Adela's Class
Copyright © 2026 by OmegaPet-58
Chapter 7: What’s Up with Them?
ADELA
“We have to think about Julie and David, Paolo. How are we going to explain this?”
“We’re going to tell them the truth, in steps, as we work on our own next steps. We have a lot of—I don’t know—details to think about.”
“Details? Wait, let’s sit down. We have a little time before David gets tired of being beaten by Julie. I mean, it’s a male against female sports thing.”
She smirked, and Paolo chuckled.
“I see your son is battling hard out there, but Giulia was on the varsity team in high school. So, back to us. Details. You know it’s hard for me to talk directly when I’m driving. We need to spend more time together—time when I can give you my total attention. Like we’ve done today. But Adela, eventually, don’t I need to buy you a ring, as your novio?”
I trembled, even on this warm day. “I would love to be your novia, Paolo.”
I was seated on his right, so I put my left hand—with my ring finger—on his leg. I noticed Paolo watching my hand. Calmly, he put his hand over mine, showing he recognized my meaning.
I could barely get the words out. “Are you sure?”
“Querida, mi corazón, I’m very sure.” [Beloved, my heart.]
My mind rattled back and forth, realizing all the implications of what we were now saying to each other. Instead of my hand, I looked up into his eyes—those green eyes that always soothed me. We could be a family. The four of us linked together in love. I just stopped imagining, then. I reached up behind his head, to pull him down for a sweet kiss.
After I released him, I said, “Americans would call me your fiancée, not novia or prometida. All of these words! But you know what I really want to be called?”
“Um, I don’t know, Adela.”
“I want to be called, ’yours.’ That’s all I want, and all I need.”
Paolo squeezed my left hand.
“I don’t have any urgent feelings about a ring, Paolo. If at some time you want to buy me one, it’s OK. But I want something simple, something I can wear later as my wedding ring.”
“People will think I’m cheap, Adela.”
“Forget about that, just tell anyone rude enough to ask that the ring came down from your family back when times were hard. I don’t need or want a big jewel. I would be annoyed if I had to worry about losing it or being robbed. We don’t have extra money to blow on stuff like that. While we’re on that subject, I want a simple wedding. I had a fancy event with Jake; that marriage didn’t work out long term—as you know.”
Words were tumbling out of me now.
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