Or was that just a part of his ruse? His way of reeling in the ladies for one night, only to reject them when they came running back for more?
I think I’m going to be sick.
“Excuse me. I need to use the bathroom.”
I make a beeline for the guest room bathroom before Amelia can notice anything off about me.
I take a moment to collect myself.
Maybe Priscilla has it all wrong, or maybe it’s not as bad as it sounds. Perhaps he’s changed his stance on relationships and just hasn’t told his family. Not exactly something you want to announce to a group of females you consider family.
Something in my gut tells me to trust him. To, at the very least, have the conversation with him and get the answers I need before making a rash decision.
With new determination, I head for the door but come to a halt when I hear angry male voices on the other side.
“Dad, do we really have to do this right now?”
“Yes, because you ignore my texts when I ask you,” Amelia’s father argues.
“Well, then maybe it’s because I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Antonio, it’s been over five years. I thought by now you would have secured a safer job. One where your mother doesn’t have to worry about you at night. I thought maybe you’d lose interest in it, or at the very least move up the chain to a point where you can have a respectable desk job.”
“Do I look like the kind of man who sits behind a desk for eight hours a day, Dad?”
“Listen, mijo, we didn’t immigrate to this country to just do what we like. We came here to do what needs to be done. For your future, your family.”
“Oh, not this again.”
“No, not this again. That’s more your mother’s arena. But at the very least, can you practice more discretion? Priscilla was pumping information about your flings to your mother and the other women. I’m in no rush for you to settle down. The last thing you need right now is something to distract you from getting to your next step in life.”
“Jesus Christ. I’m gonna kill Priscilla.”
“Look, son. I’m not here to make you feel bad, but you have to understand my stance as a father. I need to push you to make sure you’re living your full potential. I don’t want you to look back on this time and see it as time wasted. You need to make moves now while you’re in your youth. You must take advantage of the opportunities that we moved here for in the first place. I say it out of love so you can have a better life.”
“I know, Dad.”
“Okay, let’s get back to the party, and maybe give Priscilla different gossip to spread so you don’t give your mother any more gray hairs.”
“Yeah, yeah. Let’s get out of here.”
I hear retreating footsteps as I lean my forehead on the bathroom door.
Information overload. I feel myself getting emotional, so I do what I do best. I make a mental list and look at the facts logically, without catastrophizing the situation.
Antonio is a playboy who has previously claimed he has no interest in relationships.
Antonio is going through some career shift, in which his father thinks a relationship could be a distraction. And I’m just about to jump into my career and probably spend my time in underserved communities rather than on date nights.
Antonio’s family is Amelia’s family. The same family that has taken me in as one of their own. The family that I never had growing up, since it was just my mom and me. The family I will be creating new memories with for years to come.Not just one night.
My stomach is in knots as I straighten and reach for the door. I know what I have to do, even if it’s the last thing my heart wants. But I don’t make decisions with my heart. Never have, and I know all too well how dangerous it would be to start now.
Because if there’s anything I’ve learned from my mother, it’s how not to make her same mistakes.
16
Antonio
