Incest/Taboo Destruction and Rebirth

"Go put your stuff away, honey," I directed as we entered the three-bedroom condo Catalina and I had bought after coming back from our honeymoon. The one the company had supplied wasn't large enough for our needs after Alondra's birth. Contentment flooded my heart at the sound of my daughter's feet racing towards her bedroom. I was in our bedroom as I changed out of my suit when my phone rang. "Hello?" I answered as my t-shirt slid down my chest. When chasing a four-year-old old comfortable clothes are a must!

"Dad?!" My lip trembled at the sound of my son's voice.

"Dad, I put Carson on a three-way call with us. I hope that's alright. He wanted to talk with you, too, when I told him I had reached you."

"And how exactly did you get my number?" I inquired as I walked back out to the living room as Alondra was sitting in her little chair at the coffee table with her coloring books and crayons before her. Walking into the kitchen, getting Alondra's favorite cup, that she just had to drink from, out of the cabinet and pouring her a glass of apple juice before screwing the lid on and placing a straw through the hole for it on top of the lid. It helped to keep spills to a minimum should Alondra accidentally knock it over. "Here you go, honey," I said in a loving voice setting Alondra's drink before her.

"Gracias, Papi," Alondra chirped with that toothy loving smile of hers.

"De nada, mi Amor" I replied in kind. Watching those cheeks heat like her mother's always did.

"Dad, who was that?" Carson asked, confused.

"My daughter," I spoke truthfully as I lowered myself onto the couch. "Your baby sister," I informed them. Watching my daughter's head snapping up at that.

"Papi? Do I have a brother?" Alondra asked, switching to English like she normally does. I got used to it, so I just roll with it.

"You do," I nodded, "and a sister." Smiling as I watched my daughter jumping from her seat and racing around the table, she climbed into my lap.

"Papi, I want to hear, too," Alondra spoke with those doe-like eyes as she peered up at me.

"Okay, honey," lowering my phone and putting it on speaker, "Carson, Amber, I'd like you to meet your sister, Alondra Hal, say, hi, baby," I encouraged her as I rubbed her back.

"Hola!" Alondra said excitedly as she bounced on my leg.

"English, honey, they don't know Spanish," I informed her, seeing her nod in understanding.

"Hello, little sister, I'm your big sister." I heard Amber's trembling voice.

"Hi! Where are you, are you here? Or are you close? Are you coming over?" Alondra spoke rapidly like she always does when she was excited.

"That would be hard for me, li'l sis. I'm in California at the moment. But I would really like to meet you," Carson said; I heard my son trying to hold back his own emotions.

"Amber told me you joined the Army."

"I did; I had to get away from Mom. It got worse after you left. I'll tell you later...."

"No, don't, I don't care what happened to her. That's in the past, and I'd rather keep it there," I said sternly.

"Okay," I heard my son sniff, "so Dad, I heard you got married again."

"I did, and she's the most amazing woman you'll ever meet," I said proudly.

"I hope I can. Only if you're okay with it. I know I said something hurtful to you that day. For the past seven years, I've hated myself for it. Can you forgive me?"

"I think we all handled that day very poorly. I let my emotions get the better of me, but I was beyond hurt..."

"I know, Dad, and we can't apologize enough for it. But can we try to build back our relationship that we ignorantly destroyed? I know David and I would really like to be a part of your lives," Amber cut in.

"First, answer my question."

"I found it at Papa's one day when I was helping clean out a room for them. They said they've been waiting to give it to us, but you always told them no."

"Ah." Which was true. I did tell them no, a lot.

"Amber," I nodded when Alondra looked at me when she silently asked if she said it right, "where do you live?"

"In Dad's old hometown, I never left."

"Kansas City, honey, I'll show you later," I supplied when Alondra looked up at me in confusion.

"Papi, when can I see my brother and sister?" That caught me off guard; I was not expecting her to ask that.

"Dad, why does she call you Papi?" Carson asked, confused.

"Because she's half Latino, and Papi means dad, father, daddy, depending on the context," I stated.

"Really? You married a Latino woman?" I could hear the disbelief in my son's voice.

"I did, best decision I've ever made, otherwise I wouldn't have this little munchkin," I said, tickling my daughter, listening to that giggle of hers.

"Papi, stop?!" Alondra said between giggles of laughter.

