Page 35 of When Javi Dumped Mari
“No, no,” I say, wishing I hadn’t volunteered to help my friend. “This is…Elmo’s cousin…Guillermo! He came all the way from Puerto Rico to celebrate with you.”
Javi puts out a furry arm and waves hello. There’s a chorus of chuckles from the adults, and then the DJ plays a kids’ song I’m not familiar with.
I dodge to the left, leaving Javi at center stage.
“Hello, boys and girls!” he says in a high-pitched voice. “Guillermo is so happy to be here!”
“Guillermo’s boring!” one of the older kids yells.
A guy nursing a beer by the DJ booth cups his free hand and shouts, “If Guillermo’s from Puerto Rico, he should dance salsa for us.”
Sofia swats the guy on the arm. “Stop it, Angel. Don’t be messy.”
The DJ, who’s plainly a co-conspirator, places a new record on the turntable, and the sounds of salsa fill the air.
Everyone looks at Guillermo expectantly.
For my ears only, Javi grumbles, “I’m never dating again,” and then he shakes his hips from side to side. Even I know what he’s doing looks more like merengue than salsa.
“Guillermo needs a partner,” the unaptly named Angel suggests.
“Guillermo’s friend can be his partner,” Javi says, taking my hand and spinning me into his arms.
“You’re getting me back, aren’t you?” I ask, unable to keep the goofy grin off my face.
“Damn straight,” he says, moving with more grace than any six-foot monster should possess.
I can see people in the periphery recording our performance, and it doesn’t bother me one bit. Javi and I are going to tell our children about this one day. Well, not our children. No, the children we each have. Separately. Ugh, turn your brain off, Mari .
I refocus on my steps. And although Javi’s a decent dance partner, the kids are getting restless again, an occasional squeal piercing the air when someone gets whacked by a pool noodle. I nudge his shoulder with mine. “Psst, you should interact with the kiddies.”
He scans the backyard and gives me a thumbs-up, then grabs one of the pool noodles and joins the others in their bopping game. Minutes into the spirited noodle duel, the kids band together and go after Javi, who makes a big show of dropping to the ground when the children rush him all at once.
“Guillermo gives up!” he says, laughing. “You win!”
I can’t help smiling as I watch all the antics. Obviously I can’t see Javi’s face, but the joy in his voice must mean he’s grinning. So much for being bamboozled; these kids are having the time of their lives.
Suddenly someone’s standing next to me. When I look up, Sofia’s watching Javi and the children.
“He came through for us,” she says to me.
“That’s Javi,” I reply.
“He’s going to be a great father someday.”
“Maybe,” I say, shrugging.
She turns her head in my direction and looks at me as if she can read my thoughts. Now I’m wondering what she thinks she knows. Did she catch me in an unguarded moment? Was I looking at Javi with yearning? No, that can’t be.
“He’s an amazing guy,” I tell Sofia. “Not perfect by a long shot—”
“Nobody is,” she says.
“But he has a good heart,” I continue.
She points at Javi, who’s still tussling with Danny. “And he’s comfortable with kids.”
“Have you met his brothers?”
Sofia groans. “I have, but we didn’t talk much. Between us, I wasn’t all that impressed. They’re so into themselves, it’s ridiculous.”
I was hoping she’d reveal something about her character that would raise a red flag, but other than her inability to purchase a convincing Elmo costume, nothing jumps out at me. And that’s a disappointment. Perhaps I’m not as good a friend as I think I am.
“So you’d like to explore this?” I ask her.
“I would,” she says with a firm nod. Her eyes search my face. “Do I have your blessing?”
Huh, did Javi tell her about our pact? Why would he? That would undermine the whole (stated) point of it.
“I mean, he obviously cares what you think,” she quickly adds. “I get the sense that he wouldn’t pursue anyone unless they had your approval.”
Well, I’m not entirely sure that’s true.
But maybe my opinion still counts for something.
And maybe Sofia wants to know if I’m a potentially disruptive force.
Whatever the case, it’s clear to me that seeing Javi in a relationship isn’t the answer.
To move on, I need to focus on me. Preferably (but not necessarily) with someone else.
So I turn to Sofia and tell her what she wants to hear. “You don’t need my blessing. But I think you’d be good for him.”
She lets out a small breath. “Thank you.”
Javi waddles over, his furry arm loosely hanging over Danny’s shoulder. “Guillermo needs water and a break.”
“Of course,” Sofia says. She leans into Javi. “And thanks for doing this. You can take off that silly costume now.”
He nods with his big ol’ monster head.
Sofia steers Danny in the direction of a picnic table with a cupcake tower in the center while I guide Javi back inside. He immediately takes off the head piece. The hair at his crown is mussed up, and he’s sweating so much he looks as if he’s just emerged from a shower. And yet he’s perfect.
I swallow. Hard. “That was great, and now I need to take off.”
“What? Already?” he asks, his eyebrows snapping together. “You don’t want to stay for a cupcake?”
“No,” I say, rubbing my belly. “I ate something earlier that isn’t agreeing with me.”
“Do you need something?” he asks, looking around. “Tums?”
“No, I’m fine. Nothing a long nap and plenty of water can’t handle.”
“Okay,” he says. “I wish we’d had more time to catch up.”
“Me too, but I’m sure I’ll be visiting again soon.”
I stride through the living room, practically sprinting for the front door.
“Mari,” he calls out just as I’m poised to escape.
I turn around, one hand on the doorknob.
“So, what do you think of Sofia?” he whispers. “Do you approve?”
“We didn’t get to talk much, but I like what I saw. She obviously cares about her son, and she had some nice things to say about you.”
“Yeah?” he asks, grinning.
“Yeah. So if you’re interested, I say go for it.”
His gaze falls to the ground for a beat, and then he raises his head, takes a deep breath, and nods. “Okay.”
But it doesn’t feel okay to me. And getting to the point where it does is vital.