SPAIN: EXTRA CHAPTER 2 "Marrying Joaquin, and Sea Level Grief"

After hanging my raincoat up to dry by the fireplace, Papa, escorted me to my room where a few of his soldiers helped me avoid pneumonia. One of them draped a blanket over my shoulders, and the other brought me a cup of tea.

I thanked them, and asked them to leave me alone while I dealt with my loss.

Feeling my heart crumble, I opened the doors to my balcony and pulled up a chair right in front of them so I could watch the rain fall over my town. My grief and anger still forced me to fight the news of Manolo's death. It's times like this, where I realize just how quick somebody can go.

I'm not sure how long I was out, or dead, whatever you wanna call it, but it felt like everything had happened inside of a split second. The candle trail, the proposal, the snake, the nightmare, the finding of Manolo's rain kissed corpse. Time really does fly; and that was just with scary events; just think of what time's like when you're actually not thinking about it.

Even though we had just found out about Manolo no longer than an hour ago, it felt like an eternity. I remember everything of that soul-breaking sight, and I always will. As my saddened countenance clawed itself onto the view of gloomy, and rainy San Angel, I saw my late, fiancee` in the atmosphere ahead of me.

Terror crept over me. I saw his eerily, yet handsome face smiling with his eyes locked closed; almost as if he was having a sweet dream, and smiling at the view of a sunset, a childhood memory, maybe even his guitar.

His latte colored skin drained into an icy, milky color; and his dark, bandit hair curl dripping in the rainy cloud's tears.

I tried to stop thinking about those terrible memories by washing them down with the honey vanilla tea I was served.

Chuy cuddled near my boots, and tried to make me smile. But I could see, even he was in grief of Manolo.

I patted him on the back and made sure he knew I was thankful.

Then, I heard a fist on the outside of my door.

"Who is it?"

"It's me." I heard.

The familiar voice told me it was Joaquin. I pulled the blanket tighter around me, and quietly answered.

When the door opened, he looked very depressed. And I knew why; he told me the whole story of how when everyone thought I died, Manolo said it should've been him, and then in the coldest voice you could get, Joaquin answered "Yes, it should have."

I can only imagine what was going through both of their minds when that happened. Not only was that weighing over he and I; but, just the entire outcome of this day. I was proposed to, died, came back, engaged to my best friend, and appointed to be married all in the same day.

November 2nd. Hmm. I thought Dia de los Muertos was supposed to be a happy holiday. Well, from now on in my book it wouldn't.

"Yes?" I asked.

"I just wanted you to know that, yes, I may not be the guy you see-I mean, saw in Manolo; but, I still love you with all my heart, Maria. And I just want you to know that I'll make sure you'll be protected, and cherished."

This had to be a clone of Joaquin or something.

"But I thought that women-"

"I know. I didn't mean those things I said at the dinner. I was just so caught off guard and impressed."

"With what?"

"Your beauty. Maria, you are an incredible woman, and the whole time you were away at school, Manolo and I argued over who loved you more."

"Love?"

"We always competed for everything; but we both were smitten with you from day one, and secretly competed for your hand."

I never thought that Joaquin could be so down to earth. He was always known to be on his high horse alot. Literally, and metaphorically.

I may have lost Manolo, but, maybe marrying him wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Do you want to be alone?" He asked.

"Um, yeah. After all, it's inappropriate to see the bride before the wedding." I tried joking with him to lift this black veil of loss off of us.

We both sadly chuckled trying to shake the tension.

"Well, until our meeting at the wedding...Mi Amor." he said.

I smiled at him.

Without anymore words exchanging, I closed the door and sighed out a cloud of depression; it made me feel lighter.

Although, I was still upset.

END OF CHAPTER 2