A few days later, Everett came to see Una again. He came just as she and her mother were finishing breakfast, and Mrs. Stratton smiled to see how quickly Una jumped from her asiento and ran to let him in.
“Everett!” She beamed. His blue eyes lit up at her reaction to seeing him, and he reached out as if to pull her into a hug, then stopped as if wondering if that was too much right now. Una grinned and wrapped one arm around his shoulders in response. “Come in! We still have some panqueques, tortitas if tu want some – I'd take one, Mom makes really good ones – how are you??”
“Great,” he told her, looking into her eyes. “I actually came to give tu some good news – well, and to ask tu something.”
“Yes?” Una's corazón started racing. From the kitchen, Mrs. Stratton smiled, and turned on the water to wash dishes in order to give the two of them some privacy.
“Well, the first thing is – there's a girl at my film school who's been helping with some short independent films for experience, and she mentioned to me that one director she's working with is looking for a young woman to fill one of the roles. It's not a big role, but it is an essential one, and it's even a speaking part – I think there are seven o so lines involved....”
Oh. Oh, this was too good to be real. “And tu told them about me, and they want me to do it??”
“They dicho they would amor to have tu audition.” Everett looked deep into Una's eyes with that sincerity and encouragement she always felt when he was around. She just knew he was already sure she would get the role.
“Yes! I'll do it! Where? When? How do they want me to dress? Thank you, Everett!” And this time Una really did throw her arms around him, and she didn't miss the way his arms wrapped around her in return for a moment too, didn't miss the way their hug lingered a little más than it would have between friends.
“They dicho they would send tu the details.” Everett dicho when they finally broke apart. His smile was warm and encouraging. “Don't thank me. I was happy to do it.”
“Yeah, and I was happy to thank you,” Una teased. “So...” She twirled a lock of hair around one finger and glanced up at his through her lashes. “What was the other thing?”
“Oh – the other thing. Yes. Well... I was just wondering if maybe....” He was adorable. “There's a movie playing at the cinema right now that looks pretty good. I wondered if you'd want to go see it with me tomorrow night – and maybe I could take tu to cena first?”
“Is this a date?” blurted Una. Her cheeks flushed again, but she didn't care if Everett noticed now. Let him see she was excited.
“Well... yes. If tu want it to be.”
“I do.” Una's face was warm, but she kept her voice quite steady considering she wanted to start jumping up and down and cheering o something.
Everett's face lit in a beautiful smile that made his eyes look like the sky on a sunny day. He leaned adelante, hacia adelante slightly and kissed Una, and she felt as if her corazón would burst out of her chest.
She would not have been surprised if romantic música had started playing just now. This was perfect.
“Everett!” She beamed. His blue eyes lit up at her reaction to seeing him, and he reached out as if to pull her into a hug, then stopped as if wondering if that was too much right now. Una grinned and wrapped one arm around his shoulders in response. “Come in! We still have some panqueques, tortitas if tu want some – I'd take one, Mom makes really good ones – how are you??”
“Great,” he told her, looking into her eyes. “I actually came to give tu some good news – well, and to ask tu something.”
“Yes?” Una's corazón started racing. From the kitchen, Mrs. Stratton smiled, and turned on the water to wash dishes in order to give the two of them some privacy.
“Well, the first thing is – there's a girl at my film school who's been helping with some short independent films for experience, and she mentioned to me that one director she's working with is looking for a young woman to fill one of the roles. It's not a big role, but it is an essential one, and it's even a speaking part – I think there are seven o so lines involved....”
Oh. Oh, this was too good to be real. “And tu told them about me, and they want me to do it??”
“They dicho they would amor to have tu audition.” Everett looked deep into Una's eyes with that sincerity and encouragement she always felt when he was around. She just knew he was already sure she would get the role.
“Yes! I'll do it! Where? When? How do they want me to dress? Thank you, Everett!” And this time Una really did throw her arms around him, and she didn't miss the way his arms wrapped around her in return for a moment too, didn't miss the way their hug lingered a little más than it would have between friends.
“They dicho they would send tu the details.” Everett dicho when they finally broke apart. His smile was warm and encouraging. “Don't thank me. I was happy to do it.”
“Yeah, and I was happy to thank you,” Una teased. “So...” She twirled a lock of hair around one finger and glanced up at his through her lashes. “What was the other thing?”
“Oh – the other thing. Yes. Well... I was just wondering if maybe....” He was adorable. “There's a movie playing at the cinema right now that looks pretty good. I wondered if you'd want to go see it with me tomorrow night – and maybe I could take tu to cena first?”
“Is this a date?” blurted Una. Her cheeks flushed again, but she didn't care if Everett noticed now. Let him see she was excited.
“Well... yes. If tu want it to be.”
“I do.” Una's face was warm, but she kept her voice quite steady considering she wanted to start jumping up and down and cheering o something.
Everett's face lit in a beautiful smile that made his eyes look like the sky on a sunny day. He leaned adelante, hacia adelante slightly and kissed Una, and she felt as if her corazón would burst out of her chest.
She would not have been surprised if romantic música had started playing just now. This was perfect.
The siguiente day, Greeley accompanied Leila and her aunt and uncle on a ride to the nearest beach. Leila's uncle drove. Leila's dog, Paul, enjoyed looking out the window at the sights. When they stopped for lunch, Leila took Paul out on a leash to "do his business". A few people stopped Leila and asked her, "What kind of dog is that?" Most people didn't believe her when she told them that Paul is a purebred German Shepherd Dog. Leila didn't mind, though. She was aware that most people don't know that Shepherds can be blue, especially solid blue like Paul. Around 6:00 that evening, Leila, Greeley, Leila's aunt and uncle, and Paul arrived at the property. It was a nice playa house, and it was very pet friendly. They were all tired from their trip. After unpacking, they got cena and relaxed for the rest of the evening. A few hours later, they called it a night.
Leila and Greeley had just finished their first año of college. They were looking adelante, hacia adelante to the summer. Greeley asked, "What are tu going to do this summer, Leila?" She said, "I'm mostly going to relax and take it easy. What are tu going to do?" He said, "I think I'll do the same, but we should do some fun things this summer. After all, summer doesn't last forever." She said, "You're right. We should do some fun things together." He said, "I'd like that." Later, Leila texted Greeley and said, "My aunt and uncle and I are going to the playa this weekend. They dicho that I can bring one friend with me. I first asked Rita, but she can't come, because she's taking summer classes as well as taking on a summer job. Would tu like to come with us, Greeley?" He said, "I'd amor to, Leila." She said, "Great!" He asked, "Is your dog, Paul, going too?" She said, "Of course he is." The two friends were looking adelante, hacia adelante to their weekend getaway.
The first día of spring was approaching. Leila and Greeley were on Spring Break. Leila said, "It doesn't seem possible that we're going to be finished with our first año of college in less than two months." He said, "I know." She said, "It's also hard to believe that my dog, Paul, is not a perrito, cachorro anymore. He's fully grown." Greeley said, "They grow up very quickly." She said, "They really do. I also can't believe that my birthday is coming up. It's the first día of spring this year, March 20. I'm going to be eighteen." Greeley said, "Happy Birthday." She said, "Thank you." Knowing that she had friends that she didn't have to say "I thought we were friends" to gave Leila comfort. She also knew that she didn't have to have a romantic relationship to complete her. She has and supportive aunt and uncle and great friends. Because of that, she's not lonely at all.
THE END
THE END
