The Thrill Is Gone

In the days following their arrival, Harry felt himself becoming more at ease with the extended Balcázar family. They were welcoming to him, sometimes a little too welcoming, but he preferred that to the cold civility that he’d received from Raphael when they first met. Her relatives did their best to make him feel at home with them. They weren’t restrained with their emotions. When they laughed, they laughed heartily. When they quarreled, as he’d witnessed a few times, they quarreled rather passionately. They wore their hearts on their sleeves, and it was strange to be in that sort of environment, because in his family, it was best to keep ones passions controlled. Even when they were in private, his family wasn’t as lively as hers. They were subdued, that was how it had to be. The Queen had been raised in a different time, and she had, in turn, raised her children in that form, believing it to be the right way of doing things, and whenever anyone was around her or in the presence of the older royals, they were subdued as well. That was just how things were, but with Paulina’s family, he was free to talk as loudly as he liked, free to laugh. He was free to feel and say whatever he wanted, as long as he didn’t use any profanity in English, though profanity in Spanish was completely acceptable.

And he loved that. The freedom he felt in her home was a true comfort. He’d long been afraid that when the time finally arrived for him to meet her family, they would hate him. That they would glare whenever he entered the room and treat him as an outsider for not being well versed in their culture, but none of that happened. They were welcoming. Not all of them were overly welcoming. Some were quieter than others, a little more on the reserved side, but despite the quieter nature of a few, he was still felt welcomed by them in their own special way.

Sure, there were times when Harry felt like he didn’t belong, but those instances weren’t due to the Balcázar family’s attentions towards him. They were due to his being an Englishmen that was in the process of adjusting to a foreign culture. He was treading new ground, and every moment he shared with her family was a learning experience. And for the most, it was a good one, but as stated prior, there were times when he felt like he didn’t belong. Those moments arose when her relatives spoke Spanish a little too quickly and he had trouble understanding what it was they were saying. It arose when he didn’t know how to convey what he wanted to Spanish, and while he could easily switch over to English to speak to some of her relatives, there were others with whom that wasn’t an option.

She had a few relatives that didn’t understand or speak English, and funnily enough, all of those relatives had been living in the United States for decades. Everyone in the family always pestered them about when they were finally going to learn the language. Her dad always told those siblings that their learning English was a necessity, because without it, they would never be able to go from being Permanent Residents of the United States to Citizens. But despite their brother’s words, they didn’t learning English as a necessity. They were legal residence of the United States whom lived in Southern California, in the Los Angeles area where Spanish speakers from all over Latin America lived. So they easily got around. There were specialty shops devoted to Hispanic consumers where Spanish was the primary language, every store had at least one bilingual employee, so they easily got around, and if for some reason, they ever needed help communicating themselves, they just asked their kids to translate.

“So you mean to say that he’s been here for over twenty-three years, and he doesn’t speak English? He doesn’t even understand it?” asked Harry, unable to believe that her uncle Oscar couldn’t speak the language.

“That’s exactly what I'm saying,” replied Paulina as she put the kettle on the stove.

“But how’s that even possible? I reckon after that much time, you learn without even knowing you’ve learned. It’s not like he’s only been here a few years. It’s been decades! He should know by now. He really ought to.”

“Um, I honestly have no fucking clue as to how he’s managed to go this long without learning English. Like you said, he should’ve learned something by now, he should at least be able to understand it, but he doesn’t, and I think he’s pretty must set on never learning, which is ridiculous since he’s the only person in his family that doesn’t know it. His kids speak it and so does my Tia Carmen.”

“She’s the registered nurse, right?”

Paulina nodded. “Yeah, she is. And she used to always be on his case about learning English, but she sort of just gave up on that. I think she came to terms with the fact that he’s not gonna learn, since he doesn’t see a need to.”

“Well, why doesn’t he? Surely at his work he requires some form of English?”

“He’s his own boss,” said Paulina as she opened the refrigerator door and began to pull out everything she’d need to make a proper full English breakfast, because as much as she wanted Harry to enjoy the food that she’d grown up on, she didn’t want him to miss the taste of home to badly. “My tio (uncle) owns a car shop over in City of Industry, so he doesn’t really see a need to learn English, because most of the people he does business with, speak Spanish. And whenever he has to renew his contracts with some police departments he does jobs for, they always have the contracts in Spanish. So there’s no real need for him to do that for his business, but I think he should learn it so he can become a citizen. Who knows though, maybe he never plans on doing that, and he’s alright with just being a permanent resident.” She set the bacon down on the counter. “And to be honest, I think he might end up learning English now that he’s met you.”

“And why’s that?”

“Because my dad and his siblings that speak English are teasing the ones that don’t because you speak Spanish so well and have only started at it, while they’ve been here forever and haven’t really gone anywhere with their English.”

“Are they really?” The thought of Ricardo teasing someone was enough to make Harry smile in amusement. “Bloody hell, I hope those relatives won’t hold the teasing against me. I’ve nothing to do with that.”

“They won’t hold it against you.” She reassured as she returned to the refrigerator. There was a container filled with pinto beans that she’d cooked the night before, and she needed it to prepare the baked beans that Harry was so fond of. “Ah-hah!” she exclaimed when she found the bright pink container, which had been mostly shielded from view by the jalapeño jar and stack of wheat tortillas. “Can you hold this, please?” she asked as she held out the jar.

Harry did as he was told, taking the jar into his possession as Paulina pulled out several packages of wheat tortillas before pulling out the medium sized container that housed the pinto beans.

“What’s in there?” he asked her, curious to know what she’d been looking for.

“Beans,” she replied as she set the container on the kitchen island, and then began to put back the tortillas the jar of jalapeños.

“Beans?” he repeated. “Are these the ones your mum made the other day? The one with the bits of meat in them and peppers?” he inquired.

“Nah, these are just plain pinto beans.”

“Oh, alright then,” he said. “So you’re setting things out for when your mum gets back?

Irmalinda and Ricardo had stepped out earlier that morning to do a few last minute errands for the impending party. They had left at a quarter to seven, shortly after Harry had wandered downstairs to fetch a glass of water. And after a brief conversation with him, which included their asking if he’d like to accompany them, they left, but not before telling him that if he got hungry, he could help himself to whatever was there.

“I'm not setting things out for her,” replied a confused Paulina. “I'm gonna cook.”

“You?” he said, his surprise apparent.

Paulina let out a laugh. “Well, yeah. Why the tone of surprise? I cook all the time.”

“You do. You cooked all the bloody time in England, but here, your mum’s been the one that fusses about the kitchen. So I sort of thought you were getting things out for her, prepping, if you will.”

“Well seeing as how my parents barely left ten minutes ago, this isn’t prepping,” she told him with a playful smile. “They’re not gonna get back for at least an hour or two, maybe even longer with everything they’ve got to sort out before the party.”

“Then why you cooking this early?” he asked.

“My goodness, you’re turning into Isabel.” Paulina teased. “I'm gonna have to keep you from hanging out with her too much or else you’ll never stop pestering me with questions.”

“Hah. I don’t reckon that’s likely. Don’t ya know we’re best mates now?”

“What a little liar,” she said, allowing her amusement to shine through. “I'm her best friend.”

“Not after you’re yesterday, you’re not.” He leaned against the kitchen island, the cool granite pressing against his back. “After we took tea in the garden, accompanied by her charming stuff bear, she named me her bestest friend. Apparently, I'm more rad than you.”

“Not even!”

“Yes, even.” He let out a hearty laugh, the corners of his eyes wrinkling as he did so. “And don’t look at me like that. It’s not my fault I'm so bloody rad. It can’t be helped.

Wanting to tease him a bit more, she pressed her hand to his forehead, and pretended to be deep in concentration.

“What are ya doing?” he asked, eyeing her.

“Checking for a fever, because you, my beloved Henry, are delirious,” she replied with a smirk.

“Delirious?” he repeated.

“Yes, very much so,” she struggled to keep from laughing. “I think you need to have a lie down, maybe that’ll help a bit.”

