“I am glad you are here”, Carmen whispers into Shane’s ear.
Shane smiles, sipping her red wine and staring at the blue, blue sky of a wonderful spring day.
“I am glad your family still wants to have something to do with me”, she replies, gratefully.
Carmen’s hand brushes her thigh under the white and red tablecloth.
“Honey, they love you. They always did”.
Shane just sighs, still amazed by the whole situation.
Mercedes Morales sits down right in front of her.
“So, Chane, are you serious with my daughter, this time?”, she asks, going straight to the point.
Shane almost chokes with her wine.
“Mama, por favor…”, Carmen chimes in, chuckling nervously.
“No, it’s okay”, Shane interrupts her, proudly holding her hand on the table.
She watches Mercedes straight in the eyes, feeling her soul at peace, and an incredible stillness of heart and mind.
“Mrs. Morales, I am totally serious with Carmen. I was serious even three years ago, the only difference, now, is that I am not afraid anymore…”.
Mercedes nods her head in approval.
“Chane, you are a good person. Don’t let your fears trample on you”, she just replies.
Carmen stares absent-mindedly at the table, gently squeezing Shane’s hand. On her lips, the trace of a smile.
Shane beams.
“I won’t”, she simply answers.
Mercedes gets up, leaning down to stroke Shane’s cheek affectionately.
“Alright, then. Hold on, I have something for you”, she whispers, winking, before walking away towards the backyard.
Shane gives Carmen a confused look.
Carmen just shrugs in reply, the same clueless expression into her eyes.

”A wicked wind whips up the hill
A handful of hopeful words
I love her and I always will
The sky is ready to burst
Said something I did not mean to say
Said something I did not mean to say
Said something I did not mean to say
It all came out the wrong way
Love Letter Love letter
Go get her Go get her
Love Letter Love letter
Go tell her Go tell her…”

“Chane, could you please come here?”.
Mercedes’ voice yelling from the backyard.
Carmen stares at Shane and when she gets up, she puts her napkin beside and starts getting up, ready to follow her.
“Yes, sure, Mrs. Morales!”, Shane yells back buttoning and smoothing down her shirt.
“Alone!”.
Mercedes’ voice stops Carmen in mid-tempo. She raises her eyebrows, perplexed, and sits back on her chair.
“What do you think she has in mind?”, Shane whispers into her ear, kissing her cheek.
“I have no idea. Probably she has a present for you”, Carmen whispers back, shrugging again.
Shane clears her throat.
“Alright. I’ll be right back”, she murmurs to her girlfriend, heading towards the backyard.
Carmen watches her go and then turns towards her sisters, smiling and slipping into a rapid chat in Spanish.
She stops talking when she hears the unmistakable noise of the garden hose.
A powerful jet of water.
A yell of surprise.
Her mother’s amused laughter.
Shane and Mercedes go around the corner together.
The first one, soaking wet and going red.
The second one, still laughing and lovely brushing Shane’s drenched hair.
Carmen’s mouth opens as her sisters start chuckling.
She gets up and runs towards Shane, whose pleading – but still unreadable – eyes are desperately looking for her.
“Mom!”, Carmen exclaims shocked, drying Shane’s face with a napkin.
Shane chuckles amused, shaking her head.
“It’s okay”, she says, biting her lower lip and trying hard not to laugh. But her glimmering eyes say otherwise.
Carmen stares at her mother.
“Mamita… “, she reproaches her, doing her better to keep her seriousness.
But even Mercedes’ beaming eyes say it all.
“You still have some of Chane’s clothes in your room, Carmencita… Go take them… “, she grins, “…I don’t want her to catch a nasty cold…”.
Finally Shane bursts out laughing.
She just can’t help it.
“It’s not funny, babe… “, Carmen murmurs shaking her head.
“It is!”, Shane replies drying her eyes.
“We’re even, aren’t we, Chane?”, Mercedes says proudly, patting Shane’s shoulder.
Shane nods, kissing her on her cheek.
Carmen rolls her eyes, smiling.
Great, she thinks.
I have got a crazy mother and an even crazier girlfriend.