Even with the okay from her parents, it would still be interesting to see what her brothers had to say about it. He knew they wouldn’t be thrilled, but Angel had been cool about them holding hands prom night. After what happened at the beach that night, when Angel and Sarah finally arrived, Sofia never once let go of Eric’s hand. Angel and Eric had exchanged a glance, but he hadn’t objected. He knew Sarah had a hand in that. She’d softened Angel. Alex would be a whole other story.

Once off the phone, he walked back into the flower shop. He’d planned on getting Sofia a light flower arrangement and a regular happy birthday balloon. Instead, he picked out a heart shaped balloon with the words I love you, and a dozen roses. He had them delivered.

He felt a little flutter in his stomach as he sat in his car. He’d done it now. They’d know in just a few hours.

Later that afternoon, someone honked outside his house. He walked out and saw Sofia sitting in a white Ford Fiesta. She smiled from ear to ear. He’d been expecting her. Sofia had gotten her license finally and Angel had told him on the down low what his parents were up to for her birthday.

“I got a car!” she yelled out of the window. “C’mon, I’ll take you for a ride.”

She told him Alex had been the one to get the door when the flowers arrived. As expected, he wasn’t happy about it, but after realizing he had no choice in the matter, he told her he’d be warning Eric of a few things in person. She gave Eric a heads up.

“Basically, him and Angel are gonna make sure you know the rules,” she laughed, “as if we haven’t broken them all already.”

She reached over and squeezed his thigh. Eric squeezed her hand and looked into the side mirror. If he didn’t know her brothers so well, the thought of those two following them wouldn’t have even crossed his mind.

Sofia drove to the beach and parked. It was a cloudy day and there were hardly any people there. Only k thnow in ja few other cars were in the parking lot. The second the car was off, they were all over each other. Eric stopped a few times, breathlessly, to look around. He just couldn’t put it past her brothers to be watching them, but the coast seemed clear. Sofia reached down and unzipped his pants.

“Sofie, not here.”

She smiled. “Why not? No one can see what I’m doing.”

He should’ve known when she parked in the most isolated corner what she had in mind. A second later, he dropped his head back in sheer delight, forgetting about everything.

***

Months after becoming an official couple, Sofia was still trying to conjure up the nerve to talk to her mom about getting on the pill. So the night her mom knocked on her bedroom door had come as a huge surprise.

“Are you busy?”

Sofia pulled both earphones out of her ears. It was how she always did her homework. She sat on her bed, legs crossed, with her binder over her legs. She moved the book next to her and patted it for her mom to sit.

Her mom sat down and took a deep breath. She glanced around the room. She didn’t come in her room often. Sofia had a collage on her wall of her and Eric. Pictures of them even from when they were kids. She didn’t like how chubby she looked in some, but the memories were so heartwarming, she couldn’t bear not putting them up. Her mom smiled. “You two were so young, but I think that boy was in love with you even back then.”

Sofia smiled and nodded. “That’s what he says.”

Her mom touched her hand. “And you were with him, as well?”

For some reason that made her blush. Was it that obvious? “Yeah, I think so.”

Her mom stared at the collage for a while longer before speaking. Without looking at Sofia, she said, “I know things are getting serious between you two… and I know as much as your brothers think they can keep you two from…”

Sofia cringed. Her mom had the talk with her years ago, but not in direct correlation with anyone specific. “Mom—”

“Let me finish, Sofia.” She squeezed Sofia’s hand. She seemed as nervous about this as Sofia. Though that still didn’t help. “You’re father and I—”

“Daddy?” Sofia sat up. This was so much worse now.

“Your father and I,” her mother continued, disregarding Sofia’s mortification, “we really didn’t think we’d have to deal with this so soon. You see, with your brothers being the way they are, we honestly thought it’d be years before anyone dare come around,” she chuckled. “Little did they know, he’d been around all along.”

Her mother held Sofia’s hand in both of hers now. “We may be old school, Sofie, but we’re not naïve. We know your brothers have been active for years. As much as we would like you to wait… we don’t want you taking any chances. You have your entire life ahead of you.”

Excitement began to replace the mortification. Was her mom really saying what she thought she was?

“We want you to get on the birth control—”

“Okay!” She placed her hand over her mouth, realizing her mom hadn’t expected her to agree so quickly.

Her mom cleared her throat. “You do understand becoming sexually active changes everything, don’t you?” Sofia nodded. “Everything is turned up a notch—a major notch. And once you go there you can never go back. I mean,” she paused, “you decide how much or how often, but if there is ever anyone else—”

“There won’t be.” Her mom was less obvious than her brothers with the ‘you’re being naïve’ look but Sofia could spot it a mile away. She sat up straighter and reiterated, “There won’t be.”