♯⋆❆⋆｡ HOLIDAY HAVOC ꩜ .ᐟ DANIELA AVANZINI
❝ DO I MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE CHRISTMAS TIME .ᐣ
SAY YOU'LL NEVER LEAVE ME ❞
you and daniela both have divorced parents, when your flight gets cancelled on christmas and you get broadcasted on live tv, you both get stuck balancing four extremely chaotic visits.
daniela avanzini x fem!reader ⟢ chaotic ⟢ romance ⟢ some angst ⟢ messy ⟢ daniela loves you ⟢ established relationship ⟢ not proofread ⟢ around 7.6k words
WARNINGS ⟢ mentions of weight and talk about not eating (nothing in detail + very breifly), r's mom is brutal and upsetting
A/N ⟢ obvi based off of four christmases, i love that movie omg. anyway this took me hours, also i can't be asked to fix the caps i forgot to turn them off and have been fixing it manually for hours, i give up. kisses, brooklynn.
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you and daniela had been dating for eight months, and this time you’d decided to go travelling somewhere nice, somewhere tropical.
you hadn’t met daniela’s family, and she hadn’t met yours—formally, at least— besides your dad who had forced his way into your house one night and your all too invasive mother— which ended in your girlfriend being completely pissed off.
so instead of visiting them, you both decided to spend the money on a nice vacation. though once you got there the airlines were all cancelled, the weather was a hazard, and you were heartbroken.
“of course... the day we want to go is the day things get cancelled”
no flights until tomorrow.
you were about to tell dani to leave, but she wasn’t entirely convinced all of them were cancelled “are you sure there’s no way?”
“ma’am i don’t make the planes magically fly, the pilots are refusing, weather is bad. we can refund you? or you can take a flight as soon as they open, free of charge”
and that’s when a newscast began to record, microphone held by a dazzling woman dressed for tv
“and here we are with the airlines, everything is said to be cancelled because the awful weather, let’s see what some people think”
“ma’am, where were you planning to go?”
you tapped dani’s shoulder, nervously looking at the large camera
daniela raised a brow, “we were supposed to go to the bahamas...”
“ah that’s a shame, are you two upset?”
“what do you think?”
“dani calm down, yes of course it’s upsetting but safety is important and comes first”
and that’s when your phone buzzed
‘you weren’t planning to come see me on christmas? i already planned the morning. flight got cancelled, live news said so. i saw you on there’
‘you planning to visit for christmas? i miss dani, bring her over’
you sighed, responding that you’d be there
daniela’s phone buzzed right after
‘mi amor, no more vacation for you, party starts at 3’
'daniela, you weren’t gonna come see your favourite parent? come by during the evening’
daniela responded immediately, agreeing.
your head peeked over, glancing at her phone “daniela. you said yes?”
“what else was i supposed to say?”
“i said yes too…”
“fuck so we have..”
“four christmases? yea.”
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the drive to your mother’s house was a dreadful one, even though it was only ten minutes from the airport
the winter air held onto the edges of the car window, giving the neighbourhood a washed out look.
daniela used one hand on the wheel, the other attached to your thigh— not in a possessive way, but in a comforting, ‘i know you’re stressed but i’m here for you’ kind of way
your eyes glanced at the houses as the car drove past
normal christmas decor— colourful lights, inflatable reindeer — almost looking like some parade, practically mocking your dread
daniela glanced over, eyes trailing along your face “your jaw is doing that thing”
“what thing?”
“the thing where it looks like you’re chewing glass”
you try to unclench your jaw, but it didn’t work
“i’m fine”
as soon as you both turned onto your mom’s street, daniela raised an eyebrow “you don’t have to pretend with me you know”
but you don’t end up replying because your mother’s house comes into view and all these awful memories come running back.
she wasn’t an awful person. she just was super critical of you and daniela‘s relationship and that bothered you big time.
especially last time, when you could even see it in daniela‘s eyes, how she tried to push back her tears, her throat sore and her words almost cracking
you didn’t like seeing daniela like that, especially when it was because of your own mother.
you remembered the house— it was cozy, not too big but warm— like the kind of place that always smelled like peppermint and a hint of cinnamon, but nothing could prepare you for what your eyes landed on
your mom had practically gone full holiday war, every surface of the front yard, covered in colourful lights, red, green, blue, more red, lots more green, even some purple
every shingle on the roof was practically decorated.
it was absolutely blinding.
a massive wreath was hung up on the door, not like those normal wreaths with the round circle shape, no, this one was in the shape of a giant heart with sparkling ornaments that shone like tiny caution signs.
daniela stared “this house is almost festive in a way that feels kind of threatening.”