“I’ve a better idea.” He moved away from the island, and began to travel the short distance between himself and her. There were only a few steps that kept them apart, hardly a formidable distance, but it had been days since he’d properly kissed her, since her body had fused to his, and that distance, short as it was, was an annoying inconvenience. “Something that I know will definitely do the trick . . .”

“And what might that be?” Her breathing hitched when he placed his hands on her shapely hips and began to gently massage them. “Harry . . .” she found herself whispering, but it wasn’t a supplication for him to stop.

Their entire stay in Paris had been spent giving into their desires whenever they felt like it. They made love at all hours, not caring if they’d just woken up, if it was the middle of the day or the evening or night. They had given themselves up to their passions, desperately attempting to have their fill of each other. But had been unsuccessful, because regardless of how many times she rode him into a state of maddening pleasure or he relentlessly drove into her, they could never have their fill. They could never have enough. And while it was easy enough to try to satiate their desire for one another while they were in Paris, it was impossible to do so in California.

They were forced to sleep in separate bedrooms, to tone down their demonstrations of affection to nothing more than hand holding, the occasional kiss on the cheek, and a few stolen kisses on the lips when no one was looking. And that drove them both a little mad, especially since Harry was staying in her bedroom, since he could smell her all around him, but couldn’t share a bed. It was sheer torture. He wanted to have her there with him, to be able to hold her naked body close and have those pointless conversations they were so prone to having just before falling asleep. All he wanted was to fall asleep next to her. He loved knowing that when he woke up, her face would be the first one he saw.

But that wasn’t possible. They were in her parents’ home, there were rules that had to be abided by, and he would respect those rules, but if her parents weren’t home, and if her brother was passed out from being out into the early hours of the night, then Harry was going to take the opportunity to reclaim those blessed hips as his, and to dip his head, so that his lips might capture hers.

The moment his chapped lips brushed against her supple ones, she completely forgot that they were at her parents’ house or that her brother could walk downstairs at any moment or that she should’ve really been getting breakfast ready. All she could focus on was Harry. There was nothing like feeling his body pressed against her own, his muscular arms claiming her body, or his distinct taste. There was something utterly addictive about his kisses. It was the way his mouth perfectly molded against hers, the way his tongue skillfully moved, and the passion that always seemed to burn throughout their kissing. Kissing him like that always left her lightheaded and grinning like a fool. His kisses made her feel like they were the only people in the world, and she treasured that. She treasured those intimate moments with Harry. He truly was her favorite person in the world. She didn’t just tell him that to make him feel better when he was nervous. She really meant it. There was no one else she would’ve rather spent her time with. There was no one that could trump him in her eyes.

So she kissed him with everything she had, bringing him in closer as their lips moved hungrily against one another. They were each set on satiating their desire, hoping to find a way to drink their fill so that when they were among her family, unable to act upon their urges, they would still be drunk on the memory of their kiss. To that end, Harry slid his right hand beneath the fabric of her faded Metallica t-shirt. The fabric bunched up against his wrist as his calloused hand greedily explored the curves that had been his constant companion throughout their time in Paris. He became so lost in her, and she in him, that they fully gave up to their passions and in a moment of weakness, in a moment of utter stupidity, they allowed their hormones to get the best of them, and without properly processing what they were doing, he began to yank her shirt upwards, and she lifted her arms to allow him to do so.

When her shirt had been discarded and his lips recaptured hers, he lifted her and set her down on the granite countertop. Her legs dangled off the edge, parted just enough for him to stand between them. His body was pressed up against hers, her breast against the fabric of his t-shirt, and she could feel his growing erection pressed against her, she could feel him hardening with every passing second, and she wanted him, she wanted him to take her right there on the counter and make her cry out his name, but thankfully for them, they didn’t get that far along. They were stopped relatively early on. Harry had begun to kiss down her neck, gently nipping and sucking on the sensitive skin, but not to hard so as not to leave any marks. It was as he did that that Paulina tilted her head slightly to the left, and when she did, she spotted a stunned Teresa standing in the dining room area.

“Teresa!” cried out a mortified Paulina, her face turning a violent shade of red.

At that, Harry froze. Teresa? Oh no, no, no, nothing good could from her finding them in that compromising position. What if she told her husband what she saw? Harry would be dead. Of that, he had no doubt. Raphael would tell his brothers and father about what Teresa had seen. He would get him kicked out of the house. Harry could already envision it. Ricardo would throw him out the front door, sending him face first into the lawn, and a livid Paulina would be restrained by Adrian and Luis. It’d be a fucking disaster if Teresa told on them.

“Put your shirt on.” Teresa hissed in a low tone, surprising the two youths. “Come on! Get off the damn counter and put your fucking shirt on!” she said more urgently, knowing very well that her husband wasn’t far behind. “Your brother’s on his way, and if he sees you like that he’ll –”

“He’s what?” asked Paulina as she got off the counter.

“He’s on his way in,” repeated Teresa, her eyes holding the same heat Irmalinda’s held whenever she found her kids doing something inappropriate. “So you better put your shirt back on or else he’s gonna lose his temper in the way that only you Balcázars can amongst each other, and knowing him, he’ll ruin your party. So put your shirt on, now. And you,” she turned her disapproving gaze on Harry, “Don’t look so pleased with yourself.”

“I don’t look pleased,” argued Harry. He felt worried, truly he did, but he didn’t realize that his face wasn’t mimicking what he felt inside. His face did in fact, look quite pleased.

“You do.” Teresa stated, sternly. “And go stand behind the island! Hurry up!”

“Why?” Harry questioned, rather defiantly.

“Because you have a boner!” cried Teresa.

Paulina didn’t hear any of the exchange between Teresa and Harry, she was far too busy scrambling to get her shirt back on. She found it lying on the ground near Teresa, a little pile of faded red fabric, and as soon as her hand came into contact with it, she snatched it up and pulled it over her head. She’d hardly finished putting it on when Raphael walked through the front door.

“Buenos días (good morning),” Raphael greeted them as he made his way towards the kitchen, carrying an assortment of his mother’s larger cooking pots. “Oh.” He stopped in his tracks when he saw Paulina and Harry standing in the kitchen. “It’s you two. I thought you were mom and dad.”

“They’re not here right now.” Paulina informed her brother, and when he questioningly cocked his brow, she elaborated. “They went out to run a few errands for the party.”

“Right, dad always likes to get the meat on the day of, says its better that way.” Raphael set the pots on the kitchen island. “And that way it doesn’t clutter up the fridge. So what are you doing up? Isn’t it a little too early? Mom always had to wake you up at nine-thirty on weekends because you were such a floja (lazy butt).”

“You swear that nine-thirty is late. Nine-thirty is early by weekend standards,” said Paulina, trying to act as she usually would. And if you must know, I woke up a little early to make breakfast.”

“What are you gonna make?” asked Raphael, noticing just how bright his sister’s cheeks were.

“A full English breakfast,” replied Paulina, rather proudly.

“Bloody hell!” exclaimed Harry from his place behind the island. “That’s why ya took out the pinto beans, you’re gonna make ‘em baked beans.”

“I am.” Paulina smiled softly at him.

“Brilliant,” commented Harry, fully pleased with what he’d heard. “I’ve been craving that these last few days. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I'm not keen on Mexican food. I am. It’s quite delicious. But for nearly two weeks now it’s been foreign food, French and Mexican, and they’ve been lovely, but a hearty English breakfast . . . well, I reckon that might just be one of the finest dishes in the world. Fills you up all day, it does. Of course, ya can’t have it every single day, since nearly everything’s friend and that’ll get at the cholesterol, but bloody hell is it a treat!” He paused. “Are you doing bacon and sausage or just the one?”

“Both, but there’s mostly bacon,” she replied, knowing Harry was extremely keen on bacon. “And I was able to find a back bacon cut so it’ll be just like home.”

“See this is why I love ya. You satisfy my gut and my –” he trailed off, suddenly realizing how terribly inappropriate his statement would’ve been had he concluded it.

“Your what?” asked Raphael in a low, somewhat menacing tone.

