Love in Flame (De La Fuente Family 5)

“I love you too, Rae. So much that it hurts.” I tug her close for a few more seconds and kissing the top of her head, step back. “Let’s get this over with.”

“So how’d I look?” Andie asks, twirling down the hall in her new dress. “Figured it was time to interrupt as you’d decided it was time to get going.” She smiles and hugs a surprised Rae while I chuckle to myself. “Mom, I know you have Diego now, but you’re not facing his family without me there as well.”

“It’s not going to be as bad as you both think it is,” I comment, “and, if I hear, ‘how’d I look’, once more I’m going to go mad.”

Both women start laughing. Turning my back, I move toward the backdoor, and shout over my shoulder, “We’re leaving now or we’re going to be late.”

Chuckling to myself, I lean against the truck while I wait for them. My stomach quivers with nerves at what I’m beginning to think of as a confrontation. I’m hoping that I can rely on my family to treat Rae with respect now that they’re over the shock of us being together and married.

I’ve been exchanging texts with Emelia since I woke up in the hospital and even though she’s pissed with me over the wedding that I hadn’t told her about, she’s excited that I have someone to call my own. Her multiple ‘don’t screw it up’s’ make me smile.

Other than my mother’s attempts at keeping us apart, I think Rae and I have this marriage business down to a T. I mean we go to sleep wrapped up together and we wake up the same way. Nothing has ever felt right until I met her, and I know that I’ll never be the same again because she’s made me a better person. One that I hope she’s proud of.

Seeing her walking toward me now with Andie beside her, my heart swells with the love I always feel when I see her. She looks relaxed until she gets closer and I see the hesitance in her eyes.

Reaching forward, I kiss her cheek and whisper, “Remember, I love you.” Her smile lights her from within.

Twenty minutes later, I pull up outside of the farmhouse. I wince at the sight of the other trucks also parked, which tells me that we’re about to walk into a full house.

Jogging around to Rae’s side, I help her out and smile at Andie as she joins us.

Rae looks frozen in place as she asks, “We’ve got this right?” Her smile slips a little.

“You,” I cup her face, “can do anything you set your mind to.” I lean in and place a soft kiss to her lips. “You’re not alone in this. Please don’t forget that.” I gently kiss her beautiful pink lips and slide my hand down her arm to intertwine our fingers.

“I think your mom is watching us.”

I glance at the kitchen window and smile when Mom dodges out of the way. “She’s so nosy. Come on.” I try to make light of the situation.

We move inside my family home and I’m relieved to find only my mom and dad in the kitchen as I glance around.

“I asked the others to wait in the family room,” Mom says, answering my silent question. “I thought it best not to overwhelm Rae as soon as she steps foot inside of the house.” She takes a step forward and another until she’s standing in front of us.

“Rae, I owe you a million apologies for the way that I’ve treated you since you arrived here with Aiden.” Mom pauses and swallows back her nervousness as Dad puts an arm around her waist for support. “I owe you more than a million apologies really for the things that I’ve said to you. I don’t expect forgiveness overnight, but I hope that you can accept my heartfelt apology for everything I’ve done because I am truly sorry.”

There’s a tense pause and then she carries on hesitantly, “Diego is our youngest child, my baby, and I’ve only ever had his best interests at heart regardless of how much those interests deviate from his own.” Mom winces and shoves her shoulders back. “I can’t explain why I reacted the way that I did because, well, it just isn’t me and thinking back I’m not only ashamed of the way I acted, but embarrassed.”

Rae’s hand trembles in mine and my heart hurts for my mom. She never apologizes so to hear this one for Rae it makes my heart ache.

I feel Rae squeeze my hand, building herself up to reply.

RAE

I’m not sure my voice will let me speak once Lucia finishes her heartfelt apology, but I need to say something other than what I’d originally told myself to reply, ‘thank you’. Those words aren’t’ going to cut it plus there’s more than just that inside of me.

With Diego’s strength seeping into me from our connection, I reach out with my other hand and grasp ahold of Lucia’s clasped hands. “I know that you’d rather have had Diego fall for a younger woman, which is what I thought he needed at first too, and it hurt so much, and I know my attempts to push him away only hurt Diego more. But in the end it came down to the fact that I love him, and I could no longer keep him at arms length.” Lucia squeezes my hands as I continue, “Your words and reaction to me hurt—a lot. The thing is we don’t get to choose whom we fall in love with, it sometimes takes time to grow and other times it hits like a ton of bricks. Diego and I are a ton of bricks kinda love. There’s nothing slow about your son.” I smile and see a small one whisper across Lucia’s lips.

“My youngest son has acted at full speed since he came out of the womb. Caused many fights with his twin.”

“I can imagine.”

“Hey, I’m right here,” Diego adds, which I pretend to ignore.

“You’re too big to miss,” Andie drawls.

Lucia removes her hands from my grasp and cups my face. “I was so wrong, Rae. You make my son so happy. You complete him.” She smiles through her tear filled eyes. “Thank you, and welcome to the De La Fuente family.”

I want to dislike her because of everything, but I’m finding that now she’s apologizing and welcoming me into the family that I can’t. I’m not that person, but more than anything I want to start afresh with her. It will take a while for me to forget, but there’s no reason why I can’t forgive her and move forward.