you let out a small laugh, even though your stomach was absolutely doubling into itself. you weren’t sure you really wanted to go inside. you hadn’t seen your mother in forever not since the last time an argument about your relationship happened and you knew despite it being months ago, she would still have something to say. “yea she gets intense.”
daniela parked the car but she hesitated to open her door. ff course, she remembered the last time, like it was yesterday, actually.
she understood somewhat, she knew she wasn’t the most perfect girl in the world and daniela knew you only deserved the best, but she tried and for every good effort, it was like your mother only paid attention to the awful ones, which were extremely rare.
she turned to face you instead, reaching up and brushing her knuckles gently, right against your cheek “hey, look. no matter what happens in there it’ll be okay”
you leaned into her hand, nodding at her words
the moment between you two was soft and warm and comfortable until the front door swung open with utmost force
your mother stood at the door, arms open, wide.
her sweater, red and adorned with reindeer and a smile so big that you thought her face would fall off
“OH MY GOD! MY BABY.”
she squealed, running down to the car before you two could even get out
you were only one foot out of the car before your mother was dragging you into a hug, but not the kind of hug that’s about affection.
it’s the kind of hug that’s more of an assessment.
feeling whether you’ve gained weight, or lost weight.
if you seemed tired or just not being the version that she wanted you to be.
you were almost suffocating in her arms, but then she spots daniela over your shoulder, and she pulls away, smile dropping half a centimetre
“oh, you brought her..”
you see daniela’s shoulders stiffen, but her expression remaining polite as always
“hi mrs. l/n, it’s good to see you ag—"
“it’s really cold out. come inside both of you.” your mom cut her off and you could’ve already sensed this wasn’t going to go so well.
inside was even worse, it was like a sensory assault— almost like some holiday pinterest board threw up all over her house.
the smell hits first, peppermint, pine, a hint of cinnamon, and something sugary that could’ve once been something like a cookie but honestly, it smelled more like a lab of chemicals
the garland was wrapped around every surface, red and white bows adorned every empty space, a full formed christmas village sprawled across the entire dining room table, and there was a life-size santa right in the corner that looked like it almost came alive during the night
daniela whispered “oh my god”
you looked at her, whispering back “don’t stare for too long. it feeds her ego.”
your mother quickly swept towards daniela, fixing her coat collar without her asking daniela shot you a small look, not a look that said ‘hey look we’re bonding!’ more of a look that screamed ‘help me’, but your mother had already moved on, grabbing your hands and looking at them.
she held them palms up, almost as if she was some fortune teller who could all of a sudden read palms
“you look tired are you eating? you look like you’re not eating”
daniela stepped closer out of instinct “she’s eating fine; besides, it’s kind of insensitive to—"
“i wasn’t asking you”
your stomach dropped, daniela’s jaw flexed, muscles overworking and a tiny crack forming in her expression that was once carefully controlled
strike one
your mother clapped her hands, pretending like nothing happened “go on and sit i made some hot chocolate”
daniela mumbled something in your ear “of course she did”
your eyes shot her a warning look, but your lips shoot her a smile
she saw it and her shoulders lost their tension a little
you sat on the couch, decorated with thousands of pillows that you knew your mother hadn’t touched once
daniela stepped beside you, her knee brushing yours
your mom brought out three mugs, of course hers was some oddly shaped christmas themed cup and yours and daniela’s were random chipped mugs
ones that you remembered even from your childhood
“so” she said trying to give her best sweet smile “i saw the news you two were on tv at the airport”
you let a loud groan “mom please don’t—"
“oh, you are so cute” she cut in waving her hand “I just couldn’t help but wonder why lie about it? why avoid me? i texted in october..” her gaze sharpened, eyes pinning straight to daniela before yours.
the question wasn’t a soft one. it was an accusation.
daniela inhaled beside you before you went on to respond “we weren’t avoiding you. we just like travelling together. besides daniela’s usually working with a very busy schedule and she doesn’t really get to have time off so it’s really nice for us to have a week or two to ourselves.”
your mother hummed, completely unconvinced. she was actually more convinced that daniela was forcing you into going places with her instead
her eyes were only focused on daniela, paying you no mind. “do you like traveling?”
“yes”
“hm”
and just that.
that single syllable that was made of two letters—was packed with so much judgement and criticism that you wanted to leave
daniela‘s knuckles turned white as they tightened around the handle of her mug
you knew what your mother was trying to say, she really wanted to say that she didn’t believe any of the bullshit that you were spewing.. despite it all being the truth, but she would pretend for the sake of keeping things civil
“come help me in the kitchen sweetheart, daniela you can stay here alright”
you felt daniela tense again, jaw clenching, her eyes flicking to yours with this panic that she was trying so desperately hard to hide, but you knew her so well and so you hesitated
but your mother practically dragged you to the kitchen. you never really had a choice to begin with.
your heart was beating faster, glancing back at daniela, who was now left sitting alone on the couch
her eyes almost burning through a weirdly aggressive, but super cheerful porcelain snowman that sat on the mantle
you mouthed something to her, you promised to be quick and she nodded in silence
your mom begins, rolling out the cookie dough, slamming the bowls around a bit too hard
her aggression very clear, you were used to it.
you’d grown up here. you’d lived with her for majority of your life. you knew how things went, and you knew how she was.
