Page 12 of Finding Basil (Foggy Basin Season Two)

Basil agreed, “herbs grow well, and fast. You can do a full crop here to start, then next year, you start here and plant outside, then start more in here. You can grow year-round. I’ll come tomorrow, and we’ll start ordering the seed, the dirt and other things you’ll need to get started.”

“Okay then, tonight, I’d like to repay you all with…pizza? Beer?”

Juan laughed as he shook his head. “We are having a quinceanera . My little girl turned fifteen last week. Why don’t you come?”

“That little girl Basil introduced me to? Carla?”

“Yeah, you remembered!”

Herb couldn’t believe she was fifteen. “She’s lovely. I’d be honored to come.”

“Then you come as my date,” Basil said, “which I was going to ask you anyway, before my big-mouth brother did.”

“Sorry, hermana . Ask the guy! The same day? You suck at this.”

The others laughed as they waved and told Herb goodbye. Basil said in a low voice, “I didn’t know if you’d want to come.”

“I like your family. They’re amazing people. What do I wear?”

“A suit, but one you can dance in. A lot of dancing, and Carla begged her dad for a band. It’s costing him a fortune, but he did it. She’s his little girl.”

“Okay, a suit I can dance in, and a gift!”

“I’ll bring you a card, and you can put a little money in it. That’s the best for these things, unless you get something from the registry, but I think everything she added has been taken.”

“Wow, okay, well, good. I can do money.”

“Not too much,” Basil warned. “She’s a kid. She doesn’t need you to go overboard to impress her.”

Herb laughed and said, “Was it that obvious that that was what I was thinking?”

“Yeah. You don’t hide things well.”

Herb took his time going through his closet. He had suits, an entire rack of them. He was suddenly glad he hadn’t burned them like he’d planned once he moved.

Something that wasn’t overly expensive, so he didn’t look like he was looking down on anyone, but something that still showed off what had been called in the past, the perfect peach ass he had.

The tan with the lavender shirt that best fit it. Then the tie, a silk dark purple and the pocket square to match. He didn’t tell many people, but that was his favorite color, the color that somehow instilled confidence in him. When he saw purple, he smiled. It was automatic.

He found his best tan loafers, that were thankfully comfortable, and he could dance easily in them. After checking himself in the mirror half a dozen times, playing with his sandy hair until it looked styled but casual too, he was ready and waited in the living room for Basil.

When Basil arrived, he was wearing a dark suit, navy blue, and his white shirt was gleaming white. He was smiling and greeted Herb with a little kiss.

“Hey, you look…wow,” he said, and Herb’s confidence rose further.

“Back atcha. You are beautiful.”

“Yeah? Thanks.”

“Okay, on the ride, you are tasked with telling me about the traditions and things to do and not to do. I would die if I offended someone.”

“You got it.”

Once they got into the twenty-year-old Chrysler Pacifica with the silver paint chipped in places, Basil started down the road and began Herb’s education in the coming-out party of a fifteen-year-old girl.

“It’s like a debutante party, but much more fun. The girl wears an expensive, beautiful gown, and the entire night, she’s treated like a princess, because she is. We believe our girls are exactly that. They are the future mothers of the next generation, and they’re protected as much as possible.”

“I like that. I like that very much.”

Basil spoke with his chin up in pride over the traditions of his family.

“My family throws great parties, as you know, but it’s not just us.

My people, from the time before the Spanish took over, loved to celebrate life.

Even the Day of the Dead is a celebration of the lives of those who came before us.

Life is fleeting and hard, so we believe in having celebrations to enjoy as much of it as we can. ”

“I really love that. My family gets together out of, I don’t know, obligation it seems. I’ve never met two cousins because my father didn’t get along with his brother. My mother’s side is about the same, but they get together once or twice a year to take pictures for the Christmas cards.”

“That’s really sad.”

“I never thought of it before, to be truthful. I guess you don’t miss what you never had.” He took the hand Basil had stretched over the console and squeezed it. “Okay, so is there anything I shouldn’t do?”

“Hmm, let me think. The family and the godparents do most all of it. There’s nothing you have to do, per se, and the don’ts? I can’t think of any. I’ll be with you the whole time, so don’t worry. I know these things can be intimidating. But my family already likes you.”

“Don’t leave me, anyway. I’m sure I’ll do something wrong. My luck hasn’t been the best of late.”

“I know, but it’s okay. I wouldn’t leave you.”

Herb squeezed his hand again and then said, “You’re really sweet. I like that a lot about you.”

“Thanks. It hasn’t always been in my favor.”

“I’m sure. Nice guys finish last , and all that. Believe me, I’ve been attracted to my fair share of bad boys. When I was in college, man, I had a string of them, each one treating me worse than the one before.”

“We all go through that. I doubt one teenager or even people in their early twenties gets a great partner right off the bat.”

“It’s good though. Then when we find a guy who is good, and sweet, we know to appreciate it.”

Basil glanced over at him, blushing. “I know that feeling.”

His blush made Herb crazy. It was the sweetest part of him, and it made his flawless skin even more beautiful.

The ceremony was a Mass at the Catholic church in town.

It had been decades since Herb had gone into a church.

He wasn’t Catholic, so he watched and listened as those around him went through the Mass.

In the receiving line outside the church, Carla was grinning from ear to ear as everyone greeted her and kissed her cheeks or hugged her.

She took one look at Herb’s shirt, tie, and pocket square and squealed. “Oh, wow! You’ll match!”

“Match?”

