The drive to meet Adrián's mother and his family was a quiet one due to the fact that Monet was nervous. Adrián could see that his lover was getting nervous with each second and she was doing everything she could to just keep herself calm. He felt bad about her meeting just about everyone in the family because the original plan was to just meet his mother and his mother alone. He couldn't believe that his own mother-well yes he could believe it-had practically told everyone, even though she knew that they would all be curious to know about the young woman he was bringing home.
Hopefully, his mother will like Monet as much as he does. If she didn't, then he would be upset about the woman he's known all his life not getting along with the woman who has now become a significant part of it through unusual circumstances. However, Adrián was a little more optimistic about his mother than the rest of his family.
Speaking of them, he was still upset that they just invited themselves to his mom's house just so they could meet Monet. They really didn't think that through because Monet meeting them all at once was going to be very overwhelming. Not to mention that they were all possibly going to be upset with the both of them once the news of their Vegas marriage was announced. Oh God. Adrían was not looking forward to this at all. It was going to be a straight up train wreck.
As for Monet, she was currently bouncing her leg up and down thinking about the different scenarios that would go down once everyone in Adrían's family found out about them eloping in Vegas. Each and every single one was worse than the last. The scenarios didn't do anything, but make her even more nervous. She needed to at least calm down or else she'll have a nervous breakdown in front of everyone. That was less than ideal.
Too consumed by her thoughts, Monet didn't notice when they had arrived outside of Adrían's childhood home. The Dominican man placed a hand on Monet's knee, but bringing her out of her thoughts.
"We're here?" She asked.
"Yeah. How are you feeling?" He questioned.
"I'm nervous," She replied truthfully.
"I'm sure this is overwhelming for you considering how we planned on meeting my mom and my mom only," He sighed.
"It's a little overwhelming, but at least I have you by my side," She smiled taking his hand into hers. He raised their conjoined hands and placed a kiss on hers.
"If things get too overwhelming for you or if anybody says anything bad to you, just come find me," He said.
"Adrían, I don't want to cause a rift between you and your family," She knitted her eyebrows together.
"They May be my family, but you're also my family too. Remember?" He responded.
"But still, Adrìan, I don't want you to be like me with your family practically abandoning you," She said.
"Monet, I promise you that it's fine. If they can't see how great you are, then that's their loss, but I'm not going to sit there and let them openly disrespect you," He replied.
"Adrían-"
After deciding that it was best to silence her, Adrían kissed Monet passionately on the lips. He needed some way to silence her and this was the solution.
"Monet, I said what I said. If my family disrespects you in any way, I'm cutting them off. No ifs, ands, or buts. Got it?" He firmly stated. The young woman nodded quietly.
"Now let's go inside and face the music," He said. He kissed her one more time before they got out the car. Adrían intertwined his fingers with Monet's as they headed towards the front door. Just as Adrían raised his hand to ring the doorbell, the door was thrown open to reveal an older Dominican woman. She pulled Adrían into a warm and tight hug. She kissed his cheek over and over while Adrían just hugged her back.
Monet stood off to the side with a smile on her face as she watched Adrían and his mother hug each other. As endearing as the scene was to her, she felt a pang of jealousy as she watched them. Her own mother had never shown this type of affection towards her children during their childhood. Seeing others be affectionate with their parents was a very new thing to her. It was almost alien to her and she longed to have that kind of thing for herself. Jade's parents, as kind as they were, did the same for Monet, but that was short lived once she left their home.
"Mamá, there's something we need to tell you," Adrían informed the older woman.
"What is it?" His mother inquired.
"We need to...umm...speak in private," He replied. The older woman looked back and forth at Monet and Adrían taking note of their serious expressions.
"How serious are we talking?" She asked closing the door behind her and crossing her arms. Monet looked over at Adrían who looked very scared of the older woman's reaction to the news she was about to receive. She knew it was hard for Adrían to tell her what had happened.
"Go on, Adrían. You can do it," Monet murmured softly to him. He took in a deep breath and looked his mom in the eye.
"Mom, Monet and I got married in Vegas a month ago," He confessed. His mother's eyes widened and Monet could have sworn that time his mother had some type of super speed because she was on him in 0.2 seconds beating him with a sandal.
Monet, after managing to get over the shock she was feeling, got between the two of them quickly. Adrían's mom stopped hitting her son and began to fiercely curse him out in Spanish. Because of this, most of his family members that were inside had now piled up in the windows to see what was going on and neighbors that were in their homes were now outside watching it go down.
As heroic as it was for Monet to step between them, she was a little scared the older woman would hurt her as well like she did Adrían, but she held her ground and stayed right where she was.
"Adrían, how could you get married in Vegas? Do you realize how much this upsets me? You're my one and only son and yet you chose to elope in Vegas?!" The woman exclaimed.
"Mom, I'm sorry, but can we please go inside so I can explain the situation to you?" He pleaded from behind Monet.