“you tell me right now, is she controlling you?”
“what? mom, no!”
“you two going all the way across the world for christmas? who does that? normal people spend holidays with their families and their families alone”
“she’s not controlling me, we make our decisions together” you repeat firmly, you weren’t going to deal with this again
your mom scoffed, not believing a word you just said
“is that what she tells you?”
and there it is
that same sharp tone, the same guilty tactics, the same woman who wanted to make everything about her.
“daniela doesn’t tell me things. we talk, like adults”
your mother laughed, a little too loudly, as if you were the naivest girl in the entire world “sweetheart i’m your mother. i can see things that you can’t and that girl has in a hold on you.. and i don’t like it.”
“she doesn’t have a hold on me. you don’t even know what you’re talking about besides, you barely come around anymore. okay? you know maybe the reason we don’t want to be here is because you’re constantly criticizing my girlfriend who—mind you— has been around for more than anyone else has. i just don’t understand why you just can’t accept the fact that.. that we love each other, and things are normal.”
“normal? she’s isolating you”
“that’s not fair”
“fair?“ she slammed the parchment paper down so hard you practically jump up. “i hardly see you anymore unless i guilt you. all daniela has to do is swoop in, take you around the world, and all of a sudden you’re head over heels.”
“you’re acting like she kidnapped me!”
“she might as well have!”
your breath caught in your throat, anger burying itself under your ribs “that’s so messed up. why are you saying this?”
“because it’s the truth. daniela is selfish you know it. i know it. she’s difficult, sharp, she doesn’t have any respect for me whatsoever—"
“ respect? daniela doesn’t have respect for you? well, maybe because you’re not respecting her. ever think about that?”
her eyes narrow dangerously and you swallow hard “don’t you dare take that tone with me”
she softened her gaze, falsely. “look, sweetie. i love you and i just think you deserve someone who doesn’t make your world so… so small.”
“what are you talking about? daniela doesn’t make my world small.”
“she doesn’t? you know you used to dream of so many things but now all everything is about is her. about daniela, about your girlfriend, it’s like you won’t shut up about the fucking girl. it’s like she owns you, like you’re not an individual person because all of your thoughts and every coherent word you utter out is about daniela and some fucking bullshit that she feeds you and you buy into it every. single. time. can’t you see she’s using you? obviously you’re a pretty girl and pretty girls get taken advantage of and if you can’t defend yourself, you need to talk to me. you need to tell me, honey, and we can figure something out.”
that was your last straw, tears stained the backs of your eyes, not because she was right— she was incredibly, horribly, wrong and you absolutely despised every word that had just come out of her mouth— but because she knew exactly how to hit where it hurt and that’s what she just did
“i’m going back to daniela”
“yea, of course you are”
daniela was still on the couch, now her eyes were fixated on the tv “your mom thinks we lied to avoid her?”
but your mother replied before you could even do so “well didn’t you do exactly that?”
the air thickened instantly, you took a step closer to daniela, “baby let’s just—"
but your mother crossed her arms over her chest “am i not allowed to ask questions now??”
daniela stood up slowly
uh oh
she stepped forward, not in an aggressive manner, but with a barely restrained step
“with all due respect” she said, more calm than cold “we don’t owe anyone an explanation for how we decide to spend our holidays. in fact, we don’t actually owe anyone an explanation about anything, not about how our relationship is, not about how we work. you don’t get to know things. you’ve been out of your daughter‘s life ever since she turned eighteen, you practically kicked her out of your house. you told her she had to do things like an adult, live by herself. I hate to break it to you but a minimum wage job, freshly out of high school, isn’t gonna get you anywhere. You have barely enough to feed yourself, to clothe yourself, let alone pay for a month’s amount of rent. your ex husband welcomed her back in with open arms and for someone who pretends they care about their daughter so fucking much, you sure do a shit job.”
“see this is exactly what I mean, she’s rude”
daniela laughed, but there was no humour “rude? me? you think i’m rude? i’ve been nothing but polite since we walked in, in case you haven’t realized, maybe because you’ve been too busy focusing on how rude I am.”
“you showed up wearing that”
“mom!”