And so, we sat there chatting away as the minutes grew from ten to twenty, to an hour then two before Carson had to say goodbye to head off to his duty station. I agreed that Carson could call later when he was off duty. Then Amber left only after a tearful goodbye to the two of us. With Alondra standing on the couch between my legs and my chin resting on her left shoulder with her leaning against my chest, we took a picture together. We sent it to the two of them. Then my son sent one to us, after texting me his number, of him in his uniform. I have to say my boy did look good in it. I was very proud of him; I worried, but I was very proud of my son. Takes a lot of courage to put your life on the line, no matter if he only did it to get away from his mother. Then came the picture of Amber and David snuggled together. I could see my daughter trying not to cry in it. How my daughter had grown so beautiful while I was away. God. I hate myself for missing these years with them. However, what's done is done; nothing can change it. All we can do is move forward in hopes of making up for lost time.

Catalina walked in that evening at her usual time. 5:30 on the dot. I never have to worry about her sneaking off like the Bitch did, for however many years she whored herself out. No, not Catalina; I knew her family would disown her if she broke her vows of marriage, not that she ever would. That's how much I trust Catalina compared to the nightmare of seventeen years. It's funny, isn't it, that you don't see the signs until it's already over and history.

"Mi Amor, te he estranado," Catalina sighed as she sank down into my lap after cuddling with our daughter. It was her favorite saying whenever we were a part for a long period of time which translates to: 'My love, I've missed you.'

"yo Tambiean a ti," I replied before embracing those lips I will never get tired of kissing.

"Do you want to talk about today?" Catalina whispered in my ear as her hand lightly rubbed my chest. She could tell how torn my heart was right then.

"I think I do," I nodded.

"Mi Amor," Catalina cooed to our daughter, "why don't you turn on your cartoons while your Papi and I have a little chat, okay?"

"Okay!" Alondra chirped before rushing to turn the TV on.

Catalina rose from my lap, that fine ass of hers brushing along my manhood as she did. Taking me by the hand and leading me towards the kitchen. She likes to talk while she cooks. Plus, I think she knows I stare at her ass when she does this. I have to say, who wouldn't stare at it; it was divine! So, I stood there watching her prepare our dinner for the night. She never lets me cook; says I have no skill in the kitchen. Hey, if she wants to cook, I'm all for it; it doesn't mean I don't do the clean-up since she did the work. That's what a marriage is supposed to be like a united front, each sharing the load equally, or that's what I think anyway. Plus, I have to admit; she is a better cook than I am. I noted how she listened intently as I told her about the conversation Alondra and I had with Carson and Amber.

"He so looks like you," Catalina cooed sweetly when I showed her the picture of himself Carson had sent me. "Oh? Don't they just look adorable together," she uttered when I showed her the picture of David and Amber. "So, honey, what do you want to do?" she asked, shooting me that look of hers. I know it never sat well with her that I and my children were estranged, yet she never pushed the subject when I knew it cut against her upbringing. To her thinking, family is supposed to stick together no matter who pissed whom off. Blood is thicker than water, as the saying goes, and her family adhered to that saying like they did their faith.

"I want to see my daughter; I want to see my son. Hell, I just want to hold them again," I stated, arching an eyebrow when Catalina began to smile.

"About time," Catalina said, throwing her arms around me and planting a kiss on my lips. "I know it will take time for the three of you to get back on good footing, but I'm going to be here with you. I am your wife after all, and I'd never leave you stranded," she said in this loving tone as she stared up at me.

"So you ready to become the mother of two more kids?" I asked to which Catalina just nodded vehemently to my question. Catalina came from a very large family, and I knew she wanted more kids. We were waiting to get Alondra into kindergarten before we tried for another. That way, Catalina wouldn't be overburdened with a four-year-old underfoot and her pregnancy.

"Now, you call that daughter of yours; I wish to speak with her and set a date for their visit," Catalina said, patting my chest.

"Amber, do you have video calling on your phone?" I texted her.

"Dad? I didn't think you would contact me so soon. And no, not on my phone, but my laptop does; why?"

"Go get it; someone wants to speak with you," I texted back, giving her my Skype ID. I use it to talk to Alondra whenever I have to go out of town for business.

"Who?"

"Catalina."

"Okay, hold on, don't go anywhere?!"

