Forever Baby (3 page)

I frown as I walk over to Cara and give her a big hug.

She squeezes me tight. “I am going to miss you. What am I supposed to do all summer without you?”

“Cara, it’s only a few months, and you’ll be busy with work and creating your signature tan. Plus, you do have other friends, and you are coming to visit at some point. The summer will go by quickly, I promise!” I exclaim reassuringly.

A knock at the back door sounds, followed by a singsongy, “Hello,” coming from my mother.

“Mama!” I say as I lean in, comforted by my mom’s firm hug.

I’m happy to see her, if only for a few minutes. It wouldn’t feel right to head to another continent without a farewell from my parents.

Releasing my grip from my mom, I twist and fall into a hug with my dad.

After kissing my head, he says, “Ready, sweetheart?”

“What? Max didn’t want to be here for your send-off?” questions Cara.

My older brother, Max, and Cara have a love-hate relationship. Max loves Cara—at least, he lusts for her—and she pretends to hate him. I’m pretty sure she relishes the attention that comes with his crude advances.

“He is in L.A., but I’m sure he would be more than happy to visit this summer to keep you company,” I say, winking.

“Ugh. No, thank you. The only good thing about you leaving is not having visits from him,” Cara states with an inflated note of disgust in her voice.

I chuckle and face Nolan. “You ready?”

After one final hug with Cara, Nolan grabs my bags, and we head out the back door, followed by my parents.

Cara yells after us, “You better text me constantly, Livi! I want all the juicy details!”

I laugh and agree. Knowing that I will be in another continent later today is both thrilling and terrifying. I’m not much of a traveler. I can count on one hand the amount of states I’ve seen. Thinking about what it will feel like to be in a whole other country is mind-blowing.

Touching my mom’s arm, I say, “No worries, Mom. Seriously, the details won’t be that juicy.”

My parents drop us off at the airport with hugs and kisses and promises on my part to call or email often. After Nolan and I work our way through the lines of impatient people at the check-in counter and then security, we make it to our gate right as the airline attendant announces that boarding will begin.

Nolan and I take our seats in first class, of course, thanks to his last-minute upgrade of my ticket. He orders us drinks as soon as we sit down. He knows how much I hate flying—well, the idea of flying since I’ve never actually flown anywhere before, but I’ve worked myself up with the terror of it all.

He takes my hand. “Liv, it’ll be fine. You know it’s safer to fly than drive, right?”

“Yeah, so they say,” I say dryly. “Whoever
they
are.”

I lean into Nolan’s shoulder. He holds my hand and tells me ridiculous stories to make me laugh despite my fear as the plane ascends. Once we’re in the air, the anxiety lessens as my excitement grows.
I cannot wait to get to Spain.

Nolan squeezes my hand in assurance. “Love you, sweets. This is going to be so kick-ass.”

I smile warmly at him, adoring our long-standing habit of using sickeningly sweet pet names for each other. “Love you, too, hot stuff. This is going to be pretty awesome, isn’t it?”

Nolan is one of the most important people in my life. As much as I love my family and Cara, Nolan is the person who centers me. He can read me, and he simply knows what I need. To have someone who truly listens and understands is priceless. I am beyond lucky to have such a caring person in my life. Our relationship isn’t romantic—usually. We have had a handful of drunken kisses but nothing out of control.

I met him the first day of my freshman year. He was in my Spanish 101 class. Of course, I noticed him immediately upon entering the class. It would have been hard not to. He’s gorgeous with his short, beautifully messy golden-blond hair, bright emerald eyes, defined jaw, and killer smile. His body isn’t too shabby either. He’s tall and lean with defined muscles.

He’s majoring in international business, and I’m majoring in bilingual Spanish education. We’ve taken Spanish classes together every semester. It has worked out to his benefit because he’s copied most of my homework assignments. He doesn’t take learning Spanish too seriously, and I think he’s only taken the courses to please his dad, who insists the extra language will help him in the business world.

We hit it off that initial day, and I knew Nolan was best-friend material from the first time I invited him out with Cara and me. He didn’t change around her, like every other guy does. I’ve lost many potential guy friends and boyfriends after introducing them to Cara. They immediately stop thinking with their brains as another one of their body parts takes over, and they forget I’m even there. I guess that’s one of the downfalls of being best friends with the hottest girl at school. Nolan was different though. He didn’t make me feel any less important when we were around Cara. Her appearance didn’t seem to affect him, like it does with the rest of the male population.

Nolan’s lack of interest in Cara might be due to the fact that he has a girlfriend in Miami where he grew up. He has been with Abby since his senior year of high school, but I really don’t understand their relationship. He doesn’t see her much, except when he goes home for the holidays. She’s visited Nolan a few times, but my time with her was limited. The time I did spend with her, in all honesty, wasn’t pleasant. She doesn’t seem to like me much—maybe because Nolan and I are so close—so she and Nolan tend to do their own thing when she visits. She’s pretty with a short blonde bob, brown eyes, and a heart-shaped face, but her personality doesn’t match the outgoing charm of Nolan.

Nolan let me know about her on our first study date during the second week of school, so we have only ever been friends. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to initially fantasizing about us being more. I mean, he is a walking god of gorgeousness. I quickly got over that hope though, and I am happy to have him any way I can get him.

Some might find our closeness odd, but it works for us. I need Nolan in my life. I couldn’t imagine the past three years without him. He is always there for me, listening and giving me strength when I need it. I hit the jackpot when it comes to friends—this I know.

