Wow, it's been a hectic few weeks! I know that it seems like a while since I've posted and I spent last night finishing up this chapter for you. I really don't want to keep you waiting for the Quince but the trial is supposed to be before the birthday so the next chapter will focus on that and then I'll get to work on Raquél's birthday. I hope you enjoy this one! :D

Chapter 28: Changes

Enriqué

Over the course of my first week of summer, I found myself longing to return to New York to be with my Sweetheart.

Talking over the phone for two hours every night became increasingly repetitive and slightly depressing. The worst part always came when Raquél managed a gentle, "I love you." After I returned the mutual reply, I usually hung up the phone in sadness knowing that I couldn't be there. She even haunted my dreams, so much so that I often woke up in the middle of the night and searched the room for her in my trance.

Not even an entire week spent without her and my love had grown stronger than ever.

"So, primo... You ready to visit my old college? We can meet with some sports recruiters and see if they'll be interested," Mario suggested at the breakfast table that morning.

"Uh, sure. Yeah," I replied distractedly, not completely in touch with reality.

"Still missing her, huh? It must be tough keeping her off your mind."

"I swear, it's getting worse, Mario. Last night, I just wanted to cry after she hung up. I don't know what to do with myself," I sighed.

"Come on, Enriqué, cheer up. You'll feel better once we get on the field. Sulking over your girlfriend is the worst thing you can do at this point."

I couldn't deny that my cousin had made a valid point.

Before I left New York, Raquél told me that she wanted me to enjoy my summer without worrying about her, and I'd vowed to myself that I would stay strong no matter how much I was missing her. We were not going to be separated forever, just a few months. And if it were any consolation, we'd both return to show each other how summer had changed us. In a good way, of course.

"Yeah. You're right. Raquél would want me to be happy and have fun on my trip. When we get to the university, I'll kick your ass in the scrimmage."

"That's what I wanna hear! And don't let your ego ruin it for you," my cousin taunted.

Once Mario and I rushed outside to the car, I felt much better not having to deal with my imbalanced emotions. Within time I would have my girlfriend in my arms once again, which made the difficulty of separation more than worth the wait.

~RMCR~

Raquél

Puerto Rico

Despite my strong protest, my mother couldn't help bringing up word of the impending court hearing to my great-grandparents and her cousins. Not even an hour spent on the island and she had already failed at containing her words.

"Mami! I told you not to talk about it!"

For a moment I'd forgotten that in Puerto Rico, discipline was still enforced no matter how old I was.

"Mind your manners, Raquél-María. Your mother and I are talking," my great-aunt warned.

Dejectedly, I quietly sat back and ate my lunch as they continued chatting on the porch.

"Anyway, I'm just a little on the fence about representing her in court. I mean, I know that I'd be setting her up for disaster since I'm her mother. It's an emotional matter for both of us. The trial is in August... Where am I going to find an attorney on such short notice?"

It was understandable that my mother wanted my assailants to be given the maximum penalty for hurting me, but in truth I was only worried about the trial going public.

If my story of the Superiors' attempted rape were to become a headline in a major newspaper, I wouldn't be able to handle so much attention. Throughout my life, I had always been labeled as the "victim" by people who only knew my name. Now that the law was involved, I did not want the general public, who were also strangers, to see me the same way.

Keeping my private life between my own family was just as important as making sure that Carlos and his friends received the worst punishment possible.

Once Troy emerged from the house after putting his suitcase away, he discovered my mother's predicament. Then from what seemed like out of nowhere, he came up with a solution.

"I may just be going out on a limb here, but I think I know someone who can be Raquél's attorney," he said, not entirely sure of himself.

"You 'think' you know?"

"What I'm trying to say is that there was this girl who went to the same college as me. She was really passionate about the criminal justice system and it was no surprise that she planned to go to law school after college. I'm not sure if she became a lawyer, but it's worth a try."

"I'm willing to try anything. But I just have one question... Is she good?" my mother asked.

"If you were a bystander at her mock trials back then, you'd know. She was assertive, quick and sharp; and I even remember her putting the judge in his place a few times. Her name is Taylor McKessie and she lives in Texas. We have to contact her immediately if we want to put those boys away," Troy explained.

"Okay, great! Why don't we start later? I'm sure you can get in contact with her through state records. Or maybe you can look for her over the internet if that'll be quicker."