"Of course, she's excited; she gets to see her Papi," Catalina said in a loving tone as she caressed my cheek when I showed her Amber's text. "Relax, it will be okay," she reassured me when she saw how nervous I was to see my daughter after seven years apart as the ring tone for my Skype played.

"Dad!" Amber said excitedly, the moment our lines connected.

"Hello, honey," I greeted; I couldn't help it. I was smiling as I peered at my now twenty-three-year-old daughter. She wasn't the only one trying not to cry at that moment. Leaning against the counter next to the stove so my phone would capture the two of us. "Amber, meet Catalina, Catalina meet my eldest daughter, Amber," I said, introducing the two of them.

"Hello," Catalina said with that warmth she just naturally radiates.

"H-hello," Amber spoke with a trembling voice.

"It's okay to cry; this is a joyous event. So if you have to, don't let me stop you," Catalina said in a motherly voice. "You must be David?" she uttered when we watched as Amber's fiancée eased down beside her and wrapped his arm around her as Amber's tears of happiness ran down her cheeks as she gazed at me.

"I am; it's nice to meet the two of you," David said politely.

"I'm sorry. I told myself I wouldn't cry anymore today," Amber uttered, drying her eyes.

"Amber, it's fine; you should be crying. It's the natural thing to do. Now I hear from your father you'd like to visit us," Catalina said, giving me this look that said: 'See? That wasn't so hard, was it?'

"Yes, we would, only if it's alright with the two of you. We can find..."

"I will not have my stepdaughter sleeping in a cheap motel when we have a perfectly good room here," Catalina said, cutting Amber off causing her to gasp. "In my family, everyone is welcome here, and you are family. I'm sorry it took your father this long to wise up, but he can be stubborn," she spoke, wearing this teasing smile as she did.

"We're talking now; that's what matters," Amber said, her eyes glanced between us.

"So," I couldn't help myself as I glanced down and ogled my wife's ass as her skirt moved along it as she reached for her spice mixture she handmade for tacos and other dishes, "when were you wanting to come?" Catalina asked, lightly smacking my arm when she caught me. Yet she had this bashful look in her eyes as she brushed her hair behind her ear while heat flooded her cheeks. I can't help it. After five years together, it still felt like that first date. In all that time, her beauty hasn't waned.

"Not this weekend, but next, we're free to fly in for a few...."

"No, no," Catalina wasn't having it, "you must stay a week with us. How else are we to get to know each other? In two days, it can't be done," she said in that motherly tone. "When's the wedding?"

"March 16 of next year," David supplied.

"Hmm... does Alondra have anything planned in the next three weeks?" Catalina asked, looking at me, knowing I would remember off the top of my head.

"No."

"Then you fly in on that Saturday and stay till the next Sunday. Since you're a part of this family and you're joining it soon, you must meet the rest of your family," Catalina spoke as she stirred the sizzling meat and the onions mixed with green peppers. She likes the heat; I can't handle that high, so she only uses jalapeno peppers and bell peppers to cut down on the heat level.

"Dad? You okay with this?" I could see how nervous Amber was as she waited for my answer.

"I am; I want to see you, honey. I've missed you so much," I said truthfully.

"And I missed you too," Amber said, trying not to let her emotions get to her. "David, can we?"

"Of course, baby, whatever you want." I hate to admit, what father likes some guy when he's dating his daughter, but it seemed to me David was a pretty decent guy. "We'll just have to put in the request for the time."

"You two work together?" I asked with an arched eyebrow.

"We do, I got a job as a pharmacy tech, and David is the manager of the store I work at," I noted how my daughter had this loving gaze as she peered at David.

"Don't chide them; remember we met at work too," Catalina said with this sexy little smirk of hers.

"You did?!" Amber asked, her interest pegged.

"It's not an appropriate story with a child within earshot," I said, hearing the sounds of my daughter's feet racing towards us.

"Mamá, may I have some more juice?" Alondra asked, holding up her glass.

"Of course, Mi Amor." Wiping her hands on the dish towel that hung on the oven's doorhandle.

"Papi, who are you talking to?" Alondra asked, peering up at me and my phone. I noticed how Amber had her hands cupping her mouth when Alondra stood before me.

"Your sister," I answered, smiling down at my daughter.

"Really?!" Alondra uttered in a high pitch squeal. "Hi!" She waved ecstatically as she bounced on her feet.

"Hello, Alondra, it's nice to see you," Amber said sweetly.