“it’s highly inappropriate”
daniela looked down at her outfit, low waisted black jeans a sweater that was cropped slightly off the shoulder. it was perfectly normal.
it’s not like she showed up wearing her tour outfit or the other clothes she would usually wear.
“how so?”
“too attention grabbing, it’s like you’re always trying to prove something, you know”
“and what exactly do you think i’m trying to prove?” she asked, jaw tightening
“not sure, maybe that you’re superior, more worldly.. older, wiser, better than my daughter. and let’s not pretend you don’t enjoy being the smart one, the mature one, the one who leads everything, even this relationship. i know exactly what you are sweetheart and maybe your games work with my daughter, but they won’t work with me”
“that’s how you really think?”
“I don’t need to think about it. i know it.” she replied, words sharp like they could cut through something.
and that’s when daniela’s restraint cracked “I hate to break it to you, but your daughter isn’t a puppet. she chose me, not because i’m mature or smart or who leads.”
“love, you two run away all the time, you don’t even know what real commitment looks like or feels like or what it even is”
you shook your head, “just stop”
“no! i’m not gonna pretend like everything’s fine this—“ she used her pointer finger gesturing to the both of you “— isn’t healthy”
“enough!” you finally snapped, that was probably the loudest you’d ever spoken to her “you don’t get to judge my relationship because you don’t understand it. you don’t get to judge something just because it’s not up to your expectations or to what you like or your standards or whatever! whatever. you can’t constantly yell like this over and over again. this shouldn’t be normal. this shouldn’t be the way you treat her ever. i’m not even sure why i let the first time slide as if that was fucking okay.”
“i’m your mother. i get to judge whoever hurts you and whoever uses you—"
“daniela doesn’t hurt me, and she doesn’t use me”
your mother shouted over you, “she’s keeping you from us!”
daniela rolled her eyes “no, you’re pushing her away. you don’t listen, you don’t ask what she wants. you suffocate her with criticism and then go ahead and call it love as if that even makes sense. aren’t you supposed to be her mother?”
daniela let out a hard breath, her tears gathering in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.
she would never let them fall here.
your hands grazed her arm gently. she flinched slightly, not away from you, but from the absolute overload of emotions she was feeling right now
your mother straightened. “get out.”
“what?”
“you heard me. both of you. i won’t let someone disrespect me in my own home, get out”
daniela exhaled, not out of defeat— just in pure exhaustion
you looked at your mother “if we leave, we’re not coming back. i hope you know that”
“then don’t”
and for a moment, it was like the entire room was holding its breath
daniela squeezed your hand, voice slow “come on”
and with that you walked out together, not slamming the door, but closing it softly, and that only made it feel heavier somehow
once you’re both outside and the cold air blows over your face, your eyes start to sting
daniela stood beside the car, unlocking it
“i’m sorry, i’m so sorry”
your eyes shot up immediately “don’t you dare apologize, you defended me. you did nothing wrong. i should be the one saying sorry.. i don’t know. i don’t know.”
“yea well she hates me now”
“and who cares, she doesn’t get to decide what’s good for me and what’s not.. and she definitely doesn’t get to decide our relationship”
daniela’s eyes finally stared back into yours, now her expression was just raw emotion
your forehead touches hers “it’s okay, we’ll get through the next three houses together.”
“okay.” she whispered, kissing you softly— the world going quiet except for your breaths
one house was down
you had three more to go
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the way to your dad’s house was heavy, with thick layers of frozen slush—unlike your mom’s neighbourhood with even lawns and decor.
there were tall pine trees crowding all the sides, branches heavy and asphalt cracking. the contrast definitely felt sharp
the tension from your mother’s house still in the air, but it felt better.
daniela drove slower, a little more carefully, thumb rubbing slow circles over the back of your hand as it rested on the centre console.
she wanted to reassure you that she was fine and as much as it bothered her, you both didn’t do anything wrong.
as you approached your father‘s house, you spotted a few different cabin looking houses, except his house looked exactly like bass pro shop
daniela hummed “honestly i kind of vibe with this”
“yea of course you do” you suppressed your laughter
when the girl parked, you managed to at least get three steps to the door before your father immediately greeted you two
“HELLOOO!” he basically roared out as if you hadn’t seen him in decades
“dad“ you groaned, completely mortified by his enthusiasm
but he doesn’t even spare you a glance, no, not even one, his eyes immediately locking onto daniela
“DANI!” he boomed, arms wide
“HOW’S MY FAVOURITE GIRL?
daniela just laughed, her cheeks going slightly pink “hi mr l/n, i’m doing good.”
the bear hug was so intense, daniela’s feet actually left the ground for a moment
you rushed forward, horrified “dad! put her down”
“no can do kiddo, i gotta greet my future daughter-in-law properly, of course”
“DAD!”
daniela’s face was a bright red, but she was giggling— like actually giggling, before he set her down
“future what now?” she was definitely amused.
