Zain
“Wow!” Zain gave Juan a manly handshake. “You have a son!”
“Yeah, but Sylvie is my little princess.” Juan smiled, raising an eyebrow.
“Speaking of which, where is she?” Zain asked, looking around.
Just then, a cute little girl with light brown curls wearing a frilly pink dress saw him. “Uncle Zain!” She ran toward him, and he scooped her into his arms and nuzzled her neck, playfully scratching her with his day-old beard. “Ew!” She laughed, pulling away.
“Do you have a kiss for your uncle?” Zain asked, turning his cheek to her.
She gave him a big kiss on the cheek and then squirmed to get down. “Love you, Uncle Zain!”
“Love you, too.”
When he stood her on her feet, Sylvie grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the backyard. “Come on! Everyone’s here! Abuela’s waiting!”
Zain laughed. “I’m sure she is. Well, let’s get this over with. But will you promise me a dance?”
Sylvie stopped in her tracks and twisted back and forth, watching her frilly dress flare out. “Sure! Let’s go!” Then she started pulling him toward the backdoor again.
Zain turned to his sister and smiled. “It looks like I’m being summoned.”
Carmen chuckled. “Yes, I think you are. Now go!” She waved her hands dismissively. “Before you incite a riot!”
He laughed, letting Sylvie pull him toward the backyard. As soon as he stepped outside, everyone cheered and clapped, as if he were a returning hero, finally home.
“Welcome home!” Raphael, Zain’s best friend, gave him a manly handshake. “It’s about time you got here! Where you been?”
Zain shrugged. “Surfing.”
“Aaahh!” He nodded, giving him a knowing look. During the summer, they spent most of their time on the beach, or at the batting cages. “Wanna go tomorrow?”
Zain laughed, looking around. “Depends upon what happens tonight. Hangovers are a bitch.” But he mainly said it for Raphael’s benefit. He had no intention of drinking too much. For the rest of the summer, he needed to hit the batting cages and keep in shape.
Raphael nodded. “True.”
“There’s my boy!” His mother placed her hands on both sides of his face. “It’s about time you came back!” She scoffed as she turned to face Raphael. “Can you believe that he took off as soon as he arrived?” Then she turned back to Zain, not waiting for an answer, and kissed him on both cheeks. “Love you, son. Welcome home!”
Zain smiled. “I love you, too, Mama. I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, too.” She wiped a tear from her eye. “Now, go! Eat! There’s plenty of food! You’re too skinny.” She thought for a moment and then added, “Would you like me to make a plate for you?”
Zain laughed as Raphael smirked but stopped when Zain threw him a warning look. “No, Mama. I’ve got it. But thanks.”
Zain scooped Sylvie into his arms, holding her on his hip with one arm as he greeted and talked to everyone, shaking hands and thanking them for coming.
Soon, Sylvie started squirming, so he stood her on her feet. Then she grabbed his hand. “Dance!”
Zain laughed. “Yes, I promised you I would, didn’t I?”
Sylvie nodded vigorously, smiling as she grabbed his hand.
They had one dance, and then he sat beside Carmen, feigning having to catch his breath so he could eat. So, Sylvie ran off in search of another adventure.
“So, when will you settle down and find a nice Cuban girl?” Carmen wrapped her arm around Zain’s and leaned onto his shoulder.
“Oh, stop!” Zain laughed. “Now you sound like Mama.” He tried to pull away, but she held fast, obviously wanting to say more. Since they came to America, Carmen had become like a second mother to him.
She shrugged, looking up at him. Carmen knew him, better than anyone. She always saw more than anyone else. “I see the way you are with Sylvie.” Carmen nodded toward her daughter. “You need some kids of your own.”
Zain let out a deep breath. “College first.” He looked down at her. “I promised Papa.”
She nodded, letting out a deep breath. “I remember.”
“He wanted you to go to college, too,” Zain said, hating himself for reminding her. “But you know, Poppie would have been proud of you and the life you’ve chosen for yourself.”
“Thank you.” She smiled as she kissed his cheek and leaned against his shoulder again. “I tried college, but I think I went too soon out of high school.” Carmen had gone to college for a year and a half and then quit. “Then I met Juan, and the rest is history.” She inclined her head toward her daughter. “But when I look at her, I have no regrets.”