"You look so pretty?! Are you coming to visit?" Alondra asked again.

"Very soon, and thank you, you're adorable," Amber nodded.

"I know," Alondra said with a wide grin as she swooned.

"Alondra, why don't you go back and watch your show while we work things out," Catalina said in a loving, motherly voice as she bent down and handed Alondra her drink.

"Bye, big sister!" Alondra waved up at my phone before scurrying back to her cartoons, or that's what I thought she was doing. Only to have Alondra run back into the kitchen ten minutes later with a drawing she had just made. "Look, Papi?!" she said excitedly as she held up the picture of five crudely drawn stick figures standing beneath a blue sun.

"And what do you have there querido," I asked as Catalina turned to look at it as well.

"A picture of all of us," Alondra said proudly.

"Oh?"

"Mmmhmm, that's you, Mamá, my brother and sister, and that's me!" Alondra said, pointing to every person on the drawing.

"But why a blue sun?"

"Because it's pretty!" Alondra said as if that was a logical response. Which to her probably was, not that I would criticize my daughter's artwork. That would be poor of me as a father.

"Well then, shouldn't we put it up on the fridge for your sister to see when she comes?" I asked to which Alondra nodded her head very vehemently.

"Go on, let your Papi and I finish our discussion with your sister," Catalina said, guiding Alondra out of the kitchen after she had hung the picture on the fridge's door.

"Okay, dinner is almost ready, we must say goodbye, for now, it was very nice meeting you. I've wanted to ever since your father told me about the two of you. But you know how stubborn your father can be," Catalina said, getting a giggle out of Amber. "You two have a good night, and don't hesitate to call."

"We will, bye Dad, I love you, we'll call when we know something about our vacation," Amber said, pressing her fingers to her lips before lightly touching the screen on her laptop.

"Now the handsome father should set the table," Catalina said, giving me that look that I knew meant one thing; I was so getting fucked tonight.

God, those tacos were good. I ate four that night. As I led Alondra to her bedroom, I peered back at my wife, who sauntered seductively to our bedroom that was on the other side of the condo. Watching how she reached back and slowly lowered the zipper of her skirt. Allowing it to cascade down her legs and pool on the floor. Showing off that firm apple shaped ass, her black thong parted her ass cheeks. I felt my manhood rousing, knowing just what she would be doing while I read Alondra a bedtime story.

That was the longest twenty minutes of anticipation I've ever had, knowing my hot wife was just across my home getting herself ready for tonight's event. The sweet scent that she always wore when she readied herself for our night, mostly nightly lovemaking. Sometimes it didn't happen; it happens after all when you have a young child you're raising. Sometimes you're just too damn tired for sex. That didn't mean we didn't get each other off. There she stood, her hands pressed against the doorframe of our bathroom. Those 32C breasts of hers stood proudly on her chest as the soft light of our bedroom played along her light brown skin. My lips instinctively smacked, longing to be wrapped around those brown nipples of hers. Our condo complex has a gym on the ground floor, so we stay fit, not ripped muscle out the ass but enough definition to know we have them well in Catalina's case. I still have the hard body I earned in the two years of going to the gym every day. I felt my cock flexing in my old shorts that I only wear around the house as my eyes ran down her body. Rolling my tongue in my mouth to swallow the drool that was overwhelming it at the sight of my naked wife as my eyes ran along her triangle patch of trim fur. Down those legs of hers that I knew felt so divine brushing along my hip when I was between them. Then again, let's be truthful, they fucking feel great regardless!

"So is my Amor ready for the ride of his life?" Catalina asked in this sultry tone as those brown eyes of hers ran down my body as I quickly stripped.

"Llevame al cielo," I replied, watching those eyes of hers flare then narrow as the fires of her passion grew as my words settled in her ears.

"Heaven, huh?" Catalina mused as her index finger pressed on the middle of my chest as I walked backward to the bed. Only to have my knees buckle, dropping me down onto its surface.

"Have you met you?" I asked with a coy grin. "Definitely Heaven." My hands ran up Catalina's thighs as she straddled my lap.

"That so," Catalina purred before her lips hungrily tore at mine as her inhalation of breath was loud in my ears. Her hips rocked forward as my hands held firmly onto her ass. Feeling the heat of her womanhood on my rod as our tongues explored one another's. Hearing her light mewing in my ear as I nibbled lightly down the side of her neck. Her gooseflesh danced under my touch as my hands moved up her back. "Then let me take you to seventh Heaven," Catalina purred in my ear.

