Reconstructing Amelia (unedited)

Chapter 19

October 26th, 2019

I'm nervous," I whispered to Neo as we climbed the front steps, grocery bags in hand. We'd spent the afternoon with Javi and Alicia down at the Union Square Greenmarket. Alicia had been super sweet, and it was almost hard to see the relation between her brothers. Aside from their obvious physical similarities, Alicia didn't have that broodiness the rest of her family seemed to bear. She and Javi had happily run around the marketplace while Neo and I walked and chatted along, picking up the groceries we'd needed for tonight.

"Bubba, hurry up," Alicia begged, wiggling the door handle repeatedly. Neo just smiled before unlocking the door with his keys, and both kids scrambled inside, Alicia leading Javi by the hand.

"Come on, they'll love you," Neo assured me as he guided me towards the kitchen. I saw two girls in the living room as we passed, watching some cartoon sitcom show. Despite being fully engrossed in their show, both girls waved at me and gave me bright smiles.

"That's my cousin Gabriela, she's thirteen, and my younger sister, Ana, who's ten," Neo explained as we passed. I waved back at them shyly. "You've already met Alicia - obviously - and then Des and Emilio. The rest should be here soon," We placed the grocery bags down on one of the kitchen counters as I studied their kitchen. It was small but very homey - much like the rest of their house. Neo and his family lived in a three-story rowhouse in Bloomingdale. I remembered how he'd told me he lived with a lot of his extended family. He hadn't told me much else. The few family members I'd met so far seemed quite nice, except for Des. I wasn't sure what his problem was with me but I made a mental note to stay clear of him. Emilio seemed nice enough as well. He was definitely like the rest of the boys but more gentle.

"You must be Mia!" A warm voice interrupted me fro my thoughts. I quickly looked up to see a woman giving me a welcoming smile. She was plump, with soft brown eyes, and cute little wrinkles on her face when she smiled. She had long greying black hair braided down her back.

"Hola Darling, I'm so glad you could make it!" The woman said again, hugging me gently. I was a little taken aback but I appreciated the gesture nonetheless.

"Ma," Neo said, his cheeks a little red. She backed off apologetically.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs Mendosa," I said shyly.

"Oh, call me Emilia, please," I smiled, nodding. "I love your accent," she commented. I blushed.

"Grazie," I murmured.

***

"So, Mia, how long have you been in the States?" Neo's uncle, Hugo, asked me. The dinner conversation was picking back up again as the meal ended. It had been better than anything I'd ever tasted!

"About a month," I answered. Now that everyone was here, I'd been a little shyer, waiting for Neo's approval for things. I'd met the rest of his family, including his aunt and uncle, his oldest cousin Vanesa, and his older brother Felix. Both seemed very intimidating.

"Do you like it here?" Ana questioned politely. I nodded.

"It's alright," Des had been glaring at me since he'd gotten home, and Felix seemed to be fixing me with an intense gaze.

"Neo hasn't stopped talking about you since he met you," Vanesa told me, a teasing glint in her eye.

"Nessie!" Neo hissed, earning a few giggles from Ana and Gabriela. I smiled softly, meeting Neo's flushed gaze. He offered me a grin, making the butterflies flutter around my stomach as I stared into his beautiful eyes.

At least Javi had been having fun. He and Alicia had been doing all sorts of things around the house, from playing with toys and crafts upstairs to even helping Emilia in the kitchen. I was glad he was making friends. He was six years old, Ben couldn't monitor him as much. I wanted Javi to have the childhood I never had, so if it meant taking risks for him, I would.

***

"Your family is kind of intense," I admitted to Neo. We were standing out on one o the terraces, watching the sky darken. It wasn't too chilly out, just comfortable. Neo chuckled.

"Yeah, they're a handful. You should see our Christmases - they're literally insane," I couldn't help but smile. It was oddly reassuring to have seen Neo so gentle with his younger sisters, always laughing and talking with them. I think I just admired their family, and how close they all were. Mine was dysfunctional and abusive, and I longed for a normal family of my own. It was at times like these when I wondered why my birth parents had given me up. The lies Ben told me about me being 'unwantable' and 'too horrible of a human being to deserve a real family' weren't exactly true. I had no memories to go on in remembrance of my birth parents, but I knew they had to have been better than Ben. Not that I'd trade Ella or Javi for anyone else, I just wish I'd had a normal life with them.

"You okay?" Neo asked, bringing me out of my thoughts. I smiled quickly.

"Yes, I'm fine," I replied. He gave me a soft grin.

"I'm glad you could come over," he said, his eyes shining.

"Me too," It had been quite the challenge making sure Ben would be out of the house, but he'd gone out drinking for the night per usual, so I hadn't even needed to use my cover story. It felt weird to admit it, but sneaking out all the time was kinda exciting. I liked having friends - it was a nice addition to my bleak little life. Sure, it was limited, but it made me feel all warm and happy nevertheless. I'd never realised just how much I'd been missing out on, but now that I was living my life a little more, I absolutely loved it.