Without You: Book 1 of the Changing Hearts Series (16 page)

She sighed and went over to the computer on her desk. She typed in her username and password.

Wrong. She sighed as she racked her brain for the right ones, and her fingers clicked at the keyboard again.

She was in.
 

Ariana paused the cursor over the See My Status button. There was zero indication of whether she’d actually find out. Maybe it’d just say it was still processing.

Yeah. That’s probably what it would say.
 

She clicked and waited a several seconds for the page to load, tapping her fingers restlessly.

Then it appeared.
 

And her heart stopped, and her mouth fell open all the way.
 

Status: Deferred.

###

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Lucas asked later that day. They were at her locker. They had a minute or two.

Ariana couldn’t decide if getting deferred was as bad as just getting plain denied. That’s how it felt right now.
 

“Hello?” he said.
 

She looked at him and then away. How was she supposed to say it out loud?

This sucks so bad, she thought.
 

She sighed. “I found out about UGA today.” She still didn’t look at him.

“And?” Lucas pressed. He actually sounded excited for her.
 

She felt his realization as the seconds passed and she didn’t say anything else.
 

“Hey, it’s okay. You can apply somew—”

“I didn’t get denied,” she interrupted.
 

“So you got—”

“I got deferred,” she said, finally looking at him.

He opened his mouth then closed it. Then tried again. “That’s—what does that mean?”

“It means ‘we’re not sure, send us more info, and we’ll think about it and let you know in April.’”
 

“Oh. Well, that’s not so bad at all,” Lucas said, putting his arm around her. They began walking to Spanish. “I bet you a hundred dollars you’re gonna get in. In fact, they’re gonna beg you to go there.”

She smiled. He had a point. This wasn’t so bad after all. She was just gonna have to wait.
 

Maybe this was even a blessing in disguise because she had more time to figure things out with Lucas and she wouldn’t be locked into attending UGA.

###

I miss you.

Ariana smiled and texted Lucas back. It was Christmas morning, and her family was getting ready to open presents. Just a week ago, they’d been gathered here celebrating her dad’s birthday. She loved the holidays. So many good things.
 

 
Later, Lucas would be over for dinner, but they’d decided to spend the morning with each of their own families. Tomorrow, though, she’d be meeting his family for the first time. He had finally convinced her to come over, and she decided it was time to meet his mom.
 

Jimmy ran into the living room in just boxers and a t-shirt and jumped onto the couch where their dad was sitting. Ariana, thankfully, was on the floor next to the Christmas tree.

“So who’s ready to open presents?” he said in English. Her mom came into the living room from the kitchen. Unlike everyone else, she was nicely dressed compared to the rest of them in pajamas.

Some of their extended family would be over later, but for now it was just them. Just how Ariana liked.

Ariana looked at the presents gathered around the tree. There were a few big presents, but most of them looked like clothes.
 

“Let’s start opening presents,” her mom said, sitting down next to her dad.
 

Jimmy began passing out presents until everyone had their small pile.
 

“Ariana, you want to go first?” Jimmy asked.
 

“Nah. You go. I want to see what’s in that big box in your lap.”

He smiled. “Well, if you insist.” He wasn’t even done with his sentence before he started ripping the wrapping paper off of that very box.
 

“Oh my G—“ Jimmy managed before he literally fell over and clutched at his chest. Then he was back up and feeling every inch of the box. It was the latest version of his video game system. “This just came out. It’s like four hundred dollars.”

Ariana smiled, wondering what she had gotten. She looked at her parents, who had their arms around each other and were smiling.

“Open it,” her dad said.

Jimmy ran for some scissors and was back in a flash, pulling the controllers out. Next, he unwrapped a couple of games. “So that’s why you wanted Ryan to come shopping with us a few weeks ago. And then sent me to go get you like a dozen things at the store.”

Their mom smiled, and Ariana laughed.
 

“Ryan is so coming over later.”

He unwrapped some clothes, which he set aside.
 