"Lead the way," I replied like I was ever going to pass up the chance to feel the inside of that velvet pocket of hers. I wasn't that damn stupid?! Her eyes always had this warmness and sultriness to them whenever we had sex. Telling me only I was on her mind and always would be as she eased off my lap and slid onto the bed. I couldn't help myself when that round, firm backside stared at me and those chocolatey lips showed themselves to my eyes.

"Nat?!" Catalina gasped as I buried my face between those firm cheeks. "Mmm... don't you dare stop," she moaned like I would ever. I made that little peach cream like a husband should as she returned the affection. She wasn't one to take and not give like I noticed the Bitch would do after everything went to shit. No, not Catalina; she would give as good as she got, and let me tell you, she could suck a golf ball through a garden hose. How I had that woman howling into the bed as I teased the hell out of her pussy.

I watched how those predatory eyes of hers were on me, well, my cock actually, as she zeroed in on her prey. Biting my lip to keep my voice down so as not to wake Alondra with my moans of bliss when Catalina inhaled my cock. Her head rocking along its length as I lay with my back on the bed. Feeling her hand working the base of my root while her lips and tongue teased and pleased the rest of my length.

"So baby, you ready to climb the stairway to Heaven?" Catalina asked, staring down at me while she held my rod against that hot, wet sex of hers.

"Oh, hell yes!" I uttered eagerly, ready to be back within that welcoming heat. I watched this knowing smile forming on my wife's lips as she eased up slightly; my fingers curled around our bed covering as my mushroom top separated her wet labia before she sank down its length.

"Then you just enjoy the ride as this angel takes you to your afterlife," Catalina cooed down at me as she began to rock her hips.

While I loved watching that woman riding me, yet I couldn't let her do all the work. That would be poor of me as a man. So rolling her onto her back, my eyes watching how that rich ebony hair of hers feathered out around her as she stared up at me with those love-filled eyes. Her mouth opened as my hard cock eased back into her hot little peach. Watching her breasts jiggle as I thrust into her. Feeling her folds tightening around my rod as it brought pleasure to my woman. How I loved watching that woman cum, especially when she cursed in Spanish when Alondra was staying at her grandparent's house. I learned so many new words that way! Yet not that night, no, that night it was simply the soft whispers of two people in love with one another whispering sweet nothings to one another.

As always, life moves on; Carson did call the next day, which I didn't mind, apologizing for not doing so that night, seeing how he forgot it would have been eleven at night on the east coast when he got off duty. He didn't want to call so late and wake up Alondra. Which I can understand, Alondra is hard to get back to sleep if she is awoken too soon from her slumber. By the time we got off the phone, two hours had passed, and I had yet to do a damn thing at work. Then again, as the boss, I could get away with it. After two weeks of Alondra asking when her sister was coming kind of got on my nerves. Well, she is four years old, so it kind of went with the territory. So, when the time came for Amber and David to fly in, I kissed my wife and slipped out of our condo early in the morning. Catalina wanted to go with, yet getting Alondra up at five o'clock on a Saturday morning was like asking someone to part the Red Sea -- impossible.

All through the drive to the Charlotte-Douglas airport, I was a nervous wreck. As I stood there waiting for my daughter's flight to come in. My eyes never left the arrival board as I paced. I noticed the TSA agents eyeing me. Yet, they never approached. Then the moment happened, the moment my eyes locked onto Amber's as she and David made their way through the crowd. I saw the man nod before Amber bolted into a run as she raced towards me.

"Dad!" Amber shouted in joy as she rushed towards me with open arms. I saw the tears glistening in the airport lights as they ran down her cheeks. "Dad?!" Her cry was muffled due to her face being buried in my chest as she hugged me hard. I admit I hugged her hard right back. After all, this was the first time I had seen my grown daughter in seven long years. I was not letting her go! We got some looks from people I didn't fucking care! We stayed like that for five long minutes. I noticed David was standing there patiently watching us. He had to be six foot one, given he was taller than I was and I was six feet tall. His brown hair was cut neatly and combed; it showed me he cared about the image he put out in the world instead of the unkept hair of her past boyfriends I remembered. His clean-shaven face showed a blue tenge to it. While his clothes weren't formal-formal, they did show he wanted to impress me. "Dad, I like for you to meet, David," Amber said, sliding her arm around her fiancée once she had left my arms.