“i called it the moment you two started dating, you’re the one, trust me. when you know you know and i definitely know.. you know 56 years on this earth and i can definitely say i know things and i’m one wise guy”
“that you sure are”
you wanted to crawl into a hole and bury yourself and preferably stay until, well, until the end of next year rolled around
“please stop”
daniela bumped your shoulder with affection “no let him talk. I’m kind of enjoying this.”
your dad lightly slapped her back in a playful way “see? she gets me.. unlike a little someone”
“i hate this”
“she loves this”daniela added
“i do not love this!”
“sure you do” your father muttered, walking inside and leading you two in “today’s gonna be great”
inside smelled like sage and rosemary, a hint of steak simmering in the kitchen
the warmth of the house hit you instantly.
it’s the house that was there for you during your hardest times. it reminded you of memories where you actually laughed, and you weren’t constantly having to put up some perfect facade for your mother who wouldn’t have anything but something perfect
it was like a deep comfort sunk into your body
“i really like it here”
your dad heard her words and practically lit up like he had just won the lottery “i built half of it myself”
you smiled at his words “he actually did”
as you walked into the living room, the torn up couch caught your eye immediately
it was placed right in front of the fireplace— there was actually a real fireplace— rather than some fake for show fireplace
this one actually kept you warm and did what it was supposed to do.
“you look super happy here” daniela’s fingers trace over the frame, the photo being of you and your dad standing in front of the newly built house, bright big smiles crossing over your lips
“yea i mean it’s also where i learned a lot of stuff”
“yea and where you learned how to fall out of trees” your dad interrupted
“dad!”
“oh, i need to hear this”
your dad smiled, ready to tell the story to anyone and everyone who asked
“oh just wait until you hear the details, get this.. she fell trying to rescue a squirrel.”
daniela let out a small laugh
“of course she did”
you rubbed your forehead with your hand
“it was one time!”
“one time? you named the thing butterscotch and you cried for a whole day because the squirrel didn’t understand gravity and how it worked.”
daniela bent over laughing, “oh my god!”
you used a pillow to bury your face into it
“oh my god, i’m leaving.”
“relax, I haven’t even told her about the worms yet.”
daniela wiped tears from her eyes “worms?!”
you almost screamed, “no absolutely not. you will not be uttering a word about worms or anything related to worms or anything about my childhood.”
your dad ignored you “my kid used to keep earthworms in every single pocket, you know, in case they got lonely, she claimed”
daniela collapsed back into the small chair, laughing so hard that no sound was actually coming out of her mouth
you tried to glare but seeing her so happy after such a dull morning was the best thing that actually could’ve happened
your cheeks flush, you loved her
“pockets full of worms? oh my god, i can’t breathe”
you rolled your eyes playfully. “i was six!”
your dad placed the food onto the table, handing daniela her plate
“for my future daughter-in-law”
daniela smiled from ear to ear, “i’m not marrying your daughter today, mr. l/n”
your dad raised a brow
“tomorrow’s open”
her face heated up, “we’ll see”
your heart did something stupid in your chest.
you didn’t know what, but you knew the thought of marrying her made your chest warm.
“so how’s work?”
“busy, heavy, you know the usual”
‘you’re treating my kid right?”
daniela laughed, taking a bite of the food “of course i am”
“do you know she got stuck in a fort of bicycles in the grocery store once?”
daniela almost choked on her drink. “i’m sorry, what?”
“i was five!”
“you were ten.”
“dad!”
“you screamed at the worker who found you”
daniela leaned in close, “i really like him”
“yea, he likes you more than he likes me”
“i can tell,” she whisper teasingly.
your dad ended up dragging out a large cardboard box from the attic filled with dust. “oh no, no, no, no. absolutely not.”
“oh yes, absolutely yes”
he pulled out the photo album, plopping it right onto the table
“oh my god” daniela whispered amusingly
the very first page was toddler you, wearing the biggest cowboy boots that were far too worn out, sitting on a tricycle with your mouth stuck mid scream
“she was terrified of ants”
“it was a phase!”
“oh, it was more than a phase. you refused to walk outside after that for a good two years.”
