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“The restaurant is closed on Mondays, so we’ll all be able to relax and just hang. Isabel will come over for dinner after school is over. I’ll get up early to shower in the morning so you can sleep in and then have the bathroom,” he says.
Mateo is so thoughtful about literally everything. Here in his hometown, getting to know his family, I’m understanding more and more how he comes by all his incredible-ness.
He tucks my hair behind my ear as he tells me goodnight. I hear Mateo in the kitchen loading the dishwasher as I leave the bathroom in my pajamas. I’m tempted to go back out to talk to him, but my heavy eyelids are telling me to go to bed.
I curl up in Isabel’s old bed, feeling cozy under layers of heavy blankets. I laugh when I notice an old Twilight poster on the door of the closet. Sleep overtakes me quickly as I close my eyes with a smile.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Isleep like a rock and wake to the sound of my alarm at 8:00. I gather my toiletry bag and clothes for the day and poke my head out in the hallway. I hear Mateo’s hushed voice along with his parents coming from the kitchen, so I turn into the empty bathroom.
There’s a towel waiting on the counter. After showering, I put on a pair of jeans and a dark plum sweater, then add some light makeup. I need to let my hair air dry for a little while before blow drying it, or I’ll be in here forever with my travel hair dryer.
I enter the kitchen to enthusiastic greetings from Luis and Rosa, who are sitting at the table with Mateo. All three immediately stand up, Luis to pour me a cup of coffee, Rosa to prepare a plate of breakfast, and Mateo to wrap me up in a hug.
We sit down at the table, and Rosa places a plate filled with eggs, black beans, and corn tortillas in front of me. I take a sip of coffee, then fill one of the tortillas to take a bite.
“Yummm.” I swallow and turn to Mateo. “When you said you had family breakfasts, you mean you ate like this every morning growing up?”
He grins and nods, squeezing his mother’s shoulder. “Sometimes it was fried plantains or potatoes instead of tortillas, but pretty much yes. A home-cooked meal together was always important, right Mamá?”
We spend the morning leisurely drinking coffee. I ask Luis and Rosa about their love story, and they look at each other with lovey-dovey eyes as they take turns sharing perspectives. Luis is constantly touching Rosa—holding her hand, a caress on the shoulder, a quick kiss on her cheek. It’s easy to see where Mateo gets his tendency toward physical affection from, and I’m suddenly very grateful to Luis.
After helping clean up the breakfast dishes, I excuse myself to dry and curl my hair before it gets too out of control. I’m halfway done curling when Mateo pokes his head into Isabel’s room. “Is it okay if I sit in here with you?” he asks my reflection in the mirror, standing behind me.
I give a wry smile. “Absolutely not, you’re supposed to think my hair magically looks good all the time.”
Mateo grins back, taking a seat on the edge of the bed next to me. “I grew up with a sister, so I already know that’s not true, and you already know that I think you’re stunning regardless of whether you’ve curled your hair or not.”
We chat about the plans for the day—making Guatemalan tamales for dinner then driving around to look at Christmas lights—as I finish curling. I unplug the curling wand and wait for my hair to cool. When I start to run my fingers through to loosen the curls into waves, Mateo stands up and stops me. “Hold on, this part I can help with. You may have noticed I have a slight obsession with your hair.”
I give a soft laugh and answer, “Yes, I did catch on to that.”
“Just the consequence of finally being able to run my fingers through it after years of imagining what it would be like.” His smile is contemplative as his fingers slowly slide through sections of my hair, breaking up the curls and sending tingles across my scalp.
When he’s finished, he wraps his arms around my waist and notches his head in the crook of my neck and shoulder. I grasp onto his arms and lean back into him, just staring at each other in our reflection.
Mateo gently kisses the sensitive skin right by my ear and then whispers, “I’m so glad you’re with me. Not just here with me now in Michigan, but here with me in general, always.”
It would be so easy to just turn my head and catch his lips. My brain saying no is about to be defeated by my heart saying yes when Rosa calls us from the kitchen. Mateo kisses my knuckles as he takes my hand to lead us from the room.
We spend the rest of the day playing card games, assisting Rosa in making tamales, and drinking another full pot of coffee between the four of us. Rosa teaches me how to make polvorosas, and Isabel joins us after school just in time to finish off cooking the tamales. Mateo FaceTimes Miguel to introduce us virtually, then props the phone up at the table so he can be part of the dinner conversation.
Mateo and I do the dishes while Rosa and Isabel make spiced hot chocolate to accompany the polvorosas for our Christmas lights tour. We all pile into the car with warm mugs and Christmas music blaring as we slowly drive around. I’m not mad about the opportunity to sit snuggled close to Mateo. The charm of a small town is extra enchanting during the holidays, with everyone going all-out on lights and yard displays.
When Isabel leaves later that night, she gives me an extra-long hug and whispers to me, “You make me so happy. You make all of us so happy because you make Mateo the happiest I’ve ever seen him. And that’s saying something because he’s been a happy guy his whole life.”
I squeeze her tightly and whisper back, “Feelings mutual.”
When I come out to the kitchen Tuesday morning, Mateo informs me that the weather should be warmer today, so he wants to take me on a short hike to see his favorite parts of the lake.
After breakfast, I layer on my thick fleece jacket over my sweater for our hike. Mateo finds an old pair of Isabel’s snow boots in the closet, and although they’re a half size smaller than I wear, they’re not terribly uncomfortable.
We drive slowly through the streets until we reach a small, gravel parking area. “This was one of my favorite spots to come out and explore as a kid,” Mateo says as we hop out and head toward a path. “My friends and I would pretend we were adventurers hiking through uncharted woods.”
I smile at the thought of him as a carefree, imaginative boy roaming through these woods. “I love Kansas City, but you definitely had some serious outdoorsy perks growing up here!”
As we walk, Mateo points out places of interest or particularly stunning views. We reach a landing that overlooks Hart Lake, fringed in snowy evergreens. It’s absolutely breathtaking. I pull out my phone to take a few photos, and then Mateo takes a few selfies of us with the wintry backdrop. I already know what I’ll be changing my lock screen to later.
