Send Me Away With the Words of a Love Song
I Do
November 1999
A few days before Zina's wedding, the Baker household was in disarray. Mother and Zina were busy discussing last minute details, but were interrupted every so often when Zina bolted for the bathroom. She swore up and down that it was all sickness because that's all she seemed to be doing these days. Zacky had arrived home only yesterday and felt very left out of the plans. He was happy for Zina and Josh but was disgruntled that he'd not been able to be included in anything. Zacky hated being left out.
Making matters more stressful, Josh's parents arrived today from Burbank. Mrs. Pacheco was worse than Mother in terms of boisterousness. She was a fair-skined woman with gray strands in her golden-colored hair, and she seemed to always be in motion. She insisted that she help Mother with everything, from cooking to cleaning the house. Mr. Pacheco was the exact opposite of his spouse; he would rather sit and watch the game with father, Matt, and Zacky than be involved in household doings.
"Senoma, would you go see who's at the door?" Mother requested, not bothering to look up from the dish she was stirring on the stovetop.
"Of course, mother," I replied. I left my position on the loveseat and pranced to the foyer. I swung the heavy cherry oak door, and there stood Brian. His lighter-than-milk chocolate brown eyes lit upon me and began to sparkle and I blushed. "Hi, Brian."
"Hey Senoma," he said, smiling. He stepped over the threshold, not waiting for an invitation. But if I remembered correctly, he never did. "Where's Zacky?"
"Upstairs," I answered, looking to my feet. "He's hiding from Mother because she keeps asking him to clean."
"Sounds like Zacky," Brian commented with a chuckle. "You know, I'm not just here to see your brother. I might also be here to see my beautiful girlfriend."
My blush deepened. Brian was too much. "You'd better not let my mother hear you say that," I whispered.
"Why?" Brian questioned, stepping closer.
"Because they don't know we're together," I explained, looking up to meet Brian's gaze. His lighter-than-milk chocolate brown eyes twinkled with amusement as he looked down at me. "Remember?"
"Yea, I remember," Brian replied with a playful sigh. He snaked an arm around my back, and I whipped a free hand around to stop him. He smiled at me. "But I kinda like it that way. It's almost like we've got a forbidden relationship, you know? I think it's damn sexy. Just like you."
The last three words that fell from Brian's lips brought my face to a dangerous temperature. Even though I loved Brian, it made me a bit uncomfortable when he talked to me like that. "You should stop talking now," I said softly. Oh well. Let him think I was shy. In my opinion that was a far better alternative than having him think I was uncomfortable with the thought of having sex with him. "I thought you said you were here to see Zacky."
"I am," Brian assured, nodding his head. "But can I at least have a kiss before I go find him?"
I swiftly rotated my head, making sure Father was entranced in his game of the day and Mother was busy with her cooking. I turned back to Brian and nodded, and he smiled for a split second before our lips collided. Oh, his kisses. No matter how uncomfortable I was with sleeping with him, I could never get tired of his kisses. His lips felt utterly perfectly against my own, and his nose brushing against my cheek made me giggle inside. Just before we separated, Brian took my bottom lip between his teeth and bit down gently, and I let out a soft gasp. Brian used this golden opportunity to slip his tongue into my mouth. To be honest, this was a bit more than I was expecting when Brian asked for a kiss. But I liked it.
"Brian, is that you?" Zacky's voice called from the stairwell. Brian immediately popped away from me, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand before pivoting around to face the stairwell just as Zacky appeared. My oldest brother narrowed his green eyes and flickered them between myself and Brian. "What were you two doing?" he asked suspiciously.
"Relax, Zack," Brian replied nonchalantly. "We were just talking." Such a lie. "Is it illegal for us to talk?"
"I guess not," Zacky agreed, stepping onto the linoleum of the kitchen floor. He peeked around the wall, where Mother was still busy cooking. "Mom doesn't need any help, does she? Because she always wants me to help her cook even though she knows I'm a fucking awful cook and then she gets mad at me when I ruin her food."
Brian and I both laughed out loud. "No Zacky, Mother doesn't need any help," I assured.
"Okay, well good," Zacky said. "I'm not in the mood to get bitched at."
The three of us shared another laugh, and Brian and Zacky departed to the garage. I sighed. I was at a loss about what to do with Brian. Should we keep our relationship a secret, as we were doing now? Or should we tell everyone and risk outside opinions? Both decisions had pros and cons, and all were far too much for my frenzied mind.
