Page 73 of A Curvy Girl’s Hurricane Survival Guide

“It’s so sad sounding,” I observe.

“It’s yearning more than sad. I always feel like the singer just wants her so much; he’d do anything. He’s tortured by his want for her.”

“Ah, that I get,” I say, thinking about that jealousy I felt whenever Cai mentioned her ex around me. “I wanted you that way. I still do.”

Cai smiles and kisses me softly in response.

The song finishes, and Cai’s uncle comes over holding out his guitar. “Mi hijo,” he says to me, catching me off guard. “I heard you play. Take over for a bit, will you?”

I look over at Lucas, grinning at us as if he has gotten into the cookie jar. You tell one interviewer that you play a little guitar, and that makes the news…

“Oh, I play very little…”

Cai looks shocked. “You play guitar?!”

I suddenly get an idea, and I take that guitar. “Yeah…” I say as I walk over to the stool Cai’s tio had vacated.

I’m not downplaying my abilities, but there is only one song I know that feels appropriate. I start strumming the cords and immediately see the recognition spark in Cai’s eyes.

I’m not very good at playing, and my singing is worse, but “Growing Old with You,” from The Wedding Singer, is easy enough to get through.

“Oh, all I wanna do is grow old with you…”

By now, her family has started gathering around, and tears have sprung to Cai’s eyes.

“I’ll miss you, kiss you…” I do my best to finish the tune.

When Abuela handed me the heirloom earlier, I thought the gesture was sweet. Now I can feel a force building behind my impromptu song. Just like those hurricane winds that blew us together just three months ago, I feel a force pushing me towards our next step.

The family all cheers and claps as if they just watched Coldplay perform as I round out the last note.

I hand Rey the guitar, and I go to Cai. “I have made it my life’s work to build fake worlds. But for the first time ever, I want to build a real one with you. I want to live with you and be with you and grow old with you, and never miss a moment, so… " I pull the ring box out of my back pocket and open it, exposing a golden hammered band with a citrine stone. “Will you marry me?”

Cai’s hands fly to her mouth, trembling slightly. “Are you serious?” She says in disbelief.

“Of course,” I say, chuckling.

“When did you get a ring?!” She asks.

I look over at Abuela, who is clasping her hands together and smiling widely. “Abuela gave it to me earlier. She slipped it to me when you were chatting with Alex.”

Cai gasps again. “She did?!”

“Cai, you’re killing me. Can you give me your answer?”

“Oh my god, yes! Sorry! Yes, of course, yes!”

I let out the breath I’ve been holding, slide the ring on her finger, and kiss her. More whoops and cheers from the family.

“Your cousin Lizzie last Christmas, and now Cayetana!” Cai’s mom calls out, tears filling her eyes. “Our family is so blessed.”

There’s a huge bang overhead. “Is that fireworks?” I ask, seeing the sky explode with color.

“Yeah, looks like they’re setting them off early in celebration,” Cai explains. “They usually shoot them off at midnight.”

“I thought it was thunder at first; for a second, I thought maybe we’d get our hurricane after all,” I say, smiling.

“You know you’re the only person who prays for a hurricane,” Cai points out. “Oddly, people don’t hope for large storms that leave a path of destruction.”

“One brought me to you, so I guess I developed a fondness for them.”

Cai considers this for a moment and then says, “Can we have a long engagement?”

I laugh lightly. “Had enough of the whirlwind romance? Want to enjoy things a bit before we move on to the next?”

“My thoughts exactly,” Cai purrs, leaning into me as I hold her under the exploding sky.

A gentle breeze blows by, carrying a line of green twinkling cocuyos, as if signing off on the beautiful love story it has orchestrated.