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Three weeks…

Twenty-one days…

Five hundred four hours…

Thirty-thousand two-hundred and forty minutes…

That’s how much time Reed had given her to get matters sorted out with her family and move in with him and Sonia had every intention to use every damn second up. It was for that reason she didn’t text him immediately after she broke the news to her parents that she was moving out.

Didn’t want to give him the satisfaction that his half-assed, partially thought-out plan held some merit. Wasn’t her style to stroke anyone's ego that was pushing her to do something that felt completely wrong.

Partial truths, white lies. A perfect facade meant to deceive her family all in the hopes to better protect them; at least that was what she had to remind herself every time she considered buying a plane ticket back to Spain and ditching Destiny City, and this damn war she wanted no part of.

Eventually, she did call him, several days later but who was counting other than Reed?

To make it more believable she spent a few nights looking up listings on a few websites and even visited with the other tenants and potential roommates; always finding something wrong with them or the place itself so it’d seem as if her first choice was the best option. In fact, it was the only option but that wasn’t something she could tell either of her parents or brother for that matter. Nonetheless, this little charade was wearing thin on even her own patience; too much time was wasted doing absolutely nothing when all she wanted to do after work was rest.

The inevitable message had finally been sent, keys exchanged hands the next day, and now that all her things were packed into boxes it was time to invite Reed over for dinner. He’d agreed to it and Sonia damn well planned to make sure he followed through on his word and although he wanted some eggplant crap, she had no experience cooking with that vegetable and kept it simple with the chicken enchiladas.

All that was left was to put a layer of Mexican blend cheese on top and put it in the oven for a few minutes while it melted.

Standing before him was a man in his late 40’s to early 50’s, well built with a sturdy frame. Arms that looked like they could punch a hole through a wall with a well aimed strike. However, the area around his midriff suggested that he quite enjoyed the taste of a good home cooked meal and likely had seconds or thirds if there was leftovers available.

The wrinkles around his hazel eyes may have aged him a bit but any who knew him would say that they were just laugh lines permanently etched in his face. More than a few grey hairs speckled his well kept beard streaked through his hair that had been shaved short on both sides and in the back, what remained on top was pulled back into a ponytail to keep out of his face.

Mateao looked the young man up and down, gaze finally settling on the flower held in his hand. The steeled expression nearly cracked and he had to force down the urge to smile. The boy already had him won over with the gesture of bringing something, even though it wasn’t food related. Made him want to clap a hand on his shoulder and welcome him in with grace and hospitality. But his daughter gave him permission to have some fun, so fun he will have.

Rather than smile he simply nodded “Reynard?” spoken with a thick accent he stepped aside. “¿Por qué no vienes en, haga comfortable ti misma?” When it became obvious that he’d be able to play the rough and gruff parent to be won over, Mateao was absolutely internally ecstatic. Oh the things he could get away with saying that would embarrass his daughter in front of any Spanish speaking friend were now fair game.

“Come in, come in!” He motioned to the basket of shoes by the door then shouted, “Sonia, vino tu amigo”

In the kitchen with both her mother and brother, Sonia had just finished washing the last dirty dish and was moving it to the drying rack when she heard her father call out to her. “Si, ahora mismo voi.” Grabbed a hand towel to dry her hands off.

“Are you really going to let papá torment the guy?” Anton picked up a small handful of shredded cheese “I thought you wanted to move out” and shoved the interim snack in his mouth, but not before raising a questioning brow at his sister.

It was then their mother, Léna, looked up from her task and the glint in her beautiful warm brown eyes let Sonia know that she was on to her little scheme.

Sonia, however, simply shrugged. Walked over to the fridge to grab the pitcher of water and poured a glass for Reed. “I just want to know if he has ay sense of humor or if he’s easily offended by such things. You know more than anyone what happens when I get really upset.” It’s like a flip of a switch, one moment she’d be yelling in english then suddenly nothing makes sense. Minute and a half long rant in another language, all strung together in one breath.

“Uh huh,” Léna resisted the urge to roll her eyes, “¡Serás diablillo! Then shooed her daughter out of the kitchen.

Despite the exterior, once inside it was like walking into a home that belonged on the other side of the world. With a father that excelled in carpentry skills, that was exactly what he had been aiming for. The standard ceiling in each main room had been removed to expose the beams which were stained a rich shade of brown, the area between them painted white. Each room and hallway tiled, rugs beneath furniture and each entrance into the rooms were topped with arches rather than the standard square frame. Wrought iron rails and banisters raced up the side of the stair to make the room feel that much more open.

