The Sun on my Skin Ch. 03

She shuffles out the door. "Anyone would think I'd asked her to sweep the whole house clean with a toothbrush," I mutter under my breath. I feel Heather's arms slip around my waist from behind and she kisses the back of my neck.

"She'll get over it," Heather assures me. "You're a good parent."

"I know she will, and I have a good example to learn from, don't I?" I turn around in her embrace and put my arms around her as I bring my lips to hers.

"Like, get a room, you two!" Ali sighs behind me. "Here, there's a letter for you, Tina... It's from Spain," she adds, clearly intrigued.

"Spain?" I ask, as Heather releases me and I turn back towards the table where Ali is sliding the letter across. There is a stamp, with what appears to be a picture of a dinosaur on it and the words España Correos €2 in the corner, but it is certainly addressed to me. "Hmm..."

"What is it, Tina?"

"I don't know, but the only person that I know in Spain is Jojo."

"You said that she emailed you a week or two ago, didn't you?" Heather muses, "and that you replied telling her about all of us."

"Yes, so I wonder why she's writing to me now? If it is her, of course."

"Duh, well if you open it, you'll know," Ali suggests, impatiently.

I turn and pull a paring knife from the knife block, using it to slice open the envelope carefully. Inside is a thick piece of ivory-coloured card.

solicite el placer de su compañía en el matrimonio de sus hija

de

Joanne Hazel Jones

a las tres de la tarde

Aldea Naturista, Urb. Jardín Mimosas, Málaga, España

Recepción y baile a continuación

I look at the largely incomprehensible Spanish but a few things leap out. The first are the names: Marta — Jojo's girlfriend — and, of course, Joanne — a k a Jojo — Jones. Then there is the word matrimonio, the meaning of which, ignorant of Spanish as I maybe, I can certainly guess.

"Is it from Jojo?" Heather asks.

"Yes, and well, I don't speak Spanish, but I'm pretty sure Jojo and Marta are getting married," I tell her, a little amazed.

"Nessa can speak some Spanish," Heather says.

"I can too!" Ali protests, so I show her the -- what I assume to be -- wedding invitation. "Er... y is 'and', so it's 'Lonzo and Alicia Garrido Silva' solicite er... solicitor, no..." She puts the card down. "Okay, so I only got a Grade E in GCSE Spanish... Nessa!" she turns and yells towards her bedroom, "We need your smart arse in here!" She looks back towards us. "What? She is a smart-arse: she got an A, didn't she?"

A few moments later Nessa ambles in, rubbing her eyes sleepily, her dark skin glowing as she passes through the sunbeam lancing across the room. "Wassup, Ali?" she asks, putting her arm on her girlfriend's shoulder.

"Here, you're good at Spanish; what does this say?" Ali hands the card to her, and Nessa reads with a slight frown of concentration, her lips moving silently.

"I'm not sure, it's kinda hard, but it's something like, 'Lonzo and Alicia Garrido Silva solicite, solicit... er, invite your, er, companions, no, company at the... marriage? Yeah, the marriage of their hija, their daughter Marta Felice to Joanne Hazel Jones, er, Saturday thirty, thirtieth of July two... thousand, yeah, two thousand and sixteen at three in the afternoon.' The next bit 'Village Naturista', must be the address and then there's something about a reception and a... dance, 'a continuation,' which must mean afterwards, I guess."

"Well done Nessa," Heather praises her daughter. "Looks like you were right, Tina."

"Course, you could've just looked at the letter that was also in the envelope," Ali points out with a smug grin, holding up a folded piece of paper covered in handwriting, which she pulls away from me and begins to read out loud. "Er... 'Dear Tina, it was lovely to hear about you and Ali and that you're with Heather. I guess you're not finding it too weird, the two of you being a couple at the same time as your two daughters are girlfriends.' What's weird about that? It's cool.