“two years?!” daniela’s eyes widened
your dad nodded aggressively, “yea two whole years”
“why are you doing this to me?”
the page flipped, showing you with glitter on your face ,sparkles everywhere
“and this was the time that she wanted to be a fairy, actually no, she claimed she was physically a fairy, and wouldn’t say anything else”
“i’m totally gonna get you back,” you whispered
“and here’s the one where she tried marrying her stuffed animal—"
“okay and we’re done”
“what do you mean? we’re not done? we’re definitely not done.” her laugh echoed through your ears
you held onto the book like it was a weapon, making sure daniela or your dad, didn’t get near it.
daniela was smiling the entire time, hands on her cheeks from laughing so much.
her voice was almost gone and that’s when you realized that she wasn’t laughing at you, she was actually falling deeper in love with you.
with every stupidly, adorable, embarrassing piece of your childhood and your heart twisted
she was the love of your life.
later, your dad watched the both of you while taking a sip of his hot coffee
“so when are you proposing?”
daniela almost choked on her drink. “oh wow.”
“i’m just saying, i’ve never seen her this happy ever and you.. you fit, you get her, you make her super comfortable”
your heart stuttered in your chest, everything he was saying was true
“i’m not rushing anything of course, i’m just teasing you. but when it happens, like when it really happens, i’ll be ready with a speech”
you let out a half laugh “oh my god, dad!”
“what? i’m just saying you need to let me know, i need to save up for the damn venue”
“this is so flattering and also kind of terrifying, but it’ll happen. i promise”
“welcome to the family, dani”
“thank you”
and without another beat, her eyes flicked to yours, a tender look— almost like she was shy all of a sudden
when it was time to leave, your dad hugged the both of you as tightly as he could
not wanting to let go, he really did miss you two.
“you take care of her,” he whispered
“with my whole heart”
“ah hell, i love you”
she gave him a nervous smile. “i.. i love you too”
“bye, don’t forget to start saving for a ring. i’ll save up for your honeymoon and then you better come back to this house.”
you let out a breathless laugh, “he’s insane”
“i think he’s wonderful and i really like the way he talked about us”
your chest warmed, “i did too”
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daniela’s car pulled up to the third house, her dad‘s this time
the house was something you had definitely seen out of a magazine.
it was super modern, super clean, it looked like it costed more than you would ever make in your entire life, but of course the overwhelmingly amount of cars piling in the driveway made you think that the inside was not so calm
“brace yourself, my dad‘s chill sure, but that doesn’t mean normal.. just to let you know no jump scares, no unexpectedness, just a little chaos.”
“honestly with the day we’ve had so far.. i think i can handle this amount of chaos.”
the doorbell rang throughout the house, you and dani waiting on the porch.
her father opened the door “dani! you’re here and who is this?” you stared at the guy, a soft smile on your face.
“this is y/n.. and she’s—”
“yea.. yea i know, the girlfriend, heard about you. you’re more normal than i expected.” daniela‘s face turned red, “dad..” she let out through clenched teeth
“relax i like her.” He turned to face you, “you seem normal and you can take that as a compliment. trust me daniela has crazy standards.”
daniela wanted to hit her head against the wall. “he’s literally impossible.”
“impossible yes, but loveable just like his daughter. now get inside you two”
you both stepped into the house, the chaos that daniela was talking about hitting immediately
a small girl barreled toward you, head of curly hair and about four years old.
it was daniela‘s younger cousin, she threw herself onto your legs
“mine! mine! you’re mine now!” the little girl shouted out, absolutely loving your outfit. you looked like a real life barbie doll and she was obsessed.
you knelt down, a soft smile grazing your face “what’s your name?”
“isa!” she said proudly before sticking her tongue out at daniela, full of mischief
“isabella, don’t do that.”
“you’re so cute!” you looked up at dani. “she’s so cute.”
you struggled to take the girl off of you. all she did was cling tighter and every time daniela tried to pull her away, she would just stick her tongue out, squeal, and manage to get daniela into trouble with the other family members
“isabella stop! she’s mine, okay?”
“dani. she’s just playing around,” her dad said, “let the girl, she likes you.”
“i’m not the one she likes!” daniela shouted, clearing her father’s confusion
your face was burning from how intense the toddler’s affection was and honestly, it was awkward in a really dramatic way.
daniela tried to take your hand but isabella interrupted her, either hiding behind your back, taking your hand, hugging your leg, or pulling on your coat
one of daniela‘s older cousins, about mid twenties, just passed his bar exam, and he found it as a great time to practice flirting
“not gonna lie. she’s really hot.”
“excuse me?” daniela barked
“just stating the obvious.. you’re lucky she likes you because fuck she’s steaming hot like damn..”
daniela’s jaw tightened. “i swear to god, if you utter another word about how hot my girlfriend is, i’m going to kill you.”
he just laughed, of course he was teasing, but what he said was still true.
isabella had already dragged you across the whole living room, presenting you to every single aunt, uncle, and cousin, and even all of the pets— which consisted of two golden retrievers, and her whole collection of barbie dolls.
