Unique Emily
Tony first met Emily Gonzalez when both had just turned five years old. Emily, younger sister of Miguel, resembled a Dresden doll with her expressive light brown eyes and long brown ringlets of hair.
She, Miguel, and their parents lived very close to Abuela's sister in the village.
The little girl developed quite a crush on Tony during the tyke's first visit to Campeche.
She lobbied for little Tony to join the neighborhood children in playing soccer when Abuela expressed wariness. Emily assured the older woman that her brother Miguel would teach the younger boy to play.
Abuela relented.
Miguel delivered as promised and Tony proved naturally talented at the sport.
Emily managed to kiss Tony after a subsequent soccer match, delighted with the newcomer's talent. Tony did not consider her appealing and further, viewed her demonstration of affection as unwelcome and distasteful.
Still, Emily persisted.
Once the family resolved to maintain a part time residence in Campeche Tony spent his summers and school vacations in Mexico. Associations with Emily occurred by default because Miguel had emerged as Tony's best friend.
Tony would have to see her and speak to her despite his distaste for all things girl.
A year later Emily's mama rushed to their home to beg Dr. Ducky Mallard's assistance with Miguel. Ducky had enjoyed a respite from NCIS and had holidayed with Jethro's family in Campeche. In fact, Ducky had planned to fly home that very day. After Senora Gonzalez led Ducky and Abuela home with her he examined the child and called immediately for the rushing of Miguel to the hospital. The child's violent headache and vomiting signaled a serious problem and Ducky suspected meningitis.
Maria took charge of little Emily to free Senor and Senora Gonzalez. That allowed them to accompany their small, scared boy to the hospital.
Maria's heart broke for the tiny girl and she gathered needed belongings from the Gonzalez home for Emily to use at theirs.
Don't Take the Girl evolved into little Tony's increasingly adamant refrain to his father the next couple of days. The youngster had looked forward to private time and a private outing with his daddy and despite Jethro and Maria's explanations of the Gonzalez situation, Tony refused to voluntarily or graciously accept Emily's company.
Jethro's compassion surfaced just as strongly as Maria's. He supervised both children when Maria did not and worked to make Emily's stay in his home pleasant. She had enough trauma to face with a seriously ill brother and parents who had to leave her to tend to Miguel. Gibbs purposely made his home a refuge for Emily.
Though understandably shy in the new circumstances Emily played happily with her dolls and toys and caused Jethro and Maria no trouble.
Tony ignored her or more aptly, avoided her. Nevertheless, stuck with her company during that crisis, he did take a personal interest in Emily's language and coached her in English, genuinely pleased at how quickly she grasped the vocabulary he introduced. Her brother Miguel spoke English at a better level, but then he and Tony spent infinitely more time together.
Emily responded to her own success at English with a shy smile.
Once doctors confirmed Miguel's diagnosis of meningitis Jethro and Maria absorbed Emily into their little family's daily life for the duration of Miguel's hospitalization, much to the relief of her parents. Miguel's father exhausted himself between working all day and camping at the hospital all night while Miguel's mother simply stayed in Miguel's room for the child's entire hospital treatment and recovery.
After a couple of days Tony finally acceded that having someone available to play with him at all hours might just offer some advantages. Emily followed his lead for the most part and allowed him to direct the games or their activities. Jethro and Maria stepped in upon occasion to allow Emily to choose first, and as the days passed, little Tony grew more tolerant and allowed the interloper some control. After supper, though, once the ninos had bathed and settled to watch the one television show per day Abuela permitted, they tended to operate independently.
As he grew tired Tony would make a beeline for his grandmother, crawl into her lap, and snuggle into her as he stroked her hair. When it came to his abuela, Tony had no intention of willingly sharing her so near bedtime, or of having his bedtime ritual compromised or disturbed. He wanted Maria to cuddle him- alone, and him- only.
Though the adults had pushed the issue the first night, Gibbs and Maria resolved privately the second night to let the children solve the pre- bedtime problem themselves.
Emily, who had overcome some of her shyness, would cradle her baby doll in her arms and station herself by Jethro, who would set aside his crossword or Sniper Monthly magazine and pull her petite body onto his lap. Emily would relax against him until she, like Tony, would begin to succumb to drowsiness.