"David Callister," he said, holding out his hand to me.

"Nathan Hal," I greeted, noticing the firm grip he had.

"Dad? Where are the other two?" Amber asked, looking around for Catalina and Alondra.

"You know how hard it is to get a four-year-old up at five in the morning on a Saturday when cartoons aren't involved?" I asked with a pointed look. "Catalina stayed at home with her."

"Right," Amber had this bashful look on her face when she said that.

"These all your bags?" I asked, looking down at the one David was managing to hold in one hand due to the extended handles of their rolling suitcases.

"Yes, sir," David answered politely.

"Come on, my car is this way," I said, nodding towards the exit. Halfway to my car, my phone rang in my pants pocket. "Hey, honey," I answered after seeing my wife's ID on the screen.

"Hello, mi Amor, has their flight come in yet?" I heard her moving around the kitchen over the line.

"Yeah, walking to the car now. We should be home in half an hour, depending on traffic," I said, pulling out my key fob and listening to the sound of my car unlocking as we neared.

"Okay, I'll get breakfast going and the coffee. Can Amber eat eggs?"

"Yep, let me ask David," I said, turning back to them who were following behind me. "You're not allergic to eggs, are you?"

"No, love them," David answered with a toothy smile.

"He can eat eggs," I said, knowing what she was planning on making.

"Good, it will take a while for the veggies to cook, so we'll be waiting for you three to get home. Drive safe, baby." I heard the love in her voice as I heard her chopping the veggies for her version of a Mexican omelet.

"Always, honey," I replied as I hit the trunk button on my key fob. "Te Amo." I could see in my mind's eye how red those cheeks were.

"Yo también te quiero."

"Dad, when did you learn Spanish?" Amber asked as David laid their bags in the trunk of my car.

"After I asked Catalina out on our first date," I said truthfully.

"Oh?" Amber's eyes went wide when I said that, "You must have really liked her to do that."

"Yeah, I was totally smitten with her; just don't tell her that," I said with a warm smile on my lips.

"Does she know you did?" Amber asked as David closed the lid of the trunk.

"Yeah," I answered as I moved along the side of the car to the driver's door.

"Did you ever do that for..." My eyes cut hard to my daughter as she almost spoke the Bitch's name.

"I did everything to make that... woman happy. Yet that wasn't enough for her to not give out what she shouldn't to every man she could," I said heatedly.

"Sorry, Dad, it's just... never mind, forget I ever brought it up," Amber said, shaking her head. "Let's chalk it up to a brain fart. I promised myself I wouldn't bring up the past; I'm sorry I couldn't keep..."

"It's fine, Amber, as long as you don't bring that... up again," I said, catching myself before calling her mother a bitch, which she was.

"I promise, I won't." I saw she believed those words she spoke.

"Well, get in, I'd rather not miss breakfast," I said, which was true, I did tell you Catalina can cook, and I never missed a meal of hers.

"Dad, didn't you get a house?" Amber asked as we pulled into the parking garage of my condo complex.

"Been there, done that, living here I don't have a lawn to mow and keep up with everything else," I said, popping the trunk after cutting off the car. "Plus, it's close to work, and I'm not buying a house in this city. The taxes are outrageous!" I said in feign shock.

"So, David, you two looking to buy?" I smiled wickedly when the young man struck his head on the underside of the trunk lid. "You're not going to tell me the two of you are living together out of wedlock?" I asked, pretending to be a stuck-up prude. Which I wasn't; I just found it amusing to torment my future son-in-law. I mean, what father hasn't done that to the man about to marry his daughter?

"Dad?!" Biting my lip when that tone I haven't heard in seven long years left Amber's lips. It was the same tone she used when I did the same thing to the losers she dated as a teenager. However, I can't say David was a loser; a father needs to ensure that the man is good enough for his daughter. "Don't pester David; he's a good man." Amber had this stern look on her face as she crossed her arms. It kind of reminded me of the Bitch when she would get mad.

"Couldn't help myself," I said, shutting my trunk.

"It's fine honey, your father is just sizing me up; I would do the same," David said, giving me a nod.

"Smart boy, maybe there is hope for him," I mused to myself. "If either of you need to workout while here, there's a gym on the ground floor. Not hard to find; if anyone gives you trouble, just tell them your guests of 1003," I said as I led them into the building proper. Seeing them nod in understanding.