While my parents reveled in the fact that I would be properly represented at the hearing, my only concern was the separation anxiety I couldn't seem to ignore.

Spending time apart from Enriqué was one of the toughest challenges I had to face, and it was no consolation that he was just an ocean away. In a few weeks' time, my family and I would be back in New York while Enriqué remained in Miami until early August.

So far our efforts to stay in contact proved slightly difficult because of our inability to be in each other's arms. I missed the way he lovingly gazed at me when he thought I wasn't looking, and the way he distractedly played with my curls amidst a conversation. But I knew that once we were reunited our love would grow even stronger, if possible.

"So," my older cousin began while leaning forward on her chair.

"Someone told me that you have a boyfriend. Is this true, Mama?"

"Yes. His name is Enriqué and he's from Cuba. He's amazing."

"I thought you didn't trust boys. Last year you told me exactly that."

"No, Abby. You've never met anyone like this boy. He's affectionate and charming... He'd take a bullet for my daughter; he loves her so much," my mother replied proudly.

"And I love him. I mean, it's hard for me to trust people but I opened up to him immediately. He's different. I've never felt this way about someone before."

"Ohh, how precious. You deserve to have a man take care of you after all you've been through. I'm very happy for you, Raquél."

Silently, I grinned to myself as I reminisced about all the things Enriqué had done for me, whether to comfort me or make me smile.

"He does take care of me," I murmured.

That was when my great-grandmother interjected with a statement that created awkward tension in the air.

"When he asks you to marry him, then you'll find out that he's the One."

So far, she was not the only person to bring up the topic of marriage proposal.

Lately it seemed as though everyone around me looked forward to watching me take my commitment with Enriqué further. Although I was still a teenager and I couldn't predict that everything I knew would last, there was one thing I was sure of.

"Maybe he will in the future.

But right now I just want to enjoy what we have at the moment."

"It's important to wait until the both of you are ready. Rushing into marriage is the worst decision you can make as a teenager, so take a few years to get to know each other more before making such a big commitment," my great-grandmother advised.

"I will, Tita."

Hoping to get my stepfather well acquainted with the island, my mother eagerly made plans to take Troy and my siblings out to the city the following day.

In the meantime, my older cousin took her place as choreographer to help me and my relatives with our group dances. Dancing in front of hundreds of family and friends was going to be a nerve-wracking challenge to face, yet I refused to fall back on my efforts to get rid of my SAD. Stage fright was the most crippling of my disorder, and the simple thought of it often caused me to break into hives.

With more than half of my team in unreachable locations like Boston, New York, Puerto Rico and Jamaica, practice was going to be hectic without all 28 members of my court. We had the entire summer to perfect the Waltz, the Merengue, and a Bachata dance.

Abby ushered us outside to the backyard, where we would have plenty of space to dance. At the front, her boyfriend had the video camera hooked up to a laptop so that he could send the footage to the missing pairs wherever they were. Before starting, my cousins and I finished our warm-ups and prepared to follow Abby's steps as the music began.

As awkward as I felt dancing the Waltz for the first time, she gently guided me across the patio.

"Don't be nervous, Sweetie. Just do what comes naturally," she encouraged me.

"I'm a little anxious about dancing in my ball gown in heels... What if I trip in front of everyone?"

"Oh, don't talk that way, Raquél! You're going to be fine and you'll look great doing it. Think of it this way: what is it like looking into your boyfriend's eyes?"

Almost immediately I thought back to that afternoon in December, when Enriqué convinced me to dance with him in the middle of my living room. The conviction and adoration in his gaze was evident, yet it was difficult for me to notice over the wall that kept me from discovering my own feelings for him.

"When I look into his eyes, nothing around me seems real but him. Everything disappears and it's just the two of us, and I feel like I can be myself without worrying what other people think. It's natural," I replied, slightly grinning to myself.

"Then all I want you to do while dancing is to keep your eyes locked on his. If you let your emotions do the dancing for you, you'll do a great Waltz... I have faith in you, Raquél."

In times when I doubted that I could do anything, the people I loved believed in me no matter what. Their love and support was the best encouragement I could have.

~RMCR~

Enriqué

July

On the morning of my birthday, I received a phone call from a very eager Raquél.

"Good morning, Birthday Boy!"

