Gia places her hand on my thigh. “It’s something you should talk about.”
“I know.”
“And I want to meet him.”
My skin prickles with surprise, and I open and close my mouth twice before finding words again. “You do?”
“Of course I do. You’re over here singing this guy’s praises. And if this is serious, I need to meet the man my sister is spending so much time with.”
I give her a hug, careful of her injuries. “I love you. And I think you’ll love him.”
She murmurs into my shoulder, “It seems like you do.”
I ignore it. “Tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow is fine. I’ll make dinner.”
50
“Okay, so she knows everything, but she doesn’t seem mad. Maybe more surprised. I explained the whole situation, so I think she understands how I feel. You don’t have anything to be worried about. Don’t worry. It’s just dinner with my sister and her boyfriend, Greg. Greg is really nice. He’s quiet, but funny. After we eat, we can leave and do whatever you want. It’s just a casual dinner.”
I laugh, bringing my hands to Nova’s arms and stopping her in her tracks. She’s been pacing and talking a mile a minute since she showed up.
“Nova, it’s okay. I’m not nervous, but you seem to be.”
“Why would I be nervous?” she asks with a laugh that could only be described as nervous. “It’s just dinner.”
“Right. A casual dinner.”
She purses her lips. “Don’t make fun of me. My sister only met one boyfriend, and we all know how that turned out.”
“I’m pretty sure I’m already a few points ahead of that guy.”
“You’re really not freaked out? Meeting my sister? I mean, that’s kind of a big deal, right? I haven’t even met your brothers.”
“It is a big deal, and I’m not taking it lightly, but I’m not worried about it. I think we’ll be fine.”
She takes a deep breath. “Okay. Let’s do this.”
* * *
All the way over to Nova’s house, including the walk from the car to the door, she’s a ball of nerves. Her knees bounce, she chews on her nails or bites on her lip. You’d think she was meeting my family.
Before she opens the door, I have her look at me, then I cradle her face in my hands. “Baby, breathe. It’s gonna be okay.”
She sucks in a deep breath then slowly releases it, giving me a smile. “Okay.”
Nova pushes the door open and brings me in behind her. “Hello? We’re here.”
Nova’s sister comes around the corner, looking almost exactly like her. She’s a few inches taller, and her hair and skin tone is just a smidge darker, but there’s no denying that they’re sisters.
She extends her left hand. “Sorry, my other one is still a little tender,” she says with a smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Elijah.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too. Thanks for having me over.”
“Well, my sister’s been holding you captive in a hotel room this whole time, so I figured you should get out and have a good home cooked meal.”
Nova rolls her eyes and I laugh. “He wasn’t a prisoner. He has a rental car.”
We follow her into the kitchen where I meet Greg.
“This is my boyfriend, Greg,” Gia says.
“Hi, Greg. Nice to meet you.”
He wipes his hands off on a towel and then extends one to me. “Wish I could say I’ve heard a lot about you, but…” He shifts his eyes to Nova.
“Ha-ha,” Nova says sarcastically.
Me and Nova sit on a couple of stools, looking into the small kitchen as they cook.
“So, Elijah,” Gia starts. “You were my sister’s professor.”
“Oh, God,” Nova groans, slapping a hand over her face.
“I was, yes.”
“But that’s not how you met,” she says, tilting her chin down and giving me a pointed look.
I chuckle. “Uh. No. We met a little earlier.”
“But you two just couldn’t stay away from each other, I see.”
“I tried. But your sister…”
“Is a pain in the ass?” she says with a laugh. “Doesn’t know when to quit?”
I laugh. “I was going to say she’s determined and persistent.”
Nova beams at me and reaches over to touch my leg. I squeeze her hand and give her a wink.
“And you have younger brothers?”
“I do. Three of them.”
“So I’m sure you know what it’s like to want the best for them.”
“Of course.”
“Nova is my only family. I love her more than anything in this world, and her safety and happiness are more important to me than my own.”
“I understand.”
“If the age difference isn’t a problem for you two, it’s not a problem for me, and really, it’s nobody else’s business. You’re not her teacher anymore, so that’s nothing to worry about. I want the best for you both.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that.”
Nova smiles at her sister, but Gia levels us both with a look.
“But you need to start discussing how this is going to work in the long run. I’m afraid my sister may get her heart broken, because long distance relationships are hard to maintain. What’s the end goal here? You have family in Ohio, but this has always been Nova’s home.”
Me and Nova glance at each other. We haven’t discussed what we’re going to do in the future. I’ve only been thinking about her staying here until her sister was up on her feet again. But Nova still has school to finish. There’s definitely a lot to talk about.
“Okay, dinner’s done. Greg, Nova, take some stuff to the dining room table. I made pollo guisado and tres leches for dessert.”
The rest of the evening goes off without a hitch. We eat dinner, and the conversation flows like we’ve been friends for ages. But I know me and Nova keep thinking about the conversation we’re due to have, and how neither one of us is prepared to have it.
51
Valentine’s Day
A month and a half has gone by since I’ve seen Elijah, and while we talk on the phone constantly, we’ve yet to have a conversation about what the