Zain nodded, understanding as he slipped his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.
She smiled. “But I’ll go back to college one day... when I’m ready.”
Zain leaned back and looked into her eyes. “Yeah?” Then he looked out at everyone sitting at the wooden picnic tables, under the strings of colorful lights hanging overhead, creating a continuous atmosphere of celebration as the sky began to darken. “Well, you’d better hurry! I’m going to need a manager soon.”
Carmen sat up, laughing. “Yes, you are.” She slowly got to her feet and kissed his cheek. “Well, the baby’s kicking, and I have to rest.” She tilted her head to the side. “Want to feel?”
Zain looked at her funny, and she gave him a playful slap on the arm. Then she took his hand and placed it on her stomach. They waited a moment, and he felt the baby kick. “Hi, Sebastian! I’m your Uncle Zain. I can’t wait to meet you.”
“Yes, but not tonight.” Carmen nodded toward Juan, silently letting him know that she was ready to go. Then she kissed the top of Zain’s head. “Welcome home, little brother.”
“Little brother?” he smiled, raising an eyebrow.
Carmen laughed, absentmindedly rubbing her stomach. “Hey! I can’t help it if you’re already a giant!”
Zain laughed as he watched her walk away, wondering if he would ever love someone the way his sister loved her husband and family. But time would tell.
JasmineJasmine had barricaded herself into her bedroom for the rest of the night, not wanting to deal with her parents. But she woke early the following day, dressed quickly, and headed for the beach. Although she wanted to go surfing, Jasmine didn’t want to go alone, so she watched the sunrise instead.Streaks of pink and soft orange spread across the morning sky as she sat on the sand close to the shoreline, wrapping her arms around her legs. This truly was beautiful. If she could, she would move here and stay forever. Although she liked Maine, the winters were frigid, and Jasmine was more of a summer girl.Jasmine watched the sun rise behind the ocean. She liked this time of day, early morning before the beach became crowded. The seagulls were flying about, swooping down to catch a fish, and then flew back up again, cawing to their friends in an occasional disagreement, adding to the ambiance.As she watched the birds and the ebb and flow of the sea, she thought of her parents. Sh
Zain Zain hadn’t slept well all night, thinking of her. When he finally got to sleep, it had been fitful. As soon as the faint rays of sunshine peeked in through the window, he showered and hurried out, in a hurry to get to the beach to see Jasmine. Jasmine. What a beautiful name. It suited her well. Zain quickly grabbed his board, wanting to get to the beach early to meet her. Even though they had just met, he couldn’t deny his attraction to her. But even if they ended up just becoming friends and nothing more, that would be fine with him. It would be nice to have another surfing buddy for the summer. Zain slipped out the front door and locked it behind him, feeling like a kid sneaking out. He started the engine and soon was on his way to South Pointe. He didn’t want to seem like a stalker, but he couldn’t help himself. Turning the truck down another corner, he wondered what he was doing. Jasmine was clearly only eighteen, and he was twenty-one and would be twenty-two by the tim
At the end of the run, Jasmine jumped off the board, feeling more exhilarated than she ever had before.“Great run!” Zain shouted. Then a wave came up, and he laid on the board and started paddling. She waited on the shore, watching as he stood and dropped into the wave at just the right time, catching it just before it crest, jumping off when he got close to shore. When he stood, his hair was slicked back as water glistened on his skin. He was completely and utterly gorgeous.“Great job!” Jasmine stood on the shore, clapping. “But you could have made a little twist at the end. You know, added some flair,” she teased. She couldn’t just say he was magnificent. After all, the Greek god was probably used to people telling him how great he was.But to her surprise, he picked up his board and ran toward shore. “Oh, I could, could I?” Then he dropped his board on the shoreline and ran toward her.“Uh, oh!” Her eyes grew wide, laughing as she ran away.Then, suddenly, he grabbed her from beh