"Senoma, would you go see if your sister needs any help?" Mother's voice called from the kitchen. "She's sick again."
Another sigh, and I nodded my head even though I knew Mother could not see. "Yes Mother," I answered, trekking towards the bathroom.
♪•♫•♪•♫•♪•♫•♪•♫•♪
"Zina dear, you look beautiful," Mother crooned to my sister. She flitted around Zina, pulling at stray hairs and smoothing the dress down over my sister's baby bump.
"Mom, stop," Zina pleaded, pushing her hands away. "I'm already nervous enough without you poking and prodding at me."
"Why are you nervous?" I asked. "You're marrying the man of your dreams." And at least you can be open about your relationship, I thought, and then I shook my head. Brian didn't belong in my thoughts today. Today was Zina's day.
"It doesn't matter," Zina fretted. "I'm still beyond nervous."
"Don't be nervous," Mother said. "There is nothing for you to be nervous about. Josh loves you very much, and I know you love him. Not to mention, you two have created a life together. And now your baby can be born into a happy, loving family."
Zina sighed softly, then smiled down at her slightly protruding stomach. She seemed to be pondering Mother's words as she rubbed the taut drum of her belly. "I suppose you're right," she agreed. "Our baby boy deserves the best we can give him."
"So no more being nervous?" I asked hopefully.
Zina chuckled, shaking her head, and responded, "No Senoma, no more being nervous."
"Good," I chirped. I took my sister's hand into my own and began pulling her down the hall. "Now let's go get you married." With that, the two of us took off at a run down the chapel hallway, laughing as we went.
♪•♫•♪•♫•♪•♫•♪•♫•♪
Pinned to the Baker refrigerator:
Baker and Pacecho Wed
Zina Baker, 21, and Joshua Pacecho, 22, were joined in holy matrimony on November 12, 1999. Baker is the eldest child of Maria and Antonio Baker, both of Huntington Beach. Pacecho is the son of Anna and Greg Pacecho of Burbank. Nuptials were held at First Baptist Church with Rev. Garner officiating.
A few days before Zina's wedding, the Baker household was in disarray. Mother and Zina were busy discussing last minute details, but were interrupted every so often when Zina bolted for the bathroom. She swore up and down that it was all sickness because that's all she seemed to be doing these days. Zacky had arrived home only yesterday and felt very left out of the plans. He was happy for Zina and Josh but was disgruntled that he'd not been able to be included in anything. Zacky hated being left out.
Making matters more stressful, Josh's parents arrived today from Burbank. Mrs. Pacheco was worse than Mother in terms of boisterousness. She was a fair-skined woman with gray strands in her golden-colored hair, and she seemed to always be in motion. She insisted that she help Mother with everything, from cooking to cleaning the house. Mr. Pacheco was the exact opposite of his spouse; he would rather sit and watch the game with father, Matt, and Zacky than be involved in household doings.
"Senoma, would you go see who's at the door?" Mother requested, not bothering to look up from the dish she was stirring on the stovetop.
"Of course, mother," I replied. I left my position on the loveseat and pranced to the foyer. I swung the heavy cherry oak door, and there stood Brian. His lighter-than-milk chocolate brown eyes lit upon me and began to sparkle and I blushed. "Hi, Brian."
"Hey Senoma," he said, smiling. He stepped over the threshold, not waiting for an invitation. But if I remembered correctly, he never did. "Where's Zacky?"
"Upstairs," I answered, looking to my feet. "He's hiding from Mother because she keeps asking him to clean."
"Sounds like Zacky," Brian commented with a chuckle. "You know, I'm not just here to see your brother. I might also be here to see my beautiful girlfriend."
My blush deepened. Brian was too much. "You'd better not let my mother hear you say that," I whispered.
"Why?" Brian questioned, stepping closer.
"Because they don't know we're together," I explained, looking up to meet Brian's gaze. His lighter-than-milk chocolate brown eyes twinkled with amusement as he looked down at me. "Remember?"
"Yea, I remember," Brian replied with a playful sigh. He snaked an arm around my back, and I whipped a free hand around to stop him. He smiled at me. "But I kinda like it that way. It's almost like we've got a forbidden relationship, you know? I think it's damn sexy. Just like you."
