Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
“What’re you doing here?” I asked, managing a little laugh.
“Is that any way to greet you mother? What’re you doing here? How about Feliz Navidad? Te quiero mucho?” My mom was tiny but fierce. Her dark hair was graying at the edges and pulled into a bun. She was just as short as me, but she could’ve passed for my older sister. She took care of her skin religiously and even after a flight it looked dewy and youthful.
I stepped forward and wrapped her in a hug, planting a kiss on her cheek. “No, I really mean what’re you doing here ?”
I looked to my dad who smiled and said, “Your mother got us on a flight last minute.”
“Are you surprised?” My sister, Maria, stepped forward and pulled me into a hug.
I tried not to let my slight disappointment show. Of course I was excited they were here. I’d probably be jumping up and down if Aiden weren’t standing right there holding onto a kiss I wanted.
“ Duh I’m surprised! I can’t believe you’re here! Come in, come in.”
“?Dónde está Alexa?” My mom looked around my apartment. “Are you burning something in here? Is the gas on?” In true Peruvian mother fashion, she began inspecting every inch of the place.
I glanced at Aiden who was standing to the side, looking mildly amused and nervous. I shot him an apologetic look as I wheeled my family’s luggage into the living room.
“Give her a minute to relax, honey,” my dad chided gently. He was a big man, the opposite of my mom. His face was consistently rosy and his beard was full and white. As a kid, I’d interrogate him to try to find out if he was secretly Santa. He pulled me away from my mom and into a hug. “Hey, Rosie Posie,” he whispered. He glanced at my laptop screen and lit up. “You’re keeping the tradition alive! What part are you on?”
He sat on the couch before I could answer and turned the volume up to watch it himself.
Maria gently grabbed my elbow and said, “Sorry. I know they’re a lot. It was all my idea. I thought maybe you’d be lonely on Christmas Eve, so I convinced them to fly out for just a few days to see you.” She lowered her voice, glancing at Aiden, “I didn’t know you’d have company.”
I looked to Aiden who was still standing apart from us, his hands clasped behind his back. I was dazed already with the three of them fluttering around my apartment, the sound of my mom’s heavy footsteps going from room to room and the movie playing loudly through the laptop speakers. I couldn’t imagine what Aiden was feeling.
“I didn’t either,” I admitted. “Aiden,” I called him over. “This is my sister, Maria. Maria, this is Aiden.”
Maria’s eyes brightened. “So this is Aiden. I swear, Rosie doesn’t shut up about you. She keeps saying how mean you are, but I actually thought it was pretty funny when you told her—”
“Okay, okay,” I interjected. “It’s Christmas. No reliving bad blood.”
“Nice to meet you,” Aiden said to Maria. Then to me, he said, “Can I talk to you?” He pulled me aside, his head bent as he whispered, “Look, I should probably head home. I don’t want to intrude on your family …”
“?Quién es él?” My mom’s voice rang through the apartment. She stood in the doorway between the kitchen and living room, watching us. “Rosie?”
“This is Aiden,” I said. “Aiden, this is my mom, Claudia.”
“Are you celebrating with us?” my mom asked, looking at Aiden hopefully. “We didn’t know Rosie was seeing anyone, but if we had known, we would’ve brought you a sweater too.”
I blanched, shooting a nervous look to Aiden. It made sense. My mom was pretty old-fashioned despite all the romance novels she’d introduced me to and I guess the low lighting, the cookies, and the fact that it was so late on Christmas Eve had led her to think Aiden and I were together. It’d be too complicated to try to explain what we really were to my parents because I didn’t understand it myself.
“Right. Yes,” I said, panicky. “Aiden and I are seeing each other. We are together. Obviously. That’s why he’s here so late. But he doesn’t really like Christmas sweaters.” I gestured awkwardly at his sweater. “That’s as festive as my guy gets.” I cringed at my words.
Aiden shot me a look, and I tried to plead with him using my eyes to just go along with it.
“I would’ve worn the llamas,” he said kindly. He stepped forward to shake my mom’s hand. “It’s very nice to meet you. I was actually just leaving. I don’t want to intrude on your family time. I know how much Rosie’s missed you all.”
“Stay!” I grasped his arm, panicked. Aiden began to shake his head, stepping back. “No, I’m serious. Stay. We’ll be partying until Christmas hits, and I don’t want you to spend Christmas Eve alone.”
“I didn’t spend Christmas Eve alone,” he said. “I spent it with you.”
I held his gaze and lowered my voice to a whisper. “It’s not over.”
“You’ve been waiting all year to see your family,” he murmured back. “I don’t want to ruin it.”
“You’d only make it better.” I reached for his hand, squeezing his hand three quick times, and said, “Please.”
He held my gaze for a minute, before squeezing back and whispering, “Okay. I’ll stay.”
“Perfect!” My mom clapped. “Rosie, you have nothing in your fridge. What’re we going to eat?”
I rolled my eyes. “Okay drama queen, let’s go look. Aiden and I just made cookies, so clearly I have some stuff.”
