Page 12 of The Broposal

“I don’t just buy into everything she tells me…” I mumbled. I definitely didn’t agree with the fighting thing.

“Good. I’ll see you later.”

And with that, Han left the car and went inside. At least he was trying?

I stalled in the lot for a bit before going to pick Jackie up to bring her to my parents’. I was hoping to get their permission to get married. If Han wasn’t going to give my engagement his enthusiastic approval and unwavering support, maybe my parents could fill that gap.

Jackie’s other goal, besides getting permission to get married, was to get her hands on my grandma’s emerald engagementband. After her parents’ divorce, she latched on to mine quicker than one of those slap bracelets. My parents weren’t as enthusiastic about Jackie as she was about them, but since her own parents wouldn’t give her an ounce of attention, she craved my parents’ affection like a drug. I assumed that was why she wanted the ring so badly. It had been passed down for generations, and my parents offering it would be the ultimate show of accepting her into the family. So, I had to get her that ring. I took a deep breath as we parked in front of the house. I could do this.

The gated community I grew up in was a far cry from Han’s and my little apartment just outside downtown Albuquerque. Both my parents made a decent living from real estate, so they’d lived comfortably in a suburban cookie-cutter home my whole life. When I was growing up, the house was only a few streets down from Han’s place, though the neighborhoods were vastly different in house size and prices. And with Han’s being chock-full of humans every waking moment, he spent a lot of his time at my quiet house with me and my parents. It made mine feel more lived in, and my parents loved it.

When Jackie pressed the doorbell, my mom answered almost immediately. Her face lit up when she saw me, her energy burning bright despite the constant bags under her eyes, which were the only indication she was anywhere near fifty.

“So nice to see you two! Come on in.” She hugged me as if we hadn’t seen each other in years, even though it had been only a few days. She was a bit over-the-top like that. Then she hugged Jackie just as tight, but it looked forced, at least on my mom’s side. Her back was too stiff. She and Jackie had always gotten along superficially, but never on a deeper level. I hoped that might change someday, but I wasn’t sure they’d get along ifthey knew each other any better. As we walked inside, my mom grabbed my arm and frowned as she inspected it.

“You’re spending too much time in the sun.”

I snatched my arm away. “Mom, it’s fine.” I wasn’t even that tan, but my mom was always worrying that if I got too tan, I’d get skin cancer. Which totally wasn’t a concern, considering I spent about as much time in the sun as a vampire.

“You need to protect your skin. Are you wearing sunscreen?”

“Yes,” I lied. Why would I wear sunscreen to my parents’ house?

With my mom satisfied, the three of us sat on the couch, chatting about the next party my mom planned to throw for her cousin’s niece’s friend’s quinceañera (she was the go-to party planner for everyone who knew her) while my dad finished up the food. He always insisted on feeding anyone who came over, so it was usually best to show up hungry.

He finally came out of the kitchen carrying a plate full of mini elotes slathered in butter, mayo, chili powder, and lime juice. The smell of the fresh corn on the cob made my mouth water. Our family was pretty assimilated in every wayexceptthe food we ate. My dad made it a mission to cook only Mexican food and snacks, even if he got the recipes from white people online.

“Thanks, Dad,” I said as I picked up a piece of corn by the stick poking out of it. I took a bite to stall the conversation. I really wasn’t looking forward to this talk, so instead I reveled in the perfect mixture of sweet and spicy on my tongue.

My dad, on the other hand, didn’t let the food get in the way. “So, you wanted to talk?” he asked with his mouth full, arching one of his bushy caterpillar eyebrows.

I wiped some mayo from my lips with a napkin and forceda smile. “Yeah. Um, thanks for having us over.” I felt myself speaking much more formally than I normally would with them. I could already feel my hands shaking, so I put the elote down and placed them on my lap to hide the tremble. Jackie must have noticed, because she grabbed one of my hands and moved it to her thigh, putting her own hand on top of mine. The gesture should have helped, but all I could think about were the potential consequences of this conversation. It wasn’t that I needed my parents’ approval to marry who I wanted, but how would Jackie react if they said no? Would she be mad at me?

Okay, out with it.

“Um, as you know, Jackie and I have been together for a really long time, and we think it’s a good time to get married.”

My parents shared a look before saying anything.

“Why is now the time?” my mom asked. She didn’t offer to get the ring.

I couldn’t say “because Jackie will break up with me if we don’t get married,” so I pulled away from Jackie’s thigh and wrung my hands together, trying to come up with a reason they’d be satisfied with. She was the only person I had ever even been with—unless you counted the guy I hooked up with in college while Jackie and I were on a break, which I didn’t acknowledge to anyone besides Han and my parents, who actually caught us in the act. But when you were with someone as long as we were, you were supposed to get married. That was, like, the law or something; everyone expected it.

Eventually, Jackie filled the awkward silence. “It just feels like good timing because Kenny’s lease is about to end.” That was a lie. I still had six months left. I guessed that would be when the wedding would happen, though. “And we’ve been waiting to move in until marriage, so it’s perfect timing!” Jackie’spink-painted lips grinned as she threw her arms around me. She sure was confident. I’d give her that. I was glad she hadn’t mentioned my lie about my parents insisting we get married before moving in. Jackie would not have been happy if she realized I’d made that up. My stomach dropped at the realization I’d finally have to move away from Han. We’d lived together for five years—since we were eighteen—and I’d gotten used to it.

“Are you sure you’re ready for a lifelong commitment?” My dad casually took another bite of corn after the question. “You’re both still young…”

He wasn’twrong, but he wasn’t particularly right, either. At twenty-three, Jackie, Han, and I were at that age where half our friends were having kids and settling down, and the other half were partying it up or living at home. It was a weird in-between stage, but I had always thought of Jackie and me as being a part of the former group. I had to admit, though, I felt like a traitor for leaving Han behind…

“We’re ready, Papi,” Jackie said. She had been calling my dad Papi and my mom Mami ever since she’d heard Han use the familiar terms with them. I never stopped her, even though it felt a little strange considering she only got the terms from Han, who’d grown up with that kind of language.Ididn’t even call my parents that. Honestly, I preferred not to bring Jackie around my parents much because they were a bit judgy. But I knew if I said anything about the nicknames, she’d raise hell, since there was no way Jackie was going to let Han have something she couldn’t. Even if it was different. Even if Han called my parents that because they treated him like their own son. He’d known my parents almost his whole life, while Jackie only saw them on special occasions. “We’ve been together forever; it’s time,” Jackie added when no one answered.

“Forever?” My mom shot my dad a concerned look. “I hate to bring this up, but didn’t you two just get back together a few months ago?” I bit my tongue. Our most recent break was painful enough without my mom drudging it up. We were finally getting past it.

Jackie’s face reddened, and I reached for her hand to ground her before she said anything she couldn’t take back.

“We first got together in high school, Mami. Ithasbeen forever,” Jackie said.

“Kenny? Do you feel ready for this?” my mom urged, but I couldn’t get the words out. The silence was pummeling me into my grave, since Jackie would definitely kill me for this. I finally cleared my throat and managed to say something.

---