Though Tony still avoided girls as much as possible, Emily's position as his houseguest for so many days had taught him to extend a degree of tolerance. As Miguel recuperated and recovered in the subsequent weeks Tony's relationship with Emily strengthened.
As the years passed the children spent time in each other's company whenever Tony resided in Campeche, though Emily's prominence faded to the background. Miguel and Tony devoted every free hour to their play, their sports, or their activities. Emily occupied a space on the fringes of Tony's Mexican world.
Elementary school gave way to middle school, then middle to high school. With maturation Tony's view of girls evolved to one of genuine interest and he enthusiastically revamped the role of females in his life.
In high school he and Emily drifted on and off together and occasionally called themselves a couple, but neither actually considered the other a serious relationship candidate. The convenience of familiarity and of knowing each other so well appealed to both, however, so that when Campeche activities called for couples they united and reunited.
As Jethro, the Gonzalezes, and Maria privately noted, Tony and Emily complemented each other, respected each other, and enjoyed each other's company, but lacked a true romantic spark.
One summer evening when both were sixteen Tony slid across the living room floor in his socks to bump against Maria's rocking chair. "Abuela mia, I can't locate my white cargo pants anywhere and I need them to wear to the barbecue tonight. Where did you hide them? Donde escondiste los pantalones?"
Maria stopped rocking and set her book on the table beside her. "Lean," she ordered, and once he did she kissed his cheek. "What will I do with my bambino?"
Tony grinned and his green eyes danced with mischief. "Please don't sell my body parts, Abuela."
"Si, maybe I will," she sighed. "These trousers- this morning at breakfast we discussed about this barbecue tonight you will attend with Miguel and Emily. I asked you what you planned to wear then and you insisted that you had taken out your clothes already."
"But this morning I thought I'd wear the blue khakis," Tony defended himself.
Jethro strode into the room with a cup of coffee, regarded his half dressed child, and turned to Maria. "Why is Tony running around the house in his underwear?"
"Abuela won't tell me where to find my pants."
Maria shook her head in resignation and stood. "Why? Por que?" She motioned to Tony to follow. "Because Antonio paid no attention when I told him I mended the pocket on his cargo pants and to take his pants and laundry from the laundry room many days ago."
"Oh," Tony attempted to appear remorseful. "I must have missed…"
Maria interrupted with a threat, "And if your belongings remain in the laundry room after five minutes you can tell Miguel and Emily to leave you behind this evening."
Tony fell in step beside her, "Actually, Emily plans to divorce me tonight if some guy named Emilio approaches her. She heard that he has hatched a scheme to ingratiate himself with her."
"Nice boy?"
Tony turned serious. "He is cousins with Eduardo Ortega's family members."
Maria nodded approval at the family connection.
Tony waited until she located his cargo pants in the laundry room before assuring his grandmother, "You know I will always look after her, right, Abuela? I will step in if I think he is not good for her and act as her Sanctuary. Always, I will. Interferire. Even when we don't function as a gorgeous couple Emily and I will always love each other."
Maria pointed to his stack of laundry and smiled. "Yes, I do, Bambino, and it makes my heart feel doubly blessed that your own heart is so good."
During her pre college years Emily dated rarely, preferring to devote herself to her studies. She excelled at school, hauling home one academic award after another year after year. Her parents valued education and her academic prowess swelled them with pride.
Quiet and thoughtful, Emily lacked the assertiveness which would propel her into school leadership roles but managed to remain popular because of her personality, looks, and intellect. She joined clubs but preferred to function as a member rather than as the president or vice president.
She had no interest in glamour or notoriety.
Ducky and his mother, Victoria Mallard, visited Campeche fairly regularly, and from the moment she met Emily Victoria had taken an interest in the little girl. As the years advanced Victoria slipped into the role of advisor and benefactress as she and Emily forged a strong, affectionate bond.
One post- Christmas visit Abuela had invited Emily's family along with Tia's family to join them for lunch. Afterward they retreated to the living room and watched Tony and Miguel sprawled on the floor with Lorenzo as they played with battery operated cars.