“That’s what these are?” Maria called from across the room. “I thought it was coal to put in stockings or something.”
My dad burst into laughter. “You two made these? Yeah, I think your mom and I will take care of the cooking tonight.”
“You guys don’t need to cook anything,” I insisted. “Aiden and I went out to eat earlier. I have some snacks—”
“She has none—” Aiden started.
“I do!” I said defensively. “We have some Oreos left in the package, and I’m pretty sure I have some chips in the cabinet.”
My mom tsked. “Amor, can you run to the store and get some actual stuff to eat? It’s Christmas Eve for God’s sake! We can’t sit around all pitiful, we need to have a feast.”
“Nowhere is gonna be open, honey. It’s nearly midnight on Christmas Eve.”
“I can go,” Aiden offered. “I think there’s a bodega around the corner from here.”
“No,” I protested. “Mami, we don’t have to have a feast.” I turned to Aiden. “You don’t have to go. I have plenty of food here, we’ll survive for the night.”
“I want to make a good impression. It’s not a big deal.”
“Thank you!” my mom piped up, her eyes shining at Aiden.
My dad stood from the couch and said, “Maria and I will go. I’ve been on a plane and in a car for the past few hours. I want to stretch my legs. Besides, I know we interrupted you two. Your mom will be busy in the kitchen trying to pull together some sort of meal, and you two can have some alone time.” I nearly puked when my dad winked at us. What did he expect? For us to run in my room and have sex while Mom was rummaging through my drawers? I didn’t dare look at Aiden.
My father and Maria slipped past us out the door, Maria wiggling her eyebrows at me. I wanted to die from mortification.
We tried to convince my mom to let us help her in the kitchen as she tried to whip something up, but she refused. So, Aiden and I sat awkwardly on the couch, waiting for everyone to return. Not even a half hour ago, we’d sat here together, about to kiss.
I looked to the ceiling, praying to any god to somehow dig us out of this hole and make all of this less awkward.
“Hey,” I whispered to Aiden eventually, angling my body toward him. “I’m sorry I didn’t correct my mom about us being a couple. She’d have bombarded me with a million questions if I had, and it would’ve made the situation much worse. I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable.”
“It’s okay.” His voice was low and soft. “Family’s complicated. You know I get it. You’ve got a great family, Rosie Posie.”
I ducked my head. “They’re a lot, but they’re really amazing. I can’t believe they came all this way …” I bit my lip, smiling. I obviously wanted to see my family for Christmas, but I had let go of that dream a long time ago. “They also don’t know how to act in front of strangers, so I apologize in advance.”
Aiden laughed softly. “It’s obvious how much they love you,” he said. “Trust me, I’d trade overbearing for what I got any day.”
I wished I had the right words to tell him that being with him wasn’t as hard as his dad made it seem. That it was one of the easiest and best things in my life. I opened my mouth to try to say as much, but he shook his head, his hand landing heavy on my knee.
“I’m really happy I’m here with you.”
A little while later, Maria and my father knocked on the door and I rushed to answer to escape the thick silence between Aiden and me. They had a million bags in tow, snowflakes resting on their eyelashes.
“Did you know there’s a brick holding the front door of your building open?” My dad asked, his brow furrowed.
“That’s Ronny Jr.,” I explained.
“That’s stupid, Rosie Posie. You’ve got to get rid of it and tell whoever’s doing that to stop.”
“That’s what I said,” Aiden piped up.
My father nodded approvingly. “Good man.”
I rolled my eyes and helped them set the bags onto the coffee table, digging through the array of chips and cookies. I brightened at all the bodega snacks they had bought.
“Mom’s cooking something in the kitchen,” I told my dad. “I think it’s pasta.”
“I’ll go help. Can you make this look nice and fancy? It’d make your mom happy. We’ll watch the movie until midnight hits then do presents.”
I turned to Maria, panicked. “I didn’t buy anyone anything! I didn’t think I was going to see you guys.”
She smirked, glancing at Aiden. “I think the best gift you could’ve given them would be getting over Simon. Dad wouldn’t shut up about you on our grocery run,” she said to Aiden.
He shot me a panicked glance. “In a good way or bad way?”
“Really good.”
He looked pleased but confused. “I didn’t do anything, though.”
“ Exactly. He thinks it’s really good for Rosie that you’re so quiet because Rosie talks a lot .”
“Hey!” I said defensively.
Maria only shrugged and said, “It’s true. Do you have plates and bowls?”
“I’ll grab them,” Aiden volunteered, leaving Maria and me alone.
“He’s handsome,” she whispered. “Clark Kent vibes.”
I tried to hide my smile. “I guess so.”
She huffed. “Oh please. You don’t have to pretend around me.” She glanced back at the kitchen. “I know you two aren’t together, but I am curious as to what you were doing watching a movie together so late at night.”
“We’re kinda friends now. Maybe more. I don’t know.” I ignored the burst of butterflies in my chest at the thought of this all being real. “Peter didn’t join y’all?”
