Unsung Heroes

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, we will be beginning our descent into Rio de Janeiro International Airport in approximately ten minutes. Please raise your seats to the upright position, raise your tray tables, and turn off all portable electronic devices. Local time is 8:20 am and the temperature is 27° Celsius. Bom dia, senhoras e senhores , nós estaremos começando nossa descida para Rio de Janeiro Galeão Internacional em cerca de dez minutos. Por favor, levante seus lugares para a posição vertical , levante suas bandejas , e desligue todos os dispositivos eletrônicos portáteis. A hora local é 08:20 ea temperatura é de 27 ° Celsius.”
I looked up from my book when I heard the voice speak, and sighed. Today was the day. Ash and I were in Brazil and… in all honesty, even though I am proud of being Brazilian, I had hoped to not come back for a long time. At least, not for seeing any of my relatives. I left them for a reason, and the fact that was now being basically forced to be in their presence for the sake of a dying old man, made me sick.
I turned my head to the side to Ash, who was sleeping next to me, his head resting on my shoulder and his breath steadily fanning my collarbone. His phone was in his lap, and one of his earbuds was still in his ears, and I could hear music very faintly, but not loud enough to recognize.
Smiling, I put my hand on his thigh and gently shook him.
“Ash? Baby, it’s time to wake up,” I whispered gently.
He snorted once and shot up and nearly collided with my head, disoriented.
“Wha – I’m awake, I’m awake,” he slurred out, looking around in a daze.
Bringing his face around to look at me before he hurt himself, I kissed him swiftly. When I let go, he stared at me slightly startled, but smiled and then yawned, stretching his arms above his head and cracking his neck.
“Oh, hey, Indy,” he groaned out. “What time is it?”
“Almost 8:30, we’re landing soon, so if anything happens, remember I love you,” I said half-jokingly. “And remember, if you see someone in my family say something in Portuguese to someone while looking at you, they’re probably insulting you.”
He scoffed. “Most of my career has been spent ignoring hate, I think I can handle a few more people.”
I smiled weakly. “I’m more worried that they might give me a panic attack. I talked to my OB, and since the anxiety meds would hurt the baby, I can’t take them, but too many panic attacks can seriously hurt the baby. I might even miscarry or go into labor too early” – Ash cut me off by taking my chin gently in his hand and carefully meeting my gaze.
“Indy, every time you think you might have one, I want you to come find me and just grab hold of me. I won’t question it because I’ll know you just need to get some security, okay?”
Nodding, I put my head on his shoulder. “Okay, shall we take the highway to hell?”

To say this car ride was awkward was the understatement of the fucking CENTURY. My cousin was driving a little black Picasso – the brands in Brazil are a bit different – with her hands clenched around the steering wheel. She’d changed her look a bit. She was still wearing the long, blue skirts I remember being forced to wear alongside her, but she was wearing a halter-style red shirt, and her wrists were adorned in cheap bracelets. Her black hair was long and straight, held back in a ponytail.
Her skin was still the dark tan I remembered, but it was tightened slightly with age, but only in the sense that she was no longer a teenager, and was, in fact, a woman.
When we saw her by the exit, she was standing stiffly with her arms crossed tightly over her chest, frowning at us. Traditionally, in Brazil, you greet each other with kisses on the cheeks and a hug. When Ash and I walked up to her, with Ash’s arm around me and our bags on carriages in front of us, she only nodded in acknowledgement, and then pivoted in her leather sandals to march to her car, parked on the curb.
“Hello to you, too, Juliana,” I muttered, pushing the cart in front of me.
Ash raised an eyebrow and looked at me. “Who?”
“My cousin, Juliana. We… used to be close,” I said, pushing the carriage to her car. “And when I left… let’s just say that she had a few choice words to tell me.”
Juliana didn’t bother helping us with our bags. She just unlocked the car and sat in the driver seat and waited until we got into the car. I sat in the passenger side and Ash sat behind me so that he could put his hand firmly on my shoulder.
Juliana’s hands were gripping the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles were white, and she was scowling so hard her face was probably going to set permanently that way.
I looked back at Ash, wide eyed a bit as the car moved out of the parking lot along the Favelas. He shrugged and mouthed, “I don’t know,” at me, gesturing to Juliana.
I smacked my lips. “So…” I said slowly in Portuguese. “It’s good to see you again, Juju,” I said quietly, using her old nickname from when we were kids.
Juliana’s face somehow got even harder and her lips twisted. “Don’t talk to me. You’re only back because Grandpa forgot you’re a backstabbing slut.”
Gritting my teeth, I turned to look out the window at the passing buildings and people walking along, and I felt my eyes grow a bit hot.
I felt Ash’s large hand gently grip and massage my shoulder, making me relax. Putting my hand over his, I ignored Juliana and just focused on Ash’s steady hold on me.