"Explain?! What is there to explain, Adrían?! You got eloped in Vegas with this girl that I don't even know at all!" She yelled at him.
"Mom, it's more to it than that," Adrían came out from behind Monet.
"What else could there be to it? You married a stranger, Adrían. No offense to Monet considering how she seems like a sweet girl, but you married her before I could even get to know her, and that speaks volumes," She snapped.
"Mrs. Castillo," Monet chimed in. The older woman whipped her head in the young woman's direction so fast that Monet flinched. The flinching can be chalked up to her extensive residence at her parents home.
"With all due respect, it's kind of a complicated situation," Monet informed, "It's best if we go inside and explain it to you."
The young woman gestured to the windows causing Mrs. Castillo to look over only to find that her family was being nosy as per usual. Everyone scrambled away from the windows quickly. The older woman sighed and turned back to the two.
"Fine. We're going inside and you two can explain to me why you stupidly eloped in Vegas," She sighed.
"Thank you," Monet replied.
"Adrían, you can stop hiding behind her. I'm done hitting you," The older woman said. The older woman turned to go inside.
"Are you okay?" Monet inquired.
"I'm fine. It kind of hurts," He answered.
"I'll comfort you later," Monet smiled softly.
"You promise?" He asked.
"Yes. Now let's go inside. I can tell your mother is losing her patience," Monet giggled. The two of them headed inside and it was like the Red Sea with the way every last one of Adrían's relatives formed a path to the kitchen. This made Monet's nervousness from before come creeping back. It was like they were walking to their own deaths.
When they reached the kitchen, his mom was sitting down at the table. The two of them sat down across from her. Every last one of Adrían's family members gathered around to listen.
"Okay. Explain to me why you two got married in Vegas?" His mom asked. A chorus of gasps soon followed after causing the woman to look at everybody.
"Everybody, outside," The older woman said. They all left the room in droves and headed out to the backyard. Adrían knew that they would still be listening the entire time.
"You see. It's kind of a complicated story," Monet said.
"We've got time," His mother said. Adrían squeezed Monet's hand under the table. She took in a deep breath and began explaining to her what happened from the beginning while his mother listened. Monet was glad that his family wasn't in the room to hear about what had gone down between her and her family. She didn't want them to think lowly of her for eloping when she was arranged to be married to someone else.
After she finished filling his mother in, a silence fell between them. The older woman soaked in the information she was just told. Monet became even more nervous than before because she didn't know how the woman would react. The only kind of reaction she was sort of expecting was a very negative and judgmental one.
"As upset as I am that you two got married in Vegas, I'm actually more relieved for Monet because from what you two have told me, it seems like she was in an impossible situation," Adrían's mom said. That response surprised the two of them.
"However, getting drunk and getting eloped in Vegas is the most cliché thing I've ever heard of. I already know that you weren't thinking in your drunken state," Mrs. Castillo narrowed her eyes at Adrían.
"I'm sorry for getting drunk and eloping," Adrían murmured.
"Best believe that you're in some deep shit, Adrían Castillo," The older woman pointed a finger at him.
"Yes, Mamá," He mumbled.
"As for you, young lady. I'm glad that you got out of a situation like that in the first place. You didn't deserve to be in an arranged marriage in this day and age," His mother said to Monet.
"Thank you. As unexpected as this whole marriage was, I'm glad that it happened because at least I got to meet someone as great as Adrían," Monet responded. Adrían smiled at Monet softly. His mom took note of the atmosphere surrounding the two and she could tell that it wasn't that of two strangers who were devastated to know that they got eloped in Vegas. She could tell that there were some genuine blooming feelings between these two.
"Are you two living together?" His mom asked.
"No," Monet answered.
"We're actually taking the time to know each other," Adrìan said.
"Unusual, but I understand considering how you two were practically strangers until a month ago," Mrs. Castillo nodded, "Now, I understand why you wanted it to be just the three of us. That's completely my fault and my sister's."
"It's alright," Monet assured her.
"There's no use in making them leave because they brought over all this food too," She sighed.
"And I know they started the grill," Adrían added.
"Might as make the most of it," Monet said.
"Just think of this as us welcoming you to the family," His mom smiled.
"Thank you," Monet beamed.
"But you two are going through the ceremony once you feel ready to officially get married," The older woman firmly stated.
"Yes, ma'am," Monet and Adrían replied. The older woman got up from the table and headed out to the backyard. The two of them let out a breath they didn't even know they were holding.
"That went better than expected," Monet remarked.
"It did. I expected her to get even more angrier like before," He agreed.
"Honestly, I was kind of scared when I got between you two," Monet confessed.
"I was scared for you," He chuckled.
"At least she stopped hitting you," She giggled.
"It still kind of hurts," He said touching his left shoulder. She giggled softly and planted a kiss on his arm.
"Better?" She asked.
"My lips kind of hurts," He replied. She kissed his lips with a smile.
"Better?" She questioned.
"I think I need another one," He replied. She kissed him again.
"Another," He said. They kissed once more.