Cio’s brother’s car was parked in the driveway as he pulled up. He and his fiancée would be home for the next two weeks as the final stages of wedding prep were being put into action. Cio was not looking forward to it.

Sure enough, as he walked in, he could hear kids' laughter coming from up the stairs. The tv was muted in the living room. A low rumble of voices came from the dining room. Cio followed the low rumble to see his brother, future sister-in-law, mamá, tía, and his sister all around the table. Amelia was gently rocking Sylvia back and forth. Her daughter’s face, reddened with dried tear tracks, rested on her shoulder.

“Tío Cio,” Sylvia squirmed in Amelia’s arms. Amelia glanced over and smiled.

“Hermanito, just in time.” Sylvia squirmed more in Amelia’s arms until she put her down.

“Tío Cio, uppa.” Her little arms reached up. Cio scooped her up. She let her head rest on his shoulder.

“What’s the matter my little sobrina?”

She sniffed and buried her face in his shoulder. Amelia spoke up. “She tripped playing outside with the rest, so we sent them upstairs while she calms down.” Amelia patted the chair next to her. “Come on, tía’s done with the flowers. You missed the pictures.”

“Abuelo gave us his and abuela’s wedding bands. You’re in charge of them until the ceremony.” His brother slid the boxes across the table to Cio. Cio pulled them closer. “Have you finished your speech?”

“I have to do a speech?”

“Cio.” His brother frowned, disappointment flickered in his eyes. “You’re my best man, yes, you have to give a speech.”

“Yeah, of course. It’s almost finished.” It was a complete lie. He hadn’t a clue what he would say. Amelia shot him an amused look.

“Clearly.”

His brother turned from him. Cio exchanged a tense, close lipped grin with Amelia. “I just have to get snacks figured out for everyone to be able to eat before the ceremony. Small things that won’t stain if they get dropped on the fancy clothing,” she told him. “Mine’s easy. I just tell the hotel what we want and they provide.”

“You also need to make sure Sylvia doesn’t get her dress dirty before the ceremony!” His brother’s fiancée, Clara, spoke up. “Please,” she tacked on.

Amelia nodded. “And that.”

Sylvia reached up and started playing with Cio’s hair. Her hand caught and pulled on a couple tangles. “Tío Cio.” Her voice was low and muffled in his shoulder. The rest of the crowd around the table continued the discussion that Cio happily tuned out.

“Hm?”

“Mi hermano tripped me.”

“Hermanos can be mean.” He grinned at his brother but received only a feigned glare in response. “I’m sure he didn’t mean it though.”

“Brother,” Amelia corrected. “Your brother tripped you and brothers can be mean.”

Sylvia sniffled and said no more. Cio tightened his arms around her and tuned back in as other duties were being discussed. His own were small, but important. He didn’t know if he should be grateful he wasn’t given more or offended that his brother didn’t think he could handle more.

“Your mother says your boyfriend will be at the wedding?” Clara spoke to him.

“Ah, yeah, about that…”

“Good!” Clara interrupted. “We’ve wanted to meet him for ages. It would have been nice to meet him sooner, but oh well.” Her smile was fond and happy despite the words and Cio didn’t have it in him to tell her that it wasn’t exactly accurate.

“He was worried about how we’d react to the age difference apparently.” Amelia ran a hand down Sylvia’s back. “She’s asleep if you want me to go lay her down?” She asked him.

Cio shook his head in response. He didn’t see his nieces or nephews enough and Sylvia would be too big to be held like this soon enough. He glanced across the table in time to see the tail end of a concerned look pass between his brother and Clara. “How big of an age difference?” His brother’s cool voice was as nonchalant as he could make it, but Cio could hear the tension in it.

“Twenty years.” Cio could hear the challenge in his own voice but couldn’t help it. His brother brought the worst of him out sometimes. His entire family brought the worst out of him. Eyebrows rose around the table. “It’s not any worse than the decade between abuelo and abuela.”

“There is a difference in ten and twenty years. Your abuelos were mature adults when they met and fell in love. They weren’t fresh out of school and still figuring their lives out.” His tia spoke from beside his mamá.

Anger flickered to life inside him. “As opposed to me, being immature and a child?” he asked. “I’m not still figuring my life out.” And he wasn’t. He was settled in the beginning of his career and knew exactly where he wanted to go in life.

Tía frowned. “No, sobrino that’s not what I meant.” She glanced over at his mamá.

His mamá hurried to cut in. “We want you to be happy, but twenty years… that’s a lot, mijo. Are you sure you’re making a good decision?” 

His irritation prickled beneath his skin. Always. His choices were always questioned. ‘Why would you go for engineering, Cio? You’re such a skilled dancer.’ ‘Gay? No Cio, it’s just a phase, you’ll grow out of it.’ ‘Why are you staying inside and playing with those tinker toys. It’s so nice out and you’re getting chunky again.’ He took a steadying breath but it did nothing to calm the stubborn irritation that was fighting inside him. “Yes. Mom.” He put emphasis on ‘mom.’ “I’m sure I’m making a good decision. If there’s anything else you need me to do for the wedding, give me a call. Richard is waiting for me.” He stood up, then realized he still held Sylvia. “First, I’m going to go lay her down though.”

Amelia snorted and stood. “I’ll help. The others need to quiet down anyway.”

He followed Amelia up the stairs and settled Sylvia down in her toddler bed while she stepped into the boy’s room to quiet them down. “Wish it was evening,” he said when she returned.

Amelia hugged him. “Me too. Once they meet him, they’ll get over whatever that was.”

“I know.”

“They’re always like this.”

“I know.” And he did. If it was outside their expectations, they made sure their disapproval was known. This was why he kept things from them as long as he could. This was why he kept himself distant.

“I love you.”

He returned the hug. “Love you too, Ames.”

“Is Richard really waiting for you?”

“No, he’s working but it’s just going to escalate if I stay so I might as well go into work as well.” He squeezed her before letting go and stepping back.

“I’ll walk you out.”

He yelled a ‘bye’ into the living room and dining room and stopped on the front porch with Amelia. “Text me if there’s anything else I need to do. I can take more time off if they need me.”

She pushed the ring boxes into his hand. He hadn’t even seen her grab them. “Just don’t lose these.” She hesitated, then pulled out a new box of cigarettes. “And here, enjoy one on the way to work. Go see your man.”

He rolled his eyes and slid the boxes into his pocket. He shouldn’t have taken a cigarette, but he did. She handed over her lighter so he could light it before leaving. As the nicotine rushed his system, his nerves settled. “I’ll see you later. Thanks for… thanks.”

She smiled and jostled his shoulder. “Go.”

The drive to work went by fast. Cio’s anger ebbed and flowed as he thought over more things he could’ve said out of anger, then reminded himself that they were just looking out for him, only for another good comeback to come to mind.