“No, he’s spending the holiday with his family this year. He really wanted to come, though.” She hesitated. “Look, there’s something I need—”
She clamped her mouth shut the minute Aiden returned with my parents. My mom was holding a small pot of spaghetti with cheap pasta sauce smeared all over it.
“This was all Rosie had.” She set it on my coffee table, Aiden trailing behind. “Aiden was kind enough to help us bring out the bowls and forks,” Mom said eagerly.
Aiden smiled sheepishly and set them all on the table. “Rosie’s been teaching me about southern hospitality.”
My sister let out a surprised laugh, snatching a bowl. “Rosie didn’t tell us you were funny.”
“Rosie Posie didn’t tell us anything .” My mom pouted. “I can’t believe you’re seeing someone and never told us, hijita. Is this why you didn’t want to come home for Christmas?”
“No,” I rushed. “I wanted to come home, but I couldn’t swing it. You know that.”
My mom sighed dramatically, sitting at the edge of my small couch. “I don’t know anything about my daughter’s life. You’re all the way up here in New York, and I’m out of the loop. Tell me how you two met.”
Aiden and I shared a look.
“Well, we’re in class together.”
“So you must know that boy who’s bullying my daughter?” Dad demanded, sitting next to Mom on the couch.
I guffawed. “I wouldn’t say bullying .”
“You told us the boy who was picking on you last year is in your class this year, too, right?” Mom asked.
Maria smothered a laugh and looked toward us expectantly.
“He is in our class,” Aiden spoke up. “Real jerk.”
“Aiden! ?Por qué no haces algo? You know, Rosie and I read a lot of the same romance novels and she really likes the heroes who are a little overprotective—”
“Okay, thanks, Mom,” I cut her off, blushing.
“Rosie doesn’t need me to fight her battles,” Aiden said seriously. “She does a good job of taking care of him herself.”
“That’s my Rosie Posie,” my dad said.
“C’mon, give us more!” my mom said eagerly. “When did you two start dating? You were in class together, then what happened?”
Aiden looked at me and said, “You know, I should let Rosie tell it. She’s the romance expert.”
I laughed hollowly and said, “But, Aiden, you’ve been trying to start writing more romance. This is a good way to stretch your legs!”
My parents were watching us eagerly. I hated having to lie to them, but I’d rather face these awkward questions than have Aiden spend Christmas alone.
“Why don’t you both tell us?” Maria suggested, oh so helpfully.
I sent her a quick death glare before stuttering out, “Sure. I guess it all started in … class one day.”
I cringed and looked to Aiden for help; his lips turned up in a smirk.
“You know, I’ll just say it. I’m the guy who was giving Rosie a hard time.” Maria mock gasped, but Aiden continued. “The truth is, I really liked Rosie, from the moment I saw her. And I’m … defensive I guess. I wanted to talk to her, and I didn’t know how because she … I mean, she’s Rosie. Larger than life and so kind and confident. I was too scared to go right up and talk to her.” He shrugged. “And the only time I ever really was given the opportunity to talk to her was during workshop.
“I was hard on her, probably too hard, but I was trying to push her because—as I’m sure you know—she’s a great writer.” He turned to me and said, “But I really had to search. I had to look in between the lines because your stories made me wish I could give her that type of love—the kind she wanted and deserved.”
My mom was practically swooning at every word and I was, too. We had spent so much time in the liminal space of pretend—first as Maxine and Hunter and now, with my family. I wanted so badly to believe that this was all true, too.
So I took a chance and told the truth. “It was similar for me, too,” I said quietly, my eyes never leaving Aiden’s. “It was before we even had class together—Aiden was doing a reading at the Writer’s House. He read the most devastating piece, and it spoke to me so deeply that I couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to anyone but him. He read with such conviction and vulnerability that … I had this huge crush on him for so long.” Aiden’s head jerked back just a tad at this. “And then you know, he was mean to me, blah blah blah, but … somewhere along the way I guess we got to know each other and didn’t want to stop.”
I had thought maybe my feelings were too complicated for Aiden. I’d struggled between wanting him so much and being so scared when my heart sped up at the sight of him or at the low timbre of his voice. But now, as we sat in the living room of my apartment, the tangled web unraveled, and I knew that I wanted to risk being burned and broken for him.
“How romantic ,” my mom said. “I’m so glad we can all be together. Why don’t we start the movie?”
Maria and my parents got comfy on the couch, and Aiden and I sat on the floor in front of them, our arms folded over our knees. The five of us watched the movie in the dim light, eating cheap pasta. I caught Aiden’s gaze out of the corner of my eye and smiled softly at him. When he returned it, I knew this was better than any Christmas I’d ever had.
I never thought I’d want to be in a mess like this. One where I couldn’t sleep because I was imagining telling her how much I loved the freckle at the top of her ear, and how much I wanted to kiss it. But I’d give just about anything to stay here.
— Excerpt from Untitled by Rosie Maxwell and Aiden Huntington