"Hey, Sweetheart. How are you?"

"I'm great. I can't believe you're 20! Happy Birthday, Quique," she replied giggling.

"Thanks, baby. I bet you want to give me a big birthday kiss, huh?"

"You know I do. But since you're not here I guess you'll just have to settle for this..."

I chuckled as my girlfriend made an exaggerated smooch through the receiver, and imagined her soft lips against mine.

"Did you get my gift yet? I sent it two days ago to make sure that you got it in time," she said.

Just then, Nikita entered my room with a box and told me that it was from Raquél.

"Actually, I just got it."

"Ooh, open it now!" she squealed.

Placing the phone aside, I grabbed a knife and quickly sliced away at the packaging tape. I was stunned to find a few seemingly expensive gifts, which included a New York Giants jersey, a box of the Armani Code cologne and a stainless steel watch (In profile).

"Wow! You bought all this for me? Thank you so much, Sweetheart," I said.

"You're welcome, Quique. I made sure to get the David Carr jersey because I know that he's your favorite player. I loved the scent of the cologne and I figured you'd also like it. What do you think of the watch?"

"It's great. Everything is just amazing, Raquél. You really didn't have to get all of this for me."

"Don't worry! It's your birthday, Papi. You deserve it for being so good to me," she said affectionately.

"Besides... not all of your gifts were bought. Look again."

Curious to find out what she was talking about, I dug beneath the Styrofoam peanuts and bubble wrap until my fingers caught the edge of something. It must have been a card. Once I pulled it out of the box, an automatic grin crept onto my lips as the cover of the card displayed a picture of us at the amusement park.

"Go ahead. Read to me what it says."

"'To my sweet boyfriend... Happy Birthday, Enriqué! I hope you have a wonderful day. I love miss everything about you. Every day we spend together gives me all the more reason to keep hoping. I love you so much and I miss you. From your Sweetheart, Raquél,'" I recited.

My heart swelled at the touching message, and there was no doubt that Raquél's card was the best birthday gift I could have ever received. Preserved in lip gloss beneath her signature was the impression of her lips.

"I love you," I whispered to hide the crack in my voice.

"I love you, too, Enriqué. Para siempre (forever)."

For the rest of the morning, Raquél and I chatted about anything that came to our minds.

At the same time, I began to make plans about the gift I would give to my girlfriend for her 15th birthday. Whatever it was going to be, the most luxurious of gifts couldn't top what came from my heart.

~RMCR~

Raquél

One Month Later

I knew that my boyfriend would return from Florida any day now, yet just to keep me guessing, he didn't reveal exactly when he was coming back. This news kept me on edge every moment of the day, because I was so desperate to see him.

That morning, my mother returned with my gown and accessories, and insisted that I model them for her. As much as I wanted to, my mind was elsewhere and I gently turned her down. Seemingly unaffected, she disappeared to my room to hang my dress in the closet. Since she had taken charge of planning my Quinceañera, I'd begun to notice a strange yet obvious pattern.

It was understandable that my approaching coming-of-age ceremony caused her to get a little carried away. My mother was unable to afford her own Quinceañera when I was one, and instead of celebrating an unforgettable fifteenth birthday with her closest friends and family, she spent it at home rocking me to sleep. She had attended and participated in every Quinceañera of everyone she ever knew, but never experienced it for herself.

I didn't want to assume anything, yet I couldn't ignore the feeling that my mother planned to live vicariously through me on the day of my birthday.

My suspicions grew aroused once I realized that my mother had not yet emerged from my bedroom after a few long minutes. Hoping to investigate, I peeked through the crack in the door, where I found her sitting at the edge of my bed holding the gown. I watched as her fingers ran delicately over the embroidered bodice, as if trying to preserve it in her memory.

The quiet sniffles that hissed throughout the room was gave me an indication that she was crying.

"Mom, what's wrong?" I asked her, wrapping my arms around her shoulders.

"Oh, nothing. I'm just a little emotional thinking about your Quinceañera... It seems like yesterday I was changing your diapers.

You've grown up so quickly."

"Oh, Mami, don't cry. I know it must be hard for you since I'm the oldest, but I'm still your little girl."

Cracking a smile, my mother pecked my cheek and said, "You are. And look who you've become. You're smart, beautiful, loving... strong. I couldn't ask for a more perfect daughter."

