Holding On

Fourty-Five

“Could you hand me that?” Amanda requested, pointing at the plate lined with paper towels on which the lightly fried tortillas were being drained while she turned off the heat, setting aside the large skillet in which the freshly, browned beefs lay.

They had returned from the festival about half an hour ago, and Amanda had immediately set out to preparing dinner, refusing her help and unwilling to let them dine at a restaurant.

“So much for wanting to do this alone.” Emma teased as she handed the plate over. “Seriously, you guys are doing enough by accommodating us. I can't even help you cook?”

Picking the tortillas one by one, Amanda dipped them into the already prepared sauce made from a mixture of canola oil, flour, salt, pepper, red sauce and chicken broth. Though Emma had never ate an enchilada before, the aroma of the just simmered sauce and the browned beef was alluring enough to wet her appetite.

“You know you guys are our guests. Guests aren't supposed to cook.” Amanda mused.

“Since when and says who?” A smile curved her lips as she heard the sudden uproar of laughter coming from the living room.

George and Gustavo had decided to catch up on old times, reliving their times in high school and in the university. The lilting sound of their mirth could be heard all the way from the kitchen.

Amanda too was sharing stuffs about herself, and though Emma barely shared any of her own experiences because there weren't much happy ones to recall, the other woman seemed content with giving without receiving.

“Oh, and you should've seen George. When I met him in our second year, I thought he was quite weird.” She confessed, giving Emma a sidelong glance.

“Why is that?” Leaning forward, ears perked, Em waited to listen, looking for details that she could use to tease George later.

“Well he was this quiet, nerdy, introverted guy who barely talked to anyone apart from his own friends. I would see him talking with the other guys, and then shut up whenever I approached. He always seemed so on alert and guarded if he didn't know you.” Amanda narrated with a reminiscent gleam in her eyes.

George had described his personality before the therapy that made him more open to people, but it was a whole new thing hearing it from another perspective.

Spreading the other ingredients on top of the splayed tortillas, she rolled them one by one, setting them in the baking dish already line with the sauce.

“It was only after he warmed up to me and opened up about his past that I realized that his odds weren't that great. When George felt he could trust you, he dropped all his guards, which was somehow to a fault since he got hurt easily. He was and I know he still is loving, caring, kindhearted, you name it. You are very lucky to have him, Em.”

“I know.” Em whispered, feeling her eyes sting a little.

“Thank you for loving him.” Amanda slid her hands over Emma's on the counter. “I'm sorry telling you this, but when George informed us almost five years ago that he was getting married, we worried. He had a delicate heart even though he tried to act tough sometimes.”

“We asked whether he wasn't being too impulsive. Hell, he'd only known you for a year which could mean he didn't know you that well. And marrying you could be another ticket to getting hurt by someone he loves. We...”

“I understand.” Emma squeezed the other woman's hand.

Returning to her food preparation and finishing the rolling up of the tortillas with their sumptuous, inner goodness sticking out at the edges and placing them in the baking dish, Amanda poured the rest of the sauce on it. She set the dish to bake in the preheated oven before turning to Emma again.