Chosen Heart (48 page)

I interrupt Rachel and make
introductions.  “Nana this is Rachel, my sister.” 

She looks over at me, then to
Rachel.  It’s something of a miracle she’s showing any sort of
comprehension.  I’m ecstatic that today of all days, is a good day. 
“Yes, Alex told me we were having dinner with your sister tonight.” 

Okay, here’s the moment of
truth.  If Rachel doesn’t like him, I don’t know what I’ll do. 
Separately, they represent each half to my whole.  If their worlds can’t
co-exist, what am I left with?  Two disconnected parts of my life?  I
can’t live like that. 
No!  She has to like him. 

“Rachel, this is Alex,” nervously
gesturing between the two of them. 

Alex releases me, and moves to
shake Rachel’s hand, but in true Rachel fashion, she clobbers him into a tight
hug.  Somewhat surprised, Alex takes a moment before he returns the
embrace.

“So, you’re the one who has El’s
panties in a bunch?!”
 
I roll my eyes, accepting that both Rachel
and Bryan have confirmed for Alex that I’ve been in utter disarray since the
moment I met him.  With the way we’ve both been acting, I’m sure…no, I
know…we don‘t need anyone pointing it out for us.

“So I’ve been told,” Alex jokes
as Rachel releases him.  A deep grumble erupts from Bryan’s chest as he
breaks out in laughter.  I glare at him, but can’t help but giggle a few
seconds later. 

Rachel gestures towards the
couches, letting everyone know to make themselves feel comfortable.  Alex
leads his grandmother to the nearby sofa and I follow in tow to sit next to
him.  The way he is with her is very gratifying to see and the simplest of
actions don’t go unnoticed.  After a moment, Rachel continues, and when
she does I wish I could put a sock in her mouth.  She’s always too
nosey.  “So Alex, El tells us you two work together?”

Alex appears nervous to answer
questions about work, so he gives a simple yes and quickly changes
topics.  “You have a lovely home.”

“Thanks, we like it.  We
bought it a year ago and are pleased with it so far.  Bryan’s been working
on the outside when he can and it’s almost finished.”  The only thing not
finished is the backyard.  They have trees and grass, which is almost
unheard of in Las Vegas, but they make it work.  Once they lay down gravel,
the house will be perfect…perfect for them. 

“Please excuse me; I need to go
check on dinner.  It should be ready in about five minutes.  Bryan
honey, can you help me please?”  Rachel nods towards the kitchen, hinting
for him to leave the three of us alone.  

Once it’s just us, Alex relaxes
into the couch.  “I’m sorry.  I know she can be a bit overwhelming,
but she’s all I have.” 

“I know all about that,” Alex’s
eyes gesture towards his grandmother who’s sitting quietly, glancing around at
the pictures adorning Rachel’s end tables.  Rachel has pictures galore in
her home; of me and her when we were little, of our parents, and newer pictures
of her and Bryan.  If anyone ever wanted to see a timeline of our life,
here at Rachel’s is where you would start.  It’s always nice to look at
old pictures, but at the same time, it reminds you of the time lost.  I
try and stay in the present as much as possible.

“Nana, do you want something to
drink?”

“Oh no, dear, I gave up the
poison long ago.  I promised my Alex I wouldn’t touch the stuff ever
again.”  I smile at Alex, who lovingly looks at his grandmother shaking
his head in amusement.

“Would you like some water or
soda?”  Still glancing around assessing her surroundings, she politely
declines, saying she’s not thirsty.

Alex whispers in my ear, “She’s
having a good night so far, let’s see if it lasts.”  I realize he’s just
as nervous about this as I am.  Reaching for his hand, I squeeze gently to
give him the reassurance we both need.