“Hello Reed, please come in,” motioned towards the living room where they could sit for the last ten minutes while the enchilada’s finished baking. “I hope you didn’t have any problems finding your way here.” Offered him a soft smile and the glass of water.

Ha! The boy knows how to compliment a man. Mateao’s chest puffed with a bit of pride as he shut the door then joined the two in the living room.

Sonia flashed a knowing smirk yet the glint in her eyes warned him to watch it “I’m glad,” she replied. “Those are beautiful flowers. Are they from your garden?”

At the mention of garden, Mateao’s ears perked. Instantly intrigued he interrupted by asking “You’re a Landscaper?” Their own back yard was in various states of ruin, a two-year long project that is often interrupted by work responsibilities and demanding clients. A family friend was going to come over in a few weeks and help lay down the pavers, pour a concrete slab and assist with some mosaic tile work for the walkways and eating area. But when it came to picking out plants for the garden boxes or hanging baskets, Mateao was at a loss.

“No, papá” her head shook in instant reply. “He already has a job. He works at Ramanos, the high school with the purple uniforms.” She knew her father well enough to know where his thoughts were taking him.

Lips pursed into a thin line, corners pulled down into a deep frown. “Debe ser divertido enseñar a niños. ” Obviously disappointed he tried another question, still holding hope that her potential new roommate might be of some help with this running project. “What do you teach?”

This time it was Sonia’s turn to interrupt, “I’m going to get a vase, I’ll be right back.”

Yup, she threw him in front of a moving vehicle that was her father then swooped in last second to pull him out the way before being hit with an onslaught of badgering questions as they related to gardening and plant selection. Both sinner and savior if alternating waves but then she left him to the mercy of the near-collision.

She'd only been gone a few minutes, but that was just enough time for her father's immediate revenge against her for getting his hopes up.

"I see," Mateao stroke his beard thoughtfully. "Least your work with children should have prepared you with the skills to dealing with, Sonia." He glanced down the hallway, half expecting to hear some smart-a** remark but it seemed she wasn't close enough to hear the slighted comment.

He leaned back, one arm resting over the back of the couch; an ankle atop his other knee in a relaxed position. "Te veo muy cansada."

"He said you look stressed." Sonia reappeared behind him, a glass vase in hand that was half-filled with water. This she sat on the table to let Reed arrange as he saw fit, because if he'd left the task to her then he'd probably cringe horrible and walk away.

Mateao watched the young man with a steady appraising gaze. Something in his comment gave him reason to consider his actions and motives a bit more closely. Although his daughter was not an adolescent, she was, in fact, trying to prove a point to not only him but also her mother as well. That this sudden need for independence was a good idea; claimed that she had been considering this for a while but somehow managed to blindsight everyone at the suggestion of it.

If it wasn't for the fact that he was once their age, then chances he might overlook it as a coincidence and that Sonia was ready to move on. But something didn't sit right and he wasn't exactly sure what that something was.

Sonia had been through much in her life; passionate would be a kind way to describe her competitive approach to most things. Failure was rarely an option, she could take things in stride and use it to propel herself forward to do better. But things changed not long after her 18th birthday. She withdrew from many activities outside of school and fencing; friends stopped showing up randomly to do normal young adult things.

Suspicions grew, thoughts of her getting mixed up with the wrong crowd or getting involved in drugs had prompted him and his wife to cross the line a few times and go through her room. But nothing had ever been found. Then the accident happened, or what she claimed was an accident.

Mateao knew what broken looked like, but nothing could have prepared him to see his daughter so completely shattered as when they got the call that she had been admitted into the hospital. Broken things could be pieced back together, shattered had to be rebuilt, and sometimes there simply weren't enough workable pieces left to make it whole again.

Both he and Léna had jumped to the worse, thinking that this was some initiation gone horribly wrong or that she was trying to leave something and was punished severely for it. Wouldn't be the first time someone looking to recruit had tried to entice one of them to join their gang-related cause; nearly killed a man for trying to convince his son not even a year prior. Never thought he'd need to worry about his daughter that way, seemed he'd been wrong.

It was hard to shake the feeling that this was unrelated to that incident. But he'd play the part of the ignorant parent so long as he could see his little girl smile.

Mateao was about to respond when his wife called out from the dining room that dinner was ready. Tarried a moment then put both hands on his knees to help himself stand up.

"Come on," Sonia smiled, motioned for Reed to follow, then escorted him through the tiled hallway to where her mother and brother were already waiting for them at the table.

