The weekend arrived like a breath of fresh air. No games for Alex, no Saturday emergencies at the clinic for Ethan. They decided to take a small risk...drive to Alex's mom's house in East LA for a family barbecue. Alex had talked about it for weeks.
"I want you to meet them," Alex said Friday night, head on Ethan's chest in bed. "My mom, my sister, aunts, cousins. They're loud, but they're good people."
Ethan traced circles on Alex's arm. "Nervous. What if they don't like me?"
Alex laughed soft. "They'll love you. Mom already asks about the 'dentist who fixed your tooth' every call."
Ethan smiled. "Okay. Let's do it."
Saturday morning, they drove in Alex's SUV...windows down, music low, hands linked over the console. LA traffic was light. They left the shiny downtown behind, heading into familiar streets for Alex...smaller houses, kids playing basketball on driveways, murals on walls.
