After repeatedly catching Seulgi and Irene in the act of coupling, Wendy and Joy found themselves angry all the time. Not at each other. But at their friends. It became so bad, that Joy helped Wendy soundproof Irene and seulgi’s bedroom door while they were out one night. 

The young couple hated it. First Joy and Wendy walked in on them over the table. Then they went to brush their teeth one morning to find Irene seated on the toilet with seulgi’s head between her legs. Then, it was the time they left the couple for ten minutes. Just ten minutes to grab pizza and sodas, just to come back to find Katy in the corner recording Seulgi mounted over Irene’s face. Then there was the time Joy went to Wendy’s car to find her wallet, to find Irene and Seulgi making their own o. Why they did it in Wendy’s car instead of their own Joy never understood. But boy did Wendy have words. At some point it got so bad that Joy and Wendy decided that they would get Irene and Seulgi back. 

One night when Joy was spending the night, they heard the telltale sign of a bed frame rolling into a wall. Wendy looked at Joy, “why does this keep happening? We don’t sound like that!” Joy jumped up, clutching her chest. 

“Are you saying I’m inadequate? I can make you sound like that if you want. But honestly that just sounds painful. There is no reason the entire wall should be shaking.”

“I just want it to stop”, Wendy groaned. Stuffing a pillow onto her face. 

“I have an idea”, Joy said. Standing from the bed. 

“What’s your idea?”

“You’ll See. Vente’pa’ca”.

“I don’t know what that means”.

“Come here Wendy”. 

“Oh. Oh okay.” They both stood over the head of the bed. “Now what?”

“When I say push. Push. And hard.”

“Push the bed?” Joy nodded, face grave. 

“Let’s bring the ing house down.” When a particularly loud moan echoed through the house Joy looked gravely at Wendy. “Push.” And push the duo did. So hard in fact they heard Irene scream, but that could have been a ual scream so the two pushed again. At some point Wendy’s arms began to ache and Joy refused to lose so she hyped Wendy up. 

“Babe. It’s been like ten minutes I can’t keep this up!” Wendy yelled. Voice hoarse. 

“Commit Wendy! Dedicate yourself and push!”

“My arms hurt!”

“So does my pride! Now you buckle up and push woman!”

“I can’t take it Joy!”

“Yes you can! I believe in you! You can do this!”

The next morning both Irene and Seulgi wouldn’t look Wendy or Joy in the face. And when Wendy complained about her arms hurting Seulgi shot her a look of horror. 

The next time Irene and Seulgi had , they just rented a hotel. Better safe than sorry. 

———————————————

I was tapping my fingertips on my steering wheel to the beat of my rapidly beating heart beat. “Baby, why are you so nervous?” I turned to Wendy. 

How do I explain myself without sounding weird? She’ll never understand. Nobody will ever understand what growing up Hispanic is like. You ever have someone invite you out, but you know your parents so you don’t even ask. You just tell your friends no? 

You ever look at a broom stick, or a flip-flop and have a PTSD flashback? You ever been sick, just for your mother to not take you to the hospital, she just lathers your entire body in vicks? Ever had family over and been forced to just sit there? You can’t do ! You’re a trophy kid. Ever been yelled at in two different languages! And it’s just a repeat of what was said in the first language! I DON’T NEED YOU TO TELL ME IM STUPID IN ENGLISH AND THEN TRANSLATE YOURSELF IN SPANISH MOM! 

I mean, maybe you do know. But Wendy doesn’t! I swallowed hard and pulled Wendy’s hands into my lap. “Listen amorsita. I know you don’t really understand, and I know it’s weird to you. But if you were raised like me, in the environment I was raised in, you’d be scared of your mother too.”

“You shouldn’t fear your parents Joy”. I scoffed. 

“You see. And this is why Hispanic kids and black kids are the most respectful to their elders. We love and fear our parents. One time I confided in my mom about something bad I did and you know what she did? Beat the ever loving out of me. And then gave me a kiss and said. I’m your mother not your friend. My job is to keep you on the right track, not whisper sweet nothings into your ears. That’s for your grandmother to do.”

