Chapter 9:
Daddy and Pilar took a look at their new grandchild. Ricky Lopez-Fitzgerald.
They both had tears in their eyes. I could tell that they were sad that they could not
share this moment with their spouses (meaning Mother and Martin Lopez-Fitzgerald)
but it was a consolation to have each other. As friends.
Ivy soon arrived to the hospital.
"I'm so sorry I'm late," she apologized to Daddy and me.
"It's ok," we both replied.
"Come look at my son," I beckoned to her.
"That's OUR son," Miguel corrected me.
"Our son," I said gently as I thought about how happy that fact made me.
Ivy winked at me. She knew how deep in love I was with Miguel. She felt the
same way with my Daddy.
Why aren't Ivy and Daddy married yet? I wondered to myself then. Why aren't
Miguel and I married?
But I didn't want to start thinking about that now. Not after having went
through a grueling process of giving birth. I just wanted to sleep.
I yawned.
"Let's give Kay some time to take a nap," Ivy suggested. "She's a mommy
now! She needs her rest."
I closed my eyes and thought about what Ivy said. I am a mommy now. I'm
going to be the best mommy to Ricky, I told myself. Nothing like my Mother. I would
never make the same mistakes she made. I dozed off to sleep, dreaming about me,
Miguel and Ricky, one small but happy family.
* * * * *
In the following weeks, after me and Ricky were taken home, and once I got
used to life as a mom, something surprising happened. Well somethings happened. It
happened gradually but Miguel grew more and more loving towards me and the baby.
He loved this child so much! And slowly I could tell he began to get over Charity. She
still barely spoke to him. She was living with Mother and Jessica at the B&B. That
was good for me, so I could get closer to Miguel. Which is exactly what I did. I mean,
what we did. We got so much closer, mainly because of the baby but also because we
had a deeper understanding of our connection to each other now. We were older, much
more mature and deep down we each were asking ourselves, 'why aren't we with each
other?' But I didn't want things to go too quickly, for fear that every hope and dream I
had to be with Miguel might backfire. He was finally seeing me for me! And he wanted
me! Even when Charity was still around!
Oh I could tell he still loved her. It was obvious. Her picture was still framed in
his bedroom. But they had barely shared one conversation this past year since Ricky
was born. The less he saw of her, the better. She could do nothing to hurt us now.
Miguel and I were getting more and more involved romantically. Charity was
out of the picture. Life was great. Until one day, came my other surprise. And this one
was not going to make me happy.
One day, while I was home alone with Ricky on a Saturday afternoon, I heard
the front door in the living room open and close.
That's weird, I thought to myself. Daddy said he would be working till the
evening today. And Noah and Hank went to the ski mountain lodge with Gwen and Liz.
Carrying Ricky in my arms, I walked downstairs to see who it was.
"What are you guys doing here?!" I shouted, scaring the baby.
Charity, Grace (as she was now called by everyone, even her own kids), and
Jessica were standing there looking up at me.
Charity narrowed her eyes at me.
"If you forgot, Kay," my ex-Mother said crisply, "this used to be my home for
25 years before your precious Daddy kicked me out!"
"And if you forgot, Mother," I retaliated, coming down the stairs, carrying
Ricky, "after 25 years, Daddy finally saw you for the bitch that you are! That is why
you don't live here anymore, and you're not welcome either. Neither are you,
Charity."
They smirked. I looked at Jessica. Poor girl was stuck between both of us. She
loved Daddy, Hank, Noah and me, but she also loved Grace and Charity.
"Hi, Kay," she replied quietly. She looked at Ricky, who was in my arms. That
was the first time she was ever seeing her nephew. When he was three months old.
Grace refused to allow her to visit me in the hospital the time Ricky was born.
I could tell how happy looking at the baby made her.
"Do you want to hold him?" I asked. "His name's Ricky."
It made me upset that three months after I had given birth, I was just
introducing my son to my sister for the first time. A lot of changes had took place since
the day of that wedding.
Jessica held Ricky for the first time and she looked at me, smiling. "He is so
cute," she told me, tears in her eyes, "he looks more like Miguel, though, don't you
think?"
I nodded grinning. It was nice to feel close to Jessica again. I had missed her
this past year.
Grace and Charity looked at Ricky with disdain. They seemed to think that this
child had been the root of all of their problems. Miguel calling off the wedding to
Charity because he found out I was pregnant with Ricky. Grace and Daddy getting a
divorce because of her contempt for my being pregnant and ruining Charity's wedding
to Miguel. But this beautiful child was in no way a problem. He was the reason behind
all my happiness. Me giving birth to an adorable son! Me having someone to take
care of now. Someone who was forever going to be a reminder of that night Miguel and
I shared. Miguel and me getting closer because of Ricky. What more could I ask for?
Life was great. Nothing could ruin it now.
"Kay," Charity piped up, a sly grin crossing her face, "there is a reason we're
here."