“Soul,” replied Harry, evenly. “Where are the children?” asked Harry, hoping to chance the subject. “I’ve not heard Isabel.”

“That’s because she’s not here,” answered Isabel. “The kids are at home with my mom. She spent the night since my dad went up to Bakersfield to help out one of my uncles.”

“Is everything okay?” inquired Paulina, concern flashing across her features.

“Yeah, everything’s fine. Well, not technically everything, but my uncle and his family are fine. My dad just went up there because my tio is having some issues with a few cows, and since my dad was a dairy farmer in Mexico, my tio figured that he could give him a few tips. So he really only went up there to give him his opinion, but he’ll be here for your party. He’s driving back in the early afternoon.”

“He doesn’t have to,” reassured Paulina. “Tell him that I completely understand if he can’t make it. He’s helping out his brother so it’s alright, really.”

“He’ll be here. My mom already told him that he had to come down, so he’ll definitely be here.” Teresa paused. “Well, we have to get going, but tell your mom that I brought over the pots she let me borrow last week. They’re all clean. I rewashed them last night so they’re good to go. Anyways, we’ll see you later on.”

“Do you guys maybe want to stay for breakfast?” blurted out Paulina. She didn’t want them to stay, not in the least, but her mother had taught her that when there was food being made, it was always right to invite the guest to stay to eat, even if you didn’t really feel like having company.

Raphael was about to say they would, but Teresa beat him to speaking. “Thanks for the offer, but we can’t. We have to run a few errands to run before the kids wake up. We’ll see you later though. She hugged Paulina and in a low, cautious voice said, “No seas mensa (don’t be stupid).”

A sigh of relief passed through Paulina’s lips when her Raphael and Teresa left. That had been a close call. Just a little bit longer and Raphael would have seen them. Teresa was right. Paulina couldn’t afford to be dumb. She wasn’t a hormonal teenager, and even when she had been, she hadn’t acted like that. She’d always been in control of herself, but around Harry, sometimes she just lost her self restraint, but from then on she was going to have to keep a cool head and not put herself in compromising positions while they were at her parents’ house.

“That went well,” spoke Harry after a prolonged silence.

She didn’t hear him say that. She was too busy mentally freaking out over what occurred.

“Ay Dios mio (oh my God) . . .” she mumbled. “That was so fucking embarrassing. I can’t believe she walked in on us like that! We were all grabbing at each other. And I was moaning and you were doing that low growl thing you do. It was horrible!”

“It wasn’t so bad.” Harry assured her. “She seemed alright by it, gave us a warning and all. I reckon it could’ve been loads worse. She could’ve told your brother and then he’d be having a go at me right now, so we got off well enough.”

“We did,” she conceded. “I just wish that hadn’t happened. Now I feel like whenever she sees us, she’s just gonna be thinking about that.”

“She’s a mum. She’s loads more important things to fret about.”

“I guess you’re right.” It was then that she noticed he was standing behind the island. “Why are you standing there?”

“Because I’ve a fucking semi,” he informed her. “I was ready to have at it while we were having our snog, but then they showed up and I couldn’t quite get it down all the way. So I hid behind here, and it went down a bit, but it seems this is as far as its going on its own. Seems to need a bit of persuasion, it does.”

“Then go persuade it.” Paulina would’ve much rather been the one to get him off, but given the circumstances that wasn’t possible. “I’ll make breakfast while you rub one out.”

Harry stared at her with an amused little smile. “You know, I reckon if the lad’s mags heard you say that, they’d print it and all their readers would be jealous. There are some birds out there that get all grossed out by a wank, but not you.” He stepped closer to her, eyes darkening with lust. “I bet they’d start having themselves a go over you.”

“They already do.” Paulina wasn’t trying to tease him. She knew they did. She’d read a few comments that men had written online regarding her, and while there were some that referred to her as a whale, there were others that rather graphically described scenarios they’d want to engage her in. “What?” she asked when she saw his face flash with jealous. “Didn’t you know I'm already being wanked to? Apparently the pictures of me prancing around Botswana in that red bathing suit really made an impression. Also, the navy blue one I wore when we were in Torquay.”

“Well those bastards can wank themselves all they like, because I'm the one that’s got you.”

“For now, you’ve just got your hand.” She smirked and then walked over to the refrigerator to grab some more ingredients, but just as she was opening it, Harry walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “What are you doing?” she hissed. “We just got in trouble for being all close and shit. So go rub one out and then come down for breakfast.”

“I will, but first I need something to go on.”

She shuffled around so she could look him in the face. “What do you mean you need something to go on –” she trailed off. “Oh no!” she shook her head. “I'm not gonna flash you.”

“Not asking for that, though come to think of it, that’d be brilliant.” He smirked, and she glared. “Alright, alright . . . how about your bra?” he asked. “Can I have that?”

“My bra?” she questioned.

He nodded. “If I’ve got, I’ll be set. So what do ya say?”

“Fine, let me just go put another one on. I’ll leave this one in your room, and you better not do anything to weird with it. It’s at that point where it’s all comfy and I don’t want to throw it out. I haven’t gotten the others to that point yet.”

Paulina did as she promised. She went up to her bedroom, moving down the hall as quietly as she could, and once she was inside, she slipped on another bra from the dresser and left the other one atop the bed for Harry to do whatever it was he planned on doing.

Once she was done with that, she returned to the kitchen and took her time preparing breakfast. And by the time she’d finished, the smell of it had woken her brother and the security details. Luis walked down the stairs in his pajama bottoms and plain white shirt, while Alistair and the others actually got dressed. Luis had told them time and time again that they needed to get dressed up for breakfast, they could wander downstairs in their pajamas and then afterwards, go upstairs to change, but they simply told him that they preferred to be fully ready for the day.

It was no time at all before the six of them were having breakfast at the table. Alistair, Kamal and Gethin were appreciative of the meal that had been prepared for them. Unlike Harry, they were having a little more trouble adjusting to the food. They didn’t eat it as frequently as the prince, which meant their stomachs were currently in the process of getting used to the seasoning and spices. So to have a full English breakfast available to them was a true treat, and they were grateful for it. Luis, while enjoying most of the food, didn’t care in the slightest for the baked beans. In his mind, beans were either meant to be simply served right out of the pressure cooker with chopped onions, pepper, tomato and cilantro, or refried. Nothing else had to be done to them, so he avoided the baked beans as if they were asparagus, and focused on the eggs, bacon, sausage, fried tomatoes and mushrooms, and toast with butter. He had himself a second serving, as did everyone except for Paulina. She was saving up space for what was to come in the afternoon, because when her parents had a party, they went all out with the food.

Since Irmalinda and Ricardo decided to drive out to Los Angeles to pick up flowers from the flower district, they took longer than Paulina had expected. They showed up at nine to drop off the flowers they’d bought to place on the tables, and then took off again to buy the meat they’d need for the various dishes they planned on making. And while they were out at the grocery store, Paulina and Luis cleaned the house. Paulina saw to the inside; she swept, mopped, vacuumed, cleans the bathrooms and dusted. Luis took care of the outside. He cleaned the backyard, front yard, and swept outside so it was all tidy. Harry and the other tried to help them out several times, but each time they were told that guests didn’t do chores, and were sent away.

By the time Irmalinda and Ricardo returned with everything they needed, their kids were just finishing up with the cleaning. The moment Paulina and Ricardo heard their parents, they went outside to help bring in the bags, and despite the Balcázars protests, Harry and the others did as well. They carried in the large cuts of meet, the vegetables, and some extra cases of beer and bottles that Ricardo had picked up to make sure that there would be more than enough to go around. And as Harry carried the bags inside, pictures were snapped of him doing so. They were taken by American photographers that stood across the street. There were only three of them, a far cry from the usual dozen they were used to in England, and since they couldn’t very well go up to the house without having the sprinklers turned on them, they decided to stand across the street and just wait for Harry to come out. It wasn’t a very productive strategy, but the young prince was out enough for them to snap a few shots of him in domestic life, and that pleased both the American magazines that were purchasing the pictures and the British tabloids.