Wendy just stared at me like I grew a second head. “Why do you think everyone that’s not Hispanic or black is like better?”

“I don’t think we’re better. I’m just saying, are black people or Hispanics serial killers?”

“So what you’re saying is. That every other ethnic background are serial killer breeders?”

“No. I’m saying the way they raise their kids is a bit too lenient.”

“What about the Chinese?”

“What about them?”

“They’re super freaking strict. They make them work from sun up to sunrise. That’s why the Chinese are so damn smart. In japan and China if you sleep on the job it means you were working so hard you needed to sleep. Like they’re proud of you for that..”

“Mhm. And guess what.”

“What?”

“Their parents were parents not friends too! All I’m saying is. My parents raised me with the idea that they would always be on my side. Even when I was wrong my parents sat there and defended me and were there for me. And when I got home I got disciplined. I never upset them so much where that was public. But my cousin kianjelie she disrespected her teacher and her mama beat her in front of the classroom. But I think that’s a strict parents thing not an ethnic thing honestly because my friend Steve he’s from Texas. His dad did the same . It’s not that I think one ethnicity is better than the other babe. To each his own. I just notice real big difference. Like for you for instance, you aren’t white. You’re korean. And I think you were babied way too much and now as an adult, everything scares you. But then you have Irene who’s a korean born and raised in Korea, and she’s scared of everything, but! She’s tough as . She’s almost scary. She takes no bull . Things need to get done and she’s ready to buckle down and get it done, when we put up your shelf you literally took a break every ten minutes, and you wore safety gloves. It took Irene and me five minutes to get it done. She’s a hammer, and you’re a mallet. Both effecting. But sometimes you need tough not gentle.”

“I’m Canadian. We’re gentle!”

“I know, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But I’m Puerto Rican, were just real tough. We work hard because it’s been drilled into us that you work to support yourself and family. You work hard because you don’t want your boss to be disappointed in you. See the difference?”

“My emotions feel attacked.” I laughed and parked the car. 

“Well, here’s a kiss to mend the heart I broke”, I grinned into our kiss, I’m going to marry this woman. This gentle cupcake. A girl that rivals the sun. I’m going to get engaged again! And we’re gonna get married, and we’re gonna move in together and we’re gonna be to fluff balls in love. I’m so excited. 

In no time we were in front of my apartment building and I was practicing deep breathing exercises that Seulgi had taught me. “Babe calm down”.

“Wendy. I can’t. I just want my mom to be proud of me. My family is so freaking involved in everything I do. In almost every photo of me there’s like 9 people in the background. Every second of my life has been with my family everywhere. I’ve never done something that they don’t approve of. I’ve always listened to them. And I want them to love you as much as I love you. And I know this is stupid. But I want my mom to feel the exact same joy I felt when I proposed. I want her to tear up and clap and dance like she did when I graduated, when I got my first job, when I spoke my first word, walked my first step. Yeah I was raised knowing she was my mom not my friend. But to me she’s both. I absolutely adore my mom and I adore you and I just want to keep it the way it is. Where you both love each other. I don’t want to mess this up”. 

Wendy gave me the same look you give a crying baby and kissed my cheek. “Alright. Alright. Let’s do this.”

“Wendy.”

“Mm?”

“I love you”.

———————————————

We walked into the apartment together hand in hand and I groaned. Because of course my mom invited the entire building to the house. She’s supposed to think this is a surprise, in what world would Wendy have thought this was just a normal get together with tons of people and balloons that say congratulations? 

What excuse was she going to give! 

“Bendicion Mami” I kissed my mom on the cheek, she has the brightest grin on her face. It’s how she looked when I cooked my first pot of rice when I was 7. 

“I love you mamita”, my moms voice cracked as she spoke. Kissing my cheek, she turned to Wendy next. I let them be and moved down the line of people in the apartment. 

Bendicion abuela!” I grinned down at my grandmother leaned down to hug her. 

