Page 186 of Trapped With You

The night after Halloween, me, my family, and some close friends were gathered at my girlfriend’s home to partake in the occasion. The Cordova mansion was decorated in bright festive colours,calaveras,papel picado, and an enormousofrenda—home altar—in the foyer. We had dinner, drinks, and listened to their family share funny anecdotes and stories of their dead loved ones.

Francisco and Silvia Cordova kept giving me warm smiles throughout the evening, as I sat next to Ella at the formal dining table. Somewhere in the last two weeks, they’d come to genuinely accept me as their daughter’s boyfriend. Ella told me they saw the errors in their ways. In the past, I’d said that nobody’s opinion mattered to me, but I’d be lying if I said that having their blessings didn’t fill me with gratitude. It was a silver lining and made me feel even more comfortable about the future Ella and I would create.

“You should join us next week on our hunting trip, Cade,” Francisco offered politely.

Uncle Vance stared at me with pride from across the table.

Although I wasn’t into hunting innocent animals, I gave him a nod. “I’d like that.”

It was the closest we’d come to a truce. The relief in the room was palpable. Aunt Julia was teary but hid it by taking a sip of her tequila and Ella’smamájust seemed plain happy.

My girlfriend squeezed my hand under the table with a soft smile.

“You’re beautiful,” I mouthed to her when nobody was looking.

Ella was dressed in a rich orange gown that made her tan skin glow, her black hair was straightened, and she wore the aquamarine heart-shaped necklace I gifted her over the summer. The one she swore to never, ever take off again.

“So are you,” she mouthed back with a playful wink.

A lopsided smile bloomed over my lips at her compliment.

After dinner, I was headed to meet Ella when I suddenly found myself tucked under the grand staircase with Olivia. Apparently, she and the kids were playing hide-and-seek. She saw me walking by with a glass ofchampurradoandpan de muertoand ushered me over with a whispered, “Cadie, come here!” Now I was on my knees next to her little form, dunking pieces of sweet bread in the hot chocolate and feeding it to her. Turns out, she wasn’t excited to see me. She just wanted my dessert.

“Thank you.” Olivia munched on the last bite with enthusiasm, then brought her finger to her lips in the universalshhsign. “Don’t tell Emi I’m hiding here.”

“I won’t, Livvy.” I chuckled. “All done or do you want some more?”

She patted her full belly. “All done.”

Olivia was adorable in her pink ruffled dress with a skull painted on her face. I couldn’t resist kissing her chubby cheek and ruffling her hair. “Don’t get into too much trouble while I’mgone, okay?”

“’Kay,” she whispered cheekily and went back to her dark hiding spot.

Shaking my head, I left with a smile, no morepan de muerto, half a glass of my favouritechampurrado, and towards Ella. I walked down a hallway, passing by a few giggling kids, past the formal family room where all the adults had migrated with drinks, before reaching the foyer.

My girlfriend stood in front of theofrenda. It boasted clusters of marigolds, candles, water, candy sugar skulls, favourite foods of the deceased, and picture frames housing photos of those passed on, allowing their spirits to crossover.

Ella’s back was to me, so she didn’t see me approaching. She fussed over the altar and adjusted the flowers and copal incense.

Just as I came to her side and wrapped an arm around her waist, she placed a little hand-knitted onesie on the altar.

“Is that for…” My throat tightened.

Ella turned to me with a sad smile. “Yes, for ourangelito.”

For our little angel. My heart gave a painful twist.

I kissed her forehead. “One day, we’re going to have that family you always wanted. I promise.”

She sifted her fingers through my hair, kissing my jaw. “And you never break one.”

“Never.”

Her blue-brown gaze was warm tonight, glowing in the candlelit space. “I want to show you something. Will you follow me?”

I would follow you until the ends of the earth, sweetheart.

Nodding, I let her wordlessly guide me to the solarium, my hand twined with hers.