Ian's POV
The day had gone perfectly, with everything going according to plan. All that was left was Nadia and the apology Mr. Medina somehow coaxed out of her. It seems there is still a deep bond between those two, one that will probably never fade. Hailey stacked her plate, munching and eating as I scanned the area for my own mother. Dad's towering figure came into view first, a whole head taller than anyone else here. He picked mom up under her arms, lifting her up past the crowd to spot me before placing her back down.
"Mi tesoro!" Mom called out as she pushed her way through the crowd. "Congratulations! I am so happy for you two. You have no idea how happy you have made this mama heart." She squeezed my cheeks together with the palms of her hands, almost making me bite them.
"Okay, Ma'. I get it. Thank you."
She let me go, laughing before hugging me tight. "My sweet boy, you're growing so fast. I knew this moment would come one day, and I swore I would be ready. Look at me now," she whined, wiping away the tears in her eyes. "I'm a mess."
"I told you, you would be." Dad shook mom's hair with his large hand. The palm of his hand was almost the size of the top of mom's head. "I'm proud of you, son. You got yourself a wonderful young lady. Your mother has forced her to talk to me on the phone a few times. Three-way calling her half the time and surprising her. She's a good sport."
I laughed, having no idea Mom had done that. Hailey nodded in agreement, her mouth too full to talk. She swallowed hard, covering her mouth with her fisted hand.
"Caught me real off guard when a deep, bellowing voice came out of the other end of the phone. For a minute, I thought Cat had been kidnapped, and I was taking a ransom call."
We laughed, continuing our conversation as others started to join. Red had that rosy tint to her cheeks again, looking healthier than ever before. She and Lucas had joined in with most of Hailey's sisters. They all wanted to know how I proposed and Hailey spared no detail. Most of them were awed and called it quaint and cute. I feel bad for whatever guy has impressed Hailey's sisters. They want a whole damn show, probably a public display. I know my future wife, and that would not have pleased her in the least.
"I think it was absolutely perfect. So you can suck my left tit, DeeDee." Hailey stuck her tongue out at her sister.
"Nena!" Her dad scolded her, but she only shrugged. A high-pitched laughter filled the air near the doorway of the roof. Nadia had arrived.
"Oh great," Hailey mumbled under breath. I seemed to be the only one who caught it.
"Talk to her, Nena. Your Mami has something she wants to tell you. Listen before you get defensive, eh?"
"Okay, Papi."
Hailey reluctantly made her way towards her mom, stopping when she realized I wasn't beside her. She motioned for me to follow, so I did. I will do anything Hailey asks me to, within reason, that is. Nadia waited by the door, realizing she wasn't the most welcome presence here. Mr. Medina ensured that everyone's attention was away from us as he shouted "Karaoke" and led the way to a machine he had sworn he would not hook up.
"Hola, Mami," Hailey greeted her with a hug and quick kiss to the cheek.
"Hola, Muñeca."
"Papi said you have something to tell me."
"I do." Nadia fell silent for a moment as tears brimmed in her eyes. "You are right, and I hate to admit it, because in doing so, I am calling myself a bad mother. I never thought of myself that way. My selfish behavior led you to resent me, and I hate myself for that. Your Papi has me seeing a counselor and we are working through my issues. According to her, I have a hard time noticing when I am making things about myself. So, I need you to help me. Tell me when I am doing this, tell me when I am being selfish."
Hailey was still as she stared at her mother. Her face was the best poker face I had ever seen her wear, but her eyes- her eyes told it all. "Are you sure you want that? Because you know I won't hesitate to tell you. I will point it out no matter where we are or what we are doing."
"I am sure." Nadia nodded, her eyes still filled with tears she was trying to wipe away. "Now enough about me, let's celebrate. My sweet daughter is getting married!"
Those words seemed to seal the deal for Hailey as she tackled her mother in a tight hug. "I love you, Mami."
"I love you, too, Muñeca."
The party continued well into the night until we had the cops call on us and have to break it up. Hailey was happy, and so I was. The time spent with our families was well worth the slight trouble we caused our neighbors. We'll apologize tomorrow, or maybe not, because soon we will be buying a house and then we won't have to worry about them at all. I may not be rich like Lucas, but I have worked hard and saved my money well. I have enough for a down payment on a nice house. Not as extravagant as the one Lucas built, but still a palace Hailey and I would be able to call home and raise a child in.
"No way. I don't want to be freezing when we get married." Hailey shook her head when I mentioned a Christmas wedding. "Besides, Christmas is Christmas, no matter how much you love the holiday, you don't wed on Christmas."
"Halloween?" I joked.
"Tempting, we could do a whole spooky theme, but that's not really us." She shook her head again.
"How about March?"
"Okay, March I can live with. But are we talking this March or next?"
"This one! I don't want to wait a whole other year," I protested.
"Then March is no good. We won't be able to find a place. If we want to do it before next fall, then we should aim for summer. Perhaps May, before it gets too hot," she suggested.
"Hailey, I plan events for a living. If you want March, we can do March. You tell me the place and I will make it happen."
"Are you serious?" She smiled happily at me, her eyes twinkling with excitement.
"Yes, deadly serious."
"Okay then! March it is. Grab a dart and let's find our day."
I gave her the dart, covering her eyes with my hands and positioning her in front of the calendar. She threw with great precision, hitting one of the days from a distance. I uncovered her eyes as we walked over to see the day.
"March 27th," we both said, elated to have a date set now.
"Place?" I asked her, ready to get started. I wanted this day to be perfect for her and for us. After everything we had gone through, we deserved to have a day full of love and happiness and nothing more.
"Let's look."
We both took our laptops and started searching for places. Comparing prices, looking at pictures, and then making a list of places we wanted to see in person before deciding. At the end of it, we ended up with a list of five that seemed our style and were very beautiful. Mr. Medina would not let me spend a dime on the wedding, saying that as the bride's father, it was his responsibility. Seeing as I couldn't afford an extravagant wedding and a down payment for a house, I gladly accepted the offer.
"Ready to go?" I asked her, wanting to see these places already.
"Um, yeah, okay." She got up, not having expected me to want to go today.
"First place?" I asked her, letting her decide which was top priority.
"The Barn at Liberty Farms. I feel like something rustic, maybe?" She questioned herself as we headed out the door.
"I could see myself in some suspenders and a boutonniere."
We made it there in no time, taking a quick tour and then heading to our next destination. The barn wasn't bad, but Hailey didn't seem all that excited by it. I wanted her face to light up and her eyes to twinkle the way they do when she's ecstatic about something. That's when I know we will have found the right place. Next was the Liberty Warehouse, which had a large space and a beautiful scene of the ocean, but again, Hailey wasn't wowed. We headed to the Foundry next. At first, I thought it would be another bust, but as we viewed the terrace and then the green house, I could see the wheels in Hailey's mind turning. She was already decorating the place in her head, envisioning our wedding.
"What are your dates looking like for March?"
"This March is booked solid, but next March only has about 5 reserved dates," Bethany, our tour guide, responded. I saw Hailey deflate right in front of me.
"Stay here for a moment, Mi Luz. We'll be right back."
Guiding Bethany out, I did what I do best, and got us the date we needed. Don't worry, Hailey, we're getting married here.