"Do not run the cars into the furniture," Tia warned. "No golpees los muebles con los autos."
Emily stepped across the boys to perch on the edge of the recliner where Victoria relaxed listening to a conversation among Jethro, Ducky, and Jackson over the merits of deep sea Gulf fishing.
Once Emily appeared she turned her entire attention to the little girl.
Victoria had gifted Emily, then nine, with a copy of the novel Nobody's Girl by the French author, Hector Henri Malot. Emily pointed to the French title- En Famille- embossed on the cover and requested the correct pronunciation and Victoria obliged. Tickled with the child's interest in French, Victoria began instructing her in common French terms, but graduated to tutoring Emily in grammar when the little girl quickly mastered the vocabulary. Within a year she and Emily would speak to each other in French when together, and it thrilled Victoria to share her own love for the language with her protege.
By middle school Emily's command of English equaled her native Spanish, and by high school she spoke flawless French.
Though hardworking, her family had little money to spare. Emily reconciled herself to personal goals of completing high school and securing a job in Campeche. Victoria had other ideas, though, and at her insistence, Emily redirected her thinking to include college. Victoria assured the young lady that if no scholarships appeared she would personally finance Emily's bachelor's degree.
Emily needn't have feared affording college. Schools clamored for her, of course, once they examined her academic records. She, her parents, and Victoria spent numerous hours in consultation with different colleges but eventually settled on schools in the States, rather than in locations halfway across the world.
Emily graduated summa cum laude with her Bachelor's in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas in Dallas, Texas, and proceeded directly to graduate school. Within a year she earned her Master of Arts in Translation from Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California.
At twenty nine, Emily supported herself with free lance translation work and travelled extensively across the globe.
Victoria had prevailed upon her to direct a chunk of her salary toward the purchase of a home, firmly believing in the importance of investing in real estate. Though Emily could base herself anywhere around the globe she chose to purchase a townhouse in the Georgetown area so, as she justified her decision to Victoria, she would always have her mentor near her in Washington when away from her family in Campeche. It thrilled Victoria, who lent her expertise in assisting Emily to decorate and who checked on the house when Emily left town for work.
Like Tony, Emily remained single at twenty nine. Only once had it appeared she had found someone with whom to settle down, a young man from Dubai she met while completing a job at his father's company. The two remained together nearly a year and he made it crystal clear he wanted to marry her.
Emily left him, however, and always pretty private, she refused to share her reasons for doing so.
Stretching, Tony the Birthday Boy wrapped up his account of Emily and the family and guests expressed their sympathy at Emily's break- up and speculated a bit on her decision. Jackson commented on the merits of not marrying in the first place as opposed to divorcing once married and everyone except Tony weighed in with their perspectives.
Tony alone knew Emily's motivation and what it had cost her to call it quits. As the others chatted around him he lost himself in a not- too- long- ago remembrance.
Tony had coaxed the details of the broken engagement out of Emily one afternoon when the two had driven into Campeche for lunch.
"Did he do you wrong? Hurt you? Humiliate you?" Tony volleyed the questions at her. "Did he cheat? Lie? Steal?"
"Stop!" Emily protested with a tolerant smile. "None of the above." She tilted her head and regarded Tony with a thoughtful expression. "He never laid a hand on me and he absolutely respected me."
The waitress interrupted. She juggled piping hot plates of chicken enchiladas along with a bowl of pico de gallo. Tony leaned forward to aid her to set the items on the table and she thanked him for his assistance.
Emily pulled Tony's plate to hers, shielding her fingers from the heat with a cloth napkin, and added half of her rice and most of her guacamole to his plate. Once she finished Tony ladled heaping servings of the pico for both of them before resuming the conversation. "Por que? Why then?"
"Perhaps I plan to keep the details private." Emily cut into an enchilada.
"Nope," Tony contradicted, "not from me. No secrets."
Emily sighed. Knowing Tony as well as she did, she doubted she could continue to stall.
Tony set down his fork dramatically and leaned toward her. "I want to point out it's cruel to let my food grow cold while I wait for you to answer my simple question. Now if I recall, este novio, this boyfriend, practically wallowed in family money. Is that the root of the dismissal? Did he want you to sign a prenup agreement or something along that line?"
