Chapter 1: The crossing

Last year was extremely hard for Javier Suarez. Within this relatively short period he has lost the two people he loved the most. At first, he had to say goodbye to his beloved girlfriend who left Cuba after the new government got into power and only three months ago his grandfather passed away. Nothing was keeping him from leaving the country at this point; apart from his mother. Soon after Katey left with her family, he moved out from his place, unable to find a common language with his brother despite them making amends a year earlier. Javier had huge hopes that when the revolution will be successful life will change for the better but it wasn't much better for common people. He couldn't understand the world around him anymore. What his father died for wasn't what he expected. All hopes were in vain. One night he had a very serious conversation with his mother. She told him to find a way to leave Cuba and find the love of his life.

"You simply aren't yourself anymore." She said softly. "You need to find Katey. Go when it's still possible."

"But I can't leave you!" Javier protested but his mother explained that when he settles down in America he will be able to send for his family. He was hesitating, but he finally agreed. His mother melted away all the doubts he had. He couldn't bear life without the love of his life near. He had to take a chance and go to find her. And there was the most important question: how would he get to the United States? And if he'd get there, how was he to find Katey? He remembered her mentioning a college in Massachusetts, but did she get accepted there? Javier somehow knew she was. She surely was the best student there. He hoped she still had feelings for him, just as he had for her. He couldn't be positive about this aspect, but he knew he had to try to get there and find out. He closed his eyes and listened to the waves at the beach where he was sitting at this moment. He was coming here whenever he could. It was his and Katey's place. They were making love here. They've spent their one last night together on this beach. This was also where he also made the decision to find her. Javier slowly opened his dark shining eyes and watched the ocean. This day was New Year's Eve and the anniversary of their first time. He would always remember that, no matter where he would be and how old he'd get. He already had a plan. It had a few holes, but he didn't care. No matter what, he had to get to Key West and then to Massachusetts.

"I will find you!" He shouted still facing the sea as if he would want his voice to reach Katey. Then Javier looked behind him where people began celebrating the New Year. So, it was midnight, and also a sign for him to run to the port. He was about to start walking when he noticed a small white shell on the sand. It made him think of his beloved. They once went for a walk along the beach and were collecting shells. He picked it up and put it into a tiny pouch he had around his neck. There were a few dollars too. The only money he had. He earned them from tips before the Americans left Cuba. He heard people cheering in the bars along the beach and he knew he had to rush if he wanted to get to the port on time. There was a boat waiting for him. His friend helped him get a place on a boat that was sneaking out of the country to get to Florida. Javier got on the place at the last moment. He got on the tiny boat where were so many people, mostly children, that some of them had to stand, but he didn't mind. He was ready to swim to Key West if that would be his only option. Nothing could ever stop him from escaping Cuba.

Javier stood on the boat watching the lights of Havana staying behind. They were getting smaller and smaller until they fully faded away. Not because they went so far into the sea, but because the night turned into the day. So far the weather was good for such a trip, but someone noticed that clouds were forming in the north. This could mean big trouble if they would get into a storm. The boat was way too tiny to have any chance against violent waves and wind. Some people started to panic, but Javier didn't care that much. For him even losing life in a storm on the ocean was better than life in Cuba where he was constantly checked if he had any contact with the outside world. Someone had reported to the police that he had a romance with an American girl. This was just too much for Javier. He could deal with being persecuted, but not when he was alone against the system. Life in Havana was too tough for him. In fact, anywhere he'd go without Katey, his life would be miserable. She was the sense of his life. Only by her side, he felt complete, she was making him whole.

"Estás enamorado." Someone said next to him. Javier looked in this direction and saw an old lady wearing old torn rugs. "You're going to find her, don't you?"

"Yes. But how do you know?" He asked puzzled.

"It's in your eyes. You have love in them, and maybe you don't realize it but you keep looking towards North every now and then. And you have this deep yearning in the way you gaze there. You must love her very much."

"I do. She's my everything. Without her, my life just doesn't make sense." He admitted frankly.

"I will help you. You see my children migrated before this whole mess started. They have a shop in Miami. They will know how to find your beloved." The old lady said with a warm smile. "My grandson is your age. He's gonna wait at the beach, he'll take us to my children."

"Thank you," Javier replied with a warm smile. He was very grateful to the woman for offering help. At this point in his life, he needed all the help he could get.

Hours were passing and it seemed that soon they would land in Key West, but dark heavy clouds were becoming bigger and bigger. Javier heard a rumble of thunder and just minutes later waves became high enough to smash against the boat. Someone fell off the broadside and yelled for help from deadly water. Before anyone could react the poor soul was gone in the dark waves of the ocean. Javier held on the boat's seat with one hand and with the other, he held the old lady. They made friends already. Ever since they started talking, they kept their conversation. The storm was getting worse with every moment. Javier feared that they might not make it to the shore, but they kept trying. They were so close! Only two hours more and they would be on land. Suddenly he heard an alarming noise and looked up. A huge wave was approaching them; it was going straight on them! I held onto the old lady with all his strength, but the water was stronger. Javier tried to save his new friend but she got taken away too far. There was no way he could get to her and survive. His heart was broken, but he knew he had to survive somehow. He had to make it to America. He was so close! He looked around and saw nobody.

"Anybody's alive?! Hello!" He kept yelling but there was no respond apart from thunder and wind, so he made a very difficult decision. He started to swim towards the shore. The boat was smashed by the waves. There were pieces of it all around. It was a miracle that he lived through this. At this moment he was wondering if he would be still so lucky and started to swim faster. The storm was slowly getting weaker and what seemed to be a few hours it went away. Javier was exhausted from fighting the waves; he was cold but kept swimming. He knew that his beloved was near. He could nearly see her. He heard her voice calling him. She kept calling out his name, he heard it very clearly. She was next to him, holding his hand. He could finally fall asleep. They were on their beach, cuddled in each other like that night when they shared their first time. With a smile across his face, Javier drifted into sleep…

Voices. All that came to his consciousness were voices he didn't recognize. He was in pain and incredibly cold. Javier slowly opened his eyes. The vision was blurry at first but then he saw a group of people gathered around him and a man wearing a white shirt and black pants was checking on him. He sat up and looked around.

