if he did.
He frowned, taking a sip of beer, distracted from his thoughts
for a moment by the amount of extended family that continued to arrive. “ Damn, ”
he said as another herd walked in. “Who are all these people?” he asked Sal,
who sat across from him. “I don’t remember you having this much family here
last year.”
Sal turned and stood to see Alex greeting the herd with a smile. “That’s
my Tio Chema and his family.” Sal turned back to Romero. “You remember
my mom’s cousin, right?”
Romero peered at Sal’s uncle, but his name didn’t ring a bell.
The door opened again as more people walked in. Alex finished greeting the
first group, inviting them to take a seat anywhere, and then moved on to the
next group. Sal, who was standing near where Romero sat, had started to say
something about not being sure who some of the other people arriving were. “My
mom goes nuts inviting everyone, even people from her senior club.” He turned
back toward the door. “I don’t know who that guy is either.”
The guy Sal was referring to was a tall guy in a sports coat and
jeans, holding a big flower arrangement. The young girl with him couldn’t have
been more than ten maybe twelve.
“Mommy!”
Romeo’s voice behind him, calling out loudly, pulled Romero’s
thoughts back to what he was supposed to be doing—keeping an eye on the kids.
He turned in time to see Romeo rushing to Izzy, holding a cup full of something
that splashed out some as he held it clumsily. Izzy had just walked out of the
kitchen. Romero winced, glancing around, and quickly located Mandy over at a
table with the rest of the kids.
“Oops,” he mouthed with a smirk as Izzy raised her brow at him in
mock disapproval.
He was about to teasingly raise his beer at her when he saw her
turn toward the entrance and her playful scolding expression morphed into a big
bright smile. That brought his attention back to where Alex was standing
talking to the guy in the sports coat and the little girl. He watched as Isabel
walked over and greeted the guy with a half hug and he handed her the flowers. “Who’s
that?” he asked Sal just as it hit him.
“I dunno,” Sal said, turning to Izzy, who handed the flowers to
Alex then walked over toward Romero.
“One of her family members?” Sal offered, turning to look at
Romero.
“Nah,” Romero said with the sudden need to take an extra-long
swig of his beer.
Of course Manny, Aida, and Max would choose that moment to come
over and take a seat at Romero’s table. “When’s the food coming out?” Max asked
as he sat down.
Sal turned back to the kitchen area. “I think they’re already
bringing things out.”
Romero managed to pull his sights from Izzy and the guy he was pretty
sure was Elliot for a moment to glance back and see that the food was being brought out. It’d be served buffet style as they always did on Thanksgiving
even back when they’d had it at their home.
That morning, Romero had already been irritated by Elliot when he
noticed Izzy had a text from him. But he’d been relieved when she told him he
was just confirming that he was in fact bringing someone. Romero wouldn’t tell
Izzy, but he’d been hoping that meant Elliot was bringing a date. Not just for
the sake of relieving his own mind a bit but for the sake of keeping his uncles
from making any more implications.
Izzy reached them and introduced Elliot and his daughter, Denver.
Romero took him in, greeting him just as nicely and politely as everyone else.
He looked a lot younger than early to mid-thirties as Izzy had first said. And
the very first thing he noticed when they got close enough was how much cologne
the guy wore. For a second, he had a flashback of Cici, a girl who ironically
he’d been in hot water over with Izzy once upon a time because her heavy
perfume had lingered on him even hours after having hugged her. Romero couldn’t
help but wonder if Elliot always wore this much, even at work, or if
He frowned, taking a sip of beer, distracted from his thoughts
for a moment by the amount of extended family that continued to arrive. “ Damn, ”
he said as another herd walked in. “Who are all these people?” he asked Sal,
who sat across from him. “I don’t remember you having this much family here
last year.”
Sal turned and stood to see Alex greeting the herd with a smile. “That’s
my Tio Chema and his family.” Sal turned back to Romero. “You remember
my mom’s cousin, right?”
Romero peered at Sal’s uncle, but his name didn’t ring a bell.
The door opened again as more people walked in. Alex finished greeting the
first group, inviting them to take a seat anywhere, and then moved on to the
next group. Sal, who was standing near where Romero sat, had started to say
something about not being sure who some of the other people arriving were. “My
mom goes nuts inviting everyone, even people from her senior club.” He turned
back toward the door. “I don’t know who that guy is either.”
The guy Sal was referring to was a tall guy in a sports coat and
jeans, holding a big flower arrangement. The young girl with him couldn’t have
been more than ten maybe twelve.
“Mommy!”
Romeo’s voice behind him, calling out loudly, pulled Romero’s
thoughts back to what he was supposed to be doing—keeping an eye on the kids.
He turned in time to see Romeo rushing to Izzy, holding a cup full of something
that splashed out some as he held it clumsily. Izzy had just walked out of the
kitchen. Romero winced, glancing around, and quickly located Mandy over at a
table with the rest of the kids.
“Oops,” he mouthed with a smirk as Izzy raised her brow at him in
mock disapproval.
He was about to teasingly raise his beer at her when he saw her
turn toward the entrance and her playful scolding expression morphed into a big
bright smile. That brought his attention back to where Alex was standing
talking to the guy in the sports coat and the little girl. He watched as Isabel
walked over and greeted the guy with a half hug and he handed her the flowers. “Who’s
that?” he asked Sal just as it hit him.
“I dunno,” Sal said, turning to Izzy, who handed the flowers to
Alex then walked over toward Romero.
“One of her family members?” Sal offered, turning to look at
Romero.
“Nah,” Romero said with the sudden need to take an extra-long
swig of his beer.
Of course Manny, Aida, and Max would choose that moment to come
over and take a seat at Romero’s table. “When’s the food coming out?” Max asked
as he sat down.
Sal turned back to the kitchen area. “I think they’re already
bringing things out.”
Romero managed to pull his sights from Izzy and the guy he was pretty
sure was Elliot for a moment to glance back and see that the food was being brought out. It’d be served buffet style as they always did on Thanksgiving
even back when they’d had it at their home.
That morning, Romero had already been irritated by Elliot when he
noticed Izzy had a text from him. But he’d been relieved when she told him he
was just confirming that he was in fact bringing someone. Romero wouldn’t tell
Izzy, but he’d been hoping that meant Elliot was bringing a date. Not just for
the sake of relieving his own mind a bit but for the sake of keeping his uncles
from making any more implications.
Izzy reached them and introduced Elliot and his daughter, Denver.
Romero took him in, greeting him just as nicely and politely as everyone else.
He looked a lot younger than early to mid-thirties as Izzy had first said. And
the very first thing he noticed when they got close enough was how much cologne
the guy wore. For a second, he had a flashback of Cici, a girl who ironically
he’d been in hot water over with Izzy once upon a time because her heavy
perfume had lingered on him even hours after having hugged her. Romero couldn’t
help but wonder if Elliot always wore this much, even at work, or if
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