For several hours following the arrival of Irmalinda and Ricardo, the house was chaotic. The party supply company arrived with the chairs and tables, and Harry and the security details busied themselves by helping Luis set them up. Meanwhile, Irmalinda and Paulina were cooking inside, while Ricardo was outside getting ready to make the carnitas. It was a lot of work and a lot of tidying up the kitchen again, but by 2:37pm, they had finished cooking the food and were ready to take turns showering and getting ready for the party that was set to begin at four.

Paulina got ready quickly. She left her hair in its natural curls, only pinning up a few pieces, and once her hair was done, she applied a light face of make up. She was going to be sweating all night, so she didn’t want to have to worry about reapplying make up every hour or so. She wanted something simple, fresh and perfect for summer, and that was exactly what she gave herself. And when she finished applying her make up, she slipped on her bright coral pink dress. It was a simple v-neck dress that had a pleated waist sash. It wasn’t anything ostentatious, but she loved its simplicity and she paired it with the dark brown cowboy boots that her dad had given her for Christmas a few years back. She only ever wore them out to family parties, and hadn’t taken them with her to England out of fear that she might lose or damage them, but for her graduation party, she slipped them on and smiled at the thought of all the hours she’d spent dancing in them, and smiled even brighter at the thought that soon she was going to be dancing banda, rancheras, and cumbia with Harry.

It was like something out of a dream. In fact, she’d dreamt that exact thing several times. She dreamt about what it would be like to have him with her family, to be able to be in her environment for once.

“Check you out, chunky butt,” said Luis when she walked into the living room. “You look good.” She knew that by saying that, her brother meant she looked beautiful, but he preferred to stick to less praiseworthy sounding comments. “You look like a straight up paisa.”

“You’re one to talk.” She sat down across from him. “You went all out with it. You’re wearing your sombrero (cowboy hat), botas (boots), and the big ass belt buckle. You ooze Guanajuato.”

“I do. Don’t I?” Luis smirked. “Its cuz these are the only times I can get away with wearing this. I love the fucking get up, it’s got presence to it, but to go out dressed like this everyday, fuck that. That’s only for the devoted paisas.”

“Like Marcos?”

“Exactly like him. He took off to Mexico for a summer, and came back dressing like he’s at the rancho 24/7. I can barely fucking remember when he used to dress like a boot leg Daddy Yankee.” Luis lifted his hand over his head and stretched. “So how’s your güerito doing?”

“He’s good,” replied Paulina. “He just jumped in the shower a little bit ago so he’ll be out soon.”

“Wasn’t talking about that,” said Luis. “I meant how’s he doing with all of this? Because I can’t even imagine how that shit must feel to be thrown into completely new surroundings. Well, I mean, you know cuz that’s what you’re about when you’re out with him at those events and with his family, but I can’t imagine. Just the culture shock would be enough to get to me.”

“Obviously, I think it’s gotten to him a little, but, um, he’s used to this sort of thing with all the traveling he does, so I think he’s overall, alright. And he’s been so amazing about making this a positive experience that I'm just really glad it’s him I brought him. I just want mom and dad to love him like I do.”

“You don’t need to be worrying about that. Mom’s already all in love with him. She keeps talking about your güerito and how charming he is. And dad’s almost there. I mean, if he didn’t like Harry, then his ass would be at a hotel. Don’t you remember how it was with Joaquin?”

She nodded. “Poor Joaquin had to stay over at his aunt’s house in Pomona.”

“That was fucked up, even I would’ve let him stay over, but dad said no, because it didn’t feel right. But look how it is now, he’s letting Harry stay here and it’s not just cuz he’s a prince. Dad likes him. The moment dad found out that Harry fucked that guy up for laying his hands on you, was the moment he started liking him. Shoot, even I thought he was down after that, even after what happened between you two.”

“I already told you that that didn’t happen like I thought it did.” She looked away embarrassedly. “Things were just blown out of proportion, but he’s so great. I'm telling you, nothing beats him with the mariachi. The night he did that, I was just like alright, I'm going full into this.”

“And it’s turned out well.”

“It has.” Paulina smiled. “So do you know what time Rafa and them are coming over?”

“He said they’d be here at four, and then everyone else will show up at four-thirty or five. I think we should have some carnitas with lemon and Tapatio while we wait. So we’re not starving while we wait for people to get here.”

Luis didn’t get to serve them a plate of appetizers, because almost as soon as he stood up, the front door opened and in walked Isabel, Ronaldo, Teresa, Raphael, and Teresa’s parents. Raphael was behind them, carrying with him the cake that they’d ordered from Paulina’s favorite bakery. He set it down on the kitchen table, but then decided that it’d be safer on the island where the little kids wouldn’t be able to get to it.

Raphael and his family were the first to arrive, but no long after, their uncle Ernesto and his wife, Nidia, arrived with their youngest child, a seventeen year old by the name of Javier. They had four other children, three girls and another boy, but they were all grown up with families of their own, and wouldn’t be arriving until later in the day.

Now that there were actual guests at the house, Paulina couldn’t wait around the living room for Harry. She had to lead her relatives to the backyard, seat them, offer drinks, place snacks before them, and sit down to talk. And that was precisely what she did. She was attentive to them, inquiring after their grandchildren, asking Javier how he was feeling about going into senior year. That took the better part of ten minutes, and when they’d had their fill of talking about themselves, they began to ask Paulina how she’d enjoyed her time in England, and before she was able to respond, there was an interruption. Harry stepped out. Ernesto had yet to meet the young man. He had been at work during the impromptu gatherings, but he’d heard a lot from his wife and his siblings, and he was eager to meet the young man whom dated his granddaughter, and form his own opinion on him. It was obvious enough to Ernesto that Harry was respectable enough if Ricardo was letting him stay at the house, but Ernesto was still curious to know more of his character.

“I do hope I'm not interrupting,” said Harry as he neared them.

“Don’t be silly, of course you’re not.” Paulina and her relatives stood. In her family, they always stood to greet people; there was none of that sitting down nonsense. They believed that to be rude. “I was just out here with my aunt and uncle. You haven’t met my uncle Ernesto yet, but you’ve met my aunt Nidia and cousin Javi.”

“I have.” Harry said with a smile.

“Es un placer ver los otra vez, Señora Nidia. (It’s lovely to see you again, Ma’am.)” Harry smiled at Nidia.

“¡Si habla español el muchacho!” exclaimed Ernesto. “Yo pensé que estaban bromeando cuando dijeron eso. (I thought you were all joking when you said he did.)”

“No estaban bromeando, tio. Si lo habla y lo habla muy bien. (They weren’t joking, uncle. He speaks it and he speaks it very well.)” Paulina said, proudly.

“Estoy aprendiendo. (I'm in the process of learning.)” Harry said, trying to sound modest. “Muchas palabras todo vía no se, pero por allí voy. (There are a lot of words that I'm still unfamiliar with, but I'm managing.)”

“Pues vas por muy buen camino, muchacho. (Well you’re doing a great job of it, young man.)” Ernesto complimented.

“Si va.” (He is doing a great job at it.)” Paulina agreed with her uncle. “Pero déjeme se lo presento formalmente. Tio Ernesto, el es mi novio, Harry. Y Harry, el es mi tio Ernesto. Hermano de mi papa. (But let me formally introduce you to him. Uncle Ernesto, this is my boyfriend, Harry. And Harry, this is my Uncle Ernesto. He’s my dad’s brother.)”

“Mucho gusto conocerlo, Señor Ernesto. Paulina me hablado mucho sobre usted y su familia. Tiene muy bonita familia. (I'm very much pleased to make your acquaintance, Señor Ernesto. Paulina has told me so much about you and your family. You’ve a very charming family.)”

“Y tu tienes muy bonita novia. Es unas de las señoritas mas lindas. (And you have a very beautiful girlfriend. She’s one of the loveliest young ladies.)” Ernesto praised his niece.

“Eso ya lo se. (I already know that.)” Harry said, glancing over at Paulina.

“¿Por que no te sientas y nos echamos unas cervecitas? (In that case, why don’t you sit down and we’ll have a few beers?)” Ernesto offered.

