Previous Disclaimers Apply

Chapter 10

The next couple of months past by uneventful; summer was here. The Beacon property opened in Chicago on time and was doing well. They were also expanding in St. Louis. Ava offered to throw her moms a baby shower. She planned it for mid July. Marina and Blake said they could use Company. Ava was able to plan everything by phone, email and snail mail. She planned to take a week off from work to come home. Natalia had been working from home completely except when camp or play dates didn't keep Emma away from home. Rafe had indeed made the dean's list for both semesters. He decided to continue taking classes through summer and working at the hotel. He had been dating Leah Bauer since spring.

Ava had been home for a day or two. She had finished all the last minute touches for the shower. Everything was ready. Olivia was going to the office for a while that morning before the shower that afternoon. She had a few things to do including the payroll. Natalia, Ava and Emma had a girls day or morning rather. They went to a local salon and got their hair done and mani/pedis, just a little pampering for the mom to be.

Olivia was trying to get her work done so she wouldn't be so rushed to get to the shower. She picked up the phone and dialed an in house extension, "Greg, did the Williams' ever confirm the date for their party? Would you call and follow up with them?"

She put the phone down and we back to the payroll. No matter how many times she starts to review the numbers, she keeps getting interrupted. The phone rings a few minutes later, "Yes, Greg? Good and we have no conflicts with that date? Right. Great. Thanks."

Olivia goes back to the payroll when a knock comes to her office door. "Ugh. What now?" She says to herself.

"Come in."

The door opens slowly. Olivia recognizes the older woman; it takes about two seconds for it to sink in…Chicago…Mexican restaurant…Natalia's mother.

"Mrs. Rivera, please come in." Olivia says getting up and rounding her desk with her hand extended to greet her with a hand shake. She also is watching the door assuming that Natalia's father would be right behind her; but he wasn't.

"I'm surprised you remember me, Mrs. Spencer-Riv…um, I'm not sure what to call you." She says timidly.

"Olivia, Olivia is just fine. Please won't you have a seat?" Olivia says while showing her to one of the chairs in front of Olivia's desk.

"Can I get you something, coffee, tea, water?"

"No, no thank you." Mrs. Rivera replied.

Olivia sits beside her in the other chair in front of her desk.

"What brings you to Springfield?" Asks Olivia.

"My husband, he thinks I am in New York visiting my sister. I have not been able to stop thinking about my daughter since your visit in February. I missed so much, my grandson. I didn't have the courage back then to convince my husband to not disown Natalia and punish her the way he did. We were still dealing with the death of our son. Did Natalia tell you about her older brother, Raphael?"

"No, she never told me about him. So Rafe was named for his uncle? What happened?" Olivia asks.

"Natalia was 12, Raphael 16. Our neighborhood was not the best. We did the best we could with what we had; but the allure of the street life and quick money was to enticing. Raphael got involved with a gang. Before we realized it, he was in deep, too deep. One night he and some other gang members were fighting with a rival gang over territory and he was killed along with 3 other boys that night."

"Oh, I'm so sorry. The death of a child, I can not imagine the horror you endured." Olivia says. She feels like taking her older woman's hand for comfort but decides against it.

"After that night, my husband and I, we became stricter when it came to Natalia, her friends, school activities and such. I know that she probably felt that we were smothering her, but we had already lost one child. We did not want to lose another and yet we did anyway."

"You did raise Natalia well. She managed on her own at age 16 with a baby. Rafe is fine now, in college – he's on the dean's list." Olivia interjects.

"Because of my husband's beliefs and wishes, I've missed the last 20 years of my daughter's life and my grandson. Please tell me about my daughter and her life."

"Well, Mrs. Rivera, Natalia is a wonderful, nurturing and giving person. She and I did not meet under the best circumstances. I was not a nice person when we met. I did some pretty bad things to her and she fought back just as hard. You see, Mrs. Rivera, not long after I met her, I found out that my heart was failing; I needed a heart transplant. I was dying. Natalia had come to town searching for Nicky. He lived here now, but went by the name Gus. She told him about Rafe and they reunited. I was so mad at the world for my illness and that it was taking me away from my daughters I did not care who I hurt or why. Gus was my friend, my only friend. He was helping deal with dying and trying to make sure my daughters were provided for. I decided that I wanted Gus all to myself and I tried to take him from her. I did in a sense. He turned me down and wouldn't leave Natalia. But when I was in the hospital, I was this close to death's door. Gus was in a rush to the hospital to see me before it was too late. He was in a motorcycle accident. The head injuries he received were fatal; he died shortly after arriving at the hospital. Natalia had consented to donate his organs, but refused when she found out that his heart was a match to me. Eventually, she did decide to give me his heart. That was the first time she saved my life."

