When Allison, Elena, and Vivian returned to the living room, they found Nora poised on the edge of the couch cushion, just as they left her. Allison caught her eye, and they smiled at one another.
“Better?” Nora asked.
Allison tightened her grip around Elena’s hand. It was comforting but also addicting—that feeling she got when Elena’s fingertips slipped across her own and their gazes met, when they laughed together, when Elena’s breath whispered across her lips, and when their bodies molded together in a gentle embrace. It was like waking up and falling asleep all at once—a hazy stirring that somehow managed to be both gentle and jolting, numbing and yet teeming with sensation. It was powerful and heady, and it was something that Allison couldn’t even begin to comprehend yet already cherished.
She was in this, even if it felt fast, even if it felt somehow unreal. She was in this.
“Yeah,” she breathed. “Thank you.”
Nora licked her lips as if preparing for a long speech. “Allison, I won’t apologize for being cautious or even curious. I know that, at times, I can be rather invasive, and I am more than aware that much of what I ask is truly none of my business. As such, you are always free not to answer; however, I assume you do so, regardless, because you worry that I will reject you.”
“Well, I d—” Nora waved a hand to stop her again. Allison clamped her mouth closed and nodded, letting her continue.
“It is true that I may form particular opinions about whomever my daughter chooses to become involved with.”
Vivian snorted and Elena’s lips tilted up as Nora rolled her eyes at the two of them and raised her voice just a bit. “At the end of the day, though, all I truly want is for Elena to be happy and to be with someone who makes her truly happy. Her father and I have always told her as much.”
Allison smiled at the soft pink tint of Elena’s cheeks and the way her eyes lit with affection as Elena stared at her mother. Allison’s own eyes stung with tears. It moved her to see something like this firsthand, to literally be able to feel the love radiating between Elena and her mother. She had never known that kind of love, but was glad that Elena did. The sting of her teeth biting into her tongue kept any tears from falling as she squeezed Elena’s hand and laughed softly when Elena scoffed, “Mother, it’s only our first date. Stop acting like she asked your permission to marry me.”
“You never know.” Nora turned back to Allison. “I do, however, apologize if I have managed to dredge up painful memories for you, Allison. That was certainly not my aim. I am merely trying to get to know you a bit better, and I don’t like to skirt around touchy subjects.”
Allison nodded. “Yeah, I get it. I mean, it’s a little invasive, yeah, but I’ve honestly got nothing but respect for how much you obviously love Elena. I never got to have that, so it’s really nice to see that she does.”
“Mm.” Nora hummed as Elena squeezed Allison’s hand and moved a bit closer to her.
Allison smacked her lips together with a loud pop. “So, does that about cover everything, Nora,” she asked, “or do you want some more sticky information like maybe my bra size? It’s not very impressive, I’ll warn you.”
Vivian and Elena burst into laughter, while Nora merely shook her head. “Well,” Vivian said, clapping her hands together, “I think you just got owned, Mom. I’m sold, anyway.” She bumped Nora’s shoulder. “She had a way better attitude about her Nora Vega Inquisition than I had about mine.”
“I thought you and Elena were practically sisters?” Allison cut in. “Why would you get one?”
“Oh, it didn’t have anything to do with Elena.” Vivian leaned over to lay her head on Nora’s shoulder. “It was when I lost my virginity. She grilled me for like an hour, and then she grilled Elena about whether or not she had done it as well.”
“Which, of course, I hadn’t.” Elena said, smug smile in place.
“Oh Elena, don’t even. There’s a lot that your mom knows, but there’s a lot that she doesn’t. I could change that pretty easily, you know.”
Elena narrowed her eyes. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Oh, darling.” Nora patted Vivian’s knee. “You know she is easily swayed. Don’t tempt her.”
“Good point. She would roll on me in a heartbeat with the right persuasion.”
“Loyal when it counts though!” Vivian grinned. “Nah, you know I’ve got your back, babe.”
“I wish somebody had my back right now,” Allison sighed, her mouth slanting up in a half smile.
Elena released Allison’s hand to slip her arm around her back instead. “There, dear. I’ve got it.”
“God, you two are sickening.” Vivian rolled her eyes. “Just have babies together already. I need more nieces and nephews.”
Allison flushed.
“Cállate,” Elena groaned, throwing a small pillow at her best friend.
“Manners, dear.” Nora’s reprimand had Vivian poking her tongue out at Elena.
Elena merely rolled her eyes. “Por favor.”
Suddenly feeling entirely lost, Allison cleared her throat and said, “Uh, I guess I’m the only one in the room who doesn’t speak Spanish.”
“She told me to shut up,” Vivian said, “though why she couldn’t have just said that in English, I don’t know. Oh, wait. Maybe she just didn’t want you to know that she’s a lot more sensitive than she lets on.”
