"THAT WON'T BE A TROUBLE FOR ME, sweetheart."
"But I'll feel bad," I blinked with a pouty face.
She giggled softly, "We can talk about it later. Now, let's eat." I don't want to talk about it later. I don't want to consider this. She's doing too much for my family.
Thays's setting the standards for their daughter-in-law too high. Too high. It'll make it harder for them to forget her when our deadline arrives.
Harder for me to forget her.
❁ ❁ ❁
Her family called again when we were finishing lunch. But this time it was Alessandro, the one I met yesterday. "Are you still in the restaurant with brother-in-law and his brother, Manu?" It was the first thing he asked her and she turned the camera to me, and I saw him smiling wide again. "Hi, cunhadinho. I see that my sister is looking better than usual. Are you taking her to good places?"
"Oh, so you say 'Hi' to him, and not to me? Aren't you forgetting your priorities, youngblood?" She mocked bringing the camera back to herself.
He rolled his eyes but seemed to be enjoying it, "So, insufferable. Hi, Manu. I'm already tired of your beautiful face, sister. He's the new meat in the family, so, let me take a good look at your handsome boyfriend again!"
She arched her eyebrows, "Is that why you called? To see Aaron? I thought you missed me. Should I cancel your ticket to come to New Zealand then? The purpose of it was for you to see me."
"Sorry, Manu. I love you. I would gladly see your face 24/7. Don't cancel it. I really want to meet brother-in-law in person," Graham chuckled to that and she glared at him. "Is that your brother, Aaron? Which one is it?"
"Graham. The third and middle one," I said, popping up on the camera and turning her hand to my brother who waved.
"Hi, it's nice to meet you," he said smiling.
Her brother gasped, "Oh, my. You are all too handsome. Jesus. Your father had a pencil, and he painted you all in your mom. That's the only thing that makes sense."
Thays gasped turning red, "Leandro Alessandro Rossetti, lava sua boca. That's not nothing you should say to them, idiot. Not to them and not to anyone else."
"It's okay, sweetheart," I giggled softly seeing her all embarrassed like that. "He's not lying, though. We are really beautiful."
"Indeed, we are," Graham grinned. "We don't mind it, sister-in-law, don't worry."
"Well, but I do," she glared at her brother through the camera. "Maldito seja, don't say that again, okay? Especially not when we at the island, or I'll kick your ass."
He sulked, "Okay. Sorry."
She sighed, "Deus amado. Has something happened there? Is everything alright? Are you all prepared to come? Has mamãe bought all the BIS boxes I asked?" BIS?
"Yes. It was actually me who bought it though. I bought in three flavors. White chocolate, Oreo, and the normal dark chocolate. I know how you always loved to eat those things when you were here," oh, so it's chocolate. "I also went to the supermarket earlier ago and bought some buckets of paçoquinhas for your in-laws to taste. They don't have problem with peanuts, right?"
Okay. That one I know. It's a sweet made of peanuts and it's really good. I ate it once. "Nope. Everyone loves peanuts!" I exclaimed, popping up again.
"Awesome. That's one of Manu's favorite together with BIS. And did my sister make brigadeiro for you already?"
She grasped my thigh with her free hand again, "Yes. I have. How wouldn't I? I make it to everyone who's close to me." Everyone? I don't know why, but I don't like the sound of that.
"Ah, Manu, that artist you like, Emilia Santos, made a special cover for a book series you love here. Perdida, you know?" She nodded excitedly. "She made it for the entire series and in hardcover. I bought as your Christmas present. Aren't I your favorite brother?" He really looks like the younger one, it's cute.
"Shouldn't you keep it a secret?" My brother asked.
"Oh, no. I always tell her, since I'm the best out of the other 9 of us. And well, she also always tells me what she's going to give me. It's something we do since we were children. Although all the others keep it a secret," sounds like a bond between them.
"Then what is she going to give you?"
She turned the camera to my brother, so they could talk. "She's giving me two weeks in her best resort in Hawaii, with my boyfriend, and all paid. Guide for things to do there, accommodations, food, plane tickets, baggage, and on the best suite too." When I looked at her, she seemed proud and glad of her gift.
Graham's eyes widened, "That's quite the present!"
"It is, isn't it? In all honesty, my presents aren't compared to what she gives us four times a year. Midsummer, Christmas season, plus the Christmas present, and our birthday present. But Manu has it all, and giving her a free ticket to a resort is useless, for obvious reasons. So, all I do is go for something she loves, and my sister loves chocolate and books. She's a bookworm. The biggest you can ever see. So much that in each of her properties she has a library."
"No shit?" He gasped.
"She does," I exclaimed. "Books in all languages possible. She really loves that," I chuckled anxiously thinking about all the 200 books that were necessary to get her to be on this big lie with me.
"The only problem is getting books she doesn't have it yet. And well, she loves special fancy editions of books she already read. Quite the collector. And bookish items from her favorite books too. That's what I always go for," sounds smart and something only a close sibling would know.
"Thanks for the tip," Graham grinned. "I'm always good at giving presents," then he turned to her, "and I'll do my best, sister-in-law."
"You don't need to give me anything, Graham," she smiled grateful. "Just having me and my family in your family's private island for two weeks is present enough."
"She's right. We are really happy with that, by the way. My mother is crazy to meet yours. I hope our families will have a good relationship!"
When he said that, me and Thays looked at each other for a second, not saying a word, but with our eyes voicing our worries.
"I hope so too," Graham said smiling and it made my heart ache. He and my other brothers were always extremely protective of me and of my love life after all that happened with Nicole. Always looking over me, and worried that I could get hurt and be fooled again. But they always made it clear how they wanted me to find a good person who would fit me perfectly, and now they are probably thinking this person is the woman right beside me.
But it can't be. That can't happen. We can't happen!
"Now, I'll go, Manu. It was nice meeting you, Graham. And it was amazing seeing and talking to you again, brother-in-law. I'll finish getting things done here, sister. Oh, and Manu?"