“You’ll see,” she said, and then threw her arms around her Uncle Basil’s neck. “Thanks for coming and bringing your new boyfriend.”

“Carla, he’s not…we haven’t even talked about that yet.”

After rolling her eyes, she pushed him down the line. “I’ll yell at you later.”

Driving to the hall for the party, Basil tried to explain and ended up tripping over his words. “She’s young and doesn’t understand, you know? I mean, kids meet and the next day they’re going out, like steady or whatever. I…I never said that, I mean, you know…”

“Basil, yes, it’s early for labels, but I’m not upset over it. I’m flattered your niece would consider me that.”

“I mean…Herb, it’s…I’d love to, but yeah, it’s too soon, and…”

“Stop explaining. I’m not upset. Unless you never want to be that, you know, a boyfriend to me.”

Basil laughed as he relaxed a little. “You know I want that.”

“Then, when it’s time, it will be time. Until then, we won’t mind being considered that by your family or anyone else.”

“Deal,” he said with a sigh. “This is weird, though, right?”

“Very. It’s like we’ve been together for years right from the start, but…if we go too fast and ruin it, it would kill me.”

“Me too.”

That settled, Herb was determined to have a good time at the party. Basil was already smiling, so getting that talk out of the way helped, he thought. Though it wasn’t much of a talk, and they had decided nothing. With the two of them, they didn’t seem to need to.

The moment Herb walked into the hall, he saw what Carla had meant by his matching. The entire place was done in purple.

There was purple tulle on the walls, purple twinkle lights, candles, and tablecloths. In the bouquets, purple roses were the stars, surrounded by brilliant white baby’s breath and lilies.

“We have one thing in common, your niece and I.”

“What’s that?”

“Our favorite color is purple.”

Basil chuckled and took his hand to lead him to their table.

“She’s loved that color since her dad gave her a purple unicorn when she was four.

That started it, and now everything the family gets her for her birthday or Christmas is that color.

She’s that into it, so you wearing it? Big hit for her. ”

“I’m glad. I like her.”

“Me too. I’m not supposed to have favorites, but…”

“At least until your twin nieces come along, huh?”

“Oh, for sure.”

It was fortunate they shared a table with Sabrina, her husband and their abuela. “Nice to see you again, ma’am,” he said as he shook her delicate hand.

“Nice, yes, Herb. You wore purple!”

“I had no idea. I wore it because it’s my favorite too.”

Sabrina laughed. “Oh, wow, you and Carla. Well, expect blankets and scarves to be woven in that color by the dozens. Abuela, Mama, all the ladies crochet.”

“I’ll wear the scarves proudly.”

He sat between Sabrina and Basil, and it was a great seat. They had lovely conversations until the big appearance was taking place.

Basil whispered, “Okay, the lights dimming, that means Carla is about to come out in her quiceanera gown. I happen to know this cost my brother nearly a thousand dollars, but they’d been saving for this party since she turned twelve.”

The place was beautifully decorated, and the scent of the food was coming from the kitchen in the back, making his mouth water. “The pretty white gown she wore — that wasn’t it?”

She’d been wearing a simple but beautiful white gown at the church, high collared, floor length, with lace on the bottom above small ruffles.

When the spotlight shone on the stage and she stepped out at the hall, however, he saw what looked like a princess had just graced their presence.

Her hair was done up in big curls gathered on top of her head with a short veil of the same lavender tulle as the gown.

She sparkled with the long earrings of dark purple stones and necklace to match, but the gown…that was the eye-catcher of her apparel.

The off-the-shoulder tulle straps met the princess’ bodice that was embroidered in dark purple sequins. The sequins wove delicately down to her tiny waist and then appliques of the same enhanced the full princess skirt that was full, obviously made with layers upon layers of the lavender tulle.

Like some princess from a storybook, she walked to the center of the stage, smiling at the crowd of her family and friends with her eyes glistening with tears of happiness. Everyone got to their feet, applauding for her, and one tear escaped, adding to her shininess.

“My god, she’s beautiful,” Sabrina said, and she was fully crying while smiling and clapping so hard, her hands might bruise.

Basil, too, was overcome. “I’m so proud of her. She earned all of this,” he said, then bragged, “Sports, straight As, and just a joy since she was born.”

“I want my girls to be just like her,” Sabrina said.

The love for the child was thick in the air as she made her way down the steps and into her father’s arms for the first dance of the evening. The curtain on the stage opened to the band as the first chords of My Little Girl , a cover of the song by Tim McGraw, started to play.

The two on the dance floor were both in tears as they slowly danced across the floor, every eye on them, and not one without their own tears.

The love Juan had for his daughter was obvious, and sweet.

Herb could see it, the memories that ran through his mind of his little girl playing with dolls when she was little, running into his arms when he returned home from work.

Her eyes would light up as he read her bedtime stories and sneaked her candy before dinner.

He was her hero; that was also obvious by looking at her face. She adored her father, and together, they made Herb feel the love the family all had for one another.

Basil’s hand slipped into his, and Herb knew something else by that one gesture. It was a dream of Basil’s, to one day have a daughter, or even a son, with whom he could share these sorts of memories.

It was written all over his face, and though he’d never truly thought of it before, for himself, Herb knew just to see Basil happy, he’d have a whole house filled with kids.

Though he suspected that he’d take the greatest joy from it too.

When their song was through, they bowed to the people in the hall, and Basil moved into Herb’s arms. “Please don’t think I’m a huge crybaby.”

“I think you’re absolutely perfect.”