Marco
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I knock on the door, and it opens quickly, and Joey leaps into my arms. His joy is contagious, and it makes me laugh. I pick him up, throw him over my shoulder, and he giggles in glee.
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"Hey, buddy, where is Katrina?' I ask as I set him down.
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"She is getting dressed. Can I go with you?" Joey asks.
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"Not today, buddy, next time. We'll get ice cream. Sound like a plan?"
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"Yeah!" he says excitedly.
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"Joey, let's get ready. We are going to the aquarium with Tia Sofia and Chucky today," Yolanda says from the stairs. "Good morning Marco, have fun today with Katrina."
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"Good Morning, Mrs. Camacho. I'm sure we will have a lot of fun today." Just as I'm saying, this Katrina comes into view. I can't contain my grin. "Hi Katrina, you ready?"
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"Hi, Marco." Her grin matches my own. "Yes, I'm ready. Mama, we're leaving now."
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"Okay, Corazon. Be careful and have fun."
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We go outside to my bike, and Katrina looks at me as if she knows that I had a rough morning. She throws her arms around the neck and hugs me tight. In this moment, I vow that today will be the day that I kiss her. I rub her back and squeeze her tightly, and she squeaks because I hug her too tight. I laugh and look down at her.
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"Where can we get crepes?"
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"Crepes?" She asks. "Oh, I know just the place!" Her face lights up.
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She directs me to a small café just outside of the town, and it is small and quiet, and I love it instantly. I take her by the hand and entwine my fingers with hers. Her face blushes, and she looks down, and she bites her lip. Damn is all I can think. We go up to the counter to order, and we decide to order one savory one, the spinach with cheese and mama's favorite Nutella with strawberries.
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We sit out on the patio. The air is already warm, and we sit across from each other. I never had spinach Crepes before, and it's not that bad.
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"Let's play get to know each other," I say.
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"How do we play that?"
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"We ask each other question nothing too deep."
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"Okay, you go first."
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"Your favorite color, let's go easy first," I say.
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"Purple," she says with a smile.
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"Mine is red."
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Okay, name of your first girlfriend?"
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"Savannah Sanchez, she was in my kindergarten class. You?'
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"Never had one."
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"Why?"
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"You're cheating. You asked two questions, but I will still answer them. Karo would butt in and get them to go out with her."
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"They are idiots. You're amazing."
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"Thank you, so are you. Now I ask the question." She says, "Two of them. First one, how many serious girlfriends have you had, and how many girls have you had sex with?"
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"Oh, wow, you just asked that, but I'm cool with answering them. I have had one serious girlfriend and have had sex with three girls." I see the look of shock on her face. "Let me explain. My ex broke up with me when my mom got diagnosed, and I was hurt, so I went to look for love in the wrong places and people."
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"I'm sorry. That must have been hard to lose someone when you needed them the most."
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"No, you learn who has your back and who will jump ship when things get real. That's why I like you, Katrina, you didn't need to be here with me today, but you're here when I needed someone."
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"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but here," she says with a smile. "I like you too, Marco. Maybe more than I really should." She looks down, fidgeting with the table cloth. I move my chair closer to hers and lift her chin so she was staring me in the eyes.
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"I think things happen for a reason. I wasn't supposed to move here. I almost stayed with my sister Sonia. If I did, I would have never met you that day in the park. Lately, I've been so guarded, and with you, I can just be me, and I thank you for that. Let's get out of here." I say, and she nods.
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We walk out of the café, and she stops to look at some books in the store window. She smiles at the books, and I look at the book too. It's Ramona the Brave, and it makes me smile too. All the girls in my class loved that book. I loved the book next to it called Super Fudge. I point to the door, and she nods.
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We head into the used book store, and the smell of the books takes me to another place, and I'm home here. We go to the window and take the books out of the display. I will buy these books for us to have. They bring back great memories. Katrina is looking at the romance section, her back pressed against the bookshelves. Looking up at the books, she puts her hair behind her ear. She looks gorgeous, standing there. I walk in front of her, and Katrina looks up at me expectantly. I put my hands on the bookshelves on either side of her head and close the gap between us. I run my finger over her bottom lip, and she exhales as if she had been holding her breath for a long time.
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I lean into her and place my lips against hers.
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