The last three words that fell from Brian's lips brought my face to a dangerous temperature. Even though I loved Brian, it made me a bit uncomfortable when he talked to me like that. "You should stop talking now," I said softly. Oh well. Let him think I was shy. In my opinion that was a far better alternative than having him think I was uncomfortable with the thought of having sex with him. "I thought you said you were here to see Zacky."
"I am," Brian assured, nodding his head. "But can I at least have a kiss before I go find him?"
I swiftly rotated my head, making sure Father was entranced in his game of the day and Mother was busy with her cooking. I turned back to Brian and nodded, and he smiled for a split second before our lips collided. Oh, his kisses. No matter how uncomfortable I was with sleeping with him, I could never get tired of his kisses. His lips felt utterly perfectly against my own, and his nose brushing against my cheek made me giggle inside. Just before we separated, Brian took my bottom lip between his teeth and bit down gently, and I let out a soft gasp. Brian used this golden opportunity to slip his tongue into my mouth. To be honest, this was a bit more than I was expecting when Brian asked for a kiss. But I liked it.
"Brian, is that you?" Zacky's voice called from the stairwell. Brian immediately popped away from me, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand before pivoting around to face the stairwell just as Zacky appeared. My oldest brother narrowed his green eyes and flickered them between myself and Brian. "What were you two doing?" he asked suspiciously.
"Relax, Zack," Brian replied nonchalantly. "We were just talking." Such a lie. "Is it illegal for us to talk?"
"I guess not," Zacky agreed, stepping onto the linoleum of the kitchen floor. He peeked around the wall, where Mother was still busy cooking. "Mom doesn't need any help, does she? Because she always wants me to help her cook even though she knows I'm a fucking awful cook and then she gets mad at me when I ruin her food."
Brian and I both laughed out loud. "No Zacky, Mother doesn't need any help," I assured.
"Okay, well good," Zacky said. "I'm not in the mood to get bitched at."
The three of us shared another laugh, and Brian and Zacky departed to the garage. I sighed. I was at a loss about what to do with Brian. Should we keep our relationship a secret, as we were doing now? Or should we tell everyone and risk outside opinions? Both decisions had pros and cons, and all were far too much for my frenzied mind.
"Senoma, would you go see if your sister needs any help?" Mother's voice called from the kitchen. "She's sick again."
Another sigh, and I nodded my head even though I knew Mother could not see. "Yes Mother," I answered, trekking towards the bathroom.
♪•♫•♪•♫•♪•♫•♪•♫•♪
"Zina dear, you look beautiful," Mother crooned to my sister. She flitted around Zina, pulling at stray hairs and smoothing the dress down over my sister's baby bump.
"Mom, stop," Zina pleaded, pushing her hands away. "I'm already nervous enough without you poking and prodding at me."
"Why are you nervous?" I asked. "You're marrying the man of your dreams." And at least you can be open about your relationship, I thought, and then I shook my head. Brian didn't belong in my thoughts today. Today was Zina's day.
"It doesn't matter," Zina fretted. "I'm still beyond nervous."
"Don't be nervous," Mother said. "There is nothing for you to be nervous about. Josh loves you very much, and I know you love him. Not to mention, you two have created a life together. And now your baby can be born into a happy, loving family."
Zina sighed softly, then smiled down at her slightly protruding stomach. She seemed to be pondering Mother's words as she rubbed the taut drum of her belly. "I suppose you're right," she agreed. "Our baby boy deserves the best we can give him."
"So no more being nervous?" I asked hopefully.
Zina chuckled, shaking her head, and responded, "No Senoma, no more being nervous."
"Good," I chirped. I took my sister's hand into my own and began pulling her down the hall. "Now let's go get you married." With that, the two of us took off at a run down the chapel hallway, laughing as we went.
♪•♫•♪•♫•♪•♫•♪•♫•♪
Pinned to the Baker refrigerator:
Baker and Pacecho Wed
Zina Baker, 21, and Joshua Pacecho, 22, were joined in holy matrimony on November 12, 1999. Baker is the eldest child of Maria and Antonio Baker, both of Huntington Beach. Pacecho is the son of Anna and Greg Pacecho of Burbank. Nuptials were held at First Baptist Church with Rev. Garner officiating.
Yay - Zacky approves now!
2/24/19