"Where am I?" He asked uneasily, not exactly sure if his English would be good enough for these people to understand him. About one thing he was pretty positive: he was in America.

"You are in Key West. I'm a doctor. I will take you to my office. I need to check on you." The man in the white shirt explained.

"I need to find my girlfriend," Javier whispered in a very weak voice. He was absolutely exhausted. He didn't protest when two other men carried him to a small house near the beach. They took him a little room in the attic and laid him on a bed there. The next thing he remembered was the man from the beach giving him some medicine. Javier was still cold and in pain, and he had no idea what happened. Only a moment ago he was with Katey on their beach and now he's in this strange room in America. Javier looked at the man still pretty puzzled.

"Wha-what happened?" He asked confused. "Where's Katey?"

"You have a high fever, young man." The man replied.

"My girlfriend! She was with me on the beach! There were a boat and a storm… Everyone died. But I came here, and Katey was with me…" Javier suddenly started to panic.

"It's alright, we'll find her. I promise. Now, lay down and rest. You need to get rid of the fever and then we can talk. Try to get some sleep and I'll check on you in a few hours." The man said and left the room. Being way too weak to move, Javier just laid there, staring at the ceiling. He drifted into sleep again. When he came back to his senses once more though something was different. His beloved was by his side! Katey was there with him! She was holding his hand; he could feel it! She was softly rubbing his burning forehead with a soft cloth soaked with cold water.

"Katey!" I exclaimed and sat up immediately. "You're here! I knew you'd be okay! They found you, right?" He asked chaotic questions.

"Javier…" She whispered. "No, I… I live here. I work for doctor Jackson." She replied and held his hand tighter. "Please, lay down. You need to get better." She said softly. "I'll explain everything, just get better first." She said with her eyes filled with tears. He still couldn't believe she as here! Was it a dream again? He had to know for sure. He pulled her on him and kissed her lovingly. She returned the kiss and this was the most wonderful, the most relieving feeling he ever experienced. He heard the door opening but he ignored it. Only when the doctor stood by them, Katey pulled away blushing madly.

"I'm sorry, doctor." She said shyly. "I have a good explanation for this. You see, this is Javier, my boyfriend."

"The one you wanted to send for?" The doctor asked with a big smile.

"Yes, sir. I was working to earn enough to be able to pay for his trip here, but he came on his own. I promise to keep working though. I will pay for his recovery."

Javier listened to the conversation and sat upon the bed again. He suddenly got new energy. Realizing that Katey wasn't only his hallucination gave him strength.

"I will work too and I will pay for everything." He said calmly.

"We'll talk about this later." The doctor said with a smile. "Now, you just rest and don't worry about anything."

For the next few days, Javier was waking up and falling asleep as his body was fighting the fever. But each time he was coming back to his senses Katey was next to him. She was taking care of him with such tenderness! He was still too weak to move so she was giving him sponge baths and when at night the fever was getting worse, she was cooling down his body with ice and cold compresses. Finally, one morning he woke up with no fever. He was still weak, but he could easily sit up and even ate a little bit of milk soup Katey prepared for him. They were sitting on his bed and he finally got a chance to ask.

"I thought you wanted to go to college… I know you changed your heart and wanted to stay in Cuba, but… when you had to leave… what happened?" He asked putting his arm around her shoulders.

"Well…" Katey bit her lower lip, seemingly thinking what to tell him. "You see… I… I couldn't go to college and I couldn't stay home either…" She replied uneasily.

"Why?" He asked confused. Katey was such a great student! She could easily get accepted!

"I'll show you…" She said silently and left the room to be back a few minutes later with an infant girl in her arms. "This is Javiera…" She gulped when she was placing the baby on Javier's lap. "She's your daughter. That night on the beach…" Katey was unable to speak, tears rolled down her face. "I swear she's yours. I found out a month after we left Havana. My parents, especially my mother got furious. A single mother in their society is just… So I packed my belongings and moved here. Doctor Jackson hired me even though I was pregnant. I was saving for your trip here."

Javier listened to his girlfriend but what really gained his attention was the fact that Katey told him that Javiera was his daughter. He looked at the tiny girl and held her close to his heart. He immediately knew she was his child. She had his eyes.

"Soy tu papa." He whispered softly rocking his daughter. He then looked at Katey. "She's so perfect!"

"And you aren't angry with me?" She asked puzzled.

"How could I ever be angry with you?"

"Because I didn't think that night… And now we have a three-month-old daughter."

"I couldn't be any happier! We're together and we have a perfect baby girl." Javier said tenderly and held Katey's hand. "We are family. And as soon as I can get up from bed I'm going to find a job. But you know what will be the first thing? We will go to see your parents. You're not a single mom anymore. I'm here, and I promise to help you… take care of Javiera. I'm sorry, my English still isn't perfect."

"It's still better than my Spanish." Katey giggled and nuzzled her nose against his. She then sat next to Javier and watched him holding their daughter. "I loved when you were talking to her in Spanish. I think she should speak both of our languages, so she knows the origins of her father too."

"She will. We'll make sure our daughter is fluent in both, English and Spanish."

"And I promise to learn too," Katey said softly and rested her head on Javier's shoulder. He held her tight and kissed the top of her head.

"I missed you so much." He whispered tenderly. "But now when we are together again, we will always be."