Partial interview of Alex Lopez-Dunphy for a book being written on the Pritchett Clan.
Working title The Pritchett’s
Subject: Alex Lopez-Dunphy
O.k. you want to know how I met Maria and how we got together. I can do that, but I’m going to have to give you the short version right now and as for the other questions they will have to wait till after the ceremonies.
I met Maria, in my first class. I was my reading my text book when she sat down next to me and just started talking. At first I didn’t think that she was talking to me, but when I looked at her, she was smiling directly at me. What surprised me was how comfortable I was talking to her. We talked about our classes, turns out that we had several together. What our majors are; she was studying to be a history teacher, with a minor in music. I told her I was interested in the sciences that I was majoring in physics, with a minor in English. After class she invited me for coffee, I didn’t have another class for an hour so I said ok. From there she became my best friend. We became inseparable after a while, we would go everywhere together.
It was her influence, not my sisters that my wardrobe got better. We would go on these shopping sprees and buy outfits, whatever she said looked good on me, I would buy. Thanks to my grandpa, I had a debit card with a very large limit and I was able to afford those outfits.
I remember I was in my dorm room studying for my upcoming exams, and I was starting to stress out. Well apparently Sara my room-mate, had called Maria. The next thing I knew she’s busting down my door, goes straight to my locker and starts throwing cloths onto my bed, then demanding I go shower and get dressed. She told me she was stressing and needed a night out and I was coming with her. I didn’t argue, like I was doing with Sara.
This happened a lot whenever we had exams. I would start to stress, Maria would drag me out to decompress, and it worked. I, we passed our exams.
Everything changed during spring break of our second year. Instead of going home, or to one of the hot spots, Maria and I went someplace else. I had to argue with my mom, she wanted me to go home for spring break, I wanted to go to London, England with Maria. I was nineteen going on twenty, she really didn’t have a say, but I promised her that I would come for a visit before school started back up. Yeah, I know what you are going to say; ‘spring break in London, England?’ This is what I said to them, ‘why would I want to spend my time off with a bunch of idiots, who get dumber when they drink.’ Plus it was Maria’s idea; who was I to argue with her.
When we got to the airport I asked Maria for her ticket and told her that I would check us in. What she didn’t know was that I had my grandpa’s permission, well he told me to upgrade them to first class. He said no granddaughter of his was going to sit in coach for that long of a flight. Boy was she surprised when the boarding started and they called for first class and I told her we were boarding. When she sat down she stopped complaining and just enjoyed the flight.
It was several days into our vacation when it happened. We were at the St Pancras station, I was admiring the ‘Lovers Statue,’ when Maria took my hand and entwined our fingers. The whole time I was looking at the statue, I was thinking about how much I wished that I was kissing Maria.
I turned to face her and looked her in the eyes. I could see desire in those gorgeous brown eyes, the same desire she must see in mine. I cupped her face in my hands, leaned in and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around my waist and pulled me closer. I wrapped my arms around her neck and deepened the kiss. When her tongue swiped my lip I allowed her access, the tip of her tongue caressed the roof of my mouth, I moaned and my knees buckled. Luckily she tightened her arms and held me up.
When I asked her when she knew she was attracted to me, when she wanted to be more than just friends. Her answer surprised me; she said, ‘The first time I saw you sitting in class. You were reading something from the text book and you scrunched your nose up in that cute way you do when you are concentrating so hard, I knew right then and there, I wanted you.’
She asked me the same thing. ‘I have been falling for you for a long time. I think I started falling for you since the first day I saw you.’ I caressed her cheek, ‘you have been my rock, my support in all the chaos that is collage; that is my life.’ I kissed her on the nose, ‘but I really knew without a doubt was a month ago, I got jealous when that skank of a waitress flirted with you.’ She laughed at that and I kissed her, ‘you are everything to me.’
When we got back to the hotel that evening, we had a long talk about what we both wanted. We got closer during our vacation in London. That vacation was wonderful. I’m not saying other vacations we took weren’t wonderful, but that one will always hold a special place in my heart.
How did I tell my family? I didn’t. It’s a funny story. Well, I kept my promise to my mom and we went home after our London excursion. Maria, loved my family, and they adored her. It was sunny and hot, so we decided to go to my grandpa’s and do some swimming. We were in the pool, swimming and talking, then Maria splashed me, I splashed her back, a splash war started and one thing led to another and we started kissing. I guess we were really getting into it because the next thing I know we are hearing a crashing noise that startled us.
Manny must have dropped the tray that was laying on the ground; poor guy looked like someone had punched him in the gut. You see he has had a crush on Maria since he first met her. My mom and sister were also standing there. My mom had her right hand over her mouth and my sister was just standing there with a smirk on her face.
Maria, and I looked at each other, smiled and shrugged, then swam to the stairs and got out of the pool. When we sat down, my mom and Haley came over and sat also. Just as I was about to explain my sister opened her mouth and said ‘I knew you were a lesbian.’ I shook my head at her and she went back to her phone. My mom on the other hand, pointed at me and then at Maria, and asked, “How long?”
I squeezed Maria’s hand and looked at her then faced my mother again. “Since last week in London.” I closed my eyes and pictured the first time we kissed in front of the statue of the lovers. “As it turns out, our feeling for each other have been developing since we both met.” I smiled over at Maria and she smiles back at me.
Maria, reach’s across the table and places her hand on top of my moms, “I love Alex, Mrs. P.”
My mom shook her head and lightly laughed. “To tell the truth, I kinda expected this was going to happen when you spent time here when school let out last semester.” My mom took a deep breathe, “I’m glad it’s you, Maria.” Mom turned to me, “when where you going to tell me, your mother?”
“We were going to do it during family dinner tonight.” I looked over at Haley, and glared at her, “but from the looks of it, she has been texting everybody since you caught us.”
Haley put her phone down and smirked, and shrugged, “what? It’s great gossip.” There was a beep on her phone, she looked down at and smiled. “So far everyone is happy for you both.” She laughed again when she looked at the new text, “Uncle Cam says, he knew it.” She looked over at the sliding door, “well everyone is happy, except one person that is.”
Maria got up, put on her robe, “I’ll go talk to Manny.”
‘Did Manny get over his crush?’ “Of course, Manny is nothing but resilient. He met someone his own age two weeks later, and dated her till they graduated high school.”
Maria and I got married after we graduated collage. When we got back from our honeymoon we both started work on our Ph. D’s. Mine in physics and her in history. We both got jobs at the same university as professors. I got my first award in physics five years later. Maria published several times.
Now here we are in Oslo, Norway, where I am about to be awarded the Noble prize in physics. I just wish my Grandpa and Uncle Mitch could be here to see it.
Mrs. Dunphy gets up and tells me that she needs to get ready for the ceremonies, but I can see the tears forming in her eyes. “Thank you for your time, and congratulations on winning.” I pack up my recorder and note pad and place them in my bag. “If it’s alright with you and your wife, I can wait till everyone is back in California to continue this, if that’s alright?” She looks over a Maria and I can see a silent communication going on between the two and that is something that I envy.
Mrs. Dunphy nods, “That would be great.”
As I step out of the hotel room I run my hand through my hair and look back at the closed door. I let out a breath, the next time I see them I am going to be hitting them with some very hard questions that I know will be painful for them to answer. But till then it’s time to have fun. Till California ladies.