After many laughs, a sandwich, and a nap while snuggled next to Nolan, we’re descending. We grab our luggage from baggage claim, and then we’re met by a crowd waiting on the other side of customs. Among the group, I see people reuniting with hugs and kisses and anxious faces of those waiting for loved ones, and then I see a young woman who seems to be around my age. She’s holding up a sign that reads,
Olivia Marshall
. I let go of Nolan’s hand and walk over to her.

The girl holding the sign introduces herself as Nadia, my new roommate for the summer. Nadia is pretty with copper highlights woven through shoulder-length brown hair, light brown eyes, and a warm smile. She greets me with a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. She signed up to host an exchange student for the summer through the university, and then I was placed with her. I will be living with her and her brother. Their home is close to the university, so I won’t have a long commute to class.

I scan the group until I find Nolan. He’s smiling and talking to his new summer roommate, a guy who appears to be around the same age as Nolan. He’s about a foot shorter than Nolan, and he has black hair that is slicked back and tan skin. He emits a friendly vibe. He isn’t what I would call good-looking, but he seems to be pleasant from the exchange I see between him and Nolan.

I walk over to let Nolan know that Nadia and I are leaving.

Nolan introduces me to his roommate, Pedro, and then leans in to give me a kiss on the cheek. “Call me when you’re settled in.”

Pulling my luggage behind me, Nadia and I make our way out of the airport. “Olivia, I am so excited you are here. We are going to have a great summer, truly.” The warmness in her voice eases all the apprehension that courses through me.

“Thanks. I am so happy to be here. You can call me Liv or Livi if you want,” I say as we trek through the parking structure toward her vehicle.

I sit in the front seat of Nadia’s metallic blue Nissan Maxima as we head toward my new home for the summer. She hasn’t stopped talking since she started driving. I’m happy that I can understand her Spanish, and I almost as easily respond correctly. All my hours of studying this language over the past three years have paid off. She is fluent in English as well, but she knows the point of studying abroad is for me to improve my Spanish speaking. While listening to Nadia excitedly yammer on, I can tell that I’m going to love her. Also a twenty-one-year-old, she attends the college where I’ll be enrolled come Monday.

I’m exhilarated while peering out the window, watching Seville pass by me. From what I can see, it’s a lovely place, very picturesque and vastly different from Ypsilanti. Many of the buildings seem to be older and made of stone. We drive by many narrow cobblestone side streets. The buildings and houses stand side by side, sometimes appearing to be connected. Each colorful building blends into the next as we pass.

Seville—or
Se-bi-ya
, as pronounced in Spanish—is a magnificent place. It’s large but with a quaint, romantic feel. Driving me around the city, Nadia points out a few popular tourist attractions—the Cathedral, Palace of San Telmo, Guadalquivir River, and the Metropol Parasol— and she gives me a brief summary of each. I really enjoy seeing the Torre del Oro, which translates to the Tower of Gold. It has a fairy-princess vibe.

Nadia promises to give me a more detailed excursion later as she passes the university. The University of Seville is a long two-story stone structure surrounded by a tall wrought-iron gate. It is located on a cobblestone street in the Casco Antiguo district set in the center of Seville on the east bank of the Guadalquivir River. This area is considered the old quarter of Seville. The school has an antique grandiose elegance to it, reminding me of a palace, like the one belonging to the royal family in England. Everything I have seen so far has been nothing shy of stunning, all containing the old-world charm. It is surprising to me that such a populated city can maintain a charming appeal.

Nadia turns onto a road across from the university and makes her way through a maze of narrow cobblestone streets. On either side of the street are two- and three-story buildings, all made of cream-colored stucco. Wrought-iron hanging baskets are suspended below the windows, most filled with flowers. In a few of the open spaces between the buildings, I can see tall palm trees.

After winding her way through a few one-way streets, Nadia parks the car on the side of the road and gets out. Despite the few minutes it took to navigate through the tight streets, I can tell that we are still close to the school. She helps me with my bags, and we make our way around the corner to a little stone square patio situated in the center of three buildings. Each building is aligned with a side of the tiled square patio. Each building’s entrance is facing the center where a palm tree and a few flowering plants are growing.

Nadia stops in front of the door belonging to the building at the back end of the square. She places her key in the thick wooden door that’s discolored from years in the sun. On each side of the door is an antique-looking flower hanger bursting with tiny purple flowers. I am in awe as I step toward the door that Nadia is holding open with a welcoming grin.

It is hard to believe that twenty-one-year-old siblings live here. It’s such a far cry from the homes that surrounded me in Ypsilanti. I recall taking note that most of the buildings we passed were beautiful as well.
Maybe this is the norm here?
I haven’t stepped foot into the house yet, but the expectations I had for this country have already been exceeded.

When we walk through the front door, we’re standing in a large open space containing the living room and dining area. The marbled floor is a brownish-orange ceramic tile. The décor is very eclectic. The fabrics and materials used are all different and not the least bit cohesive, but it seems to work. The rooms have a comfortable, youthful quality.

“Our parents bought it for Carlos and me to use throughout college,” she says matter-of-factly as we walk through the open space.

“Wow, that’s nice.”

“Yeah, well, it works out for them. We wanted to be close to the university, and later, when we are finished, they can rent it out.”

“Why did you sign up to take in a foreign exchange student?” I ask, curious.

Nadia exudes happiness. Bubbly and sincere, she responds, “I thought it would be fun. Growing up with a twin brother, I always wanted a sister. I have been surrounded by boys my whole life. It was always just Carlos, his friends, and me. Plus, we have an extra room, so I thought, why not? You know?”

“Yeah, cool. I grew up with only a brother as well, so I understand.”

“Carlos is out playing basketball with the guys. You will meet him later tonight. He is super easy to get along with if you blow off everything he says and don’t take anything too seriously.”