Most. Awkward. Dinner. Ever.
I was, for the first time in eight years, sitting at my grandparents’ dinner table. My Vovό was sitting directly across from me in her usual spot, her hair now stark white. Her darkly tanned face was further etched with wrinkles, and she seemed to have shrunk a bit over the years.
My uncle, Victor, sat next to her across from Ash, who was uncomfortable as I was. Both Vovό and Tio Victor were glaring at us in turn. Ash was finding “interest” in the food on his plate, while I stared back at Vovό.
“How’s Grandpa?” I broke the silence. “I noticed he isn’t here.”
Tio Victor scoffed. “He’s in hospital, Indigo. Clearly, your intelligence hasn’t improved any.”
Vovό ignored him and clasped her hands in front of her mouth and turned her attention to Ashley… ah, shit.
“Oi,” she said loudly to get his attention.
Ash jumped and looked up at her, slightly wide-eyed, before composing himself. “Yes?”
Tio Victor scoffed.
“How you meet Indigo?” Vovό asked slowly, her English stunted after not speaking it for so many years.
Ash looked at me and raised an eyebrow, clearly asking for my permission to tell her the story of how Ash basically found me beating up bikers in a coffee shop parking lot. I sighed and nodded.
“I met Indy in Los Angeles,” Ash began, speaking slowly so that my grandma and uncle could understand him. “She was defending herself from a rude man in a parking lot and I stepped in before it got ugly. Then I bought her coffee and we talked.”
Tio Victor raised an eyebrow. “You still get in fights, Indigo?” His lip curled. “You’re still a naïve child.”
Vovό continued to ignore him. “You plan on staying for the baby?”
Ash nodded. “I do. I love your granddaughter, and I am happy to have a baby with her.” I felt his hand discretely cover my lower belly, like he was protecting the baby.
Vovό sneered and turned to look at me. “And no ring, eh?” I knew what she was implying about the baby, but I was too nervous to say anything back to her in defense of either my boyfriend or my baby.
“Grandma, the baby was sudden, we weren’t expecting it. But we’re living together and if later down the line we decide to get married, we’ll take that step.”
Tio Victor was watching Ashley critically as Ash slowly ate the food on his plate, like he was waiting for Ash to eat it wrong or something.
Ash, unfortunately, noticed. He was raising his fork to his mouth when he looked up and was met with Victor’s cruel, hard eyes and set frown. He set the fork on his plate and crossed his arms and glared right back at my uncle.
“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.”
I snorted into my hand, which unfortunately didn’t go unnoticed by my grandmother, who turned sharply to look at me.
“Something funny, Indigo?” Her voice chilled me.
“No, Grandma, nothing. When do we see Grandpa?”
Tio Victor and Ash continued their glare contest while Vovό poked at her food.
“Tomorrow. He’s confined to a bed in the hospital and he wants to see you. He sleeps most of the time and he said he has something for you and he wants to give it to you himself. God only knows what,” she angrily took a bit of her rice and beans.
I nodded and set my fork on my plate. “Grandma… are you going to come and see the baby when it’s born?”
The sneer she gave me made my skin crawl. “Not a chance in hell, you can keep the bastard as far from me as possible.”
I felt myself seize up a bit, and my chest felt tight and my eyes grew hot. I’d been putting up with her judgement for so long that I thought I had grown numb to it, but apparently not.
“E… Excuse me…” I whispered, and picked up my plate and quickly moved into the kitchen, where the maid, Camila, was washing dishes. She had only worked for my grandparents for a couple of years, so everything she knew about me was the bullshit they told her. In other words, she completely ignored me the entire time I was in the kitchen.