"Oh my. I had no idea that she had suffered such a loss." Mrs. Rivera replied trying to take in everything that Olivia was telling her.

"I didn't find out until after the surgery that Gus has died and that I had his heart. I did not want it. I didn't want to live. Nothing, not my daughters, no one could give me the will to live. I wanted to die. Your daughter, she wouldn't let me. She had gotten a job, here, as a maid. She was constantly checking on me and Emma, my youngest daughter, making sure I was eating, taking my meds. No matter how mean I was to her, telling her to leave me alone and let me die; she wouldn't give up on me. I found the will to live again. She did that. I started getting better. Our relationship was strained but was improving. I was trying to help her with Rafe, but everything I did; she took it as a hand out and refused my help. I saw potential in Natalia to be more that just a maid or waitress. I asked her to be my assistant here. I needed help not only for me but for Emma as well. The day I finally told her that she was my friend and her taking the job as my assistant would be a favor for me, I had a heart attack. Natalia was actually trying to accept my job offer, but never got the chance because I collapse before she could. So there I am lying on the ground outside of a restaurant and my heart had stopped. An EMT inside the restaurant comes to my aid with CPR, but it's not enough. Then Natalia remembered that the owner had a defibulator; she brought it to the EMT and he was able to shock my heart and bring me back. That was the second time your daughter saved my life."

"You seem well now, yes?" Mrs. Rivera asks.

"For the most part yes; after my heart attack, I needed a pace maker. That meant more surgery and more time to recover. Natalia had bought a house; she was going to need a boarder to help with the mortgage. She suggested that Emma and I move in to help her financially and then she could help take care of me and Emma so I could recover faster. So we moved in. Our friendship deepened and she became my best friend and a second mother to Emma. Our feelings became stronger, more than friendship. We both fought it. I didn't think that Natalia would be able to accept my love because of her faith in God. She too struggled with that at first. She nearly married a man that she didn't love trying to fight her feelings for me. I even encouraged it. Then she and I were finally able to admit our true feelings for each other, that we loved each other; that we were in love with each other. We did struggle, but we knew from the start that we wanted to be with each other, we were a family and we did not want to lose that. We were able to build this life together, our family. We can't legally marry in this state, but we did have a commitment ceremony that our friends and family attended. We pledged our love, devotion and faith to each other. I consider this the third time your daughter saved me. She changed me. I am a much better person now because of loving Natalia. We have combined our lives together in every possible way and share everything. I love Natalia so very much, Mrs. Rivera, and I will do everything humanly possible to make sure she is happy."

"Olivia, thank you. I would like to see my daughter now. Is she here?"

"No, but I can take you to her. I'm actually running late to meet her." Olivia replied.

Olivia picked up the phone and dialed Greg's extension, "I need you in my office, now, please."

It was next to no time that Greg appeared in Olivia's office, "Yes, Mrs. Spencer-Rivera?"

"Greg, time for you to learn a new responsibility…Here is the payroll. Check all the deductions to what we have loaded in each employee's record. Then check that the hours that are listed coincide with what shows on the time clock's report. Anything that looks wrong or you don't agree with, highlight it. Have it on my desk first thing tomorrow."

"Yes, Mrs. Spencer-Rivera. I'll start on it right away." Replied Greg.

Olivia had to fight a smirk in front of him.

"Mrs. Rivera, come, Natalia is waiting for me."

Natalia, Ava, Rafe and Emma were all at Company. Marina and Blake had really put out a good spread for the shower. Daisy and Ashlee were helping out with the hosting. Most of the guests (Lillian, Buzz, Beth, Phillip, Lizzie Bill, Reva, Josh, Jeffrey, Billy, Shane, Dinah, Dr. Rick, Mel, Leah, Doris, Remy and Christina) were there; they wanted all their friends there, so everyone was invited.

"Ava, did you get her on her cell?" Natalia asks.

"Straight to voicemail."

"And you tried her office?"

"Yes, voice mail."

"I'm starting to worry."

"Natalia, she's fine. She probably got hung up with a problem at the hotel and she just hasn't had a chance to call. Go, sit. Take a load off. She'll be here." Ava implored to the mother to be.

Natalia went back to the table; Rafe and Leah were now talking to her. So she didn't have a view of the door when it opened.

"See, Natalia. There she is, walking through the door." Ava announced. Natalia shifted around Rafe quickly to confirm…yes, thank you, she's here. Natalia moved back and did not see the person that came into Company behind Olivia.

