Chapter 10

"Victoria, you are back! What a surprise! We all believed you dead!" An elderly, gray haired man in an elegant caballero suit embraced her happily.

"It's good to see you back, son," he addressed Diego. Victoria looked at them surprised. The welcome for her was much more hearty than for his son.

"Yes, it's good to be home, Father," Diego nodded and Victoria knew that it wasn't entirely true.

"Thank you, Don Alejandro," Victoria smiled. Before she could say more she was embraced by two women, whom she assumed were her helpers Diego had mentioned

"Victoria, you're alive! We were so sad when you went missing! Now you must tell us everything!" The women were openly weeping and dragging her into the tavern. Diego only grinned when she looked at him for support and she threw him a look, making him grin even more. She saw how he embraced a teenage boy who looked genuinely happy to see him.

The welcoming continued inside the tavern with Victoria in the center of attention. She was overwhelmed by all the people greeting and talking to her while Diego stayed in the back only occasionally shaking hands.

"Now you have to tell us where you have been and how Diego brought you back." Her helper Alicia made her sit down at a table with a glass in front of her. "Did Zorro find you?"

"Zorro? Who's that?" Victoria asked confused and Alejandro wasn't the only one who looked at her surprised.

"I'm sorry, I had a head injury and I don't remember anything about myself. The only memories I have are those from the time after my injury."

"You don't remember Zorro, Señorita Victoria?" A soldier sputtered and she instantly recognized the man as Sergeant Mendoza Diego had talked about. "But you and him.."

"What about me and him?" Victoria asked irritated. "Please tell me who he is! Who is this Zorro and why are all you staring at me like this?"

Alejandro cleared his throat. "Ahem. Let's say that you and Zorro were very close before you went missing."

"Close? How close?" Victoria asked. "And you still haven't told me who he is!"

"Zorro is a masked outlaw, who fights for the people. Zorro and you were deeply in love with each other, Señorita. He will be devastated that you have forgotten him!" the sergeant explained.

"He and I were in love? Why can't I remember him?" Victoria questioned. Accusingly she looked at Diego.

"Excuse me for a moment," Victoria said to her friends. "I need to talk to you, Diego."

Diego sighed. This was the moment he had dreaded. He guided her behind the curtain into the kitchen.

"Why didn't you tell me about him? You promised to tell me the truth! Diego, how could you do that? You knew I was in love with another man, and still you pursued me and told me nothing about him? How could you betray me? I trusted you. Please leave now!"

"Let me explain!"

"Just go, Diego, please!"

"Then it's over?" he asked depressed. "I knew you'd leave me as soon as we came back. Since we didn't announce our engagement yet, there's probably no more need to." Diego said quietly and the way he looked at her pierced her heart. "Believe me that I did it because I love you." Without another word he turned around.

Victoria stared at his back, suddenly feeling cold and alone. Despite her words she wanted him to kiss her and hold her in his arms as he used to during the many stops of their trip. Was it only an hour ago that they had kissed? What was she to do now?

Victoria sat down on a chair and cried. It was there Alicia found her a few minutes later as she was looking for her.

"Victoria, why don't you come back inside? We're all waiting for you!" Then Alicia noticed her tears. "Why are you crying, Victoria?" Victoria only shook her head.

"I guess it has been all too much for you. I can't imagine how it must be to come back without any memory." Alicia put an arm around her shoulder and led her upstairs to her room. She wouldn't have found it without help. Somehow she wasn't surprised to find her bag already in the room. Probably Diego, she thought. Even now, he had brought it upstairs as during their journey, showing that he cared for her. "Take a rest, Victoria. The journey must have tired you. Come down later when you feel better."

Victoria heard Alicia announce downstairs that she needed to rest and she began to look around in her room. If she hadn't known that these were her own belongings she would have felt reluctant about touching them. Now she hoped that maybe some of them would help her to remember. Though she looked through some things there was nothing to trigger a memory and she began to cry again. Why couldn't she remember now that she was at home? What else had she lost besides the memory of the man who loved her? What was she to do if she didn't get her memory back? She had been clinging to the idea that she'd remember everything once she got home. But what if not? Would she be a stranger in her own life forever? What about Diego and that Zorro? Diego loved her and she loved him too, but he had betrayed her. Could she still trust him? And then there was Zorro who loved her too and expected her to love him back while she had no memory of him.

Why had she come back? "Diego, you were right," she whispered, "Life is much more complicated in Los Angeles!" In that moment she'd have traded her soft bed for the hard ground on the trip to San Francisco with Diego lying nearby.