A/N: Thank you so much for all of the positive reviews you have given me!!
I love you all so much. Seriously.
Susannah:
"You know Paul Slater?" I asked Cade, my eyes most likely popping out of my head. But I didn't care. Why is it that I can never, ever, get rid of Paul?
"Yeah," he said lightly. "He's my cousin." And suddenly, it all made sense. Well at least the part about Paul being his cousin.
His cousin Jack, the one who lives out West? Yeah, that would be Jack Slater. Paul Slater's little brother.
It took a few seconds for everything to click, but when it did, I ran home before the grilled cheese sandwich I had for lunch came right back up.
I burst through the front door to find my mom and Andy sitting on the floor pulling all sorts of objects out of cardboard boxes with things like Bathroom and Kitchen written on them.
"Hi, Suzie." My mother said when she noticed me walk in. "Are you okay? You look a little...pale." She got up and felt my forehead with the back of her hand. "No fever." She said, mostly to herself.
I brushed her hand away. "I'm fine, Mom. I just need to take a nap."
"Oh, alright." She said, looking almost disappointed.
I turned around and was about to open the door to the basement when Andy said, "Oh, Suze? Father Dominic called. He wants you to call him back, says it's important."
I said that I would call him back later, and shuffled down the stairs and into my room. Even though I probably wouldn't. Call him back, that is.
Not that I don't want to talk to him, I really do miss the guy. But I just wasn't in the mood for talking at that moment.
I guess I wasn't in the mood for anything, because I literally passed out, and didn't wake until my mother shook me awake the next morning.
"Suze," she said. "Wake up, it's already 12 o'clock. Suze?"
I mumbled something unintelligible and rolled over on my side. But what she said next caused me to spring up and out of bed.
"Oh, and Father Dominic called again. Wanted me to tell you that something was wrong with someone named Hector. I really don't know what he meant, but he said you would."
I gasped. "Jesse."
Jesse:
I opened my eyes, only to be blinded by the rays of sunlight streaming through the window across from where I lay. I turned over and tried to fall back to sleep, but my mother wouldn't let me.
"Jesse," She said, gently shaking me. "Despierte. Wake up. Your Father would like to speak to you."
"Yes, madre," I said, and got out of bed. I straightened up a bit and walked outside to see my father, who was leaning against the house, and my uncle Juan, chatting politely.
"Ah, Hector," He said as I walked up to them. "Your uncle and I would like to have a word with you." They began walking away from our home and down the dirt path that led to my uncle's home. I spotted my sisters, Esperanza and Blanca, retrieving water from the well. They smiled and waggled their fingers at me, but when they noticed that our father was with me, they nervously looked away. They think that they are intimidated by my father, but they have no clue. I'm his only son, and he expects so much of me. I'm always striving to be perfect, just so he's not disappointed in me. So he has something to brag to his friends about. I can only wonder what he needs to 'talk' to me about.
"Hector is a strong young man, with a good work ethic." My father boasted. "He would be a perfect suitor for your daughter." Now that got my attention. "Que?" I said, my mouth hanging open. "What?"
My uncle laughed a little. "You haven't told the boy?" He asked my father, and said, without waiting for a response, "Yes, Jesse, you heard correctly. You will wed my eldest daughter, Maria."
What? When did this happen? Why was I not told who I am going to marry? Was it not important enough to tell me about? I, of course, didn't say any of this. At least not out loud. My father would have my head if he ever heard me talk to him like that.
And then they kept on talking and laughing. As if they hadn't just decided my future for me. I was speechless. I couldn't even bring myself to utter a word when we had arrived at my uncle Juan's ranch and my father said, "Come inside, Hector," I couldn't even move. I barely knew Maria, and he wanted me to marry her? My father looked at me a little strangely for a few seconds, and walked inside, muttering.
I turned around and sat at the base of a giant tree and rested my elbow on my knee. I could hear all of the girls whispering and chattering about me as they went on with their morning chores. But I didn't care. At least until I looked up and noticed that one of the girls was Maria herself.
"Hello, Hector," She said. I straightened up a little. Nobody except my Father calls me Hector.
"Hola, Maria." I said politely. But all I could think was: They want me to marry this girl. I mean, she was very beautiful, and she knew it, too. But it wasn't only the fact that I had only spoken to her a few times before. You see, people say she is in love with a slave runner, Felix Diego. I know it's not right to believe gossip, but I don't doubt that Diego would use Maria for her money.
Then my father and uncle walked up to us, and saved me from the agonizing silence. "Maria," my father said, clearing his throat. "Hector would like to ask for your hand in marriage. Wouldn't you, Hector?" I couldn't believe he had said it. Just like that. But then again, my father is a get-to-the-point kind of guy.
"Wouldn't you?" He prompted. But I couldn't say yes. I knew he wanted it. And my uncle Juan wanted it as well. But I couldn't. Because I didn't love Maria.
"I'm...I mean," I began, summoning all of my courage. "I can't marry her, Father."
And just when I was sure he was about to kill me--I could literally see the rage in his eyes--I heard a familiar voice, calm and reassuring, calling my name.
"Jesse. Jesse. Wake up," said Father Dominic.
