Chapter 20: Dreams
*Jasmine*
Butterflies beat their wings against Jasmine’s stomach as Zain pulled into the driveway of a one-story ranch house. It was small, but it was cute. If Jasmine were to guess, it was probably a three-bedroom house, at the most. It wasn’t like her parents’ huge two-story house back home, but she didn’t care. Home was where the heart was, after all.
Zain turned off the engine and glanced over at her, smiling proudly. “Well, this is it! What do you think?”
“I love it!” she said, when an older woman of Spanish descent stepped out onto the front porch. Then her eyes locked with Jasmine’s, and she gave her a warm smile. “Is she your mom?”
He nodded. “Yes. I can’t wait for her to meet you! Wait here for just a minute.” He gave me a quick peck and then slid out of the car and opened her door and took her hand a moment later. Zain closed the door behind her and placed his hand on the small of her back. Jasmine’s heart pounded as he led her to his mother.
“Madre, I’d like you to meet my girlfriend, Jasmine Hunt. Jasmine, this is my mother, Maria Perez.” He smiled proudly at them both.
Jasmine extended her hand, wanting to make a good impression. After all, first impressions are lasting. “Hello, Mrs. Perez. It’s a pleasure to meet you! Zain has told me so much about you.”
She smiled, arching an eyebrow as she looked up at Zain. “Oh, has he now? I hope it was all good.”
Jasmine chuckled. “It was. He spoke very highly of you.”
Then Maria surprised her by taking her hand and pulling her in for a hug. “Any friend of my son’s is welcome.” She released her but held both her hands, taking her in, smiling. Then she nodded toward the house. “Come on in! Would you like something to drink?”
Jasmine nodded. “Yes, please. Would you like some help?”
“Oh, heaven’s no!” She laughed, waving her hand dismissively. “Zain, why don’t you show Jasmine around? I’ll meet you out back with the drinks.”
“Thanks, Madre.” A broad smile spread across his lips.
But when Jasmine looked around the quaint living room, pictures of Zain and a girl who looked like him—obviously his sister—hung all over the walls, along with another adorable little girl and another man, who must have been her father. There were also a few pictures of Zain dancing with the little girl, too.
“Wow!” Jasmine headed over to the wall to a picture of Zain playing baseball when he was little. “Were you in T-ball here?”
Zain nodded, laughing. “Don’t look at that—”
“Don’t be ridiculous!” She nudged his shoulder playfully with hers. “This is you! I want to get to know you... all of you.” She moved to a picture of him batting. He was a little younger than he was now, probably in high school. His stance was perfect. He had just hit the ball. “Wow! What a great pic of your follow-through!”
Zain looked at her, surprised. “You know what follow-through is?”
Jasmine shrugged as she went on to the next picture. “I know a lot about baseball. Football is another story.” Her head snapped up. “Do you play football, too?”
Zain shook his head. “No, the only sport I’ve ever played is baseball.”
“Not even basketball?”
He shook his head. “No, I was too busy practicing baseball.”
Jasmine went to a picture of a beautiful brunette girl in a cheerleading outfit, jumping up and clapping, smiling at the camera. “Is this your sister?”
Zain nodded, smiling proudly. “Yes. That’s my sister, Carmen. She was a cheerleader in high school.”
She nodded. “She’s beautiful.”
Zain chuckled. “I think so, too.”
“And so is your mother,” Jasmine said, her voice low, not wanting his mother to hear.
Zain smiled as he kissed her forehead.
Then she went on to a picture of a little girl in a pink frilly dress, spinning, smiling happily at the camera. “And who is this?”
Zain chuckled. “This is my niece, Sylvia. She’s a handful.”
“She’s a princess,” Jasmine corrected, “and adorable.”
Zain nodded. “Well, let’s go out back. I think you’ll like it.”
Jasmine nodded as she let him lead her down a hallway and then outside onto a patio and a big fenced in backyard, big enough for parties or to play. Three picnic tables set on the covered back porch, and colored lights hung all around. Of course, they were turned off now, but Jasmine could imagine how beautiful the space would be at night.
“Wow! This is so cool!”
Zain chuckled. “Thanks. My cousins and I put them up years ago and surprised my mother. Now, family gatherings wouldn’t be the same without them.”
“So, do you have them often?”
“Family gatherings?”
Jasmine nodded.
Zain shrugged. “Usually on the weekends. You’ll have to come over on the Fourth of July! We usually have a bar-b-que and a pig roast.” He shrugged. “We spend most of our time outside.” Then he leaned in close, pointing toward a patch of blue sky over the back fence. “When we watch the fireworks, they appear right there. They’re still a distance away, but we’re close enough to the beach that we can still see them.”
Jasmine looked over her shoulder, her lips a breath away from his and her breath caught.
“There you two are!”
Jasmine’s head snapped up. Maria was smiling as she carried three glasses of sweet tea and handed one to Jasmine. “Here you go!”
“Thank you, ma’am.” She tasted it. “Umm... this is delicious!”
Maria handed one to Zain, as she laughed. “I’m glad you like it!” Then she motioned with her head toward a nearby picnic table. “Come. Sit, you two. Let’s talk.”
Zain chuckled. “Be prepared for the Spanish Inquisition.”
His mother was quick on the draw and smacked him lightly on the stomach. “Oh! I’m not that bad!”
“We shall see.” Zain smiled at Jasmine, waiting for her to be seated first, and then slid beside her.
His mother sat across from them and sipped her tea. “So, tell me about yourself.”
“Well, I’m eighteen, and I start college in the fall at UT Knoxville,” she began, “and I like to surf.” Then she looked over at Zain and smiled. “In fact, that’s where I met Zain. He was surfing on the beach in front of our condo.”
Maria nodded thoughtfully. “So, what’s your major?”
“Physical Therapy. I want to help people rehabilitate after they’ve been injured.” Jasmine shrugged. “I can’t think of a better way to do that than helping someone get back on their feet... literally.”
Maria smiled. “You know that Zain’s major is Business Administration, right?”
Jasmine glanced over at him and smiled as he held her hand under the table. “Yes, he told me.” Then she looked back at Maria. “He’s very smart, and I know he can do anything if he sets his mind to it.”
Maria nodded. “Yes, he can.” Then she glanced over at her son. “He has a promising baseball career ahead of him, too.”
“Mom....” Zain warned, his smile fading.
But Jasmine gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. “Yes, I know. I’m looking forward to seeing him play one day.”
Maria nodded thoughtfully. “I would hate to see anyone or anything get in the way of him accomplishing his dreams.”
“Madre!” Zain rolled his eyes and his mother shot him a warning glance.
“No, it’s okay.” Jasmine squeezed his hand again as she turned back to his mother. “Yes, he does, and I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize that for him. From what he’s told me, it’s his dream, and I wouldn’t think of standing in the way of his dreams.”