[Author's Note]
This story contains race-play, offensive slurs, harmful stereotypes. I don't condone any of these in real life. If you're uncomfortable with these elements, DO NOT READ.
Otherwise, enjoy.
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I'd like to believe I raised my daughter well. Being one of the youngest, most beloved youth leader in our church, Haydée was a kind and responsible kid. My husband and I took on every sort of debt during the days when we were struggling the most just so she could continue studying at a private school. It made the following years completely hellish for me, but I never regretted any of it. She excelled academically every year without fail. In a school that was majorly attended by white people, she managed to stand out from her batch. In the end, she even managed to be the first Hispanic student in the school's history to graduate valedictorian.
I stared at her. Haydée was currently wearing her semi-formal uniform. With a plain buttoned shirt and a beige vest, she looked stunningly fashionable. My daughter was a beautiful young woman. I wasn't just saying that because she was my kid or something. Her bodily proportions were enough to be model. Beautifully curvy at the right places, she was a healthy woman with the right amount of meat. Meanwhile, her arms and legs were slim yet toned. That one's actually on me.
I made sure Haydée took care of her body through yoga at a young age. Until now, it was habit for her to exercise at least an hour every day.
On top of her amazing form, her face was equally riveting. Her light-brown eyes, decorated with beautiful delicate eyelashes, were enough to turn heads everywhere--a feature she definitely got from her dad, Mateo. Meanwhile, her lips were like mine; plump, full, and a shade darker than her brown skin. What made her glow, however, was the way said skin looked on her eyes. Her skin tone perfectly made her eyes pop. She grew up to be so beautiful these past years. Not that she wasn't as a kid.
But Haydée really grew over it.
She was in her 2nd year of college now. Ultimately, she picked out the course she always wanted to--Chemical Engineering, at the school I graduated from. Since I had nothing better to do, I volunteered to take part in local commitees like the Parent-Teacher Association.
A lot of my colleagues, classmates then, constantly express their envy at me for having responsible Haydée. I couldn't be prouder of her. I knew Mateo felt the same way. He made sure our daughter knew that.
"Mom, you're looking at me like you wanna kill me," she jested lightheartedly, waking me up from my thoughts.
"Sorry, mija. You just look so pretty. I couldn't help it. There's something different about your skin. Are you using something?"
She held her chin in deep thought before replying, "Maybe it's the lotion I'm using."
"What's it called? I'll buy it for you."
She sheepishly rubbed the back of her head and replied, "I can't remember, honestly. I think I left it on my locker too. I'll tell you later."
I didn't question it.
Suddenly, our bell rang.
It was pretty early in the morning, so I had no idea who it could be. Haydée, however, seemed to know exactly who it was. She ran and opened the door.
On the front porch stood Adrian, her boyfriend.
I wasn't exactly thrilled when Haydée introduced me to him. Adrian was a rich, white, frat boy. God, that sounded racist out of context. I had nothing against them, of course, but they live in a different world. Those situations were bound to harm the people involved. There wasn't any good forcing relationships. I was worried for my daughter. Plus, I've heard plenty of the activities they do in fraternities. They didn't make me relieved in the slightest. A Christian girl like Haydée wouldn't belong there.
But Adrian himself was a nice guy. Haydée vouched for his honor plenty times, explaining how he was different from normal frat boys. She even told us how they met--in our church, during a seminar.
Apparently, Adrian has always been interested with the word of God. So when he decided to attend seminars, he met Haydée, who was in charge of the whole operation. Together, they studied for a while. First, with a group. Then slowly, it became just the two of them. Haydée taught him all about the religion and Adrian, like the nice boy he was, started to live by it.
I didn't find that hard to believe, considering Adrian was extremely respectful to us even at our first meeting. I still remember the first day I met him.
"It's really nice to meet you both. Haydée's told me a lot about you." He just exuded this type of innate gentleness around him. With his gentle deep-blue eyes, he looked like the perfect description of an angel. Adrian smiled like an angel too. Obviously, I didn't appreciate it then. I was angry their relationship was kept a secret from me for three whole weeks.
"Unfortunately, I wasn't offered the same privilege. I know nothing about you," I scoffed.
"I'm really sorry about that, Ma'am. But please believe me, nothing untoward is happening between us. What we kept from you was purely our connection. Haydée just didn't know how you were gonna react, so she asked me to keep it a secret until she was ready." I looked at my daughter. She nodded, saying it was true.
I knew there was no point in holding a grudge. That would just push Haydée away. I should just be happy she came to me now.
The meeting went pretty awkward after that until my husband started to lighten up the mood. Those type of moments make me grateful that I have him in my life. Mateo has always been extroverted. He was everything I wasn't. Good with people, charming with his words. The opposite also holds true. I was way more technical than he ever was. We complimented each other pretty well. The afternoon went by in a flash. I cooked for the three, which Adrian constantly complimented right until he left.
I approached Haydée later that night for a talk. That if I made her feel like she couldn't somehow tell me her problems, I was sorry. She reassured me that it wasn't about me or something that I lacked as a parent, which made me sigh in relief. She was just really nervous.
Of course, what I was most worried about was my daughter's virginity--which Haydée swore was intact. I didn't want her to have sex before marriage. I knew how much pain and suffering it caused some of my friends, wishing they had saved themselves for better men. I just wanted what's best for her.
Obviously, I expected the same courtesy from her future husband. Like Mateo and I.
If it turns out to be Adrian, so be it.
She told me he hasn't lost his either. I believed my daughter, the smartest girl I ever really knew. So I dropped the subject.
Almost two years has passed since then.
Adrian greeted me, "Good morning, Mrs. Santiago." I greeted him back.
"Are you ready, Dée?" he turned to my daughter and asked.
"Yep! I've been waiting for you," she replied.
Adrian raised his eyebrows. "You sure you didn't forget something?"