“Con mucho gusto, Señor. (It’d be my pleasure, Señor.)” Harry grinned.

“No me tienes que llamar Señor. Soy Ernesto. (You don’t have to call me Señor. I'm Ernesto.)”

“Gracias, pero prefiero llamarle Señor. (Thank you, but I prefer to call you as I have been.)” Harry took a seat across from Ernesto.

“Pues como se te de la gana, pero allí siéntate. Mija, nos traes unas cervecitas. De las que tenga tu papa están buenas. ¿Tú quieres una mi amor? (Well do whatever you like, but just get comfortable. Paulina, can you bring us some beers? Any of the ones your dad has are fine. Do you want any my love?)” Ernesto asked Nidia.

“No. Mas al rato me voy a tomar unas cubitas. (No, I'm going to have some tequila and Squirt later on, so I'm holding off.)” Nidia replied.

“Entonces nomás para mi y el muchacho, mija. Gracias. (Then just for me and your young man, Paulina. Thank you.)”Ernesto settled into his seat.

The beers were tucked away in two large red coolers that Luis had dragged out of the garage and given a vigorous scrubbing too. For some, such a large quantity of beers would’ve seemed excessive, for the Balcázars it was normal for a family party, and it wouldn’t even be enough to last the night. That was why the mini fridge in the garage was packed with more beer. It would be from there that they would draw from when they supplies dwindled. But beer wasn’t the only thing there was too drink, what the adults preferred was tequila. They didn’t drink it as shots. Where they came from that was laughable. They took it straight like others would take scotch, and when they wanted to savor it with their meal, they added a little bit of Squirt, and were good to go. That was how her family drank. They didn’t drink every single day, but when they gathered for parties, they drank as if they were back in their rancho in Guanajuato. They drank with that comfort, that glee.

And since drinking was a social occasion for her family, Paulina was glad that her uncle had invited Harry to have a few beers with him. That was a promising sign. Hopefully, her uncle would be as friendly and attentive to Harry as he was to her, because all she wanted was for her relatives to get along with him, for her favorite aunts and uncles to approve. It wasn’t that she needed their approval. To be Harry, she would go up against anyone, anything, but it’d be nice to know that her family could understand why it was she loved him so much, and why she put herself through what she did on a daily basis. Maybe then they’d stop telling her she was crazy, because that was a very popular thing for her relatives to say.

Whenever Paulina got on Skype with her cousins and their parents were there, they would ask her why she was putting up with the media invasions, with the lack of privacy over Harry. They told her that she could get a nice young man that wasn’t as recognized, a young man that she’d be able to be normal with and go about her life as she had in the past. They always told her that, and Paulina, whom never spoke specifics of her relationship to them, would simply smile coyly and say that Harry was güerito, and that was all there was to that.

As time wore on, the rest of her family began to arrive. It seemed that everyone had agreed to get there on time, which was strange since in her family, people always showed up to parties a little late. If the party was at four, then people would get there at 4:30 or 5, and that would be deemed on time. That’s how it always was with them, but apparently they all agreed to get there on time.
There were a lot of faces that Harry hadn’t seen before. Most of those belonged to her cousins, the older ones that were married and had children of their own, that hadn’t been able to make the drive over during the week. They’d been busy, but now they were there, and they were finally going to see what all the fuss was about.

Harry was more at ease around her cousins than he was around the older relatives. With them, he could converse freely in English and didn’t feel the need to be overly formal, and they didn’t ask as many questions as their parents did. They kept it simple, friendly, and then excused themselves because they had to sit down and get the kids settled. Harry was relieved that meeting them hadn’t been as stressful as he’d thought it to be. The real stress was what he’d experienced on Wednesday when he showed up. Never in his life was he going to forget that moment. One second everyone was standing at a decent distance away from him, the next he was in a sea of women whom were kissing his cheeks, hugging him tight, and speaking quickly.

One of the things that struck Harry about the party, other than the insane amount of food there was, was that the guests weren’t dressed like he’d thought they’d be. Harry had expected that everyone was going to be dressed like Paulina’s brothers and father and Uncle Ernesto, were. He thought they’d all have those odd hats on, and the cowboy boots, as well as the large belt buckles, but most of them didn’t. The older men did. It seemed that they held firm to the preferred fashions of their ranch, but the young ones were scattered when it came to that. There were a few, like Paulina’s brothers, that dressed in that traditional form, and then there were others that were dressed like Harry was, they wore slacks and a nice button up shirt. It was a far cry from what he’d imagined it to be. He thought he and his security details were going to look off, but they fit in and he was glad of it. It was one less thing for him to think about.

Unlike his first encounter with Paulina’s family, that time around she was able to stay by him. He was at her side as she greeted the guests, smiling dutifully and speaking politely to her relatives. He thought it was hilarious how the tables had turned. It was always him that initiated conversations and then introduced her, but there, in the festively decorated backyard, it was her that introduced him. She was the holder of attention, and he was glad to be there in a supporting role. He genuinely enjoyed going around with her, talking to everyone, making sure they were settled in, and after having made the rounds with her, the pair sat down for a feast.

Since Harry and the security details weren’t familiar with any of the dishes, Paulina took it upon herself to serve them. She kept in mind the sort of food each of the security details usually ate, what they had a liking for and then took it over to them. With Harry, she wasn’t as picky. He’d told her that he wanted to try everything, and so she put as much of everything as she could fit on the plate. At first, he thought he wasn’t going to be able to finish all of it, but then he tasted the carnitas, and he couldn’t stop himself from eating.

“How’s the food?” asked Paulina as she grabbed a tortilla.

“Bloody delicious,” said Harry, his mouth full. “Honestly, I didn’t reckon the carnitas would be that brilliant since the way they were made was off to me, but bloody hell, was I wrong. Your dad’s a brilliant cook, and your mum – ah! She could open a restaurant, she could. It’s that fantastic.” He paused to take a shovel the forkful of barbacoa into his mouth. “Mm,” he savored the taste. “Do ya know how to make this, love?” he asked Paulina. “It’s this bit here.”

Paulina swallowed the food she had in her mouth. “Yeah, I can make that. Won’t come out as good as my mom’s, but it’ll be pretty good. Why do you ask?”

“Because I reckon Wills and my dad ought to try it. I think they’d be quite keen on it.”

“You think your dad would like barbacoa?” Luis couldn’t imagine the Prince of Wales eating that. “Like, for real?”

“Why the disbelief?” asked Harry. “I’ll have you know my dad has quite the diverse taste. And he’s extremely keen on the enchiladas that Paulina makes. And the beans and rice that go along with it, as well.”

“Wait. Wait. Wait. You’re telling me that your dad has eaten chunky butts cooking?” Luis watched as Harry nodded. “That’s down. Anyone that appreciates a big ass plate of Mexican food is alright by me.” He grabbed a tortilla and proceeded to load it up with meat, and then salsa. “So I heard you two are taking Isa and Aldito to the zoo tomorrow? That true?”

“Yeah, that’s true.” Paulina lifted her gaze from the plate to her brother. “Why?”

“Because you’re gonna have a nasty ass hangover tomorrow. Both of you are.” Luis could vividly remember the hellish pain he’d been in as a result of his two graduation parties.

“How am I gonna get a fucking hangover if I can’t even drink here?” Paulina reminded in a low voice. “Mom and dad are all paranoid when it comes to that.”

“Don’t be stupid.” Luis took a bite from his taco. “I saw a nice ass bottle of tequila inside the house. It’s from Penjamo, and it was all done up, so I think . . . I think you might be getting your bottle tonight.”

“What? Not even!” Paulina couldn’t imagine her parents would give her a bottle. That was just preposterous.

“Sorry. I'm not following. What’s with the bottle?” inquired Harry.

“It’s kind of a tradition, nothing fancy or anything, but, uh, when we’re allowed to drink, we get a bottle. I know it probably sounds lame, but when my dad was younger, when he hit sixteen, his dad got him this really nice bottle and they had their first drink together.” Luis couldn’t help but remember his twenty-second birthday, when his dad gave him his bottle. “And that was my abuelito’s way of showing that he saw our dad as a man. You know?”

