Hail Mary: An Enemies-to-Lovers Roommate Sports Romance(85)

Mary

“WHERE’S MY BIRTHDAY BOY!?”

The door to The Pit burst open early on the morning of October twenty-first, and in blew a petite, gorgeous woman who I only had to glance at once to know was Leo’s mom.

She had warm brown skin and jet-black, shoulder-length hair that swung in silky strands around her face as she kicked the door closed behind her. She was holding a homemade something in her hands — perhaps a cake? — and her purse was nearly as big as she was as she adjusted it on her shoulder. It was her smile that gave her away, along with those golden eyes that were wide and bright.

They grew even wider at the sight of me.

“Oh,” she said, a little out of breath as she tried to cover her surprise. “Hello.”

I shook off my nerves, thankful I’d actually decided to get dressed this morning before coming downstairs. I didn’t usually, but maybe it was the universe’s way of showing me a small kindness, because for some reason I’d pulled on a hoodie and my leggings.

“Hi,” I said, matching her smile. “You must be Mrs. Hernandez. Here, let me take that,” I offered, reaching out to take the pan covered with Cling Wrap out of her hands.

“Please — call me Valentina,” she said, letting me take the dessert. Once I had it in my hands, I realized it wasn’t a cake, but rather several oversized pastries with a ruby-colored jam oozing out of them and powdered sugar dusting the top.

I looked back up to find Valentina studying me with an arched brow, like she was waiting for me to explain my presence. But before I could, a stampede of boys barreled down the stairs, Leo at the forefront.

“Mamá!” he said, and then he scooped his tiny mother into his arms and spun her around while she laughed and squeezed him just as tight.

“Feliz cumplea?os, mijo,” she said when he sat her feet back on the ground. She grabbed his face in her hands and kissed both his cheeks.

The rest of my roommates enveloped her next, and I used the distraction to slip away, quietly tucking myself into the corner. I was ready to make myself disappear completely, but Leo’s gaze snapped to me, and he smiled so wide and carefree that it felt like a blast from the past, like I was seeing him in high school again.

His hand shot out for mine, and I balanced the tray of pastries in one hand as I slipped my other into his.

“Mamá, this is Mary,” he said, pulling me close.

“Ah, so this is the girl who’s stolen my son’s heart,” she mused.

I flushed furiously, but Leo only kissed my temple and nodded. “The very one.”

Leo’s mom nodded, crossing her arms as she appraised me. Then, she clicked her tongue and shook her head. “She’s too pretty for you.”

I laughed, and Leo smiled like this was normal for them. “Lo sé.”

“Come on, Mary,” Valentina said next, looping her arm through mine and shooing Leo away. “Help me plate these pastelitos de guayaba and I’ll show you how to make coffee.”

“Oh, I know how to make coffee,” I said.

She arched that brow at me again, looking at Leo who held up his hands in surrender.

“Be easy on her, Mamá, I want to keep her.”

Valentina sucked her teeth, but then smiled up at me. “Trust me. You don’t know how to make it how I do. But I’ll show you. Come.”

The boys were in a tizzy at Mrs. Hernandez being at the house. They cleaned as quickly as they could as I joined her in the kitchen, and I chuckled to myself as I heard them fantasizing about the guava pastries she’d brought with her. I worked on plating one for each of us as Valentina pulled a can of coffee out of her purse and got to work at the coffee pot.

When Leo said he wanted me to meet his mom, I didn’t exactly have a surprise birthday meeting in mind.

But once I got past my nerves, it was so easy to talk to her that I felt like she was my own mother — you know, if I had a mother who actually talked to me, that is.

Valentina couldn’t ask enough about me, it seemed. She wanted the story behind each one of my tattoos, wanted me to show her my entire portfolio. Then she pleaded with me until I showed her pictures of me and my family and demanded that I come to the house next time Leo did so she could return the favor by blessing me with embarrassing baby pictures of Leo.

That I was excited for.

The boys stole most of her time at the table once we were seated, especially since they had to run out the door to practice soon. I watched Leo licking powdered sugar from his lips while laughing at a story his mom told us about how he’d gone around calling people bicho — which meant dick sucker — because he’d heard her say it under her breath after getting off the phone with his father so many times. It made my heart squeeze seeing him so happy, and I loved that I was a part of his birthday this year.

I wondered if, maybe, I’d be a part of it every year now.

When the boys had to run out the door to head to the stadium, Leo pulled me into his arms and melted me with a warm kiss.

“I can’t wait for my birthday present tonight,” he whispered in my ear low enough for only me to hear.

“Who said you’re getting one?”

He just smirked and made sure his mom wasn’t looking before he swatted my ass and skipped out the door.

When Valentina and I were alone, we cleaned up the coffee cups and plates from breakfast. I managed to ask her a few questions before she was desperate to know more about me, and she looked so sad when she told me she had to get going or she’d be late for work.