The semester is finally over and it was rough, to say the least. But I'm back, so please enjoy. :)

Chapter 14: Partner in Crime

Raquél

Despite the horrible reason Lynn stayed by my house for the past few days, I was glad to have her company for more reasons than one. After seeing how devastated she was to find out that her parents would be absent for her sixteenth birthday, I wanted to make her feel better the only way I knew how.

"Are you sure you want to spend your first paycheck to throw Lynn a party? Troy and I would be glad to pay for everything," my mother suggested once I told her about my plans.

"I know that you and Papi would pay for it no problem. But she's my friend. I just want her to know how much I care about her," I said.

"I know that you mean well. I was just asking because I don't want you to do something that you might regret later."

"Why would I regret helping someone who needs me? You weren't there when I went to see her the other day. Her parents were working from their phones and computers at the same time, and they hardly even noticed her even when she was standing right in front of them. When they told her that she had to eat dinner alone, she was genuinely okay with it as if she was used to her father going to the office every night and her mother leaving for business trips every other day. Literally the only person who is always there with her in that big, empty house is their housekeeper. And even she isolates herself from Lynn most of the time. It's so sad when you realize how desperate she is for her parents to acknowledge her for just five minutes. She doesn't really have anyone to talk to, or anyone to ask her how she's feeling. She doesn't have anyone to comfort her when she's heartbroken, like, for example, when she found out that her boyfriend cheated on her with her so-called best friend. She needs to know that there are people who care about her, like me and Eva and Felicia. Otherwise, she might end up making bad decisions and looking for approval from just about anyone. She doesn't deserve to be treated the way she is because she's a good person despite the stupid mistakes she made in the past. She's a good person, Mom."

Silently, my mother watched me for a moment before letting her gaze shift towards the stairs. She then smiled and tucked away a curl behind my ear.

"Now, that's the way I raised you... To trust your instincts, to put others before yourself; always seeing the good in people no matter how bad they might seem on the outside. If throwing Lynn a party for her sixteenth birthday is what you feel is the right thing to do, then you go right ahead. I am very proud of you, Sweetie."

After kissing my forehead, my mother sent me another fleeting grin as she disappeared into the kitchen.

All I wanted was for Lynn to experience what I experienced, and because of the remarkable people I met and grew to love over the course of the past year, I wanted her to feel exactly the way I felt: like I belonged.

Enriqué

As juggling work, school and football began to grow more challenging, I often felt like I needed someone to talk to instead of keeping my feelings bottled up inside. While I confided in my girlfriend for almost all of my problems, I sometimes spoke to my friend Gisele if I felt that it was necessary. The conversations I had with her were either school-related or the daily advice she gave me on how to survive the intimidating city of Miami.

I was having one of those days, and we arranged a spot to meet on campus where we could talk. Gisele seemed to be holding back excitement as I approached her near the student quad.

"What are you grinning so much for?" I asked.

"You were so right, Enriqué."

"Right about what?"

"Being myself. I met this guy named Sergio in my Calculus course and we totally hit it off. He was so genuine and sweet, not to mention absolutely stunning, and I knew that he only talked to me because I showed him the real me. And then, he asked me out!" she squealed.

"See? What did I tell you? Just be yourself. You'll only attract people who will appreciate who you are on the inside."

"I'm just... still in shock that it worked."

"Of course it did. Treat people with respect no matter how they treat you. Instead of taking on your enemies, smile at them as if they can't get to you. It'll drive them crazy. As long as you don't change for anybody and keep a kind heart, you'll find your happiness, " I told her.

"Thanks for the encouragement. So, why did you call me over here? Was there something you wanted to tell me?"

"Yeah. So I decided that I wanted to move in with my cousin after he gets married, and I'm looking for anyone who can help me move besides them and Juan. I don't want to have to pay a moving company hundreds of dollars that I don't have, so do you know anyone who's willing to help me?" I asked.

"You're planning on moving out of your apartment? What's going on?"

"Nothing. It's just that I thought I would enjoy living on my own, but the truth is, I need to be surrounded by my family. Plus, it's starting to become difficult keeping up with the rent since I've been putting away money for me and Raquél's wedding budget."

That was when Gisele's lips parted in a small grin. She was genuinely happy for me and my girlfriend.