“That tradition goes for the birds as well?” Harry, like Paulina, couldn’t believe that her parents would let her drink in front of them. Not after all the stories he’d heard.

“Yeah,” Luis replied. “I get that might sound weird since we’re all protective of Paulina, and we’ve a pretty traditional family in some ways, but the Balcázar women aren’t dainty little things. Just because some of them decide to be homemakers and to take care of the kids, that doesn’t mean they’re not fierce, because they damn well are. Has Paulin told you the story of our abuelita Fabiola?”

“Well this takes place way back in the day, she was nineteen, and our dad was three years old and she was pregnant with our tio Ernesto, like extremely fucking pregnant, ready to pop. And there was this guy that was all in love with her. He was this fucker that owned a hacienda and he was loaded, and even though she got married and started her own family, he was still in love with her. So he was always finding excuses to see her and to try to convince her to take off with him, he’d say that he’d take care of her kids and be a man for her. I think it’s obvious enough to say that our abuelito didn’t like that, so he was always getting into fights with that guy, running him out of the ranch and telling him that he was gonna get beat, and our grandpa actually kicked his ass a few times, because the guy just didn’t get that our grandma didn’t want to be with him. So they threw down a bunch, and one day that asshole got smart and brought some of his workers with him. It wasn’t fair. It was obvious that it wasn’t fair, but the Balcázar stubbornness and pride forced our abuelito to fight, and they were messing him up sick until our abuelita got back from being at her mom’s place. As soon as she saw what was going on, she tried to break it up, but they weren’t listening, so she ran inside with my dad and tucked him into bed to make sure nothing happened to him. After that, she loaded the rifle that our abuelito had, and walked out there, her belly all beg cuz she was pregnant, and she told them to stop, when they didn’t, she fucking shot one of the thugs, got him right in the shoulder. And then she walked out there, she stopped right in front of our abuelito, still holding the rifle up, and told those assholes that she’d kill anyone who lay a finger on her Aureliano.”

“That’s mental.” Harry couldn’t bring himself to believe that the elderly woman, who was sitting in a rocking chair, had shot someone and threatened to kill others. “I . . . I honestly can’t believe that happened, especially while she was pregnant.”

“That just goes to show that Balcázars protect what’s theirs.” Luis stated. “I can’t believe Paulin hadn’t told you that story. That’s one of her favorites.”

“Seriously, Luis?” she cocked her brow. “How would I have even brought up that story? It was never relevant.”

A devilish glint suddenly appeared in Luis’ eyes. “You know what else isn’t relevant, but is hilarious?”

“Don’t you dare, Luis,” Paulina glared at him, knowing very well where he was going with it.

“Harry, did my sister tell you she plays the –”

“Shut up!” hissed Paulina. “I'm gonna kick your ass if you –”

“She plays the accordion.” Luis stated, defiantly.

“The accordion?” questioned Harry. “No. There’s no way she does. I honestly can’t see her with one of those. Wait. Do you really, Paulin?”

“She does,” Luis answered for her. “And don’t worry, she’ll play for us. I’ll tell dad that he should have you perform one of the Ramon Ayala songs you know.”

“Just so you know, I'm gonna –” Paulina trailed off when she hear music begin to play, her eyes immediately darted to the pathway that ran along the side of the house, and there, emerging from the path, was the mariachi. “They’re here!” she cried in delight. “And they’re playing my song!”

Harry turned to look in the direction she was staring at, and sure enough, there was the mariachi her parents had hired for the party. There were ten on them, mostly men, but there a few women scattered amongst them. His gaze didn’t linger long on the mariachi. As interested as he had come to be in their genre, he was more eager to see his girlfriend’s reaction to the night’s musical act. She was grinning brightly, so wide that Harry couldn’t help but think that maybe her cheeks would be a bit sore later on. Her smile wasn’t the only feature that caught his attention. He was completely taken in by her dark brown eyes that were twinkling with utter delight. She was overjoyed. And why wouldn’t she be? She had him there, her family, and a mariachi; if memory served him right, then that was one of the scenarios had been looking forward to being in.

As the mariachi played on, they made their way over to the main table where Harry and his security details sat alongside Paulina and her immediately family. The mariachi came to a halt just a few feet behind Harry’s chair. It was there that they would play from. They would serenade the guest of an honor with her favorite song, Cielito Lindo.

When the song came to an end, Paulina sprung to her feet and clapped loudly for them, thanking them time and time again for playing such a beautiful song, and then thanking her parents for having brought them there. The mariachi took the compliments with a smile, and then asked her if she would pick the next song. There was only one song Paulina could think of, the song that made her think of the single most romantic night of her life. Volver, Volver was the song she requested. And from across the table, Harry smiled adoringly towards her, because to everyone else that was just a great song, a classic, but to them it was so much more. It was their song. It was the song that made their reconciliation possible.

It was with that thought in mind that they listened to the song. They both reached out across the table, Harry placed his right hand atop hers, and gently rubbed the top of her hand with his thumb. The gesture was missed by most parties. In fact, there was only one person that caught the sweet exchange and that was Ricardo. And he was pleased by it. In that simple gesture, he could see their love; the respect, admiration, and devotion that the pair had for another. And he was glad he was able to see that.

The pair listened to the song with great pleasure, and when it ended, the mariachi began to go through their repertoire, through the set list they had compiled specifically for the occasion. They played without break for the better part of an hour, and when they did rest, it was only for five minutes. They drank some water, used the bathroom if necessary, and then were back out there, only that time, they began to walk around the large backyard, going table to table as they took request for songs.

Most of the requests came in the form of love songs. Paulina’s older male relatives knew very well the importance of thoughtful romantic gestures, so they asked the mariachi to play the songs they had danced with their wives on the day of their wedding, and some simply requested that their wife’s favorite song be played. Playing those songs was how the mariachi spent their second hour, and when their time began to wind down, Ricardo stood to request another song. At the beginning of their second hour, he had asked them to play Mi Linda Esposa in honor of his wife, but now he asked for Es Mi Niña Bonita to be performed. That was the song he danced with his daughter at her Quinceañera, the song he danced with her when she graduated from Stanford, and he would dance it with her at the party, just as he would dance it with her when she graduated from Harvard, and on the day of her wedding.

With a heart swelling with emotion, Ricardo made his way over to the table to ask Paulina to join him for a dance, and Paulina gladly stood up to dance with her father.

“Is there always a father-daughter dance at graduations?” asked Harry.

Luis shook his head. “Nah, our dad just likes taking every opportunity to make one happen. He only has one daughter, so he’s got limited father-daughter dance opportunities. If he had more girls, he would’ve probably just done the standard Quinceañera dance and the one at weddings, but it’s just Paulina. So he’s always making official dances at her parties.” Luis chuckled. “His siblings are always making fun of him over it, but I guess when we have daughters of our own, we’ll know what he’s going through. That is, if you plan on having kids.”

“I do.” Harry reassured. “Just not quite yet, I'm a bit young.”

“Fucker, I wasn’t talking about right now, right now. You’re not having babies until you’re older, like at least five years older and married.” He was telling Harry the exact same thing he told Paulina.

“Yes, of course. I'm not having children out of wedlock. I wouldn’t put anyone through being a royal bastard. There’s a stigma there, and if they were conceived before marriage and then I married their mum, there’d be loads of difficulties, and they’d always be reminded of what they are, and no . . . I won’t put anyone through that. So don’t worry. Alls well on that front,” said Harry, nervously.

“Good.” Luis stated. “So do you want another beer or you ready for the bottles?”

“Someone say bottles?” Rodolfo chimed in. He’d just arrived, and had made his way over to the main table to greet Luis before going off to find his friends. He wore an outfit similar to Luis’s and carried a tequila bottle in his hands.

“Sup man, I didn’t think your ass was gonna show.” Luis stood up and greeted Rodolfo with a one armed hug. “Where are your parents at?”

