Where the Streets Have No Name
Chapter 37
Both Hector Moreno and Carlisle Cullen returned to their respective home states soon after with plans to return to attend the wedding in a couple of weeks time. The mothers, however, stayed back to help Carmen in hastily putting together a wedding.
In the limited time afforded to her, Esme Cullen tried her level best to welcome the Morenos into her family, though her hopes of befriending Elvira, or mentoring Carmen, were quickly dashed.
Elvira resolutely refused to fraternize with the enemy. She randomly switched to Spanish in Esme's presence just to keep her at arm's length. Carmen, on the other hand, experienced a different kind of aversion to Esme's eager offer of friendship. The more Esme tried to embrace her, the more Carmen resented her for it. The acceptance and affection that Esme was readily extending to Carmen was perhaps just the thing she always wanted, but not from someone else's mother.
Despite the cold shoulders, Esme accompanied the Moreno women to house hunting, dress shopping and purchasing all other odds and ends the newlyweds would need in the near future.
Carmen and her mother disagreed on nearly everything when it came to picking out the dress, or finding a suitable piece of property, leaving it up to Esme to break the tie. Sadly, her vote didn't earn her any fans no matter whom she sided with.
"Gosh, your mother can be really phony, you know that?" Carmen said conversationally after coming home from a day of shopping with her mother and Esme.
"At least she's civil," Edward muttered, flopping on the bed, unable to silently tolerating this affront to his mother.
"What did you say? 'Civil'? And my parents are what? Savages from the jungle? A bunch of beaners? You racist bastard!" Carmen exploded, challenging him to battle. The tenet of her voice clearly signalled that she would accept nothing short of complete capitulation.
Edward trained his tired eyes on the white nothingness of the ceiling and rehearsed his apology.
He was getting surprisingly good at saying sorry. He would get plenty of practice to perfect the art in the coming year.
Thank you Lulabelle98, HeidiJoVT, and Dinx.