Getting Married

Lupe and Josh met at a hospital in Phoenix, Arizona. She is a nurse and he is a doctor. After two years together, they got engaged. Then the hard part started: the two families had to get to know each other.

Lupe's family came from Mexico. Her grandmother, Abuela Rosa, didn't speak English. Josh's grandmother, Grandma June, didn't speak Spanish. At the first dinner, the two women sat at the same table and smiled at each other for an hour.

Lupe's mother wanted to make the food for the wedding. Josh's mother wanted to hire a company. Lupe's father wanted a mariachi band. Josh's father wanted a jazz band. Everybody had an opinion, and Lupe got a headache every weekend.

"Let's make a decision," Josh said one night. "We'll have both. Mexican food and American food. Mariachis before dinner, jazz after dinner." Lupe took a deep breath. "And the cake?" Josh didn't have an answer.

The next Sunday, Lupe took Josh to Abuela Rosa's house. Grandma June was already there. She was in the kitchen, wearing an apron. The two grandmothers were making a cake together. Abuela Rosa pointed at the flour and said the word in Spanish. Grandma June said it in English. They both laughed.

The wedding took place in April. There were tacos and burgers, mariachis and jazz, and one cake with two flavors. In the photos, the two grandmothers are holding hands. They still can't speak to each other, but they have made three more cakes since then.