“At my cousins Quinceañera,” replied Rodolfo. “They’re the main godparents so they couldn’t leave to come over, but I snuck out when I could and brought a bottle over from the party. It’s from Jalisco. My tio brought it over from out town so you know it’ll be good.”

“Not even, Rudy.” Luis, like his sister, firmly believed the best tequila came from Penjamo. “The best tequila comes from Guanajuato. We got a bunch of bottles from over there since our tio Arturo went over a few weeks back.”

“Fuck that. Tequila comes from Jalisco. That alone says everything. But you know what? We should let Harry decide which is better.” Rodolfo proposed.

“Me?” Harry couldn’t see how his opinion could be strongly valued when it came to tequila.

“Yes, you,” Rodolfo grinned. “You’re objective. Though, on second thought, your ass will probably side with Luis just because you’re with a Balcázar. Forget it! We won’t make you pick, but you are gonna have some tequila from the town my parents are from. It’s fucking delicious. Ah shit. That reminds me. Good seeing you again, man.” He gave Harry a one arm hug. “How’ve you been? How’s the party been treating you?”

“I’ve been quite well, thank you. And it’s treating me fantastically. It’s brilliant, and the food is absolutely delicious. You’ve got to serve yourself a plate.” Harry had trouble believing that the same young man that was covered in tattoos and had an affinity for t-shirts and skinny jeans, was dressed in the odd hat, boots, and belt.

“As much as I love the Balcázar cooking, I can’t eat.” Rodolfo replied.

“Why not?” asked Luis.

“Because I ate over there at the quinceañera, and if I eat right now then I'm not gonna be able to get drunk. Well, I will, but it’ll take longer and I might puke. I’d rather just take a plate to go.”

“Just come over for the recalentado tomorrow.” Luis knew that despite their being a lot of guest, there was going to be food left over, and their family always heated up the leftovers the next day to have a mini meal with just their immediate family and the relatives that lived really close by. “And bring your parents over. I know how much your dad likes carnitas.”

“Alright then, we’ll be over tomorrow. That reminds me, do you know if Manny and Gonzo are already here?”

“Yeah, they’ve got a table near the avocado tree; all your friends are already over there.” Luis responded.

“Sweet, then in that case, I'm gonna get my ass over there. I’ll see you later on for some drinks.” Rodolfo turned to Harry. “Hey Harry, you want to head over with me?”

“To go with your mates?” asked Harry.

Rodolfo nodded. “Well, yeah.”

“I thank you and I would go with you, but Paulina’s nearly finished the dance with her father.”

“That’s fine. She can find you when she finishes up. Luis, will her where you’re at. Or are you scared?” Rodolfo teased.

“What in the hell do I have to be scared of?” Harry said, eyeing Rodolfo.

“Of not being able to keep up with my drinking again,” Rodolfo smirked.

“I’ll have you know, I drank every bit as much as you did.” Harry reminded.

“And then you threw up.”

“Fine then, I’ll be the victor tonight. Just you wait. Luis, I'm to be off with Rudy.” Harry turned to the security details. “Alistair!” he shouted over the music. “I’ll be with Rudy if you need me.”

“I’ll go with you, Sir.” Alistair was getting ready to stand up.

Harry shook his head. “There’s no need for that. I'm quite safe here. Be at ease.” He redirected his attention to the heavily tattooed young man. “Right then, lead the way, Rudy.”

Having spent most of his childhood in the backyard of the Balcázars house, Rodolfo had no problem with finding the table, even if he’d been blindfolded, he would’ve been able to make his way to the avocado tree.

It had been awhile since Rodolfo had seen his friends, Sergio Valenzuela and Wilson Vuong. Those two were the ones that already have wives and kids, and as a result of that, they weren’t allowed out as often as they had in the past, but for the occasion, Sergio and Wilson had managed to get a night away from their responsibilities. They had secured themselves a night of freedom that would last until the following morning, when their respective wives were meant to pick them up from Rodolfo’s house. Accompanying Sergio and Wilson at the table were their friends, Manuel Suarez, Gonzalo Aguilar, and Emmett Campbell. Emmett and Gonzalo had gone without their girlfriends, they wanted the freedom to get drunk without feeling like their girlfriends were shooting them discouraging looks, and since Manuel had recently gotten out of a relationship, he was there alone, not that he minded. It was a night meant for friends, meant to be celebrated among the people that he played football and was on the wrestling team with in high school.

When the guys saw Rodolfo show up, they broke into grins, knowing that their ringleader had finally shown up.

“About time your ass showed up,” said Gonzalo, slightly leaning back in his chair. “We were gonna send out a search party soon, in case someone kidnapped you.”

“As if anyone would ever kidnap his ass,” commented Emmett. “They’d have him for ten minutes and then bring him back, wouldn’t even for ransom or anything.”

“Great to see you assholes too,” Rodolfo greeted them, and set his large bottle on that table. “You fuckers are spending the night, right? Because I'm not gonna do any moderate drinking tonight, my ass is going all out.”

“Yeah, we’re spending the night, that’s what we told you yesterday.” Wilson stated. “You need to take better care of your brain cells, all the smoking and drinking is starting to get to you.”

“Calm down, dick,” said Rodolfo. “Don’t get sassy or else I won’t hook you up with a pillow and blanket tonight.” He took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair before putting it back on. “Have you guys met Harry, yet?”

“Yeah, we have.” Sergio said. There was a faint accent when he spoke. It was due to his having been brought over from Guatemala when he was nine years old. “Paulina introduced us early on.”

“In that case, let’s just have at it.” Rodolfo took a seat, and motioned for Harry to do so as well. “Get ready to taste the best tequila that you’ll ever have in your life.”

Harry settled into the empty chair beside Rodolfo, and readied himself to have a few drinks. He might have told Rodolfo that he was going to be victorious in drinking with them, but truth be told, he hadn’t the faintest intention of doing so. He didn’t want to get sick and throw up in front of Paulina’s family. He’d never puked in front of his own dad, let alone hers. All he was going to do was get pleasantly drunk; he was going to get drunk enough to get a bit silly, but not enough to make an ass of himself.

As Harry drank with her friends, Paulina continued to dance with her dad. Not that there was much song left to dance to, there was hardly a minute left, but she treasured the time spent dancing with her father. Whenever she was in his arms, she felt herself become a five year old all over again, she felt like the little girl who forced her dad to have tea parties in the backyard, and on several occasions, had managed to get him to wear her mother’s hats and scarves to make it authentic. From the beginning, Ricardo had always doted on his little girl. He adored her, and she adored him every bit as much.

When the song came to an end, Paulina hugged her dad tightly, burying her face in his chest as he placed a tender kiss atop her head. They stood there for a moment, quietly embracing, but then the moment passed. Her father led her off the patch, and went to go talk to the mariachis. He told them to please feel to grab some food and stay around for however longed they liked. They were very much welcomed.

Now that the mariachi had ended their performance, her cousin Francisco began his. He started off with the song Jefe de Jefes (The Boss of the Bosses), which was a favorite of his father. As soon as the music began to blare from the speakers, her relatives began to move into the designated dance space. It was, for the most part, the older crowd that danced, but there were a few of her older cousins mixed in. Wanting to dance, Paulina went over to the table to look for Harry, but he was nowhere to be found. She asked Luis where it was that Harry had gone off to, and when he informed her that he’d gone off to hang out with Rodolfo, she decided to hold off on fetching him, she’d let him drink and joke around with her friends.

“Since my güerito isn’t here, you have to dance with me.” Paulina told her brother.

“That so?” he asked, setting down his tequila.

“It is.” She held her hand out to him. “Now come on. It’s my party and you have to dance with me.”

“What happened to me being a horrible dancer?”

“You’re still a bad dancer. It just doesn’t matter cuz I want to dance. Now come on, Luisito. Dance with me! Please?”

“Oh. Fine, just one song though. After that, you can go get Adrian.” Luis took her hand and stood up.

“I can’t. Adrian’s already dancing.” She motioned over to the spot where Adrian and Thomas were skillfully moving to the music. “Now quit your complaining, I’ve got you for two songs.”