"Aww, you're starting already? I bet she's so excited," she cooed.

"Of course she is. With the amount of money I'm putting aside every week, this might turn out to be a fancy wedding in four years plus."

"How soon are you two planning to get married?"

"Well, preferably as soon as she's 18. We're still trying to figure out a date but that probably won't be for another few years."

"Great! If helping you move has anything to do with helping you plan for your wedding, then I'm happy to help. I can call a few of my cousins to help. Maybe I can even get Sergio to help you," she enthused.

"That would be great if they can help. I'm still not sure exactly what day I'm going to be moving out, but it will be when this semester is over. I'll let you know, anyway."

"Okay..." Gisele said, before looking away to observe her surroundings.

I found myself jumping when she suddenly gasped, and I spun around to catch a glimpse of what she saw. Her face broke into a large smile as we were approached by a man with trimmed black hair and light brown eyes.

"Sergio, hi! I was just talking about you. This is my friend, Enriqué Sanchez," Gisele introduced while pushing me towards him.

I extended my hand to shake his hand, then smiled to myself once he intertwined his fingers with hers.

"Sergio de Leon. Nice to meet you," he said.

"I like your accent. Where are you from?"

"El Salvador. My family moved here as soon as I finished high school. At first I wasn't excited about it, but now, I'm glad I did."

As he gazed at Gisele, she grinned and tried to hide the deep red blush that rose on her cheeks. The chemistry between them was undeniable.

"This is actually his first year here and he's an engineering major. Isn't that amazing?"

"That's great. You'll love it here. I know for a fact that Gisele will enjoy showing you around the campus."

"Why don't we do that now? Let's go! You can join us if you want, Enriqué," she offered.

"That's okay. You two should get to know each other some more. Go ahead."

With no time to waste, Gisele took Sergio's hand and led him away before sending me back another beam of excitement.

Not only did it bring me joy to see the people I loved find happiness, but seeing acquaintances and even complete stangers happy was enough to make my day. As Gisele's friend, nothing was more satisfying than watching her thrive in her endeavors.

If Gisele's journey to become a better person was enough to boost my spirits, then my girlfriend's journey to break out of her shell and conquer her disorder certainly made it soar.

RMCR

"You must be so excited to see your sister after all these months. I'm sure Nikita is particularly relieved. Living with men can be... a lot, to say the least," my mother said.

In the background, I could hear my father chuckling to himself before replying, "I heard that."

"Oh, definitely. This weekend is Niki's dress fitting and first rehearsal, so she'll definitely be spending a lot of time with her."

"That's great. And I just know you'll drive her crazy asking her about Raquél."

"Of course. She'll probably walk back into the airport, put her luggage on the belt and get back onto the same plane she came here in," I chuckled.

"Mario tells me that every sentence you say contains at least one 'Raquél' in it."

"And he's probably right. I just can't pass up the opportunity to... Oh! I think I just saw Fátima's plane land," I said after catching a glimpse of an aircraft landing near the gate.

"Yeah, I think that's her. I'm going to call you later, okay, Mama? I love you." "

I love you, too, mi amor. Give your sister a kiss for me."

"I will."

Nikita, excited to meet my sister for the first time, shuffled towards the gate in anticipation with Mario in tow. My sister emerged several minutes later wearing a large grin. I met her grin equally as she approached me with a brisk walk.

"Mi hermanito. I missed you so much!" she crooned in a fashion similar to that of my mother, as she wrapped her arms around me.

"I missed you, too, Fátima. How was the flight?"

"It was pretty smooth. But you feel so warm! I almost forgot how hot Miami is. New York is way too cold for me," she said.

Upon seeing Nikita, Fátima opened her arms to embrace the couple.

"Congratulations, you two! I have been waiting to meet you for so long, Nikita, you have no idea."

"Really? I've been waiting to meet you, Miss Sanchez, Future-Attorney-at-Law. There's a ton of things we need to do this weekend that I doubt we'll even finish, starting with the dress fittings! My sister and the rest of my girlfriends are also flying in this weekend so you girls can get well-acquainted before the wedding. Thank you so, so much for agreeing to be in my wedding party..."

Mario and I exchanged similar glances knowing that my sister and his fiancée would remain chatting in the terminal all day if they could, and we eventually coerced them in the direction of the baggage claim area.