"I wasn't going to say anything, but you look, good Dad, I don't remember seeing you so thin," Amber said as we walked towards the elevator.

"Well, I had two kids to raise, and going to the gym was a distant second in making sure you and your brother had what you needed," I answered, pressing the call button.

"Can I ask, Mr..."

"Call me Nathan," I interrupted.

"Can I ask, Nathan, when you married your new wife did you delve into the Latinx culture... did I say something wrong?" I saw David look at my daughter when I had a scowl on my lips.

"I'm going to say this once, so let this be a warning to you, do not, I repeat, do not call them that. They hate that word. It's like calling a black man or woman the 'N' word. It's either Latino or Latina, nothing else. Understood?" I said firmly.

"I meant no offense," David profusely said.

"I know, but it's better me telling you this now than you saying it in front of Catalina or her family; you wouldn't walk out alive. They really hate that word. They feel it's as if the white man is trying to erase their culture because people today want to push their views on a group of people who know exactly who they are," I said, paraphrasing the rant I heard Catalina having about it to her cousin when we were dating because a few people kept calling her that at work. Seriously, could they not tell she hated that word? Some people are just idiots, I guess.

"I understand; no wonder Pablo constantly gives me the stink eye." I heard David whisper from behind me as I stepped onto the elevator.

"Catalina and Alondra can understand English and speak it; if the two of you can't speak Spanish, don't try," I said, seeing their nods in the reflection of the elevator door as I pressed the floor button for my condo.

The moment I entered the home I shared with Catalina, my face lit up seeing my wife and daughter, who were still in their PJs, standing there waiting for me to return. With my customary kiss in and the hug to my legs that Alondra gave me, I stepped aside to let the two people who have been the most important people in my life for the past five years gaze at my grown daughter and her fiancée.

"Amber, David, I'd like you two to officially meet my wife Catalina," squeezing Catalina into me, "and my daughter, your sister, Alondra," I said, watching my eldest daughter lowering herself to her knees before holding out her arms to Alondra.

"Hello, baby sister; I'm so happy to see you." I heard my daughter whisper as she hugged Alondra and gently rocked her.

"Hello, Mrs. Hal," David said, holding out his hand to Catalina.

"Catalina, please, a family shouldn't stand on formalities," Catalina said; I noted how David was taken aback when Catalina hugged him. "Nat, why don't you show them to their room, and I'll get the omelets started."

"I hope you two are hungry because you won't be after breakfast," I said, leading the two of them to our guest bedroom with Alondra running in front of me. "What are you doing, you little goof?" I asked in a teasing light as Alondra danced in front of the room.

"Nothing?!" Alondra replied with her trademarked toothy smile.

"When your done unpacking, there's coffee in the kitchen if you two want any," I said, standing in the doorway with Alondra beside me, holding my hand.

"We will; we skipped breakfast to make our flight on time," Amber said, laying her suitcase on the bed.

"Good, because Catalina likes cooking large meals. Reminds her of her childhood; we'll let you two get settled. Come on, honey, let's give them some privacy," I said, lightly patting Alondra's hand.

"Si, Papi," Alondra replied as she gazed up at me.

"He seems nice," Catalina said offhandedly as I walked into the kitchen while Alondra went to watch her 'My Little Pony' show.

"He does, a rather polite fellow," I answered as I got mugs for all of us.

"It smells heavenly in here," Amber said from behind us. I would have thought she would have unpacked. "Couldn't wait for that coffee, don't want to pass out before breakfast," she said as if she read my mind.

"Thank you," Catalina said, taking pride in her skill as a chef.

I saw her eyes lighting up as I set the fresh cup before her. "Creamer is in the fridge, or there's milk, and here's the sugar," I stated, pushing the small dish that Catalina places it in for guests in case they do partake of a good cup of java.

"Thanks, Dad, this is just what the doctor ordered," Amber sighed as she inhaled the scent of the coffee. I noted how she mouthed a thank you to Catalina, who nodded in return when she set the creamer down before my daughter. Who wasted no time in getting her coffee just the way she liked it. "So good," Amber moaned into her cup.

