"Oh, shit, that reminds me, do you have everything ready for his room? You know it has to be perfect, no?"

"It's all ready, the entire room--" Jon huffs and grins, the corner of his lips twitching up in exciting realisation.

"Hold this for me, will you?" She abruptly passes the bottles to him, leaning into the mirror.

Fixing her hair up into a twist, clipping it down with a red hair claw. And pulling down long strands of curls to the frame of her face with precise fingers.

"--and closets, you should know he--"

"Wait, did you fix that part of the window that was broken, right? Jesus, that gave me a scare when it snapped off like that,"

"I still don't know how on earth you broke it, It's a window sill, "

"It was an accident,"

"Not from an insurance investigator's point of view,"

With a wide-lipped glossy smile in the mirror, "Thank the lord you're a building engineer," She spun on her heel  and went deeper into the house.

He stumbles after her, wine bottles secured in his hands, "Actually, you should know--"

"Dios, I already miss that room, you know it's the only room where I could do my dance workout?"

Jon opened his mouth as she pulled out purple fuzzy slippers from her black purse.

"You nearly broke the whole glass cabinet-"

"--But you break one vase and all of a sudden it's all over, imaginate. De todos modos, did you call his dad yet? What time is he coming?"

"I did call Ramon, he called Maywa first--"

"Makes sense, Isaias used to cling to her when he was little, actually I still got pictures of them, it was so cute, wanna see? Oh, my god, I found the picture of when you were holding a baby Asto and a baby Isaias wailing, and you also started crying, you poor thing, it was definitely the stress--"

"Carmen,"

She swirls around, "What?"

Fists on his hips, raising a finger to the entrance of the living room to a figure standing, "I've been trying to tell you, Isaias is already--"

A scream erupts from her, spotting Isaias as his shoulders shook with laughter. Shoving the bottles and her handbag to Jon's chest, he fumbles to catch them as she launches herself to Isaias. The impact startles an oof, arms squeezing the air out his lungs, vanilla spiced scent spiked his nose to an itch.

"¿Estás aquí? Since when? Who cares, look at you! My baby!" A flurry of kisses sprinkled on his face, eyes snapping shut at the attack.

Sputtering a protest, she squeezed him with a squeal rocking him side to side, a laugh bubbling out of him. Her arms were shaking as she snuggled him, kissing the side of his head.

"Good to see you too, tía Cam," Isaias laughs, a grin stretching.

Rocking back down to her heels, fixing her sunglasses to the top of her head, "Que guapo! Not a surprise, I mean have you seen your tía, it's the genes," Carmen gave his chin a little shake with her well-manicured fingers.

Tía Cam, as he liked to call her, had the presence of like no one he's ever met. A tall lady with a sharp glint in her eye for passionate precision, to the sharp ridges of her outfits to the well-painted tips of her nails. Isaias remembers how she demanded every single week for a 'self-care day', no one was spared, braiding his wide curls into protective braids and twists, he'd wake up in the morning smelling shea butter and soft skin.

"Nah, it's honestly all me," He shrugs, dimples deepening.

Sputtering a cackle, she lets go, "You're here early! I didn't think I'd see you till tomorrow, oh, my god, was this a surprise?"

"Surprise!" Isaias grinned, his dimples fleeting.

Cringing inside, he understood more than some people didn't expect his arrival today. A last-minute rushed decision. That only his aunt was aware of due to the urgency of his family. Isaias definitely did not like being the centrepiece of the day, as 'the' unexpected surprise.

"I'm so glad you came early, niñito lindo, you have no idea how boring it's been here without you, nearly fainted with boredom, let's go to the kitchen, I haven't eaten all day and--"

She stills, "Are those bolones I smell?"

Jon smiled, dipping his chin in a nod, "Yup, I made them early in the morning today,"

"Oh, Jon, you are truly the best, it's why I gave you my blessing to marry my best friend," Giving him an affectionate pat on the arm.

He arches an eyebrow, "Really? It was the food that wore you down?"

"Yup. Thank you," Carmen gathers back the bottles in her arms from Jon's and whips right back around, tugging a chuckling Isaias.

Storming into the kitchen, all following behind the woman's determined strides.

"Mamá! Por qué no me has llamado, mujer! ¡Guarda unos bolones para el príncipe!" She calls out into the kitchen, her heels clicking against the tiles.

The rowdy noises came to a stuttering stop, Maywa who had been carefully peeling with her fingers spun towards the call, a noticeable grin appeared on her lips.

She whistled, setting down the peels on the counter, and the fruit into Jon's hands, "Que guapa! I knew you'd like those jeans, Cam, worth the purchase then?"

Splitting in half and giving the other to Isaias, who took it gratefully.