The pair chatted on the way to the baggage claim belt, while retrieving the luggage, on the way out of the terminal, walking through the parking garage, and in Mario's car on the way to his house. As we cruised along the highway, I quickly interjected before they could move on to a new topic.

"Fátima, how's Mama and Papa?"

"They're doing great. Mama misses her little Enriqué. And Papa, he's working hard, as usual. We can't wait to spend the holidays with you."

"I can't wait either, for obvious reasons..." I trailed off.

"Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Raquél. She definitely misses you the most out of all of us. Oh, she is so beautiful and so sweet, Nikita. I hope you get to meet her one of these days. She's unlike anyone you've ever met... Wait, I totally forgot! She's going to visit Miami this summer, isn't she?" Fátima asked me.

"Yes, she will. Summer just can't come quickly enough," I grinned to myself.

"Well, she's improved a lot since you've been gone. She's even starting to stand up for herself a little bit. I can already tell that she's becoming someone that you don't want to mess with. It might take her a few more years, but she's getting there."

"That's what I've been waiting to hear."

"Brace yourself, Prima. There's going to be a whole lot of 'Raquel' talk coming your way. Enriqué is obsessed with that girl," Mario warned while I gave him a slight shove.

"I don't have to brace myself, Mario, trust me. He asks me about her whenever I talk to him over the phone. I'm quite used to listening to him talk about her non-stop. It's cute, yet borderline creepy," my sister said.

"This is my future wife you guys are talking about. Of course I'm obsessed with her. Besides, you talk about Niki all the time, Mario."

"I'll admit that I do. But let's be honest, Enriqué... You're on an entirely different level," Mario replied.

"You guys can make fun all you want. As long as I have her, I'll have everything I've ever needed to be happy," I said confidently.

"And we love seeing you happy," my sister said, her hand resting gently on my arm.

"What about you, Fátima? Is there a special someone that we should know about?" Nikita prodded.

"Unfortunately, not at this time. I'll just let love happen like it did for you and Mario and my brother. Who knows how long it'll take? I'm in no hurry, either way."

"You know what they say about what comes to those who wait. You'll find your king in no time," Nikita said, as we came to a halt at a traffic light, and let herself become lost in Mario's loving gaze.

My sister and I observed the couple as they grasped each other's hands and exchanged a brief kiss.

RMCR

My sister emerged from the guest bedroom after what seemed like an eternity of unpacking, and collapsed beside me on the couch. I wrapped my free arm around her shoulders without tearing my gaze from the television.

"What are we doing tomorrow, I mean, besides wedding rehearsals?" she asked.

"Whatever you want to do."

"I think I want to go to Miami beach. Is that cliché or what?" she chuckled.

"No, I think that's a great idea. That saltwater will do your body good, Ms. Law School. I don't think I can ever work as hard as you do."

"Well, it's definitely not easy. But that was another reason I chose to be in the bridal party. I needed somewhat of an excuse to get away, even if it was just for one weekend. The best part is that I have two weeks to relax, and I'll get to spend it with my awesome brother, of course."

Another grin parted her lips as I leaned in to kiss her cheek.

"I missed my crazy partner in crime. Remember back in Cuba when we used to sneak out on the roof at night to watch the sun rise? We would always get caught because we'd be laughing so hard at our own stupid jokes. I haven't seen a sunset that could compare to Trinidad's sunsets. We left behind so many memories there. I still get homesick sometimes, even though we weren't entirely well off," I said to her.

"Yeah, it was tough back home. But we were fortunate to get out with our lives and move to a better place. Still, I'm proud to be Cuban and I wouldn't want to be from anywhere else," Fátima smiled proudly.

My thoughts shifted to the exciting possibility of showing off my birth island to my young wife-to-be.

"I just think that it would be amazing if I had the chance to take Raquél to Cuba, just to introduce her to the rest of our family and show her where we came from. And maybe we can visit Puerto Rico and Jamaica to meet her family, too."

"Sounds like it would make a great honeymoon trip. But you would need special permission to visit Cuba, wouldn't you?"

"Yeah. It's difficult to get out and back in. I guess if I ever get into the NFL they'll let me in for sure," I chuckled at the farfetched thought. Fátima also laughed and nodded in agreement.

"Definitely..."

Thank you to those who are still here supporting me. I love you guys! 💕