Chapter 17 – I’m not sleeping, I’m not sleeping anymore

“Eat, eat, you’re so skinny!”, Mercedes Morales’ round face turned to her daughter and her vivacious eyes watched Shane for a second, before smiling at Carmen, “…Carmen, don’t you feed her?”. 

Carmen, engrossed slicing something on the counter strategically placed in the middle of the huge kitchen, smiled without looking up at her mother, “No, mom, she feeds herself”, she chuckled. 

Shane stood in a corner of the room, her shoulder leaned against the door frame of the kitchen, a plate still full of food in one hand, the fork in the other. What she felt, was a mixture of wonder, embarrassment, warmth, cautious happiness – all together. Because Carmen’s family had welcomed her with open arms and Shane was not expecting that, even though Carmen had explained her that she was out to her family. She had been out to all of them for a long time.

When Mercedes Morales had opened the door, she had let out a small shriek of surprise seeing Carmen and had immediately squeezed her in a hug. “Mi’ja! My, my, you’re beautiful!”, she had exclaimed gasping, her Mexican accent very, very thick. Shane had noticed that Mercedes looked amazed and wondered if Carmen’s change in aesthetic had something to do with it. After giving several square looks to her daughter, Mercedes had finally let go of Carmen’s hands and had turned fully to Shane, “Is it because of you that my baby girl looks so happy? Tan feliz? ”, she had questioned, smirking cryptically.

Shane had blushed and stumbled over her own words. “Ah… uh, I…”. 

Not exactly the best way to introduce herself. 

Mercedes had smiled a smile that was all Carmen, and Shane had finally seen the resemblance between mother and daughter – it was all in the smile, the contagious laughter, and then in the darkness of their eyes, in the thickness of their hair. “You must be Chane, right?”. 

Shane had squared her shoulders and stretched out her hand. “Yes ma’am. I’m Shane. I’m so glad to meet you”. 

“Oh!”, Mercedes had slapped Shane’s hand away, playfully, and then had enveloped her into a tight hug, patting her back, “It’s so nice to meet you, Chane. It’s so nice to finally meet you Carmen’s novia”.