I heard Ash groan. “You know, you invited us here. The least you can do is be nice to her. She’s hurting worse than she lets on because of how you treated her. When you called her the first time, she had a panic attack when she saw your name on her phone. You judge her so badly for no good reason. You should be proud of her! She’s one of the strongest people I know, and I’m proud to call her both my girlfriend and the mother of my child!” I heard him slam his fist on the table, making me flinch. I moved quickly to the window that overlooked the street and started to count the cars and taxis that whizzed by, trying to calm myself down from my rising panic attack as I heard my Vovό start to retaliate.
“You are guest in my house! Indigo is not to bring your spawn here when it’s born!”
“Good! I wouldn’t bring my child here if it was your dying wish! The only reason we’re here is because Indy is hoping that there is some scrap of decency somewhere in the people she should trust more than anyone! I just hope your husband is a better person than you!”
I curled my arms around myself, trying to quell my shakes and I hunched almost protectively over my stomach.
“Miss Indy?”
I froze.
I knew that voice anywhere.
I whirled around to see an aging, dark skinned, larger figure sitting at the table, a cutting board with fresh strawberries and a small knife in front of my grandparents’ eldest maid, Monica. She was of Brazilian Native descent, and she had been around since my mother was a baby, and she took care of me when my grandparents ignored me. She never judged me like my grandparents or relatives did. She loved me.
My eyes watered and I threw myself at her, my face in her lap as I sobbed. I felt her stroke my hair and back as I clung to her heavy frame.
“Oh, linda,” she cooed. “I have missed you so much since you left.”
I gave her a watery smile and accepted the tissue she handed me, drying my eyes and blowing my nose.
“Auntie,” I whispered. “I am so happy to see you!”
She smiled and took my hands in hers. “Is it true, dear?” She leaned forward to press a hand against my stomach. “You’re going to have a baby with the wonderful young man defending you out there?” She gestured past my shoulder.
I nodded. “Yes, Auntie, I am. He’s the most amazing man I’ve ever met, and he loves me, Auntie. Why can’t my grandparents love me like that?”
“They just don’t understand, sweetie. They think that being a proper lady is to wear long clothes and to sit quietly and do as she’s told. You never followed those rules. Why do you think your mother left Brasil?”
I smiled, and wiped my fingers under my eyes to catch any residual tears.
When a sudden hand was on my shoulder, I jumped and let out a squeak when Ash’s hand went under my chin to pull my head up towards his for a lingering kiss.
“I’m sorry about that, baby, I shouldn’t have done that, I am a guest here, technically.”
I smiled. “It’s okay, Ash. I just want to go to bed.”
He smiled and rubbed my arm. That was when he noticed Monica. “Who’s this?”
I stood at the same time Monica did, but it was hard to tell when she did because she was so tiny.
“Ash, this is my grandparents’ maid, Monica. She basically raised me and is probably going to be the only person here who will be nice to us.”
Ash smiled brightly and held a hand out to shake, but Monica surprised him by reaching up, grabbing him by the shoulders and pulling him down for the traditional Brazilian kisses on the cheeks.
Ash’s face was flushed as Monica let go of him and sat back down at the table, picking up her knife and slicing more of the bright red berries on her cutting board.
Ash blinked at me in confusion, his cheeks bright red. I couldn’t help but laugh at his expression and I went to Monica to wrap my arm around her shoulders.
“Ah, Tia Monica,” I crowed. “I think you’re the only person who I actually missed in America.”