"Well, you made me this way. I really should thank you for raising me to be myself. You always put us ahead of you to make sure that we're happy, and I'm so thankful for all the sacrifices you've made for me."

Shifting her glance to my dress, my mother's features descended slightly and she sighed aloud.

"Then why do I feel so terrible?" her voice broke.

"About what, Mami?"

"I'd really love to say that I wish I had my own Quinceañera, but that wouldn't be fair to you at all. That would be so selfish of me. I mean, I dedicated the rest of my teenage years to being a mother. There were so many responsibilities I had to take on that sometimes I felt like I was missing out on the things my friends were doing. Honey, I would never blame you for the things I missed out on, and I'll never regret the decision I made to raise you because I love you too much to think about myself. I never gave up trying to give you a happy life and nothing—not even a birthday party—could've changed my mind. I didn't miss out on anything because I spent all these wonderful years with you, and I wouldn't trade it for anything."

Touched by her words, it was then that I realized that my mother deserved much more gratitude than what I owed her. When I was born, she could have easily put me up for adoption or abandoned me if she wanted to. But she wasn't the kind of woman who gave up at the first sign of a challenge, but endured the blood, sweat and tears for something much bigger than herself: Love.

I quickly embraced my mother as a flood of tears streamed down my cheeks.

"I love you, Mami," I sobbed.

"Thanks for not giving up on me."

"Oh, I would never give up on you. You're everything to me, Raquél. I love you, too."

"And this Quinceañera isn't just for me..."

Hoping to show my mother just how much I appreciated the sacrifices she made for me, I lifted my tiara from its box and nestled it into her curls.

"It's your day, too. For me and you to share," I said genuinely.

"I-I can't. It's your birthday, and I want the entire day to be about you..."

"You are not going to argue with me on this one. It's the very least I can do after all you've done for me."

Shedding tears of relief, my mother pulled me close and embraced me tightly.

"Oh, thank you, Angel. You have such a beautiful heart," she sobbed.

My mother and I became so enraptured in the moment that we hardly noticed Troy once he returned from work. He paused smiling in the doorway as he found us hugging on my bed.

"Looks like you two had a good talk."

"Hi, Daddy."

"How was work, honey?" my mother asked cheerfully.

"You know, the usual. But on my way home I picked up something that I think Raquél will be really glad to see."

The hinting gleam in his eyes told me that the "something" he mentioned must have been someone. I didn't want to get my hopes up in case he was just messing with me, but my curiosity had taken the upper hand. Slowly, I stepped towards the door and peeked into the living room.

It was like a dream.

My heart began to race uncontrollably, excited butterflies sprung to life in the pit of my stomach, and my knees trembled with anticipation. It was the kind of reaction I had whenever I came face to face with that remarkable man. His lips curled into that beautiful grin as he stepped over the threshold.

"Hi, Sweetheart."

"Enriqué!" I gasped.

He eagerly welcomed me with open arms, and lifted me off the floor as I crashed into him. His embrace was warm and loving, something I'd almost forgotten about him. If it was possible, his loving gaze pierced through me with more intensity than I could've ever imagined. Something had changed in him, yet it was anything but a bad change.

"Oh, I missed you so much!"

"I missed you, too, Raquél. Wow, look at you... You're even more beautiful now than you were when I left. I guess anything is possible," he chuckled, sweeping the curls away from my face. I'd waited long enough.

"Just kiss me," I whispered.

As if he had been deprived of nourishment for the whole summer, he quenched his passionate thirst and kissed me with all the pent-up emotion he'd kept bottled up. His palms glided down the contours of my waist and braced my hips, pulling me closer until I thought that we would snap together like a puzzle piece. Our tongues intertwined and danced the beautiful tango of our love, not with the caution of our relationship before the summer, but with a new, fearless motive that was bound to change both of our lives.

As usual, we failed to realize that time was still going until my mother entered the room and suffered a near coronary.

"Raquél! Not in front of your sisters!" she gasped in a voice identical to my grandmother's.

As our lips noisily parted, I hid my face in slight embarrassment and giggled.

"Sorry, Mami. I'm just so happy Enriqué is back. This is such a great surprise."

"Isn't it? Troy thought of it at the last minute when he picked him up. We love to see you smile, baby," my mother said affectionately, smoothing my curls back.