Emma came running over to her mom. "Mommy, you made it." Olivia squatted down to hug Emma and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"Hey Jellybean. I'm sorry to be late; but I'm here now."

Mrs. Rivera watched and thought that Olivia seemed to have a wonderful relationship with her daughter. Emma then turned and went back over to her dad and back into to his lap. Marina called over to Rafe to have him help move another table for the presents. Once he left his mother's side, Natalia got a weird feeling. She saw someone in her peripheral vision. Someone was standing next to Olivia, someone who didn't fit. She turned to see her mother.

"Mama, what are you doing here?" Natalia asks, loud enough for most of the guests to hear including Rafe.

Her mother and Olivia start walking towards Natalia and she gets up from the table.

"Natalia, what…You're with child?" Mrs. Rivera asks very surprisingly.

"Yes, Mama. I told you in February when we saw you that Olivia and I had 3 kids and another one on the way."

"I'm sorry, I guess I didn't realize, I was so overcome with seeing you after 20 years and hearing about your relationship with Olivia…It just didn't sink in."

Natalia has now reached her mother. Her mother gives her a gentle smile, one that appears to Natalia to reflect sadness, regret and begging for forgiveness. Natalia holds her arms towards her mother, inviting her for a hug; which she accepts. Rafe had started toward them. Olivia waved him off. He obliged.

"Mama, I don't understand. Why are you here? Where's daddy?"

"You father thinks I am in New York visiting your Aunt Inez. Natalia, all I have done these last few months is think about you, your visit. I did not agree with your father's actions all those years ago. I was too afraid and naive to challenge his decisions. I lost 20 years of your life, my grandson. I don't want to lose anymore. Please may I stay? I want to get to know you and your family, my family."

"Mama, you know I am with Olivia. She is my wife. We love each other, we live together, we work together; every night we go home to the same house and sleep in the same bed. Will you be able to handle visiting us and getting to know us, knowing that this is our family and how we live? If you can't, you might as well go on to Aunt Inez's; because I am happy here. There is nothing that you can say or do that will change that!"

"Natalia, I have no right to judge you or your family. I lost that right when your father banished you. I don't want to spend the next 20 years not knowing what is happening in your life, Raphael's life or this new little one's life. Please may I stay?"

"Alright." Natalia agreed.

"Rafe!" Natalia called to him. She motioned for him to come over.

"Rafe, I would like to introduce you to your Grandmother. Mama, this is your grandson, Raphael."

"Hello, it's nice to meet you." Rafe said as he reaches for a hug.

"It's nice to meet you too, Raphael. Or do you prefer Rafe?"

"I'll answer to either. What can I call you? Is Grandma OK? I call Ma, Ma and Olivia is Mom."

"Grandma is fine, I like that."

"This way Mama, let me introduce you to our friends."

"Everyone, I'd like to meet my mother. Mama, now I don't expect you to remember names and who belongs to whom. This is Leah, she is Rafe's girlfriend. These are her parents, Dr. Rick Bauer and Mel Boudreau. This is Mel's brother Remy and his wife Christina. This is Marina, she owns Company and this is her grandfather Buzz. This is Blake, she manages Company. This is Daisy, Buzz's grand daughter as well. This is Ashlee, she is a friend of Daisy's and she helped plan the baby shower. This is Doris; she is Ashlee's mom and our mayor. This is Lillian; she is married to Buzz, her daughter Beth and her grand daughter Lizzie. This is Phillip; he is Lizzie's father. He is also Emma's father…Olivia's daughter. Mama, do you remember the photo I gave you?"

Her mother nodded.

"This is Bill; he is Lizzie's husband. This is Billy; he is Bill father. This is Josh; he is Billy's brother. This is Shane; he is Josh's son. This is Dinah; she is Shane's fiancée. This is Reva; Shane's mother. This is Jeffrey, Reva's husband and Jeffrey is Ava's father."

Natalia holds her hand out for Ava and brings Ava to in front of her mother.

"Mama, Ava is Olivia's oldest daughter." Ava reaches her hand out to shake Mrs. Rivera's hand.

"Don't forget about me, Ma." As Emma comes running up to them.

"I'm not Jellybean. And Mama, this is Emma."

"So since Natalia is my Ma, then you are my Grandma, like Rafe, since he is my brother."

"Well, I suppose so little one." Replied Mrs. Rivera.

"Mrs. Rivera, please come have a seat, joins us." As Ava takes her hand and leads her to the table.

Natalia pulls Olivia aside. "Did you do this?" She asks Olivia.

"Does seem like my style, doesn't it? No, I can't take credit for this one. She just showed up at the Beacon, knocking on my office door looking for you."

TBC