“You’re next, Ariana.” The video game system was still in his lap. He had his arms around it, as if he was afraid it might disappear.

She started with the small presents. Clothes, a couple of gift cards to stores at the mall, and a new hair straightener. She’d had hers for ages.
 

“Thanks, Mom and Dad,” she said. She looked at her big present. She wondered what it was. It wasn’t as big as Jimmy’s, but hopefully it was something just as good.
 

She’d splurged on an eReader a few weeks after her birthday, so she doubted it was that. Besides, the box was bigger.

She tore at the wrapping paper carefully at the places her mom had folded and taped it together. When it was unwrapped, she set aside the paper and bow. She tried not to squeal because she realized what this was.

“A laptop?” she asked. She covered her mouth with her hand and looked up at her parents.

“For school, when you go to college. You’ll have your own. Later, we can buy you the printer to go with it,” her mom said with a sparkle in her eye.

Ariana got up and hugged her parents.
 

“How did you guys afford all of this?” She indicated the pile of stuff on the floor. Expensive stuff. They’d never had a Christmas this good.

Her mom looked at her dad before answering. “I got a promotion at work. That’s why I’ve been putting in more hours. Part of it is that I’ll be getting a Christmas bonus from now on.”

“Sweet,” Jimmy said, his mouth slightly open. “Does that mean you make more money than dad now?”
 

Her mom laughed. “Maybe.”

“In this day and age, that is perfectly normal,” their dad began. “Aqui no es como en Mexico.” Nope, it wasn’t like in Mexico at all. Ariana’s mom kissed him on the cheek.

“Next thing you know, Dad’ll be the one cooking around here and doing the laundry,” Jimmy said as he took his huge pile of stuff to his room.

###

It was later. It was time to meet Lucas’s family for the first time. His mom and two sisters.

She wondered what she should say after greeting them, and if his mom would like her.
 

“What are you thinking about?” Lucas asked her as he squeezed her hand. They were almost at his house. Her parents had trusted them to go alone.

She glanced out the window before turning back to him. “I just…want to make a good impression.” She smiled as butterflies danced in her stomach.

“You will,” Lucas assured. “You’re smart, nice, everything my mom could want.”

They pulled into his driveway and got out of the car. “This is it.”
 

They walked towards the front door. It was smaller than her house but homey. Her heart warmed at the handful of toy cars out on the front lawn, the kind she, Jimmy, and Mayra would ride down hills when they were in elementary school. “Those used to be so much fun,” she told Lucas.

“Still are,” he replied as they walked in.

There were even more toys in the living room, and she saw his sisters dressed up but watching Christmas movies. His mom walked in from the kitchen. Ariana smiled when she saw his mom smile. She held out her hand as she came closer.
 

“Mucho gusto. Yo soy Ariana,” she said. She remembered to not have fishy hands.
 

“Es un placer. Yo soy Marcela. Lucas se la pasa hablando de ti pero no me dijo lo bonita que eres.”

Ariana blushed and looked at Lucas, who shook his head. Aw, he talked about her to his mom.
 

“Come in,” she said and closed the front door.
 

She ushered them into the kitchen, and they took a seat. Lucas stood back up. “Want something to drink?”

“Water, soda, juice?” his mom finished in Spanish. She already had the fridge open.

“Um, water please,” Arianna said, looking back and forth between them.

Lucas’s mom closed the door and went to the dishwasher for a glass. The house was silent except for the sound of the TV and the occasional laughs of his sisters. His mom set the glass of water down in front of her, and she said thank you before taking a few sips.
 

“Lucas says you’re graduating this year too,” she said, leaning on the counter.
 

She nodded. “I’m really excited.”

“Any idea what you’re gonna do after?”

“College. I’ll be the first in my family,” she said with a smile.

“That’s so good. I wish I’d had that opportunity when I was your age. Lucas will be the first too.” She sat down across from them. “Tell me about your family. Are your parents still together?”

