The Girl Who Cried Style

Chapter 3: Birthdays and Crazy Grandparent

"I can't believe you're 18," Dad sniffed, and cleaned his tears away with his Dolce & Gabbana handkerchief. Since he had picked me up all he could do was shed a tear or two. Nothing else.

Every time it would happen I couldn't come to his salvation because all I could do was laugh at him.

We had finished eating and decided to walk around a bit the streets of New York. Driving to the city, I thought about yesterday. I had a choice. 

What would happen if I made that choice? Could I make it with or without my father's support? Economically there was no doubt, I had inherited his wisdom when it came to money and could support myself on my own thanks to a secret stash of mine. 

But could I do it without him emotionally? It was my birthday, maybe he would feel obligated to please me... I'm such a spoiled brat.

Maybe just maybe I could tell my father and he would change his mind.Would he? My mind kept making more questions and excuses  As I looked at him with all the courage in the world, I gently let my words escape my mouth,"I got accepted into NYFC."

He kept looking at the road, his face still the same. "To where?"He asked with confusion. I gulped and felt a brick of walls fall onto me. Now I had to explain or simply say the word fashion.

"Dad, the fashion college." My voice quivered at the end of my sentence.

"Why would you even try to apply? What's the point of it? Stop it with that nonsense I thought you had gotten over it." No more words came out after he finished his last sentence. I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream, I wanted to say the hundreds of things I've thought over these past years. Express all of the emotions I had when we were picking out colleges.  Scream every single feeling I had over him making me stomp my dreams.

"Let's go home," my small voice said as I fought hard to not cry. My father looked at me, about to say something but decided to stay quiet. He drove to the nearest road to go back home.

"Abuela this is beautiful!" I held the scarf that grandma gave me and wrapped it around my throat. I twirled and laughed with her. Finally feeling better after the confrontation with my father. 

Grandma's smile could light up my world. She was my better half. Raising my father, an only child, had never given her the experience to have a daughter in the house. I became that dream of hers and ever since I was born, she had been my rock. Grandma winked at me and grabbed my hand. "I still have something else for you, pero orita."

I smiled excitedly at her. Grandpa came and gave me a strong hug. His super tall frame hovered over me, he put his long arm over my shoulders. "I got you this." Grandpa said as he gave me a little Pandora bag.

 I opened it and found a necklace with two pendants with the letter P and a heart. It was so beautiful and simple. I loved it. Giving my grandfather another hug, I packed it inside again.

 We were all at the dining room table.My father was sitting in the farthest corner and I still hadn't had the guts to direct another word to him. Neither did he.

"Vente nena," abuela said as she took my hand again and dragged me up the stairs straight to my room. Entering it, there was nothing different in it nor any bag present. "Try to find it," I knew my grandma was creative and stuff but I truly didn't see anything. 

I looked up to the ceiling, bed, drawers and saw nothing. I observed the wall trying to see if she painted them but I still couldn't find anything different.

"Ugh!" She groaned, and then with her skinny finger pointed towards the closet. My hands slowly but surely opened my two doors...

A mannequin was standing in front of me. It's torso colored light pink. Around it on the floor was a big box, looking at my grandmother she gave me the biggest smile she had ever given me and nodded towards the box.

 I hurriedly walked towards them. Grabbing the flower patterned box, I cautiously raised the lid finding to my surprise the box filled with art and design materials. Best of all a sewing machine.

I ran back to her and almost knocked her to the floor as I embraced her in a big hug. This was the best present I could truly get. Acceptance.

Still hugging her tightly, I couldn't stop the giggles and excited noises coming out from me. Grandma pushed me back lightly, she took my hand in hers again.

 Sitting down on the floor, with her free hand she grabbed something from her back pocket. Opening my hand, she placed an envelope.

I opened it excitedly, my hands trembling and my smile starting to hurt. Almost breaking the envelope, I read a letter saying "Sewing Classes with Adriana Moretti."

"You did not!" I squealed, jumping up and down. 

"But your dad cannot know about this," she whispered, "you're going to be 'helping me' at home with the garden, got it?" 

"Gracias abuela, this means so much to me." 

We were at the kitchen table eating cupcakes, my grandfather was sitting next to me. He was licking the frosting on the cupcake while making a mess on his face. 

"Pepe," he whispered as he discreetly looked to the right where the kitchen was. 
"Abuela didn't tell you but you still have to go the party." 

"The what!" 

"Shhhhh," grandma was still in the kitchen with dad cleaning the dishes. "Escuchame, it was part of the deal!" His voice was still in a whisper and his eyes were wide. In that moment if it weren't for the anger, I would be laughing at his paranoid face. 

"So, in order to celebrate my birthday the way I wanted to, you guys had to bribe dad?" 

Grandpa's face seemed to take a relief. He calmly took a bite of the cupcake, licked once again the frosting and slowly but surely nodded. As he nodded, he pierced his eyes at me, "you didn't hear it from me." 

Oh Father, you are going to regret this.

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