Rachel pokes her head from the
doorway and announces, “Dinner’s ready.”

~~~~~

Rachel went all out. 
Encased in a simple square vase, thin slices of lemon float around the long
stems of yellow tulips.  Her eco-friendly bamboo placemats and
accompanying plates give the table an earthy feeling and contrast nicely
against the white linen table cloth adorned with tiny yellow flowers. 
Rachel always had a knack for entertaining. 

With Bryan at the head of the
table and Rachel at the other end, Alex and his grandmother take the side
closest to the wall leaving me to sit directly across from him. 

“This looks amazing Rachel,” I
coo as I place my napkin in my lap.  She prepared a simple bow tie pasta
salad with summer vegetables, grilled lemon chicken, and a rice pilaf. 

“Hey, I helped!” Bryan chimes in.

“Really?” Rachel teases. 
“And how exactly did you help?”

“Well, I went grocery shopping!”
Bryan laughs as he picks up his fork and knife, ready to dive in.

Alex takes a napkin and places it
in his grandmother’s lap as he gently caresses her cheek and places a soft kiss
on her forehead.  Rachel’s eyes reflect the same level of adoration for
Alex that mine do.  I’m sure she also noticed how ruggedly handsome he is
in his grey slacks and white button-up shirt.  Grasping my hand, I glance
at Rachel as she squeezes my fingers together.  In that moment, I know we
share the same bond as Alex and his grandmother.  As she is the only
family he has, Rachel is the only family I have.

Pools of tears form in Rachel’s
eyes and I quickly look away to avoid following suit.  While Rachel wipes
away the traces of moisture, Bryan decides to take the attention away from his
better half.  “So Alex, I know you and E work together.  What would
make you go for such a funny looking girl in the first place?”  I stick my
tongue out at him as Rachel erupts in a throaty laugh.  He always knows
what to say to take the edge out of the situation, which is why he was made for
my sappy sister.

“Well, I thought I could get in
some karma points by giving her a chance,” Alex jokes, sending Bryan into a
laughing frenzy, leading into his famous snorting.  Once Bryan starts, the
whole table breaks into laughter. 

“Ha, ha, very funny, guys. 
I’m so glad I can be the brunt of everyone’s joke.  As usual!”  Being
with Rachel and Bryan, I expect for them to poke fun of me every chance they
get.  But, with Alex joining in, I can’t help but think that he and Nana
were the missing puzzle pieces to our tiny family.

“It’s cause you make it so easy
for me!  Plus, I can’t pick on your sister or I’ll end up sleeping on the
couch for the next month!” Bryan confesses, winking at Rachel. 

“Damn straight!” Rachel chimes
in.  “Enough torturing my poor baby sister, I need to get serious for a
minute.”  Rachel gets her stern face in place, staring Alex down. 
Before she continues, she gives him a hint of a smile.  She’s about to lay
down the law, but it’s all out of love.

“So Alex, I hate to put you on
the spot, but you had to know this was coming.”  Looking confused, Alex
sets down his napkin wanting to give Rachel his full attention.  “Elyssa
is all I have, well except for Bryan, and we take care of one another.  I
just want to make sure her happiness is a priority to you.” 
And that
is why I love my sister! 

Alex glances at Bryan whose mouth
is too full of dinner to include his usual banter, and then to me.  All I
can do is shrug my shoulders and grin.  “Rachel, I understand.  I
know you both mean a lot to each other and I wouldn’t do anything to intentionally
hurt Elyssa.  All I want is for her to be happy…happy with me, but happy
nonetheless,” he asserts.   

“Good.  I’m glad to hear
that.”  Looking over at me, she gives a nod of approval.  She doesn’t
need to say anything.  With her small gesture, the weight I felt earlier
disappears and the love I have for both of them swells.  “Alright,
alright, enough with the heavy, I want to know more about how you guys
met.  Was it love at first fax?”  We all giggle at the question,
including Nana, who I didn’t even know was paying attention.

“Actually, I noticed Elyssa when
I was getting gas the morning of her first day at work.”

“Really?  She never
mentioned this.”  Rachel glances over at me with her brows raised, a
mischievous smile spreading across her lips.

“She was coming out of the
convenience store.  I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her.  She ignored
me of course, but I was given my second chance when I rode the elevator up with
her at work.” 

His explanation of our chance
encounter is briefly disrupted when Alex glances at Nana having difficulty