Luis pretended to be annoyed, but truth be told, he enjoyed dancing. He just wasn’t very good at it. Adrian and Paulina had been the ones that inherited his grandmother Fabiola and grandfather Aureliano’s dancing genes. Raphael had, to some extent, inherited them as well, but not Luis. He was hopeless on the dance floor, but he was willing to go out there. He led her to the dance floor, wrapped one arm around her wais to pull in her close, and then her other up. They didn’t move very quickly, sticking mostly to the basic two-step that he was alright with, but it was fun nonetheless, especially when he started throwing in those spins, he’d just hold his hand out and she’d twirl underneath, that was how they used to dance when they were kids at parties.

They ended up dancing three songs instead of the intended two, and their dancing only came to an end because Raphael cut in. He was much better than his brother at dancing, and when the music changed to Mexican cumbias, he danced cumbia with his little sister, though he was only able to get one dance in, because as soon as Isabel saw that his dad had stopped dancing with her mom and started dancing with her tia, she decided that it was time to interrupt so he could focus on her.

Deeming the interruption as a cue to go find Harry, Paulina made her way to the avocado tree where Harry was laughing amongst her friends. They were telling him embarrassing stories about her, the awful ones that they saved whenever she brought a boyfriend over.

“Bloody hell!” laughed Harry. “Ya can’t be serious about all that.”

“We shit you not.” Gonzalo poured himself another drink. “Her mom fucking whacked some poor dude with her big ass purse, cuz he was getting to close to Paulin in the movies. And she had a big ass crush on the guy, used to call him the gorgeous nerd, and then boom, her mom fucking ruined it with a swing of her bag. That shit was hilarious. I remember the poor guy got all freaked out, and we were dicks, we were cracking up.”

“You know what’s funnier though? That time she got in the garbage bin. That was fucking hilarious.” Emmett reminisced.

“Hey, fuck you man, that wasn’t funny.” Rodolfo stood up for her. “That shit was warranted.”

“Ah. Damn. I forgot you jumped in there with her.” Emmett began to laugh at the memory.

“Wait. Why were in the rubbish bin?” asked Harry, confused as to how they’d gotten there.

“Because these assholes thought it’d be funny to tell us that the cops were coming.” Paulina spoke up, making Harry turn around and the rest of the guys realize that she was there.

“She finally graces us with her presence!” exclaimed Rodolfo. “I thought you’d forgotten about us mere mortals.”

“I couldn’t if I tried.” Paulina walked over to Rodolfo, and gave him a tight hug. “It’s good to see you, Rudy. Thanks for coming out.”

“No problem, you know I never pass up a Balcázar party.” Rodolfo stood up and grabbed a chair for her, and placed it between him and Harry. “So you gonna tell him the story or should we have the honors?”

“I’ll tell him, but you guys fucking suck for bringing it up at all. I thought it was an unspeakable.”

“Don’t even play that card,” Gonzalo joined the conversation. “We were never supposed to talk about the brown bomber incident, but you fuckers are always bringing it up. A guy shits his pants once, without everyone going crazy.”

“You didn’t just shit those pants. You annihilated them.” Emmett tilted his head back and let out a loud, hearty laugh.

“Man, fuck you; we’re supposed to be making fun of Paulin.” Gonzalo had had enough teasing to last him a life time.” He turned to Paulina. “Tell him what happened.”

“I changed my mind.” Paulina stated. “Let’s talk about something else.”

“Nah, we’re talking about the dumpster story.” Gonzalo took a drink. “So this happened back when we were like nineteen. We weren’t that young, but we were still teenagers. Paulina had gotten back from Stanford for the summer, and we’d all been chilling, but then her mom’s sister got sick in Mexico, so her mom and dad took off to check out what was going on. And since they were gone, we decided to have some fun. Luis was here so we couldn’t have like a massive house party, but we were like fuck it, it’ll just be us. So we all went over to spend the night, and we had beer and some blunts and then fucking Rudy pulls out a baggie of shrooms. And we’d never done those before, so we were all nervous, but in the end, we decided to just go ahead and do them. So we did.”

“I didn’t.” Emmett spoke up.

“Oh that’s right. You were the sober one. Well, sober in regards to shrooms. So everyone except for Emmett ate them, and then after awhile we started feeling the effects so we decided that it’d be a waste to stay inside the house and waste such a powerful high. It wouldn’t be right, so we went out walking. We walked all the way to the shopping center, but nothing was opened so we got pissed off and then came back, but when we were coming back, I thought it’d be funny to scream out that the cops were coming. So that’s what I did. I said the cops were coming and Rudy and her just fucking jumped in the trash bin because they thought it’d get them out of trouble. They fucking stunk when we got them out, and they were pissed, but I think it was hilarious.”

“It was a dick move.” Paulina stated. “I had to shower like five times to wash everything off me.”

They spoke at length about the incident, and then talked about others. Harry couldn’t believe the trouble that Paulina had gotten into when her parents went off on their own private vacations. He’d always thought she’d led a more quiet life, what with how her parents were, but apparently, she’d found her moments of release in which she’d completely acted the part of the reckless teenager.

Paulina hung out with her friends for about a half hour, but growing tired of being the only sober one, she decided that it was time to dance. Harry was nervous about going out there with her. Sure, she’d taught him some dance moves, but he didn’t think it was enough. He’d only been dancing for two days, whereas those people had years of experience. But despite his reservations, Harry summoned his courage, and followed her out to the dance floor. They had just gotten to the dance floor when Adrian went up to Paulina, telling her that her dad wanted her.

Not wanting to leave Harry by himself, she asked him to follow her to the main table where her dad was waiting for her. She thought back to what Luis had said about her dad having gotten a special bottle for her, but she couldn’t bring herself to believe that that was the case. Her dad wouldn’t want to share a drink with her. She was always going to be his little girl and not an actual adult in his eyes, but she was wrong, because when she got to the table, the unopened tequila bottle was there, and there were two glasses next to it. Her eyes immediately went wide. She stared at her father in disbelief, and he just smiled at her, he smiled and motioned for her to step towards him.

Without speaking, he opened the bottle and poured them each a drink. He didn’t have to tell her what it meant, she already knew. She’d heard enough stories growing up to know what it signified, and she’d been jealous that her brothers got to drink with her dad for years, so for him to pour her tequila and clink glasses with her was just a dream come true. Her father saw her as a true adult. She was now worthy of having a drink with.

As Paulina had her drink with her father, Harry slipped aside to ask for a song to be played. The song wasn’t one that Francisco had on his computer, but since he was connected to the internet, he was able to look it up without a problem.

Harry then returned to the main table where Paulina had just finished having her drink with her dad. She was smiling brightly, and he knew it wasn’t just because she was finally allowed to drink among family; it was because she was being seen and respected as an actual adult.

“I can’t believe that just happened,” Paulina whispered to Harry. “I spent years wondering if that would ever happen, and it did! Bloody hell, it did. I'm sorry it’s just. Ah. This is huge. And now I can drink! I'm so getting drunk tonight. Well, not completely drunk, but you know.”

“Yes, I do darling.” Harry smiled affectionately. “It’s fantastic. And I think you ought to celebrate with a dance.”

“Do you?”

Harry nodded. “What do you say, Miss Balcázar? Would you care to dance with me?”

“It would be an absolute honor, Sir.” She took his outstretched hand, and followed him to the dance floor.

She thought they were going to dance the Banda el Recodo song that was blaring from the speakers, but when they got onto the dance floor, that song came to an abrupt end, and in its place, there was a familiar tune, a song of love that made Paulina’s heart swell with emotion.

“Harry . . .” she whispered in disbelief as he placed his hand on the small of her back, and pulled her in close.

“If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you,” he sang softly, into her ear. “When mountains crumble to the sea, there will still be you and me.” He could feel her smiling against his chest, those beautiful lips had curled upwards, and he knew the touch was one that would have her dreaming of him that night. “And so today, my world it smiles, your hand in mine, we walk the miles. Thanks to you it will be done, for you to me are the only one.”