She chuckled and gently brushed me off to Ash, who pulled me against him carefully so that my stomach wasn’t being squashed into him. Waving at Monica and bidding her good night, we walked back through the dining room – avoiding looking at my grandmother and uncle while doing so – and quickly went into our room. Or actually, it was my room when I lived here, but since I left, the majority of my personal stuff had been either sold or moved into storage and my grandparents had turned it int o a guest room.
SUBTLETY!
I wrapped my arms around my stomach and sat on the bed towards the open window while Ash shut the door behind me and then knelt next to his suitcase and opening it to pull out his stuff.
“Well,” he said slowly. “That went well.” He chuckled and pulled out his toiletry bag. “I think we can expect to never be invited back.”
At his words, I flinched harshly and curled over a bit, and felt my face warm. “Ash… I almost had another one…”
He paused at the door to turn to me, his eyes wide. Setting his bag down he squatted in front of me and put his hands on my knees.
“How close are you to having one right now?” He asked carefully.
I groaned and fell back on the bed. “I’ll put it this way: if I wasn’t pregnant I’d be about halfway down in a bottle of whiskey or schnapps.”
Ash sighed and stood up. “Well, I know how hard it is for you to be here, especially after how you left, but please, don’t let them walk all over you. You are a very strong person and you don’t let anyone push you around. Don’t let your grandmother do that, she’s not worth it.”
Propping myself onto my elbows, I raised an eyebrow at him. “What the hell are you talking about?”
He rolled his eyes. “When we’re around any of your relatives you turn all quiet and meek. It’s scary and it’s certainly NOT my girlfriend! I don’t like seeing you all scared and defenseless, Indy, it freaks me out!” He crossed his arms
I sat up and glared at Ash. “It freaks you out?! Ash, I grew up in this fucking house! Do you have any idea how much of a nightmare it was for me here? They used to keep a switch on the wall to warn me for when they were going to punish me, usually for no good reason! I didn’t know it was okay for girls to wear pants until I saw movies from America when I was a teenager. They starved me when they thought I was gaining weight, never let me go out or have friends! I’ve never gone to Carnival!” I had to stop because I was crying to hard that I was having trouble breathing. I turned away and threw myself onto the bed, curling around my pillow.
Ash didn’t say anything while I cried. He stood at the foot of the bed for about thirty seconds and then he turned back to the door and grabbed his toiletry bag.
“Gonna brush my teeth,” he mumbled. “I’ll be a couple of minutes.”
When he left and shut the door behind him, I sat up and wiped the tears off of my face. Fucking hormones.
“Dick,” I whispered.
Not wanting to bother with getting ready, I just reached under my shirt to unclip and pull my bra off, and shucked off my jeans. I stood and sprayed bug spray all over my body – you have to in Rio it’s mosquito central here – and then crawled under the covers.
As I laid down, Ash opened the door back up and closed it quietly behind him. Turning to me, he dropped his bag on the ground and pulled his Slayer shirt over his head and peeled his skinny jeans off of his legs. Turning off the light, he crawled under the covers and pulled me to him, supporting my head on his arm and draping his arm over my waist to protectively cradle my stomach.
“I’m sorry, baby,” he whispered. “You’re right, I don’t know what it was like for you here. I can’t believe your relatives did that to you, it’s disgusting. Just please promise me that you will try to defend yourself more, especially when we go to the hospital tomorrow.”
I sighed and pressed into him harder.
“Okay.”

Notes

Hey guys!

I'm so sorry it took me so long to update!
But I recently got a job and was busy with classes, but I don't have classes until Jan 30th, and just have work, so I'll probably upload again before then.

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