Getting to Real

When cultures collide, can love survive?

In high school an over-aged Gabriel Trujillo had his youthful dreams shattered by Jennifer Becker, a shy insecure first year teacher not much older than he was. Angry, he dropped out of school, joined the Army, saw the world. After years away, he’s home again.

Now a skilled cabinet maker, he unknowingly takes on a job at Jennifer’s house, but finds the woman still as shy as she was then, yet no longer as insecure. In spite of himself, he’s enchanted. He realizes, however, that Jennifer is the one overaged now, with some long delayed growing up to do in the man/woman department. Let him walk her through the relationship years, he tells her, and help ease her into the dating world as the mature woman she is. Only as a friend, of course.

It doesn’t take long for him to know he doesn’t want Jenny dating anyone but himself, however. Yet Gabriel is always aware that he is of a different culture, a different ethnicity, a different background. Falling for Jennifer and straddling the fence between Anglo and Hispanic could cost him his place in his own culture. Even more, it could cost him his place in his family.