Page 26 of Hurricane Love

“Shut up. You know who I am, pendejo. It hasn’t beenthatlong.”

Diego nodded. “Thought I recognized the attitude.”

“Whatever.” She punched his shoulder, then quickly switched to Spanish. “Who’s your friend and more importantly, is he single?”

Diego laughed and slung an arm around Wylie to include him in the conversation. “Why don’t you ask him yourself?” he replied to her, in English.

“I’m Carolina,” she said with a flirtatious smile and offered a manicured hand to Wylie. “And you are?”

“Wylie Sommers, m’lady,” he said with a little bow and took her hand.

“A gentleman,” she said, clearly liking that. “So, are you single?”

The question visibly threw Wylie, who went wide-eyed as a doe and glanced at Diego for guidance. First his mom, now his little cousin. The women in his family were ruthless. Well, he’d tried to warn him. “Ah, well, I’d say I’m a little too old for you,” Wylie stuttered.

“I turn eighteen soon,” Carolina said, smooth as anything.

Wylie laughed heartily, game recognizing game. “Well, then, darlin’, I’m a little too gay for you.”

“Ahhhh,” she nodded, as if things were falling into place. “Very interesting. Diego’s always been the rebel of the family,” she said, which sounded a bit like admiration.

“I’m just here to make the rest of you fools look good,” Diego said.

“No kidding, the Tías are always like, you’d better get good grades or you’ll end up in prison just like Diego. You better not stay out late or you’ll–,” she stopped herself, probably because her brother was giving her a death glare. “You know what I mean.”

Diego could just imagine it, the tale of warning for any others who might try and stray from the path. Of course, it stung, but like Wylie had said, he knew who he was on the inside. He had to look forward, not back, and focus on being a better person than he had been.

“Well, they’re right,” Diego said. “Prison sucks and you don’t want to end up there, so stop hitting on guys who are too old for you, chica. Besides, this one’s taken.”

He snaked one arm around Wylie’s midsection and squeezed. The huge grin on Wylie’s face told him that he didn’t seem to mind Diego’s declaration. Carolina’s response was to stick her tongue out at Diego, which he returned. Some things never changed.

And it was done. He’d come out to his family, more or less.The younger generation knew he was gay. Once word got around, there’d be no need to hide it. Diego felt relieved, especially when Wylie picked up the conversation about the recent NFL draft, and then they got a casual game of football going with the littler ones joining in, which only ended when the ball landed in the water, and they had to fish it out from the dock with a pool net, everyone cheering when Diego finally nabbed it.

By then it was time to eat and thankfully, it was buffet style, so Diego could avoid his mother and the Tías and eat with the cousins instead. It was pretty great catching up with them all and meeting the little ones too. Wylie was by his side the whole time, cracking jokes and gently ribbing the teens.

Later, as he was saying goodbye to one of the Tías, his grandmother’s sister Cuca, she said to him, “Ay dios mío, Diego, it’s so good to have you back. Your poor mother, worrying over you all these years. Maybe now that you’re here, she’ll finally find a nice man to settle down with.”

“Maybe,” Diego said, though he wasn’t sure how him being in prison affected her dating life at all.

“And I hear you’re working for Frankie now?” Tía said. “That’s good. He’s done so much for you over the years, hasn’t he?”

“He has, Tía, and I’m very grateful.”

“Too bad your abuela isn’t here, bless her soul, she would have loved to see you with the family like this. Todos juntos.”

Todos juntos.Everyone together. Well, not everyone.

Diego got a little choked up then, because he’d always had a special relationship with his abuela.Mamama, they called her. She took care of him a lot when he was little and his mom had to work, cooked him his favorite meals and doted on him, gave him affection in a way that his mother never had. He’d known she was sick–too sick to visit him. She’d passed away while he was in prison, precious moments with her he’d lost and would never get back.

“I really miss her,” Diego said.

Tía nodded and smiled softly. “We all do, mi amor. She’s in Heaven now, watching over us. Especially you. Now, you take care and be a good boy. Don’t forget to come to church. Frederico’s been asking about you.”

“Ay,” Diego said and practically shoved Wylie out the front door. He’d had more than enough nostalgia for one day. The regrets kept piling up like debris in a river bend, clogging his spirit. Back in the passenger seat of Wylie’s car, he finally felt like he could relax and take a full breath.

“That’s a big family,” Wylie said as he looked him over.

Diego nodded at the man’s generous assessment. “That wasn’t even all of them. There are more in Miami.”