"Reynard," the name sounded foreign on her tongue, too used to calling him by his nickname, but this is what he'd asked her to introduce him as. "This is my mother, Léna." who smiled and waved politely, turned to the right of her then continued with the introductions. "My younger brother, Anton." He simply just nodded his head and grabbed the spatula to start serving himself. His hand was quickly slapped, earned him a stern look from their mother, and he begrudgingly put it down. Finally, she gestured towards the older man at the end of the table, "And you've met my father, Mateao."

Since this meal was suggested by Sonia, she would be the one to serve everyone. "Plates please," she asked and her brother, naturally, was the first to hold his up. Normally guests went first but he was probably borderline hangry at this point since he already ate a quarter of the cheese while they were waiting. "Reed, we also have fresh pico and guacamole as well as sour creme and green onions if you'd like." Each were already on the table.

With his garden, she kind of figured that he might appreciate something on the table that was more organic. If there would have been more time then the tortillas would have been homemade as well.

"Tres , por favor," Despite his thin frame, he was rather fit and worked out regularly which meant that his appetite was one to be admired; or rather his metabolism was. Probably didn't help much that he had to help with a roofing project the last two days.

Léna, with a round face and a smile a mile wide, poured herself a glass of ice water and passed the pitcher to her son. "Oh, él es lindo." Whatever vibes her husband picked up on, she seemed quick to dismiss them, was just glad to have a guest over, and could deliberate with Mateao later.

Because Reed was the one to offer, all Sonia could do was smile and nod her head. Didn't confirm that it was a good idea, nor did she dare suggest a time for such an event.

Was he worried about her warning that they might show up unannounced from time to time? Was this his way of getting ahead of the inevitable? Just seemed strange to invite them over when he wasn't entirely happy about her being there to begin with.

Victims of forced circumstances.

Still, Sonia served him two enchiladas, "Pass the toppings once you're done, Anton." With one scoop he took nearly a sixth of the guacamole and just plopped it on his plate. "Greedy..." she muttered under her breath then served both her parents and then herself.

Finally, with food on her plate, she took a seat and everyone began eating.

"No, no, no. Anton will take care of the dishes." Before her brother had a chance to even think of a way to worm out of his responsibilities, their mother put a firm hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. Even with the sweetest of smiles, the look in her eyes was enough to dare him to try and argue. He'd been in the kitchen snacking on anything he could snatch off the cutting board.

Sonia shrugged, would explain the house rules later as it related to cooking and cleaning. Not that it would matter since it would be a non-issue at his house since she'd be cooking her own meals and would be responsible for whatever mess she made.

"I should have my last boxes packed up tomorrow. When would be a good time for me to start bringing them over?" In her car it would take about three, maybe four trips since bother her father and brother were both working on a job for the next two days and wouldn't be available to help.

"¿Estás seguro de que esta es una buena idea?" Mateo seemed to have sobered up, his expression almost unreadable; panic maybe? That nagging feeling like something bad was going to happen but in that same vein of thought realize that he can't always be there to protect her. Even living here, she could get hurt on her way home, a car accident or worse.

"Si, papá" Sonia replied.

"He drew in a deep breath. Well, Reynard. As a father is it my obligation to tell you. If you hurt my daughter..." Let the words linger long enough for his daughter to level a glare at him that promised that silverware would be thrown if he didn't choose his words wisely. "Corre lo más rápido posible. ella da miedo cuando está enojada!"

For as hard as he tried to maintain a straight face Anton was the first to break the tense silence with a hearty laugh. Léna picked up a spatula from the counter and whacked him in the arm with the wooden spoon. "Mateao," she scolded.

Sonia simply rolled her eyes, pinched the bridge of her nose, and shook her head. "I'm sure he can deal with my temper," already knocked her on her a** once when she got understandably aggressive. However, there was a power difference between them that she wasn't aware was there until he turned to face her. Now, however, she was quite a bit more prepared should there ever be a round two.

"Sorry," sighed then turned to Reed. "He said to run as fast as possible. Not because he will do anything, mind you. But it's his warning to you that I might do something dumb and retaliate. It's his attempt to scare you into finding someone else to be your roommate instead, someone who doesn't have a volatile temper.

"You're no fun," he replied from across the table.

"My husband, he kids. Sonia hasn't brought anyone over for years, we thoug-" her comment was cut off when her daughter interjected by standing up.

"Enough," voice sounded defeated she glanced over apologetically at Reed.
"Or this will be the last time," He didn't need to know that she didn't have many if any, friends. Her social life consisted of work and the students that came to the studio. Outside of that she might go to a Mexican restaurant and sit at the bar from time to time but usually that was alone.