Carmen swiftly gave her two kisses on the cheek, "Love 'em, finding them at half price was fate. I brought gifts!" She set the bottles on the counter before she was attacked by a ferocious hug.

Waves snuggling into her stomach, "Tía Cami! Are you staying tonight? Can we do a skincare routine today?" Coya pleaded, grinning with a twinkle in her eyes.

That piqued the attention of a certain boy who poked his head up from the table, headphones sliding down to hear attentively, eyes taking a glint of interest.

"Yes I am, and I bought the sheet masks this morning, got 'em right here," Securely patting her handbag.

"And hydrating serum too!" Carmen waved at Julio who gave a sheepish smile, Coya excitedly whooped and ran back to her plate of snacks.

"Cams, why the wines?" Maywa arched her eyebrow in question, hand on her hip.

Carmen leaned in like they were sharing a secret, "For when the people start showing up at your doorstep, start pulling these out. You know my tía hasn't stopped asking to see you, Senora Victoria called me this afternoon,"

Maywa heaved a helpless strangled sound, "You are a lifesaver, you know that?"

"Saving the day is what I do best, now, where are those bolones?" Eager eyes swept through the kitchen.

Maywa smiled, "They're in the oven," Moving across the kitchen to get her gloves, slipping them on,

"Got to warn you though, kids ate most of them, but they're still warm," She opened the oven, slid them out and set them on the counter.

The once brimming-filled bowl of bolones, has dwindled to unacceptable numbers. Looking down at the bowl, Carmen gasped in horror. A hand over her heart.

"Monstruos,"

Isaias' eyebrows raised, he could have sworn there was far more the last time he saw the bowl. Popping a piece of the fruit in his mouth.

Maywa chuckles, "They tend to eat everything in the kitchen,"

"Yea', I can see that," Carmen grumbled, glaring at the bowl like it personally owed her something. And reached to the top cabinet and took plates out.

Jon swiftly grabbed another peeled tangerine, "It's why I always make extra,"

"That reminds me, we need more maize flour for this week, can you go to Doña Luisa tomorrow? Completely slipped my mind to pick some up,"

"Already on the list, saw that we were running low, it's only been two weeks, we ran out of wheat flour for the tres leches," Jon leaned forward, voice coming down to whisper at the end.

Mayway gasped, eyes widening in horror. Ah, los tres leches, a sponge cake soaked in three types of delicious kinds of milk, sweet and melty, topped with fluffy whipped cream. Isaias loved the treat but not as much as Suyana, who he's been told had an obsessive sweet tooth for it.

"And cereal!" Julio cuts in, waving a hand from the table.

Maywa chuckled, shaking her head, fist on her hip, "Hear that, kids these days. No, but seriously, let's keep this between us," She whispered, taking the bowl and placing it back in the oven, Jon nodded gravely.

Isaias bit back a laugh as a plate shoved in front of him, "Here, guapo," Carmen offered him the plate.

"Thanks, Cam," Isaias smiled, taking the plate from her hand and Carmen gave him a loving pat on the cheek.

Something fast passed between them, stopping to take a handful of Maywa's peeled tangerines on their way out, feet scrambling.

"Oye! No running!"

"Meh frends arug onlin!" Julio muffled back, which loosely translates to, 'My friends are online!'

Maywa looked back at her oldest daughter, "Don't even think about it. Dishes, your turn, remember? It's on the board," She pointed at a neat colour-coded whiteboard, organised lines and edges covered in glittery sandy flowers, pinned on the fridge.

Coya groaned, slumping back into her chair, "Today ain't my day,"

"That reminds me," Carmen started, "I found loads of photo albums in boxes--"

"Hold on, don't you mean 'we'?" Maywa interrupted.

"Fine, Maywa moved things around like wonder woman and we got covered in dust, the end,"

The woman snorted, and Carmen continued, "There are so many pictures of everyone! And you looked so cute and small, and because I love you, I found pictures of Jon in his late teens trying to do the 'worm'. Poor man just wiggled there like fish on the floor, but, hey, he really was moving--"

"Okay! That's enough," Jon stepped in, ears pink.

Isaias was full-blown grinning, "Wait no, don't stop, please go on--"

The sound of the front door being unlocked and closed cut off his words, a jingle of keys and the sound of footsteps, a jump in their step. Wet tousled inky hair came through the kitchen door, droplets clinging to the strands, russet brown eyes shone with excitement and a grin to match.

Shit. Stomach dropping, Isaias knew that it could only be one person, the one person who definitely didn't know about his arrival today. Standing at the entrance was none other than his cousin, Asto. Whose grin slipped all the way down to hell as soon as eyes landed on Isaias.

Pressing his lips together, Isaias shoved another piece of tangerine in his mouth. This house is going to get a whole lot louder.