# Garden Of Rosa Chapter 12

Garden of Rosa
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Chapter 12
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A few weeks have passed since I blurted out my desire to marry Rosa to her dad. Luckily, I managed to make it through the party that night without saying anything else stupid, although I did have to lie to Rosa about why her dad burst into drunken weeping whenever he saw her for the rest of the night. Her mom still glared whenever she looked at me, but whether or not that was a good or bad thing I couldn’t figure out. Under that ever-watchful mom glare, I planted only a chaste kiss on Rosa’ cheek when it was time to go, content to call a taxi back to Skin Row.
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Rosa and I have been spending nearly every day together since then, hanging out with either Stella or the gang. Fang made amends with Trish and Reed, and the three of them have been practicing non-stop. It seems Spears approached Fang about getting VVURM DRAMA to play at the prom, and they’ve been preparing all new material to debut. I was glad that Fang reconciled with Trish; she seemed happier than she had been in a while after doing so, and it seemed our talk in the band room helped ease her mind about us as well. It was awkward between Trish and I at first, but the two of us agreed not to get in each other’s way. Although, Trish did nearly try and kill me when I asked if they were going to stick with a guitar and bass, lowering her horns towards my way as Fang and Reed laughed their asses off.
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Some things just never change, I guess.
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One thing continued to dominate my thoughts, however: Prom. With prom right around the corner, the school was positively buzzing in anticipation. My old man promised to send me his old tux by the end of the week, saving me a few extra bucks. A good thing, too; prom tickets weren’t cheap, and I was trying to scrape and save every penny I could. Thankfully, Fang wasn’t concerned about finding a date, that topic having grown slightly awkward between us, and she was content to go as a group with Reed and Trish. Hell, even Stella had managed to find a date, although no matter how much Rosa and I pried, she wouldn’t tell us who it was.
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“Aww, Stella, please tell us! I promise no to judge him, or even if it’s a… a s-she.” Rosa was taking another stab at getting it out of Stella today, though, the three of us walking to the parking lot after school. There were still some things Rosa’s faith wouldn’t budge on, however risqué our frequent meetings had become. “Oh, is it that guy from science class? The one who you did a reading for the other day? He’s cute, Stella.” Rosa nudged Stella in the ribs, sticking her long tongue out at me as she did so. Forcing a smile, I tried not to let my face get too red.
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“Ugh, Rosa, I told you, no hints before prom!” Rolling her eyes, Stella pointedly turned back to her manga, a picture of two waifish boys dangerous close to one another plastered on the covers. How she managed to read while walking I will never understand. Stella had been fending off Rosa all day, and by the way she buried her face in those pages, she was close to the end of her rope. “D-don’t you and Anon have, like, a date or something to get to?!”
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Ah, our date. I’d been planning it for a few days now; a leisurely stroll through the city arboretum. With how much Rosa loves gardening, I was surprised when she mentioned she’d never been before. Plus, it was free for students. A win-win.
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“She’s right, Rosa, we should get going if we wanna hit the arboretum. It usually fills up around this time.” I gently drag the still guessing Rosa away from Stella, leaving the lemon-lime stego buried in what no doubt was some sort of softcore yaoi. “We’ll catch you later Stella!”
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“Ay, si, si. Stella, I will see you tomorrow, yes? Oh! Is it that chico from the football team?” Rosa shouted over her shoulder as I pulled her towards her car, the two of us stifling our laughter. By the way Stella’s tail curled around her leg, I think Rosa might have been right on that one.
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***
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The trip across town to the arboretum was pleasant enough. I had even started to like some of the Latin music Rosa played, although the more pop-hits I had to grimace to get through. Rosa was an absolute treat today; singing along as she drove, tapping her fingers to the beat of the music. I couldn’t help but watch, thanking whatever fates Stella believed in for putting the two of us together.
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A little while later, Rosa pulls into the arboretum parking lot, row upon row filled with cars. Just what I was afraid of…“¿Ay, Cuántos carros hay ahí?” This is the second time we’ve looped around the parking lot, and Rosa’s patience is beginning to crack. I haven’t seen her like this since I fell into the flowers at school: Her snout is screwed up in a frown, her eyes narrowed.
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“Maybe we can get street parking?”
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“No! We’ve been here long enough, we are getting a spot!” I hold my hands up, palms out as Rosa’s anger flashes. I forget how bossy Rosa can be, sometimes.
