to steal her phone and scroll through her text messages to find out. But the likelihood of me being able to do that is slim to none. The device never leaves her side.
“Well, do you at least have a date for when he’s getting in? Maybe I can pick him up at the airport.”
Daphne zips her lips closed.
Frustrated to no end, I ignore the temptation to double park, tell her to get out, and make her walk the rest of the way to the clinic, but that still won’t get me any answers.
I remind myself to be nice. It’s the holiday season, and Daph is my only sister.
Ava 2.0 is supposed to be more understanding and patient.
Except when it comes to matters involving Fernando. She’s as greedy as the Grinch.
There’s a nervous energy swelling inside of me, like a storm brewing beneath the surface.
I’m dying to know what else she’s keeping from me.
Knowing that he’ll be home also means I need to rush out and pick up a few little Christmas gifts.
I chew on my lip. I’ve gotten to know the man well, but there are still a lot of mysteries left to uncover.
Should I reach out to his friends at the rink and ask for their advice?
I shelve the thought for later as we pull up to the practice.
I park in my reserved spot in front and cut the engine. “You redesigned the sign and logo too?” I say, slowly sliding out of the car.
“Uh-huh. The old sign was just text. It was faded and the colors were all wrong. Talk about being ineffective. You needed something eye-catching that screams you’re an all-animal vet practice. Something that would make people stop and look.”
“This definitely does that,” I say, continuing to stare at the neon sign.
It contains hot-pink, yellow, and blue lights with the words “Sequoia Valley Animal Hospital” in swirly letters.
There’s a dog, cat, and turtle standing on either side of the text wearing stethoscopes and headlamps, and a bird perched on top of the Y. “I love it.”
“Glad to hear it.” Daphne rubs her hands together. “Wait until it gets dark. That’s when the sign really stands out.”
As we approach the front door, my sister sticks her hands over my eyes. “Daphne!”
“I don’t want you to look until I make sure everything is set up perfectly. I only get one shot at impressing you. If I take my hands away, do you promise not to look until I tell you to?”
“Fine,” I huff.
She releases me and runs around the reception area, her shoes squeaking against the floor. I hope the inside is a little more toned down and the walls aren’t hot-pink or sunshine-yellow.
“Okay, everything’s good. On the count of three, you can look. One, two, three!”
My eyes flutter open and I gasp. The clinic doesn’t resemble the same space I’ve worked out of for the past four years. It looks more like a play area than a waiting area.
The walls are thankfully a muted sky-blue. The seating area has been divided into three distinctly different spaces—one for cats, one for dogs, and another for other pets. Each is a different pastel shade.
“It was all Vicki’s idea to add the fake grass, the fire hydrant, scratching posts, cat tree, bird perches, and fish tank.
She thought if you had a patient who could burn off some of their energy before they were taken to the back, it would help them relax.
” Daphne snaps her fingers together. “Oh, and she said she’d have no problem making sure the reception area stays clean. ”
I let out a deep breath. “That’s good, because things like the fake grass are going to be high maintenance.”
“That’s what I told her, but let her figure that out. Come on, there’s a lot more to show you!”
She escorts me over to the nook that used to serve as the customers’ coffee bar. It’s been replaced with the specialized food we carry.
“This is a much better use of the space,” I say, running my hand over the newly installed shelving units. For once, it doesn’t look like a closet has exploded. Everything we carry has a dedicated space.
“Agreed. We decided that each waiting area should also have its own coffee, tea, and water bar. That way a pet owner doesn’t have to cross over into ‘enemy territory.’” Daphne makes air quotes.
“The last thing you need is for a big dog like a Great Dane to stir up a parrot, iguana, or whatever other animal you have waiting to see you.”
As we approach the reception desk, I see the rows of filing cabinets we previously had crammed into the space have been removed.
In their place is a clean white wall with the new logo and a list of the prices for our basic services.
There’s also a glass display cabinet advertising my monthly low-cost vaccine clinic and pets available for adoption.
“Vicki digitized all your patient files. We kept them in case you wanted access to them. For now, the cabinets are in your office, but I’m hoping you’ll let me haul them out of here. They’re clunky and don’t fit the new aesthetic of the place.”