A/N: Thank you for taking the time to read my story! Please Review and tell me what you thought. Love, Luna.
Susannah:
"You know Paul Slater?" I asked Cade, my eyes most likely popping out of my head. But I didn't care. Why is it that I can never, ever, get rid of Paul?
"Yeah," he said lightly. "He's my cousin." And suddenly, it all made sense. Well at least the part about Paul being his cousin.
His cousin Jack, the one who lives out West? Yeah, that would be Jack Slater. Paul Slater's little brother.
It took a few seconds for everything to click, but when it did, I ran home before the grilled cheese sandwich I had for lunch came right back up.
I burst through the front door to find my mom and Andy sitting on the floor pulling all sorts of objects out of cardboard boxes with things like Bathroom and Kitchen written on them.
"Hi, Suzie." My mother said when she noticed me walk in. "Are you okay? You look a little...pale." She got up and felt my forehead with the back of her hand. "No fever." She said, mostly to herself.
I brushed her hand away. "I'm fine, Mom. I just need to take a nap."
"Oh, alright." She said, looking almost disappointed.
I turned around and was about to open the door to the basement when Andy said, "Oh, Suze? Father Dominic called. He wants you to call him back, says it's important."
I said that I would call him back later, and shuffled down the stairs and into my room. Even though I probably wouldn't. Call him back, that is.
Not that I don't want to talk to him, I really do miss the guy. But I just wasn't in the mood for talking at that moment.
I guess I wasn't in the mood for anything, because I literally passed out, and didn't wake until my mother shook me awake the next morning.
"Suze," she said. "Wake up, it's already 12 o'clock. Suze?"
I mumbled something unintelligible and rolled over on my side. But what she said next caused me to spring up and out of bed.
"Oh, and Father Dominic called again. Wanted me to tell you that something was wrong with someone named Hector. I really don't know what he meant, but he said you would."
I gasped. "Jesse."
Jesse:
I opened my eyes, only to be blinded by the rays of sunlight streaming through the window across from where I lay. I turned over and tried to fall back to sleep, but my mother wouldn't let me.
"Jesse," She said, gently shaking me. "Despierte. Wake up. Your Father would like to speak to you."
"Yes, madre," I said, and got out of bed. I straightened up a bit and walked outside to see my father, who was leaning against the house, and my uncle Juan, chatting politely.
"Ah, Hector," He said as I walked up to them. "Your uncle and I would like to have a word with you." They began walking away from our home and down the dirt path that led to my uncle's home. I spotted my sisters, Esperanza and Blanca, retrieving water from the well. They smiled and waggled their fingers at me, but when they noticed that our father was with me, they nervously looked away. They think that they are intimidated by my father, but they have no clue. I'm his only son, and he expects so much of me. I'm always striving to be perfect, just so he's not disappointed in me. So he has something to brag to his friends about. I can only wonder what he needs to 'talk' to me about.
"Hector is a strong young man, with a good work ethic." My father boasted. "He would be a perfect suitor for your daughter." Now that got my attention. "Que?" I said, my mouth hanging open. "What?"
My uncle laughed a little. "You haven't told the boy?" He asked my father, and said, without waiting for a response, "Yes, Jesse, you heard correctly. You will wed my eldest daughter, Maria."
What? When did this happen? Why was I not told who I am going to marry? Was it not important enough to tell me about? I, of course, didn't say any of this. At least not out loud. My father would have my head if he ever heard me talk to him like that.
And then they kept on talking and laughing. As if they hadn't just decided my future for me. I was speechless. I couldn't even bring myself to utter a word when we had arrived at my uncle Juan's ranch and my father said, "Come inside, Hector," I couldn't even move. I barely knew Maria, and he wanted me to marry her? My father looked at me a little strangely for a few seconds, and walked inside, muttering.
I turned around and sat at the base of a giant tree and rested my elbow on my knee. I could hear all of the girls whispering and chattering about me as they went on with their morning chores. But I didn't care. At least until I looked up and noticed that one of the girls was Maria herself.
"Hello, Hector," She said. I straightened up a little. Nobody except my Father calls me Hector.
"Hola, Maria." I said politely. But all I could think was: They want me to marry this girl. I mean, she was very beautiful, and she knew it, too. But it wasn't only the fact that I had only spoken to her a few times before. You see, people say she is in love with a slave runner, Felix Diego. I know it's not right to believe gossip, but I don't doubt that Diego would use Maria for her money.
Then my father and uncle walked up to us, and saved me from the agonizing silence. "Maria," my father said, clearing his throat. "Hector would like to ask for your hand in marriage. Wouldn't you, Hector?" I couldn't believe he had said it. Just like that. But then again, my father is a get-to-the-point kind of guy.
"Wouldn't you?" He prompted. But I couldn't say yes. I knew he wanted it. And my uncle Juan wanted it as well. But I couldn't. Because I didn't love Maria.
"I'm...I mean," I began, summoning all of my courage. "I can't marry her, Father."
And just when I was sure he was about to kill me--I could literally see the rage in his eyes--I heard a familiar voice, calm and reassuring, calling my name.
"Jesse. Jesse. Wake up," said Father Dominic.
A/N: Thank you for taking the time to read my story! Please Review and tell me what you thought. Love, Luna.