ZainZain waited outside for Jasmine while she took her surfboard into her apartment. He guessed he should have introduced himself to her parents. But they had just met, and they were only going to his Uncle Miguel’s food truck. His uncle made the best Tostones, Cuban bowls, and Cuban Sandwiches in Miami. He just hoped Jasmine liked Cuban food.A moment later, she came out the door, still wearing her bikini and sarong, but she had also put on dainty leather sandals and had pulled her hair back into a ponytail. She looked gorgeous. “Ready?”Zain nodded, smiling. “You know, if you don’t like Cuban food, I can always take you somewhere else.”Jasmine smiled, shaking her head. “No, I love it.”“Great!” He started walking in the direction where his uncle always parked. “It’s right around the corner.”“How far?” she asked, trying to keep up with his long strides.At that moment, Zain realized how much smaller she was than him. He had to have been at least a foot taller than her. Perfect.He
JJasmineJasmine was taken aback by Zain’s forwardness at kissing the top of her head. But she didn’t mind. She liked that people in his culture were so friendly and affectionate. But it would take her a bit to get used to. Although her parents were affectionate, it wasn’t like this. But she wasn’t complaining.“Sorry about that,” he replied, seeing her reaction.“I’m not.” She shrugged. “With you, it feels natural.” If any other guy had done that, she would have probably decked him without thinking. But not Zain. He was different. With him, everything was different in ways she couldn’t explain.“Here you go!” Miguel announced, setting two rectangle paper containers lined with thin paper on the counter. “Let me know if you’d like anything else.” Then he smiled at Jasmine. “It’s nice to meet you, miss. Make sure to keep this one out of trouble.” He laughed, pointing his thumb toward Zain.“Okay, okay! Don’t scare her off,” Zain said, taking both containers.Miguel shrugged. “She doesn
ZainAlthough he hated to say goodbye, Zain walked Jasmine back to her parents’ apartment, knowing she couldn’t spend much more time in the sun. As fair as she was, she would fry.“I had a nice time with you today,” he said as they walked toward her door.Jasmine nodded, obviously having had enough outdoor fun. “So did I.” But as they walked toward her door—literally right on the beach—she paused. “Would you like to come in for a while? We can pop some popcorn and watch a movie.”Zain shook his head. “Maybe some other day. But I would like to meet your parents, if that’s okay.” He laughed. “I don’t know what’s customary in your culture, but in my culture, the boy has to meet the girl’s parents before they go on their first date. Then, usually they have to bring along a little sister as a chaperone.”Jasmine’s eyebrows rose in disbelief. “Seriously? In today’s day and age?”He nodded. “‘Fraid so.”“Well, lucky for you, I don’t have a little sister. I’m an only child. But don’t give my
JasmineOver the next few days, Jasmine and Zain went surfing every day. It was an unspoken, simple vow between them. And Jasmine found that she looked forward to each day, knowing she would spend it with Zain. Then, when it was time to go, she hated to leave his side in the afternoon.“Where are you going?” her mother asked one morning just before she was going out to meet him.“Surfing.” Jasmine was already getting a nice tan from being out in the sun every day. On this day, she wore a floral summer shorts set over her bikini, thankful that her mother had insisted on getting them.Her mother’s lips were set in a straight line. “I don’t want you seeing that boy anymore.”“Mom, he’s a great person.” Jasmine hurried to gather her things, not in the mood to hear her mother’s complaints again. If Zain had been a boy of society from what her parents deemed as a “good family,” her mother wouldn’t be complaining at all. But that was one of the things that Jasmine liked about Zain. He was hi
ZainZain traced a finger over her cheekbone, along her jawline, and then gently cupped her neck with his hand, looking into her eyes. “Tell me.”Her breath quickened, and he knew her resolve was waning. “That’s not fair.”“What?” he asked, his voice low.“You’re using coercion,” Jasmine breathed.Then a broad smile spread across his lips. “Is it working?”Jasmine sighed, and her face suddenly fell. She pushed abruptly away and started backing off. “I’m going home. See you later.” Hot, angry tears began filling her eyes, threatening to spill over as she turned around and hurried away.Zain stood there watching her, stunned beyond all words. Then it hit him. She thought he was playing her. “Jasmine!” He ran after her and caught her arm, quickly turning her around, his eyes filled with shock. “Jasmine, I was only kidding around. I’m so sorry. I’m not a player. I swear.” He reached up to catch a stray tear from under her eye, but she turned away. “Hey, hey!” He looked directly into her e