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“Oh, there’s one!” My hand flies towards the one empty spot in the parking lot. It’s even close to the entrance! Even as I point it out to Rosa, a black sports-car comes up the other side of the lane, already closer to the spot than we are. There’s no way we could make it there before he does. I let my arm sag, my heart quickly joining it. “Aw jeez, that asshole’s gonna take it.”
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Rosa’s fist hammers on the steering wheel, causing me to jump. “NO! ¡Eso es suficiente! No gilipollas is going to take my spot! Ay, let’s see how you like this, eh?” I can see my life flash before my eyes as Rosa guns it, narrowly cutting off the other car as she managed to claim the spot first. Nodding to herself with a look of smug self-satisfaction, Rosa steps out of the car, pointedly not looking at the other car as they drive off. I, meanwhile, still cling to the dashboard, willing my nerves to settle down. Rosa missed the car on the passenger side by an inch.
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Barely managing to shimmy out of the car, and having to hold my door as to not slam into the car next to us, I finally manage to climb out after Rosa. Rosa still sports her bossiest face as she waits for me to extract myself, tapping her foot impatiently. Just as I finally burst free, Rosa grabs me by the hand, hauling me in the direction of the entrance, tail lashing back and forth angrily. “Come on, mi amor, let’s go.” It feels like she’s going to rip my arm out of my shoulder!
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“Yes ma’am!” Rosa’s face quiets any further facetious conversation as we wait in the short line of people to enter the park. Flashing our student I.D’s at the pimply-faced dino manning the tiller, we dislodge ourselves from the crowd, Rosa finally calming down. Pulling a hand-mirror out of her purse, Rosa begins adjusting her hair, raking back any loose auburn strands with her fingers. “You know, you’re kinda cute when you get anger, Rosa.”
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Rosa’s face blossoms a crimson red, the heat of her face nearly matching her eyes. Snapping the mirror shut, she languishes me under a torrent of rapid Spanish, alternating between wagging her finger and gesturing with her whole hand at me. “¡No estoy enojada! Ese gilipollas iba a tomar el lugar…”
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I let her vent, hiding my smile as we walk through the arboretum gates. Different paths branch out in front of us, a map standing nearby to guide visitors to specific locations in the park. By the way Rosa’s voice is slowly creeping up the octaves, she’s not quite over the altercation in the parking lot. Glancing over to her, I can see her miming a steering wheel, her hand-motions no doubt proving once and for all that she was in the right. It’s a gamble, but I know one surefire way to sooth her nerves…
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“Man, our kids are going to have to watch out, or their sexy mamacita is going to let them have it!” I start down one of the paths at random, leaving Rosa struck dumbfounded for a moment before she launches after me. Laughing, I run for my life down the path. I may pay for that comment later, but seeing the look of shock on her face is well worth it.
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“An-on! Chico estupido, how could you say that?!” She cries, quickly gaining on me. I submit to her tackle, Rosa’s strong arms wrapping around my middle and pulling me into a hug. She’s laughing now as well. “Do you… Do you really think about that? Our children, I mean.” Her fingers intertwine with mine as we settle into a stroll, taking in the arboretum sights around us. Trees tower over us, little plaques carefully displayed at their base informing us of their names. Rosa seems to be enjoying herself, ‘oohing’ and ‘ahhing’ over the sights: It looks like any other park, to me.
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“Of course I do, mi amor.” Smiling, I plant a quick peck on Rosa’s head, momentarily breathing in the smell of her hair. Rosa’s eyes are still tracing along the foliage, but her blush has returned, accompanied by a shy smile. She gives my hand another squeeze, letting me know in her own way that she thinks about our kids as well.
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***
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Rosa and I end up spending the whole afternoon at the arboretum. Honestly, I didn’t even know there were that many different types of trees, but nevertheless Rosa pointed out each different species to me, her voice chittering with excitement. It seems Rosa not only had a knack for gardening, but botany as well, correctly identifying many of the species even before she read the little plaque beneath it. Eventually, we found ourselves underneath a gazebo, overlooking the arboretum’s field of indigenous wildflowers. A gently spring breeze had started, rippling the multicolored flowers like a blanket. Even I had to admit it was a pretty nice sight.
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“So where did you learn about all that? The different types of plants, and their names and stuff.” My voice interrupts our shared silent moment, the only other sound the soft rustle of wildflowers. Rosa’s head rests on my shoulder, her arms wrapping around my own as we relax on one of the gazebo’s benches.
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“Papi helped teach me, in the beginning. He said I had a green thumb, that I was a natural at the natural.” Rosa laughs at her own joke, I can’t help but snort a little. “From there, I did some independent study on my own, and the community college had some classes I could take. Why, did you think I was just some dumb jardinera?” Rosa glances up at me, her crimson eyes flashing definitely.
