Grab N' Go [Robin Arellano]

34: Champurrado

"Babe, my uncle is here!" Robin calls, peaking out the window at the front of the house.

Valentina nervously rushes to put her hoop earrings in, throws a black knitted sweater on, sprays herself with some vanilla perfume and rushes to the living room after grabbing one last accessory- a red bandanna to tie around her neck. After a long debate on what shoes to wear, she had settled on a pair of shirt black heels with a securing strap on the ankle. To her disappointment, even in these, she was still at least an inch shorter than Robin.

"Alright, I'm ready," she anxiously sighs out, entering the living room to give her boyfriend a gentle smile.

His eyes lock on the bandanna and his mouth immediately shoots up into a grin, "where'd you get that?"

"My mom had one lying around, figured I would use it so we can match," she explains, happy to see him acknowledge to small detail.

He walks over to her, places his hands on both her shoulder and leans forward to kiss her softly.

"You're the cutest," he tells her seriously.

She grins, allowing him to wrap a hand in hers and pull her out the house and down the stairs of her porch. For a short moment, she forgets about her building anxiety, but as they're climbing into the truck, she feels it all crash into her at once.

"Robin! Merry Christmas, Mijo! How are you, my boy?" The older man bellows out, immediately reaching over to bring his nephew into a hug before looking over him to the girl  on his side.

Robin smiles contently at the man, "I'm better than ever. Merry Christmas....Oh! Esta es mi novia. She's shy, so don't be making her uncomfortable with all your questions. Yo sé cómo eres. Valentina, this is my uncle Manuel."

(Translation: This is my girlfriend. - I know how you are.)

Manuel chuckles and holds up one hand defensively while using the other to steer as he drives off, "hey, man, I won't pressure her or nothing. I didn't even say nothing yet!"

Valentina softly smiles, "it's nice to meet you. Robin talks about you a lot."

"Oh? He does? What all does he say?" He asks with a soft smile, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Nothing you need to know," Robin answer for her, wrapping an arm snuggly around her.

The older man rolls his eyes, taking another glance to the girl and chuckling, "that bandanna...is it to rep my nephew? Or to hide a hickey?"

While Manuel breaks into laughter, Valentina blushes a deep shade of red. Robin turns pretty red himself, nervously adjusting his bandanna.

"T-To represent Robin!" She insists, doing her best not to come off as guilty.

Robin nods, "yeah, uncle, you know I'm a child of god."

This only makes the man laugh more.

"A child of god my ass," he snorts out, shaking his head. "You two are cute. You landed a good one, mijo. She's about as pretty as they come, I hope you won't mind me saying. What'd your mom think of her?"

He tenses up at the mention of his mom, "...I don't know."

"She hated me," Valentina answers honestly, giving Robin a soft smile of reassurance, "you can be honest."