Daddy and Pilar took a look at their new grandchild. Ricky Lopez-Fitzgerald.
They both had tears in their eyes. I could tell that they were sad that they could not
share this moment with their spouses (meaning Mother and Martin Lopez-Fitzgerald)
but it was a consolation to have each other. As friends.
Ivy soon arrived to the hospital.
"I'm so sorry I'm late," she apologized to Daddy and me.
"It's ok," we both replied.
"Come look at my son," I beckoned to her.
"That's OUR son," Miguel corrected me.
"Our son," I said gently as I thought about how happy that fact made me.
Ivy winked at me. She knew how deep in love I was with Miguel. She felt the
same way with my Daddy.
Why aren't Ivy and Daddy married yet? I wondered to myself then. Why aren't
Miguel and I married?
But I didn't want to start thinking about that now. Not after having went
through a grueling process of giving birth. I just wanted to sleep.
I yawned.
"Let's give Kay some time to take a nap," Ivy suggested. "She's a mommy
now! She needs her rest."
I closed my eyes and thought about what Ivy said. I am a mommy now. I'm
going to be the best mommy to Ricky, I told myself. Nothing like my Mother. I would
never make the same mistakes she made. I dozed off to sleep, dreaming about me,
Miguel and Ricky, one small but happy family.
* * * * *
In the following weeks, after me and Ricky were taken home, and once I got
used to life as a mom, something surprising happened. Well somethings happened. It
happened gradually but Miguel grew more and more loving towards me and the baby.
He loved this child so much! And slowly I could tell he began to get over Charity. She
still barely spoke to him. She was living with Mother and Jessica at the B&B. That
was good for me, so I could get closer to Miguel. Which is exactly what I did. I mean,
what we did. We got so much closer, mainly because of the baby but also because we
had a deeper understanding of our connection to each other now. We were older, much
more mature and deep down we each were asking ourselves, 'why aren't we with each
other?' But I didn't want things to go too quickly, for fear that every hope and dream I
had to be with Miguel might backfire. He was finally seeing me for me! And he wanted
me! Even when Charity was still around!
Oh I could tell he still loved her. It was obvious. Her picture was still framed in
his bedroom. But they had barely shared one conversation this past year since Ricky
was born. The less he saw of her, the better. She could do nothing to hurt us now.
Miguel and I were getting more and more involved romantically. Charity was
out of the picture. Life was great. Until one day, came my other surprise. And this one
was not going to make me happy.
One day, while I was home alone with Ricky on a Saturday afternoon, I heard
the front door in the living room open and close.
That's weird, I thought to myself. Daddy said he would be working till the
evening today. And Noah and Hank went to the ski mountain lodge with Gwen and Liz.
Carrying Ricky in my arms, I walked downstairs to see who it was.
"What are you guys doing here?!" I shouted, scaring the baby.
Charity, Grace (as she was now called by everyone, even her own kids), and
Jessica were standing there looking up at me.
Charity narrowed her eyes at me.
"If you forgot, Kay," my ex-Mother said crisply, "this used to be my home for
25 years before your precious Daddy kicked me out!"
"And if you forgot, Mother," I retaliated, coming down the stairs, carrying
Ricky, "after 25 years, Daddy finally saw you for the bitch that you are! That is why
you don't live here anymore, and you're not welcome either. Neither are you,
Charity."
They smirked. I looked at Jessica. Poor girl was stuck between both of us. She
loved Daddy, Hank, Noah and me, but she also loved Grace and Charity.
"Hi, Kay," she replied quietly. She looked at Ricky, who was in my arms. That
was the first time she was ever seeing her nephew. When he was three months old.
Grace refused to allow her to visit me in the hospital the time Ricky was born.
I could tell how happy looking at the baby made her.
"Do you want to hold him?" I asked. "His name's Ricky."
It made me upset that three months after I had given birth, I was just
introducing my son to my sister for the first time. A lot of changes had took place since
the day of that wedding.
Jessica held Ricky for the first time and she looked at me, smiling. "He is so
cute," she told me, tears in her eyes, "he looks more like Miguel, though, don't you
think?"
I nodded grinning. It was nice to feel close to Jessica again. I had missed her
this past year.
Grace and Charity looked at Ricky with disdain. They seemed to think that this
child had been the root of all of their problems. Miguel calling off the wedding to
Charity because he found out I was pregnant with Ricky. Grace and Daddy getting a
divorce because of her contempt for my being pregnant and ruining Charity's wedding
to Miguel. But this beautiful child was in no way a problem. He was the reason behind
all my happiness. Me giving birth to an adorable son! Me having someone to take
care of now. Someone who was forever going to be a reminder of that night Miguel and
I shared. Miguel and me getting closer because of Ricky. What more could I ask for?
Life was great. Nothing could ruin it now.
"Kay," Charity piped up, a sly grin crossing her face, "there is a reason we're
here."