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“No. no. I was just wondering, is all. I didn’t think Volcano High had any sort of program like that.”
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“Mmm, you’d be surprised by what you find, mi amor, when you’re not trying to skip class.” Rosa’s voice is playful, teasing. The way she rubs my arm lets me know there’s no chastisement in her comment.
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“Ugh, but it’s soooo boring!” I let out an exaggerated sigh, letting my head sag back over the bench. “Not fair that you got to choose your classes; they stuck me with half of mine in when I moved here.”
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“Aww, my poor amor!” Rosa giggled, moving my arm so she could lay her head in my lap. Careful of her horns, I began stroking her hair, the two of us still staring off into the sea of flowers. “You could’ve swapped classes, you know.”
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“And make them think I care? Nah, I’m happy where I am.” I sneak a peek down at Rosa, watching her stare out at the horizon. She’s no longer smiling, now. “Uh, something I said?”
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“Where you are… “ The words are quiet, half-mumbled under Rosa’s breath. “An-on,” Rosa continues in a louder voice, suddenly serious. “What are you going to do after we graduate? Do you really have to leave, like your padre said?”
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The voice of my old man runs through my mind. ‘College or the service; I don’t care which.’ Up until now, I hadn’t really thought about it too much. Before Rosa, nothing had really tied me down to Volcaldera, nothing had made me want to stay in my adoptive home. But now I felt like a balloon drifting in the wind, secured to Rosa only by a slim thread. Could I even stay, if I wanted to?
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“Where will you go, Rosa?” I try and dodge her question, hoping she may provide me the answers I was looking for myself. Rosa just shakes her head on my lap, her beautiful crimson eyes failing to meet my own.
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“Papa said I could work on the farm if I wanted. Just like my hermanos did. But…” There’s hesitation in her voice. Rosa bites her lower lip, the worry she must be feeling evident on her face. “There’s a college that has an accelerated program, where you can learn all about these.” Rosa waved her hand towards the fields of wildflowers shimmering in the wind. “About conservation and protection and everything else. Half of these flowers are endangered, An-on, endangered because we keep clearing them out for more farmland.” Her hand slumps back to her chest where I take hold of it, squeezing her tightly. “It costs money, though, money we don’t have now that Mama is sick. But I can’t just sit by and let something I love slowly fade away. An-on, if I could help save them, then maybe, maybe Mama could…”
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Rosa’s voice breaks down, cracking under the strain. She begins to sob, covering her face with her hands. I pull Rosa awkwardly to my chest, cradling her in my arms and murmuring words of comfort into her auburn hair. Reflecting on all the times I’ve held her close, whispered words of love and affection to her, I realize that in all that time Rosa’s never asked me to be anything I wasn’t, never asked or expected me to comfort her and make all her fears disappear. Rosa has always just accepted me for me, accepted my words of support and never once asked for anything more. And now, as she sobbed against my chest, I felt like my words weren’t enough.
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“Rosa, you asked what I wanted to do after we graduate. Well, this is what I want to do: I want to be with you Rosa, no matter what my old man says. I want to support you, to love you, to watch you grow into the beautiful woman I know you can be. And if that means staying here in Volcaldera and getting my own job, or moving away with you to college, or, or finding some other way for us to be together, well so be it.” After a time, Rosa pulls away, wiping her eyes on the backs of her hands. Tilting her face up towards mine, I gaze into her eyes, those deep crimson pools so full of love that I feel like I could drown in them.
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“An-on, I’m scared. Scared that she’s not going to get better, that I can’t do anything for her. It tears me up inside, not being able to help mi madre. And when I think of leaving to go to school I feel so guilty! What if something happens when I’m gone, An-on?” I press her gently back to me, leaning down to wrap Rosa in a hug. Her hands grip my back, nails digging into my jacket.
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“I know, Rosa. But what she wants, what I want, is for you to be happy. Whatever that means, we’ll both be there, supporting you, loving you, no matter what.”
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Rosa slowly shuffles up into a seated position, pulling her legs up to the chest and wrapping her arms around them. Snuffling, she wipes her tears off with the back of her hand, her voice husky. “Gracias, An-on, for that. It means a lot, coming from mi amor. Dios Mio, I’m always crying now. I swear, I used to no do that.” Rosa barks a sad laugh, leaning her head once more on my shoulder. Together, we watch as the wind ripples over the sea of wildflowers, watching as those fragile flowers bend against the breeze.
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“Sometimes, crying is exactly what we need.”