Bulletproof Love

“Hey mama.” Emily edged up to her mother, who was busy preparing Emily’s favorite desert, lemon pudding filled coconut cupcakes. They were perfect for summer barbecues.

“Emily! What are you doing in here? Shouldn't you be out there with your friends?” She raised an eyebrow, continuing to mix the batter for the cupcakes.

“ Shouldn't you be out there instead of in here baking?” Emily countered, not quite ready to tell her mother what had happened yet.

“Well someone has to make up for your cooking skills. If you weren't so pretty I’d wonder why Vic stayed with you.” Her mother waved the wooden spoon she was using to mix the batter at Emily.

“Mom!”Emily laughed. She knew her mother was just kidding. She was a firm believer in every woman knowing how to cook, and although she had tried many a time to teach her daughter how to prepare even the simplest of meals, it was just no use. Emily was a hopeless cause when it came to doing anything in the kitchen besides making coffee, and she only knew how to do that because she had once been a barista at Starbucks.

“Oh honey, you know I’m kidding.” The short, stout woman swatted her daughter’s shoulder lightly and went back to her baking.

“Do you need any help?” Emily wasn't quite ready to go back outside yet, and she’d do just about anything to avoid it.

Her mother sighed, smiling a bit as she turned to her daughter, a look of motherly affection painted on her aging face. Emily could see that she knew something was wrong, it was written all over her face but then again Emily offering to help cook wasn't something that happened very often.

“Sure baby, how about you stir this for me?” She pushed the large blue bowl full of batter over to Emily, holding out the wooden spoon for her to stir it with. Emily smiled; taking the spoon from her mother, she began to beat the mixture. It was a small task, but it managed to help her take her mind off of what had happened upstairs only a few minutes before; at least a little bit anyway.

When everything in the bowl was mixed into a nice, creamy texture, she stopped stirring, setting the bowl down on the counter. She didn’t know how she was going to bake them, because she definitely didn’t have any paper cups lying around but she figured her mother had brought some with her if she had planned on making them. Sure enough, there was a brand new package of them sitting in a plastic bag in a corner on the kitchen counter. She began placing them in the cupcake tray her mom had set out, but that was probably as far as she was going to go. They were her favorite and she really didn’t want to mess them up as she knew she inevitably would if she tried to make them. Her mother stepped up to the counter; the big bowl full of batter in her arms, smiled and thanked Emily for helping. Emily took that as her cue to leave the kitchen, and wandered outside where she found her father and Vic Sr. by the grill.

She gave a quick hug to both her father and the elder Fuentes and watched as they flipped the various foods that were cooking on the grill.

“So why are you over here with us old men when you could be with your friends?” Her father asked, flashing her a light smile. She shrugged; figuring she would have to spit out what she came over to ask him in the first place eventually.

“Can I stay with you and mamma for a few days?” Over at the grill, she noticed Victor falter in flipping a burger. The members of both families would know what happened eventually, so she didn't feel the need to try and hide it from him.

“Why would you want to do that?” He asked. She knew what he was trying to do. Unlike her mother, who was all too used to her and Vic’s routine and had decided to just leave these things be, because she knew that sooner or later they’d end up back together and as happy as ever, her father would rather know exactly what was going on so he could try to fix it. “I want lots of grandbabies,” he would say. “and I’m not going to get any if you two are always fighting.”

“Because Vic’s being an ass.” Her father sighed, like he knew she was going to say that the moment he had asked her. He probably did, because those words had come out of her mouth more times than she could count.

“You know he’s only going to be home for a few months. Why are you two wasting your time fighting?” This time Emily was positive that the fight that transpired wasn't her fault.

“Ask him, he’s the one who started it.” She was fully aware of how childish that sounded, but she didn't really care at the moment.

“I suppose then.” Her father sighed; obviously not happy about it. Emily thanked him, gave him a kiss on the cheek and went to go find Delaney. She spent the rest of the night avoiding Vic, which she was sure a few people noticed, and when everyone had gone home she went upstairs, packed a bag and left for her parent’s house. The whole time, Vic sat on the couch in the living room and when she left he didn't say a thing.