"Eat," Emily pointed at his plate. "Go ahead before the food cools too much."
Tony batted his eyelashes and she laughed out loud. "Stop it because you are ridiculous! Okay, I'll tell you but I resent your underhanded and manipulative ways."
Delighted that he had won their skirmish, Tony resumed eating.
Emily frowned and gazed around the dining room. "Antonio, I think really I could have stayed with this man for the rest of my life and we would have had lots of children and much happiness."
She leaned against the chair's back and massaged her temples.
"Why dump him, then?" Tony shrugged his shoulders to emphasize his confusion.
"Because he asked me- no, he presented it as a request- he requested I give up my career so that he could take care of me." Emily licked her lips and regarded Tony with a pleading expression. "Understand that from the second we got together I made it clear that I loved my work."
Tony tapped the edge of her plate with his knife. "Eat while you tell me."
"That's it," she announced, carefully balancing a forkful of pico to her mouth. "I just told you."
Her lunch companion regarded her quizzically.
She focused her attention on her plate. "Stop."
"Stop," he repeated mockingly.
Emily scowled. "You know how much I hated it when you and Miguel would do that to me. Repeating everything I say…."
He again copied her words using a silly singsong voice. "Repeating everything I say…"
"Tony, cease!"
"I shall," his eyes danced mischievously, "when you finish your story. Until then, I have no scruples."
Defeated, Emily swallowed a couple of bites of enchilada before ending her explanation. "Ok. As much as he professed to love me, and to respect me, and to know me, he could never fathom that my job plays a crucial role in defining me. I have built a solid reputation as an excellent, ethical translator, Tony, and my success reflects my hard work, my work ethics, my education, my morality, and my personality. My work defines Emily Gonzalez, the woman. Mrs. Mallard always preaches to me to follow my path first and foremost, and not someone else's. And my path must always incorporate an active career for my own happiness." Emily regarded Tony with a pleading look in her eyes, hoping he would understand her rationale.
Tony contemplated his words before asking gently, "No second thoughts, Em?"
"A great deal of sadness at the loss of a good man," she confessed, and to her irritation, her dark eyes filled with tears.
Tony slid his chair and shifted to pull her into his arms. He cuddled her tightly against him as she wept, stroking her hair and murmuring softly until exhausted, she rested against him with heaving breaths.
Finally he kissed her on the temple and slid a napkin into her hand. "You made the correct decision, Honey, and you just cried him right out of your system. You can move forward now."
She didn't respond but wiped her eyes and face before straightening in her chair. Surveying the other patrons self consciously she whispered, "They must think…"
Tony interrupted her firmly, "They must think nothing except that a young lady cried. Now, start eating again quickly so that you can buy me flan after lunch. You make more money than I do, so you should treat me."
That caused her to laugh as he had intended, and she shook her head and threatened. "I'll purchase the flan, all right, then I will go straight to your abuela and report on the sweets her bambino consumed today. I don't think she'll take kindly to your sugar gluttony."
Lorenzo's strangled coughing right across from him snapped Tony back into birthday thoughts and the present and away from Emily and the past encounter.
His cousin couldn't stifle the coughs for nearly a full minute but managed to squeak out that he had choked on his tea.
"Nope," Tony contradicted. "You reek of plague."
"Si," Veronica joined with Tony to needle her brother. "And no one can cure you."
"It leads to leprosy," Tony added, "if you're lucky. Otherwise…."
Veronica finished triumphantly, "Excruciating loss of limb or…"
"Callate!" Tia scolded them both. "Hush! He nearly choked his life out."
Veronica and Tony exchanged pleased expressions and smirked. Lorenzo finally stopped coughing and regarded them both with narrowed eyes. "What family are you? A sister and cousin who won't even clap me on the back to save my life but instead watch me as I die."
"I didn't think you put me in your will," Tony defended himself, allowing his voice to drift dramatically. "Nothing in it for me."
Veronica shrugged, "And I presumed you were too far gone."
Jackson and Abuela couldn't resist chuckling at their responses.
A grinning Jethro motioned to his son. "Enough! Next installment- go, and leave your nearly comatose cousin alone."