"Thank you, my cousin owns a coffee farm in the highlands of Mexico; he sends us a couple of bags a month knowing how your father really loves his coffee, as do I, but my cousin really likes your father," Catalina said, shooting me this knowing smirk. It wasn't that the man liked me; okay, he did, but that's only because I saved his business from going under when a disease wiped out his crop two years ago. Hey, I wasn't complaining, I'm a silent owner of a coffee farm, and I get free coffee, so I say that's a win-win in my book.

"He does?" Amber shot me a glance.

"Oh yes, your father is a very kind man," Catalina said, buttering me up. Shooting me this coy smirk as she rolled the omelet up after lining the middle with the caramelized onions, the roasted peppers. She took out the seeds to cut the heat down and the roasted tomatoes before plating it. Watching her making a much smaller one for Alondra. We both knew Alondra wouldn't eat all of it if she was given a full-sized one. I couldn't help it; my eyes couldn't look away as Catalina bent down, causing her pajama pants to become taut along her ass as she pulled the croissants from the oven. What can I say? I love ogling my wife's body. I think that's why she does things like that. My eyes flickered up as David ambled down the hall. I think he took over unpacking so Amber could chat with us under the disguise of coffee. "Now, Nat, make yourself useful and carry these to the table," Catalina said in a teasing voice as she held out two plates to me.

"Alondra, come to the table," I said in a fatherly voice, seeing my daughter glued to the TV.

"Si, Papi," Alondra uttered, sliding off the couch and scurrying over to the spot she always sat in. "Gracias, Papi," she said, peering up at me with that loving smile of hers when I set her chocolate milk before her.

"You're welcome, honey," I whispered into her hair as I placed a kiss on the top of her head. I noted how Alondra nodded vehemently when Amber asked Alondra if she could sit beside her.

"Oh, this is so good," Amber moaned from behind her cupped hand.

"I hope it isn't too hot for you. Your father doesn't like a lot of heat," Catalina said in a motherly voice as she gazed across the table at my eldest daughter.

"No," shaking her head, "adds a little kick to it," Amber said in a polite manner.

"I wouldn't mind a little... thank you," David said with a smile when Catalina held out the bottle of El Yucateco Black Label Reserve Chili Habanero Hot Sauce she ordered from Mexico to him. "It's hot, so use sparingly; I was raised on it, so I'm used to it."

"Thank you," David said, taking the bottle from her. I watched how David did a taste test of it on a little bite of his omelet.

"You okay?" Catalina asked, rubbing David's back as I watched the heat getting to him.

"Never better; what is this called again?" I thought he was mad as he added more to his omelet.

"El Yucateco Black Label Reserve Chili Habanero Hot Sauce," Catalina said matter-of-factly. "I order it from Mexico, it's not the hottest sauce out there, but it is hot. Do you like it?"

"Oh yeah, better than Tabasco sauce," David said with a nod.

"Good, then you'll love our family get-together; they all bring their own with them," Catalina said with this rather happy smile on her lips.

"We're going to Ashville tomorrow to the zoo. Would the two of you like to join?" I asked, seeing Alondra getting excited in her seat at the thought.

"Only if we won't be an inconvenience to you three," Amber replied, looking around the table at us.

"Amber," dabbing her lips, "you aren't an inconvenience to us; you're family, so never think that," Catalina said in that motherly voice of hers. Like I said, she does come from a large family, and I knew she was never comfortable with just the three of us in the house. Don't get me wrong, she loved us dearly, yet I knew she wanted more. All week I could see how excited she was to have a full house.

"So, how did the two of you meet?" Catalina asked, slipping her legs beneath her as she sat in her chair on our balcony while sipping her morning coffee.

"David here was already working at the store when I got hired to work in the pharmacy as the assistant manager," Amber said, sitting across from us at the small round table we placed out there for such times while Alondra enjoyed her cartoons.

"Worked your way up the ladder, huh?" I stated, to which David nodded. I can respect that of a man. "What're your plans going forward?"

"I think that in a few years after I get some more experience under my belt, try for a more corporate job at the company," David said with me nodding along approving of his plan.

"Do they have a program to help you train for such a position?" Catalina asked, slipping her hand into my lap and squeezing my thigh.

"They do, but I want to make sure they won't turn me down, hence why I'm going to wait a few more years," David said before taking a sip of his coffee.

"Sounds reasonable," I nodded. Knowing if he was a manager in my bank region, I too would be looking for someone with a little bit more experience managing a branch before thinking of adding them to the corporate ladder.​