"'Anyway, I should apologise for not telling you sooner but I wanted to surprise you with the invitation. In case you can't work it out, Marta and I are getting married! You are such an important part of Marta and I being together — in so many ways — so of course, I want you to be with us on our special day. And not just you, but Heather and the girls too. If they want to come, I'd love to meet them.' Cool, we could go to Spain, yeah?" Ali asks hopefully.

"Maybe," I reply glancing at Heather who gives an 'okay-by-me' smile and tilt of her head. "What does the rest of the letter say?"

"Uh... yeah. 'The wedding's being held at Aldea Naturista — Lonzo (Marta's dad) has persuaded the judge who'll conduct the ceremony to hold it here. She's a friend of Marta's family and has been here a few times, so it'll be a naturist wedding. I guess that'll be no problem for you but if Heather or Ali or Vanessa have a problem with being nude, then that's fine — they won't be the only ones staying covered up.'"

"A naturist wedding? That's... different," Heather observes in what is possibly the understatement of the year. "But Jojo is right, you won't have a problem with that, will you, Tina?"

"The letter also says," Ali interrupts loudly, "'Marta and I really, really, REALLY hope you can come. I know flights can be expensive, but we can let you have a room or rooms while you're here and you're welcome to stay on for a few days afterwards if you'd like. Let me know, please. Lots of love, Jojo and Marta.' Er, it looks like Marta signed the letter herself, so they both want us to come," Ali adds, hopefully.

"What do you think, Heather darling? Shall we go? Jojo says you don't have to go naked whilst there."

"Hmm, but you'd like me to, for sure," she smiles and I can't disagree. "The girls will have finished at College for the summer by then so, heck, why not? We can at least look at how much flights cost."

"Cool!" exclaims Ali.

"Can we, like, get our own room?" Nessa asks, hopefully.

"I can ask," I say, and glance at Heather who gives a subtle nod and smile of assent, "but from what Jojo said, I suspect you can."

"Yesss!" Ali and Nessa bump fists happily.

"I guess we'll also need to get a passport for you, Ali," I muse, and we all fall silent, caught in our private thoughts for a moment.

"Right, you two," Heather says firmly, "I'm sure you have things to do today, and it can start with tidying that room for fifteen minutes whilst we sort out breakfast."

They grumble but eventually comply, leaving Heather and me alone. She looks down at the letter and invitation as they lie on the table, a thoughtful look on her face.

"What's the matter, Heather?"

"Just... no, nothing." She looks a little bashful.

"What?" I insist, but she hesitates before replying.

"Okay, I was just thinking that... that one day I'd love there to be a card like this with my name there," she leans forward and taps Marta's name on the wedding invitation.

"You want to get married?" I ask, and instantly regret the anxious surprise in my voice. "I mean, of course you do but... does that mean, that..." I hesitate, unable to say what I fear. She had pointed to Marta's name, the place where the bride's name traditionally appears, and it worries me that us, what we have now, is just a stop-gap until she finds a man, a husband...

"I'd be just as happy with my name there, for sure," she adds with a slight smile and tapping Jojo's name as her other arm reaches around my waist. "Either, really, so long as the right woman's name was above or below."

"You mean us, one day?" I ask, my voice tightening with emotion as I gaze into her beautiful eyes.

"Well, duh! as Ali might say. Yes, of course you!" she smiles and reaches up to caress my cheek, "I know it's probably too soon, for sure, but, you know, 'Mrs and Mrs Hamilton-Roberts' could work."

I slip my arms around her and she reciprocates, holding me close. I feel happy and safe and loved in her embrace. "Heather, my darling... did you just propose to me?"

"Um, I well... I guess I sort of did." She bites her lip. "I'm not sure the girls are ready for that yet, though."

I give a frustrated sigh. "You're right, we couldn't have a wedding for some time, not with A-Levels next summer... but then, there'll always be something won't there? Exams, university, their relationship..." I feel Heather sag in my arms. "So, I'd like to accept: I'd be very happy and proud to be Ms Tina Hamiltion-Roberts, when the time is right, and to be your fiancée in the meantime."

The kiss we share is gentle and intimate -- and goes on a long time.