“this is my new best friend!” she said, referring to you.
everyone smiled and clapped, one aunt pinched her cheeks.
daniela wanted to intervene, but she knew isabella would sabotage her
“i’m gonna get you later” daniela said playfully, looking at the little girl.
daniela glanced over at you, watching as you entertained isa by playing with her. daniela‘s older cousin came up beside her, now with a drink in his hand. “okay seriously she’s really hot. i’m sorry.. i’m sorry, i needed to say it again.. i just—she really chose you? that’s crazy.”
“shut up marco. this is my girlfriend not some random person and definitely not your opportunity to flirt”
“god you need to relax, you’re acting as if i’m gonna steal the girl”
isa looked back, “come play with us!”
“no, you need to apologize first”
“you’re getting jealous of a four year old, seriously?” her dad whispered, “come on..”
“first of all, i am not..” but before daniela finished her sentence, the little girl was already sticking her tongue out, teasing her.
that’s when dani froze, almost knocking over a whole stack of family photos.
“see?” her dad began to laugh. “you’re totally jealous.”
you start laughing uncontrollably trying to juggle isa, all of the photos that were now all over the place, and daniela‘s very interesting expression
in the kitchen you finally get isa to settle down, not before bribing her with some cookies.
“i don’t think i’ve ever been held hostage by a toddler before”
daniela shook her head with a smile. “yea she gets really attached and i think you’re just making her like you even more now, she’s gonna be hyper and clingy. I hate you both”
though of course she was just kidding.
her dad smiled as he walked through the kitchen, “you know this is my kind of holiday chaos, i kinda like it. it’s what makes us, us.”
daniela rolled her eyes, but the smile on her lips said otherwise, she glanced at you who was also smiling wide, and she realizd that this wasn’t so bad, not when it was her family and especially not when you were involved; even with a clingy toddler, a flirty, older cousin and her cool dad hovering around you
it all just felt like home
₊˚｡⋆❆⋆｡˚₊
the moment daniela‘s car turned down the small street you could already hear children yelling from inside the houses, not that you minded, you found it cute— it was christmas afterall.
daniela stopped the music playing from the car and all you two heard before exiting was someone screaming to shut the door before the dog ran out
you could smell someone cooking from the car and it smelled absolutely delicious.
“okay, look.. before we go in just remember, be polite, say you love everything even if it’s physically hard to admit, and if my mom offers you any sort of liquor do not take the first cup. it’s her testing cup. it’s where she decides whether she either respects you or thinks you’re weak.”
you nod, listing out all the rules in your head “okay, no taking the first cup, polite, love everything.. i can do that”
you both walked to the front door, daniela knocking three times
“mi amor!” her mother called out, her apron sprinkled with flour
she grabbed daniela’s face, moving it side to side, checking if she had any scars
“mamá..” daniela wheezed, the hug too tight for her. “i can’t breathe.”
“oh shh, you never visit, you ungrateful girl.. and now you suddenly have a girlfriend and you don’t even call to warn me”
“mamá, but i did call you”
“do not lie to me, a two minute phone call is not a real call. that’s what you give a dentist, not your mother.”
daniela nodded in understanding, she knew better than to argue with her mom
her mother turned to look at you, the smile on her face switching to a sweet one
she grabbed your hands as if she’d known you for years.
“you’re so pretty in person. dios mío! look at you.. daniela never brings anyone pretty well except mar—"
daniela stiffened immediately, your brow raised, and her mother gave an all knowing smirk
“mamá, no”
“anyway, come in, come in”
the inside of the house was honestly everything you expected.
there were family photos everywhere, a few lights here and there, a really nice smell of something cooking on the stove, and eight different conversations happening at once.
it was overflowing with extended family, cousins and uncles, someone sleeping on the couch while another kid tried to pull the dog’s tail
suddenly it was just pure silence
“hi,” you whispered awkwardly, with a wave
you weren’t really sure what to do
then everyone erupted “oh my god!”
“look at her, qué linda!”
“daniela, you finally bring someone home who doesn’t look like she’s about to cry”
the groan that left daniela‘s lips was immediate “give her space, she’s nervous.”
“i’m okay,” you whispered “really it’s okay dani.”
“how beautiful, daniela always had good taste well except for marí—"
“mamá!”
“what? i’m not saying anything bad! everyone loved maría”
“MAMÁ”
you felt your stomach drop, you knew who she was
of course you knew who she was.
it was daniela’s infamous ex, the one that daniela claimed her mom loved more than her mom had ever liked her.
the one that she actually barely spoke about
the one she tried to forget every day
“but you’re different. you look like you’re in a stable place”
you weren’t sure what to say to that besides a small “thanks?”
“anyway, let me feed you. daniela should’ve brought you sooner. she never listens.. always working and never calling, always forgetting she has a familia.”