She cupped my cheeks, “Que dios te bendiga y su matrimonio” (May god bless you and your marriage)

I moved onto my cousin, smiling brightly at him. “Yo yo. What’s up”, he pulled me into a hug. 

“How you feeling huh? Excited? Nervous?” Juni laughed, “well. I gotta little surprise for you man. I know you and little miss Wendy have been looking for a place of your own. And well. You know how I work at housing on Webster?” I nodded, unsure of where he’s going with this. “Well. One of the tenants just had another kid, so they moved on to be closer to the grandparents. And I spoke to the building coordinator, he likes my work. We real close and whatnot. And I asked him if for my baby cousins engagement gift if could have the apartment. And well. Long story short, he said yes.” I felt my mouth drop open as my cousin reached into his back pocket and pulled out a set of keys. “It’s not the greatest part of town, but you know. It’s your own. Congratulations Mari”

I looked at the keys in my hand and looked back up to my cousin, his image blurry from my tears. I pulled him into the tightest hug I could muster. “Oh my god, thank you so much Junito. Holy . I love you so much man”. 

“It’s nothing cuz. We’re family you got it? I expect you to be calling me weekly for coffee sabes?”( means got it? In this context) I nodded, my tears still falling. “Aye no llora. (Ay don’t cry) Today’s a big deal. You’re my baby cousin. I won’t have you sad or crying, you know what my mom said. She told me to take care of you. You bet yo that’s what I’m gonna do. I love you Mari. Now go ask that beautiful girl to marry you.”

“I miss Titi.(aunt) But she would be so proud of you man” I said. Kissing my cousins cheek. 

“Yeah. I miss her too. I know she would have loved to be here for this. Now go on. Titi bought ice cream cake and I want first bite so hurry up”.

I turned around, pocketing the keys and finding Wendy. She was smiling and laughing with all my female cousins, Katy was with her. I don’t think anything could ruin today for me. There’s just something about being around family, it just makes everything better. I walked into the center of the living room. Everyone attention turned to me when I cleared my throat. “Gracias por venir.” (Thank you for coming)

“English for those of us who don’t understand!” Katy yelled and I glared at her but thank god she yelled, cause I think my heart is gonna leave my chest. Holy crap how am I so nervous. “For those of you who are crippled in the language department. I said thank you for coming. Today, is a special day for me. My dad always said, big days require big family and I think I have family here from the island.” I looked to my dad, I’ve only ever seen my father cry twice my entire life. But from looking at him right now, I think this might make the third. “You may all know, some of you may not. But today’s so important because I have a question for Wendy”.  I must say, she plays the roll of confused real well. “Hey baby”.

If I die today it’ll all be worth it, Wendy giggled and I swear, there isn’t anything better than that. I thought Marc Anthony singing at the Yankees game was peak perfection, but damn. I think that smiles got them beat. “What’s up baby”.

“We’ve been together for awhile now. And I’m not perfect. And while i think you’re perfect, based on the pancakes you cook I know you’re not perfect. But um. I don’t know a world where we don’t belong together. You make me feel like my family has, like I belong. Like it doesn’t matter what I look like, or where I come from, you make me feel like I’m Joy Maribel Ruiz Garcia, just another jaded human. And you love me like I brought the moon and stars to the sky. And honestly, what more could I ask for? So, I wanted to ask you if you would honor me with the right to 1. Marry you. And second, wake up to you every day.” I grinned at Wendy and pulled out the engagement ring and the apartment keys. 

“Oh my god. Are you serious?” 

“So serious”, it’s like this ain’t our second time doing this. I grunted at the force that Wendy jumped on me and stood up, lifting her up off the floor and just held her tiny body in my arms. 

I looked around, everyone was crying and laughing, my mom had her camera out and my dad looked like the happiest man alive. “I love you so much”, I heard Wendy mumble against my neck. 

Yeah, definitely better than Marc Anthony singing at the Yankees game. 

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If you prefer the translations at the bottom again just tell me. Figured I’d give you real time definitions instead of scrolling to the bottom. Hope you enjoyed!