cutting her chicken.  Taking her fork and knife, he carefully cuts the
meat into small bite size pieces before handing the fork back to her.

Bringing attention to his
grandmother, Rachel decides to get her take on our relationship.  “So
Nana, what do you think of our Elyssa dating your Alex?”

“Oh, I’m so pleased.  He’s
changed since he met her.  My happy boy.”  She reaches up and ruffles
his floppy hair with her hands, chuckling all the while.  Alex smiles and
smoothes his hair back into place.  “Alex has never had a chance to act
his age.  Stuck with a batty old grandmother after losing his mother so
young…”  Tears threaten as she continues.  “He’s never had a chance
to do anything for himself.  Finally, it seems he’s been given a second
chance at happiness.”  Nana looks over at me, her kind eyes dry as Alex
wipes away the lonely tear.

“Well we’re in agreement
then.  El has never been the average child either.  She went from
being a rebellious teenager into an old soul, never anything in between. 
I blame myself sometimes…if I’d just let Arianna take care of you the way she
wanted…maybe things would have been different.”  Rachel takes a breath,
closing her eyes resolving something inside.  “But, I refuse to let that
horrible excuse of a person have any say in my family…not after what she
did.”  I’m confused by Rachel’s comment.  I know she doesn’t like
Arianna, but she’s never been honest with the reason why.  Then again,
I’ve never asked her outright.  But, this is not the time, or the place;
especially not in front of Alex.

“Rachel!”  My eyes shoot
over to Alex who’s listening intently.  “Even though Alex knows Arianna is
a family friend, she is both of our boss’s, and I’d like to keep my job, thank
you.”

“Sorry, you’re right.  No
more discussions about bad memories.”  Rachel smiles innocently, while
raising her glass in a toast.  “To making new memories…to the
future.”  We all clink our glasses, and continue the evening without any
more outbursts from my sister. 
Seriously, what was she thinking?

As the night goes on, Bryan and
Alex appear to have more in common than I’d originally thought.  Bryan
discusses how he used to play in a band in high school.  According to
Bryan they were good enough to get a record deal, but they just never got their
chance.  Rachel whispers in my ear that Bryan can’t carry a tune.  We
chuckle, but the boys don’t appear to notice as they continue to bond over
their love of music and working out.  Bryan’s bromance with Alex develops
to an all new level as they make plans to go to the gym later on.  The way
they’re making plans for the future, teasing each other left and right, both
Rachel and I start to wonder if they need some time alone. 

“Alexander where are we?” Nana
chimes in.  Her question obviously makes Alex worry.  He moves closer
to her, stroking her back, while she looks around trying to place herself in
what appears to be the start of an upsetting scene. 

“Remember Nana, we’re having
dinner at Elyssa’s sister’s house?”

“Is she the one who was at our
house last night?” 
Last night?  No, I wasn’t there last
night.  He said he needed to take care of something…he did say something
and not someone, right?  No…he wouldn’t do that to me…
 

Alex continues to stroke his
grandmother’s back, trying to soothe her.  “No Nana, Elyssa was at our
house the night before.”  He looks at me, sadness filling his eyes. 
I immediately nod my head to let him know its okay to leave, as comprehension
replaces fear.  Today’s good day has turned into another episode.

“I want to go home,
Alexander.  I don’t know this place.”  Alex looks over at Rachel and
mouths an apology. 

“Okay, let’s go.”  Pulling
out her chair, he takes his grandmother by her arm.  “Thank you both for
having us and for giving us your blessing.”  His wide smile exudes his
happiness as our eyes meet. 

As Alex heads towards the front
door, I lean over, whispering to Rachel that Nana has Alzheimer’s.  She
nods in understanding, sadness reaching her eyes.  “Do you need my help to
clean up, or is it okay if I leave with them?”

“No, you go.  El, I’m glad
you finally met someone.  Someone you seem to care for the way I care for
Bryan.  I really like him.  Now go, we’ll see you out.”

“I’m coming with you.”  I
rise and place my napkin on top of my plate, Rachel and Bryan following after
me.  In the short walk to the front door, I can’t help but think of how
huge tonight was.  How I’ve thought of the day when I could bring someone
home to meet my sister; someone who meant something to me.  I’m
ridiculously happy that tonight was successful and that we could all be
together and enjoy each other; our own self made family.