Chapter 2 – Felipe.
"I am going to adopt Felipe. He's to be a member of our family."
Felipe quietly entered Don Alejandro's room and stopped when he saw the older man asleep in his bed while his soon to be adopted father also had his eyes closed. He turned to leave, not wanting to disturb either man but Diego had other ideas.
"It's alright Felipe." He said softly as he opened his eyes and gazed at his soon to be son with fondness.
Felipe turned back and signed.
Diego nodded with a small smile. "I couldn't leave him either. Come, pull up a chair and we'll both watch over him." he said.
The younger man moved over to the desk, picked up the chair and then placed it beside Diego and sat down. No words or signs were needed as they kept a vigil over the man they both loved and respected.
As Felipe kept watch, his mind reflected to the time that Diego had asked his permission to adopt him as his son.
It was on the morning of the day that the Emissary was due to arrived and he had been on an errand to the pueblo for Don Alejandro and he had just returned when Diego had called him into his private rooms. He had entered the room with a strange sense of trepidation that he hadn't felt since he was a small boy and had been summoned from some misdeed he had done. But this time was different. Very different.
"Ah Felipe, I'm glad you're back. I have something to ask you." Diego said as he sat at his desk.
Felipe was startled by the seriousness of the older man's voice and by how his mentor's left eye was twitching; something that had never happened before. It seemed that he was very serious but at the same time he seemed extremely nervous or perhaps excited about something and he signed it.
Diego chuckled. "You think I'm nervous. Well you could be right about that." he admitted. "Please take a seat." he said as he pulled out a chair for the young man.
Felipe sat down, curious about what his mentor would say and waited for Diego to speak.
"Felipe..." Diego stopped to gather his thoughts into some sort of order.
Felipe was amused by Diego's apparent indecision, something that he only ever saw when the older man was dealing with Victoria and he signed so.
Diego snorted. "You haven't seen me at a loss for words since the last time I saw Victoria. I'll have you know that I speak with Victoria all the time." he huffed in annoyance, the young man was too observant for his own good, he mused to himself.
Felipe grinned at Diego, knowing full well what he really meant; that the older man had to put on a mask to romance the lady he loved while at the same time he had to pretend to be like a brother to her. He knew it wasn't easy for him to be both men.
Diego shook his head in amusement. "I've not called you here to speak about Victoria. Felipe you've been with us for thirteen years now..." he stopped when he saw a strange look, almost like fear on the young man's face.
Felipe frowned as he felt a surge of fear race through his heart; did he want to get rid of him? Didn't he want him to stay with them any longer? What would he do, where would he go? He signed his concerns.
Diego leant forward, silently cursing himself. "Oh no Felipe, I'm not sending you away, I would never do that." he reassured him. "In fact I was thinking of the opposite. I want to make you a permanent member of our family."
Felipe felt relief that he wasn't being sent away but he was confused over what Diego had meant by making him a member of the family.
Diego sighed as he ran his fingers through his dark hair. "I'm not making this clear for you, am I? Ever since that day I found you in the remains of the battle, I felt a bond with you."
Felipe nodded in agreement, he too had felt that bond. He didn't remember too much about that awful time but he did remember looking up at a very tall man and instinctively trusted him. So much so that he allowed the man to pick him up and to take him away from the horrible sights and smells of the battle. He brought his attention back to Diego and he was very curious as to where the conversation was leading to.
"At first, that bond made me see you as a younger brother and friend but as the years passed by, it become more than that. I began to see you as a son." he admitted.
Felipe swallowed hard as he heard the depth of emotion in Diego's voice. He too had seen the bond change over the years. In the beginning, Diego had been his rescuer, almost like a older brother and even though he was officially a servant to the de la Vegas, he had privileges that no other servant had. Both Diego and his father saw to his education, he had his own small room at the far end of the east wing where Diego's own rooms were located. Then when Diego returned from Spain, the bond changed again; it became more like mentor and pupil and then it changed once more.
But what Diego said next left him overwhelmed. "Felipe, I want to ask your permission to adopt you as my son."
He just stared open mouthed at Diego, he simply couldn't believe it; Diego wanted to adopt him! It was something he never expected in a million years, he never even considered it. He knew that Diego respected and loved him but to be asked if he wanted to be adopted had left him flabbergasted. Did he want to be adopted? Did he want to be Diego's son for all time? He never thought that he would ever be a part of a family; a family he loved and who loved him in return.
Suddenly he sat up straight as he had a strange thought and he signed his question to Diego.
Diego smiled. "Of course you will take the de la Vega name." he advised.
Felipe had a lump in his throat; he would have a last name, a proud name. But he shook his head; didn't want to be adopted just so he could have a name but because he was loved, which he was.
Diego mistook his reaction for rejection. "If you don't want this, then that's okay Felipe. Nothing will change between us." He said as he tried to keep the disappointment from his voice but Felipe heard it and wanted to re-assure him and signed quickly.
"You really want this? You really want to be my son?" Diego asked as a large grin appeared on his face.
Felipe beamed with happiness as he nodded and then he found himself in Diego's arms for a fierce embrace.
"I love you Felipe, my son." Diego whispered hoarsely as he pulled back.
Felipe signed. 'I love you too, father'
A gentle snore brought Felipe's thoughts back to the present and he grinned when he looked over at his soon to be father asleep in the chair with his head back and his mouth slightly opened and snoring softly. He shook his head in amusement; he never knew that Diego snored and he imagined the fun that he would have in telling him about it.
As he settled more comfortably in his seat and kept guard over the men who meant so much to him, he reflected on how just how much his life was going to change from now on. He knew that being adopted into a well respected and wealthy family meant many changes; some like dressing in the clothes of a caballero and having new quarters in the hacienda didn't mean a lot to him but he had a feeling that people would start to treat him differently. Would they resent having to deal with a former servant? Would they accept it only because of the de le Vega name? Or would they accept him as one of their own, no matter what the circumstances of his birth? He believed that most people would be accepting of him but he knew that there would be some who would not be.
He shook his head, this thinking was getting him nowhere. If they can't accept the adoption, then that is their problem, not his. All that he cared about was his family.