"I love you guys!" I said to my parents before poking Enriqué in the chest.

"And I love you."

"I love you more."

Since my return from Puerto Rico, I continued to take the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes for the rest of the summer to strengthen my skills. Now that I had graduated from my age group, it was time to put my training to the test. Who better than my football captain boyfriend?

Enriqué seemed to read my mind and asked, "How have the classes been going? You probably know how to kick my butt for all I know."

"Make a move and you'll find out..."

He became slightly alarmed when I instructed him to wrap his hands around my neck to begin.

"What? I don't even want to pretend to choke you," he replied, but I assured him that it was nothing more than preparation to pin him to the floor.

Reluctantly doing as he was told, my boyfriend established a loose grip around the base of my neck, and before he could blink I had him flipped over on the carpet.

"Wow, it worked!" I exclaimed, surprised at the ease of flipping a man more than twice my weight.

"Damn, that was fast. But Sweetheart, I-I think you actually left a bruise where I landed. That really hurt."

"Let's try the bear hug move. Act like you're hugging me, only put your arms over mine and squeeze so I can't move," I instructed.

My parents and siblings joined in the fun and cheered once I flipped Enriqué a second time.

"Impressive, sweetie. I bet boys won't mess with you anymore after they see what you're capable of. You'll send them running scared," my stepfather said before giving me a high-five.

Now that I had all the tools I needed to defend myself, I knew that I would start the new school year on the right foot. My confidence was at an all-time high and if luck was on my side, this year would be the best of my life.

To celebrate Enriqué's return, we flocked over to his house across the city, where his parents eagerly awaited. Although I had made frequent visits to his parents over the course of the summer, their joy seemed suppressed not with negativity, but with an unfamiliar hint of excitement.

At their house, we shared stories of our vacations and discussed more plans regarding my Quinceañera and the upcoming trial in court. As it turned out, Troy was able to get in quick contact with his former classmate and made arrangements for her to fly to New York as soon as possible.

"She's coming tomorrow and she'll be occupying our guest room since she'll be here a while. So I expect all of you to make her feel as welcome as possible, alright?" my mother said.

"Okay, Mami."

Curious about the process of court hearings, Enriqué's mother had a few questions of her own.

"Do you think this'll be an easy trial considering the amount of evidence you have?"

"Well, sometimes the guilty party can ask permission for an appeal and unfortunately the judge sometimes decides to reduce the sentence. After the incident, I took pictures of the bruises on Raquél's body and the police station has custody of the tape. But it doesn't necessarily mean that they'll receive a fair sentence. They can even turn interest onto Quique if they wanted to," my mother explained.

Once the adults became deeply engaged in conversation, Enriqué and I decided to slip away to the patio outside.

The cool summer breeze was not what caused goosebumps to sprout along my arms, but the gentle caress of his palms around them. My boyfriend wrapped his arms around me and sighed happily.

"It's great to be back with you. I have to admit I sometimes felt lost when we were apart, but my cousin was right... I love you even more," he said before pressing his lips to my temple.

Silently, we both gazed at the purple and orange haze that settled across the city.

"Something about you seems different, but not in a bad way. I noticed as soon as you came through the door."

"Yeah? What do you think has changed about me?"

"I don't know—it's hard to explain... But I just can't ignore the feeling that this year is going to be everything I've always hoped for," I replied.

Enriqué tilted my chin up and gazed deep into my eyes as if he were trying to seek the truth in them. At that moment, nothing was more reassuring than seeing how much he had grown over the summer. Not in a physical way, but with a certain drive, conviction; maturity. With much more love and acceptance than anyone could ever experience. That person was me.

Giving me a soft grin, Enriqué brought my hand to his lips and planted a kiss onto my knuckles.

"It will be everything you always hoped for... For both of us," he whispered.

Although I had yet to know where the next step of our relationship was going to take us, we were undeniably destined to feel complete for once in our lives.

What we had wasn't just young love, but a deep, passionate desire to figure out what made life precious while we still had time.

Since my school talent show is scheduled for next week, I'll be busy all week with dress rehearsals so for my AFFMB readers I apologize for the long wait. Please check out Enriqué's birthday gifts in my profile; they look awesome! Thanks for reading and I enjoy reading your feedback! :)