Secrets & Lies

De La Rosa| 11

"Javier are you sure you want me to meet your parents, I can just wait upstairs." I said. I know I'm the one who showed up here but I was starting to second guess my readiness for meeting his parents. "It would help me if you were here." He said.

"Okay, im glad I can be here for you." I responded with a small smile.

Just as I finished saying that a tall man and a short woman came in the room. "¡Oye! Javier Mateó Santiago Ángel De la Rosa! It's been tres años!" The woman basically yelled.

De La Rosa? "De la rosa?" I asked questioningly. Javier just gave me a look that said 'we'll talk later'.

"Mami, Papi, it's good seeing you. This is my girlfriend Nyla . Nyla these are my parents, Jesús and Ximena De La Rosa." Javier said.

"Hi Mr and Mrs. De La Rosa." I greeted. "Hello. ¿Dónde la encontraste, Javier? Ella es muy hermosa." (Transl: Where did you find her, she's very beautiful) Mr. De La Rosa said as he took my hand and kissed the back of it.

Flirting?

"Oh honey don't be too flattered he's only doing it to turn you out like the others." Mrs. De La Rosa said.

The others??

"Vamos, time to eat." Javier said.

We followed him to the dining room where Javier and I set all the food up. "I made all of your favorites."

"It looks wonderful mijo. I hope it tastes just as good, no quiero comprar otra comida." (I don't want to buy another meal.) His mother said.

I held back the eye roll that was threatening to come and sat down at the table. Javier sat next to me and his parents sat across from us. "So how have you guys been?" Javier asked.

"Bueno, considering what you did before you left." His mom said rolling her eyes.

What did he do???

His parents were raising a few red flags and I had quite a few questions to ask Javier when they left.

"Mami there's no reason to bring up the past. Let us enjoy the dinner I made." Javier said. We all passed around the food and put it on our plates before we prayed-well Javier and I prayed- and ate the food.

"This is great Javier." I complimented as I saw him looking around for approval. I had never saw him do that before. "It could be better." Mrs. De La Rosa said.

Is she serious—say sike right now!

"So, are you still using that stupid last name?" Mr. De La Rosa asked. "It's not stupid." Javier said.

His mother rolled her eyes and sat back in her chair. "Was it your intention to live like you're in a telenovela?" She asked.

"Because that is what you are doing. You go around living this dramatic life, lying, getting....novia. ¿Es Latina o habla español?" She continued.

Wow. Now I feel like I'm in a telenovela. I just continued to eat the empanadas. "Pardon? What does her race have to do with anything. It's about who she is as a person and I don't live a dramatic life."

"Oh please. You left home, live under that ridiculous name and never call."

In the mist of there semi argument I felt something trailing up my leg. I knew it wasn't Javier because it was touching the front of my left knee. Javier was sitting on my right side so unless he could bend his foot into an acute angle there's was no way it was him.

I looked across the table at Mr. De La Rosa and glared. I kicked his shin and he dropped his foot. "Ay! Javier get this puta before I choke her out." He groaned.