Tilting her head back against the couch, Elena sighed as she stared at the ceiling, and groaned again.
Allison chuckled, leaned into Elena’s side, and whispered, “Will you teach me?”
Elena looked at her, eyebrows curving upward. “Spanish?”
“Yeah. Is that weird, you know, for me to ask?” Allison paused at Elena’s silence. “I mean, you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
“No, no,” Elena said. “I am just a bit surprised. Why do you want to learn?”
Allison shrugged. As if simply talking about the weather, she said, “It’s a part of you.”
“Yes…?”
“It’s important, right? It’s an important part of who you are, so why wouldn’t I want to learn?”
“Oh hell, Mom,” Vivian said. “You may as well just get your purse and come on. If that didn’t win you over, I don’t know what will. I’m swooning over here. Jesus.”
Nora smacked Vivian’s knee as if to tell her to shut up.
With more affection in her voice than she rarely ever offered anyone other than Lucas, Elena whispered, “Thank you, Allison. I’m touched that you would even consider learning another language simply because it is important to me.”
Allison, feeling that stirring in her chest and stomach that she now associated with Elena, caught herself leaning forward before remembering that they had an audience and quickly jerking back. She cleared her throat. “Yeah, uh, no problem. I mean, it’s not like it wouldn’t do me some good anyway. Like I said, I’d get to share in an important part of who you are, and it would definitely benefit me where social work is concerned. So, it’s a win-win really, though I think we both know I’m probably just gonna sound really lame and…I don’t know, white, trying to speak Spanish.”
“Join the club, girl,” Vivian said.
“You sound awesome, though,” Allison told Elena.
“You’ve only heard me say one word.”
“Yeah, but that one word sounded…” She squirmed a bit before licking her lips. “Well, let’s just say I really liked it.”
Elena cleared her throat and crossed her legs. “I will have to keep that in mind, dear.”
“I think that’s our cue to leave.” Vivian nudged Nora with her elbow and both women rose from the couch.
Scrambling to her feet, Allison held out a hand. Nora stared at it for a long moment before offering her own. With a firm shake, Allison said, “I don’t really know how you feel about me, but thanks for taking the time to ask, even if it was a bit embarrassing.”
Nora chuckled as she squeezed Allison’s hand. “I don’t believe you have anything to worry about, dear.” She winked at Allison before turning to press a kiss to her daughter’s cheek.
Elena and Allison walked the inquisition squad to the door and bade them goodnight. Hands scrunched into her pockets and blonde hair cascading over one shoulder, Allison leaned all her weight on her right foot, the left looped around the back. She smiled at Elena as they stood just inside the door together, their gazes each devouring the other.
“Some first date, huh?” Allison whispered.
“Yes it was.”
“Would you change anything about it?”
Elena smiled slyly at her. “Would you?”
“Maybe just this part,” Allison said, grinning.
“Which part?” Elena asked, cocking her head to the side.
“Just the leaving part.”
“You could stay.”
“Yeah?” Allison asked, taking a step forward. Her gaze shifted back and forth between Elena’s steadily darkening eyes and her supple lips. “And do what?”
She took another step forward, and Elena’s breath caught tightly in her throat. Without another word, her hands shot out and latched onto the front of Allison’s shirt. She yanked Allison flush against her and molded their mouths together, her back pressing firmly into the door.
Allison shuddered as Elena’s tongue slipped through her lips and teased at her own. She groaned as she pulled back just enough to part the kiss. Their breathing had already spiraled out of control, both panting hotly against the other’s lips as Allison whispered, “That’s why I have to go.”
“Perhaps that is why you should stay.”
Allison leaned forward to rest her forehead against Elena’s and brace a hand against the door. “I know, I know,” she said against Elena’s lips. “I want to, but in this one sense I guess I am just a little traditional. No sex on the first date, not when I plan on sticking around for a while, and I do.”
“You do?” Elena asked, smiling into a brief kiss.
“I do.” Allison ran her hands down Elena’s arms. “The second date, though…”
Elena laughed, the sound raspy as it floated over Allison’s ears. “And when will that be?”
“Oh soon. Definitely soon. I don’t think I’ll be able to stay away for more than a couple days, tops.”
“Perhaps I could plan this one?” Elena ran her fingers down the length of Allison’s sides, making her tremble.
“Whatever you want, babe.”
Eyes fluttering closed, Elena whispered, “I like that.”
“Yeah? Good, because it just sort of slipped out, so it’d be hard to avoid it.”
Elena wrapped her arms fully around Allison. “Thank you for the date.”
Smiling against the heat of Elena’s neck, Allison returned the embrace. “Thank you.” When she pulled back, she pressed a gentle kiss to Elena’s lips and then another to her forehead. She then slipped out the door.
