A smile creeps onto my face at the realization that I’m falling for Madi, and fuck, it’s nothing like I expected. I thought I’d freak out or something. I never expected to fall foranyone, but something in me settles knowing Madeline is the first girl Ifell in love with and the last because there’s no way I’m ever letting go of her.
“Hi, Madi,” James says, walking slowly over to her. He’s starting to use the crutches less and less, and honestly, It’s a relief off my chest. “Nice to see you again.”
She gives him a smile. “You too.”
“Come eat,” my mom says, placing five different serving dishes of food on the table. There’s barely any room for the plates, but with the smile on my mom’s face, there’s no way I’m telling her that. “I forgot to ask Lucas if you had any dietary requirements, so there’s a vegetarian dish, a vegan one, and the rest have meat.”
Madeline smiles, tucking her hands on her lap. “I’ll eat anything.”
My mom gives her a smile back. “That’s great because someone’s going to have to eat all of this.”
“Don’t you worry, mama Silva,” James says, grabbing some pão de queijo from the basket. “I’m starving.”
“Me too.” I dig into the feijoada, which makes my mouth water. My mom hasn’t made feijoada in a long time. It was my dad’s favorite, and I know how much it reminds her of him whenever she makes it. “And I can give the vegetarian one to Leila.”
“This looks amazing,” Madeline says, taking some of everything onto her plate. I grin. I don’t even think she knows what half of it is. She just piles it on, knowing my mom wasted herself in the kitchen cooking for her. “Thank you so much.”
My mom scoffs, waving a hand. “Nonsense. Lucas bringing a girl home for the first time is reason enough to celebrate.” Her eyes meet mine, and she smiles. “I’m so happy he’s foundsomeone.” Tears start to brim in her eyes. “Seu pai teria ficado tão feliz, filho.”Your dad would have been so happy, son.
Madi glances at me, and I know she doesn’t know what my mom just said, but she knows it is important because her hand sneaks under the table, and she places it on top of mine, intertwining our fingers together before she gives it a squeeze.
I look over at her and see her looking at me with those big brown eyes and a beautiful smile on her face. Fuck, I want to kiss her. And not the PG kiss that’s appropriate for when you’re having dinner with your family, but the wet, slobbery kiss that ends with me inside her until she cries out in pleasure.
I wish I could go back in time. I wish I could have gone back to that day in the elevator and told myself, this is the day. This is the day you’ll meet the girl you’ll want to spend the rest of your life with.
I’m sure I wouldn’t have believed it, but now here I am, sitting with my sister, my mother, my brother, and the woman I love, who makes my heart beat faster whenever she looks at me.
She extends her hands when my mom starts to pray, and I open my eyes, glancing at Madeline, to see that she’s already looking at me. She gives me a smile and mouths, “Thank you.”
“For what?” I mouth back.
“For letting me meet your family. I love them.”
Fuck. My heart aches with the love I have for her.
“They love you too.”
So do I.
When I turn my head, I see my mom look between us and give me a knowing smile. James is grinning, and he pouts his lips, imitating a kiss. I’m tempted to throw some bread at hisface, but I know how hard my mom worked on it, so I drop the bread, letting out a laugh instead.
The rest of the day is filled with laughter and jokes, just spending time with my family and finally being able to kiss the girl I’m obsessed with.
My little sister shares my obsession since she begs Madeline to paint her nails the same color she has on, dragging her away from me. Can’t keep the smile off my face, though. Seeing her with my family is the best thing ever.
My mom passes the wet dishes, and I run the towel over them, storing them away when they’re dry. “Nunca te vi tão feliz.”I’ve never seen you so happy.
Her voice cracks and pulls at my heart. “Mãe.”
She sighs. “I know I’m getting emotional,” she says in Portuguese. “But I never thought I’d see the day.”
I let out a scoff, drying my hands. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
She tuts. “Don’t be stupid. I didn’t mean it like that. I just mean, I didn’t think you’d ever allow yourself to open up to anyone. After your father died, you were just so focused on your career and taking care of us that you stopped thinking about yourself. Like James,” she says. “You smother the kid.”
I might be a little protective over him, but it’s for good reason. “He lost everyone, mom. We’re all he has.”
She nods. “I know that. He might not have come out of me, but he’s just as much my son as you are.”