“i can hear you, we’re actually in the same room right now!”
“well, whatever i have to say can go through your ears too”
you try not to laugh, she immediately began building a plate for you.
and when she told you to eat, you did
and it was the most amazing thing you’d ever put into your mouth “wow this is really good”
her mom lit up like you had just given her one million dollars
“see? at least someone appreciates real cooking. daniela never liked my hallacas.”
“what? i love your hallacas”
“actually when you were ten years old, you said that they were too salty and that you wouldn’t eat them unless i perfected the recipe.”
“i was ten, you even said so!”
“well you still had an opinion”
you choked on your laugh, her mom looking at you pleased.
“tell me, mi amor, how serious are you two?” daniela‘s eyes widened
“mama, please not now.”
“what? if you like her, you say it, if you love her, you say it.. if she’s just a phase like that girl in college—”
“mamá!”
“what? i’m saying it’s normal to experiment!”
you covered your mouth, trying not to let your laughter out
daniela’s mom ignored her before focusing on you instead, “so what do you think of my dani? she’s stubborn, dramatic, talks too much, doesn’t cook at all, but she has a good heart”
your chest softened “yea i know, she’s incredible..”
you heard her mother let out a dreamy sigh. “yes maría—” she stopped midway
daniela froze almost panicking, it seemed like the entire room went silent
“did you just—”
“i said y/n” her mother responded way too quickly.
“no.” daniela whispered, “you didn’t”
the room felt colder now, her mother’s hands smoothing over her apron. “i have a lot of cooking, you two talk. welcome to the family.”
daniela sat beside you, looking into your eyes. “i’m so sorry. i swear she doesn’t mean to do that on purpose.. she just she forgets. i don’t know.”
you shrugged, taking another bite of the food. “it’s fine”
daniela cut you off. “it’s not. she really loved her.. way too much, like way too much, more than i ever did honestly and she has this odd idea that i’m gonna mess up again and she just wants the best for me and after seeing how i was with you know who… she kind of became really protective and also sort of despises me for messing up with a girl that she loved so much.”
“i don’t think you’re messing up.”
her mother called your name from the kitchen. “can you give me some help?”
daniela shot right up “mamá I’ll help,” daniela said, but her mother’s tone was sharp
“you stay, she comes.” you squeezed her knee under the table, standing up
her mother led you into the kitchen, pots were boiling something that smelled delicious and the trays of cookies filled the kitchen
“so you and daniela, how long?”
“eight months”
“is it serious?”
“it feels serious.”
“does she love you?’ you paused entirely. yes, you and daniela had been dating for eight months, but she had never said anything yet
“i think so.’ you stutter out
“you think so?”
“well she hasn’t said it yet..”
“she told maría within three months.”
and that’s when your chest tightened
“my dani, she loves big.. all or nothing, but sometimes she runs when things get hard. maría understood that, she was patient. she waited for daniela to come back every time and she always did.. you’re sweet, pretty, educated, i like you, but i don’t know if you’re..” she was trying to find the right words, “the kind of person who stays when daniela panics”
“well i’m not her ex.. but you can trust me when i say that i will be sticking by her side no matter what. i promise.”
“you know what, can you pass me the rum from the top shelf?”
you move swiftly, reaching up through the cabinet to grab the bottle as her mother watched
“mi amor, don’t take it personal i test everyone even marí—”
“please i think it’s better for us both if you just don’t finish that sentence.”
“good, you have a spine.. but daniela has never brought someone home who wasn’t temporary, except marí—”
“mamá!” daniela stood there, furious eyes
“oh look she heard us.”
“you okay?” daniela asked, looking at you.
“yea i’m fine..”
“oh please, if she can’t handle a little comparison—”
“mamá, that’s enough, stop”
her mother raised her brow. she couldn’t believe that daniela was actually talking back to her.
“she’s not maría and i’m not who i was with her, so stop acting like i’m gonna go back in time and replay my entire life all over again. she’s still here and that should tell you all that you need to know.. we’re going to go take a walk.”
daniela brought you outside and even though it was cold, the air outside felt way better than the air inside. “i’m so sorry..” daniela whispered, “she loves maría and i feel like she uses that to punish me.. and none of that is fair to you, obviously”
“no it’s okay, it just it caught me off guard..”
“well i don’t love her anymore and i don’t want her, she’s my past”
you finally lifted your eyes. “you don’t have to say anything you’re not ready to—”
“i’m ready” she cut you off. ‘i just wish you heard it from me first.. i love you, not her, not anyone else, just you”
your breath hitched
“and i’m staying and i want you to stay with me even if my family is insane.. and i promise you, i will be putting a ring around that finger.”
you bit onto your lower lip her promise hanging in the air. “i love you too.”
