Miles walked up to his front door tired from the training he had been doing with Connor at the Moreland home. He took out his phone and dialed Chenoa's number again and it still went to voicemail. "Hey, Chenoa, it's me again. I'm calling to apologize, again. I know I've been apologizing all week, but I really want to talk to you in person, please? Bye." Miles said with a sigh as he hung up the phone.
Miles's mother had been carrying a basket of clothes to the washer when she overheard her son on the phone as he was coming in.
"Miles, who's Chenoa?" Gabrielle asked as she adjusted the laundry basket in her hands. "Well, you know when I went camping with my friends a few weeks ago?" "Yes, I remember." "Well, I met this girl there, and after helping her with a whole ordeal, we kind of made out." Miles explained.
"Wait a minute, I thought you were seeing that new girl, Stephanie?"
"Well, I....kind of was....mom. I was sort of....unknowingly dating two girls without knowing it and they didn't know it either." Miles admitted to his mother who dropped her laundry basket in shock.
"¡No puedo creer lo que estoy escuchando! ¡Mi propio hijo estaba engañando a dos chicas encantadoras a sus espaldas!" Gabrielle shouted in Spanish as she began to yell out in anger. Miles's mother learned a lot of Spanish over the years, but when she got really mad at something, she would shout out in Spanish. That's when Miles knew that either him, his sister, or sometimes both would be in trouble. He knew it would become even more complicated as his father came into the room.
"Mi amor, ¿qué está pasando aquí?" Miguel asked Gabrielle as she explained the situation to her husband and Miles groaned knowing his parents were currently disappointed in him.
"Mamá, I swear I didn't know if the girl I met when I went camping was going to come back or not. That's why I thought I was relationship free."
"Oh, did you hear that Miguel, he thought he was in the clear because he didn't talk to the previous girl first. Ugh, I've raised a thickheaded son." Gabrielle said shaking her head.
"Mamá, listen, I've had really...complicated relationships with girls and I really want to make this one work. Can you give me some advice, please?" Miles asked his mother with a beg.
"Alright, let's talk out on the porch. Miguel, could you please start the laundry?" Gabrielle asked. "Now? I was watching..." Miguel asked before Gabrielle turned and glared at him. "Of course, mi amor." Miguel said as he gathered the laundry.
Miles and Gabrielle sat outside on their porch as Miles took a deep breath and told his mother he had called the first girl numerous times and had apologized in person to her, but she still seemed to be unconvinced.
"Miles, you're apologizing, but you're not being completely genuine with this girl." Gabrielle explained to her son.
"What? Yes, I am. I've said how sorry I am, that I'll never do it again. I've left plenty of messages to her to, but she hasn't exactly accepted my apologies." Miguel said.
"Miles. I've told you I was....the worst girl in high school. I had friends of my own, and whenever I....apologized to them, it wasn't really genuine, I just waved it off like it was a broken nail or something. When you apologize Miles, you need to apologize from the heart, not your head. Now when or if this girl comes by, you are going to apologize like the good man you are. And if I ever hear you do something like this again, I'm going to call your abuela." Gabrielle threatened.
"You wouldn't?! Mamá, please don't tell abuela about this." Miles pleaded.
Miles and his mother heard some girls laughing and saw Chenoa and Stephanie walking together as Stephanie waved Chenoa off. Chenoa headed up to the porch where Miles and his mother were.
"Oh, hello, you must be Miles mother, my friend Stephanie told me what a wonderful woman you are." Chenoa said in a friendly tone.
"Oh, how sweet of you to say. I'll leave you two alone, and Miles remember, I have your abuela on speed dial." Gabrielle warned.
"My uh, my mamá sometimes uses our abuela on us if we've done something she knows is wrong. It's one thing if my parents are unhappy with me, but my abuela? She sends us some of the best Christmas presents, except one year, when we both did something wrong. She sent us nothing but a card saying she was ashamed of us, that was painful." Miles said rubbing his neck at the silence.
"So...you look like you had a good day with Stephanie." Miles said changing the subject.
"Oh yeah, she's off to tell her moms she's in love with this guy she met named Travis. So, did you have anything else you wanted to say to me?" Chenoa asked.
"Yes, I'm not....I'm not the best at speaking from the heart. But it's never been easy for me to really fall in love before. There were a few times I thought I was really in love before, but I never really got to know the other person well. But I feel I got to know you better than anyone. When I first met you out in those woods, I saw you as someone who needed help. I wanted to impress you, yes, but I wanted to help you find your parents more than anything else. I'm glad we got them safe, and I'm glad you're safe. I should've kept more in contact with you afterwards, because I really want the two of us to work, Chenoa, because you are an incredible person. And no, it's not just because of the reason you think it is. I love you for you, Chenoa. Do you forgive me?" Miles asked as Chenoa listened intently to Miles and smiled.
Chenoa leaped up into Miles's arms kissed him on the lips and then looked at him with a smile.
"I had already forgiven you, but I wanted to hear your heartfelt apology. You are after all, my dearly beloved." Chenoa winked and then kissed Miles again who kissed her back.