She glanced at Lucas, who was looking down at the table but caught her eye for a brief second. “Yes. They’re very supportive. My brother too.”

“That’s so good. I’ve been a single mom most of Lucas’s life, but he’s really stepped up and helped out.” She smiled at him. “I can’t wait to see him in college and have a career.”

“Me too.” She also smiled at him, especially when she saw him smiling too.

“Lucas says you’re really smart. He’s so lucky to have met such a nice girl. I can tell you’re a good person, good for him.”

She didn’t know what to say to that. “There aren’t many like her,” Lucas said with a laugh.
 

“Lucas works so hard to make a little money and do well in school, but I’m glad he has someone else there for him too.”

“He’s a really good guy,” she said.
 

Lucas’s mom smiled one more time before getting back up to stir something on the stove. “Are you hungry? I was just making some flautas. I’m just about finished.”

“Sure. Need some help?” She got up and began walking towards her.

“No, no, no. Please sit down.” His mom waved her off. Ariana smiled and walked back to her seat. She liked it here.
 

Lucas stood up instead. “I’ll grab the plates and stuff.”

One of Lucas’s sisters wandered into the kitchen. “Mami, I’m hungry.” Ariana loved her long, brown hair and green eyes. They caught each other’s eyes and the little girl, around eight years old, smiled before running and hiding under the table.
 

“The food’s almost done, mija,” his mom replied.
 

“Do you have to work today?” she said from under the table. “I don’t want you to work today.”

“I’m just going to work for a little bit. I promise. Then I’ll be back to help you color, okay?”

She heard her sigh. “Okay.”

Ariana peeked under the table. “Hi. I’m Ariana.”

“Are you Lucas’s girlfriend?” she asked, not tearing her eyes away from her.

“Um, yeah.” She had read somewhere it wasn’t good to lie to kids. “Hey, do you want me to color with you?”

“Yeah! Can you play with me?” Before Ariana could even answer her, she ran out of the table and back into the living room. She was back about five seconds later with her slightly older sister in tow and a huge box of crayons and markers and several coloring books. The little girls opened the box and they each grabbed a crayon and began coloring.
 

“Sleeping Beauty is my favorite princess,” the younger sister said.
 

“I like Tangled,” the other replied, glancing at Ariana.

Lucas squeezed her shoulder as he set the table around them, and his mom smiled at them while she rolled flautas and placed them in the frying pan.

“That was so good,” Ariana told Lucas as they sat down on the couch together.
 

“Explains the roll I’ve been getting lately around my waist,” Lucas said.
 

“Oh yeah, that nonexistent roll,” Ariana said as she rolled her eyes. She sighed. “I am so full. I don’t want to move.”

“Then don’t,” Lucas said with smile as he put his arm around her. “We can hang out here for a little bit longer.”

She nodded and leaned her head on his shoulder.
 

His mom was in her room getting ready for work, and his sisters were coloring again, this time in the living room.

His mom came out a few minutes later. She looked completely different. She was in a fast food uniform, and her hair was up in a bun. She also had a little bit of makeup on.
 

“I’ll be back later, around ten,” she said as she gathered her purse, phone, and keys. “You two behave,” she said as she walked around with her things and grabbed a coat.

“We will,” one sister said.

“I wasn’t talking to them,” she mumbled as she passed Ariana and Lucas and winked.
 

Ariana blushed hard and cringed into the sofa.
 

“Stay as long as you want,” his mom said as she bent down to kiss each of her daughters. Ariana and Lucas stood up as she came towards them. “It was so nice meeting you. Please come back and visit again soon. Mi casa es tu casa.”

“Gracias,” Ariana said as she gave her and Lucas a hug.
 

“I’ll call you on my break,” she told Lucas as she headed out.
 

They sat back down. “Got the house to ourselves,” he said.
 

“Not exactly,” she said with a laugh. “But that’s okay.”

Lucas turned on the TV and began flipping through channels.
 

“So does your mom work a lot?”