CHAPTER 19:
I walked up the few steps leading to the Lopez-Fitzgerald's house. Boy was I
nervous. I felt anxiety because of how Miguel might react to my returning to Harmony.
After a few moments of trying to compose myself, I knocked on the door.
Pilar opened the door a few seconds later. She just kept looking at me, shocked
to see me back.
"Kay?" she asked, her face brightening into a smile, "Is it really you?"
I nodded back happily. Pilar had always been a motherly figure to me and I had
really missed her.
"Come in, come in," she insisted, leading me inside.
I stepped into her house, happy to be back. Growing up, this had been like my
second home - I had spent every other weekend sleeping over at Miguel's house, and
he had spent the alternating weekend sleeping over at mine.
"Your finally back!" she said happily. "Did you graduate?"
"Yes, I did. It's so good to be home." I smiled.
She paused for a minute. "It is?" she asked.
"Of course!" I answered. "I've missed everyone."
"Then, then how come you haven't kept in touch, Kay honey?" she asked me.
I knew she wasn't trying to be rude, but her words got to me.
"I, umm, well I was so busy, you know how college is!" I stammered.
She nodded as she took my words in.
"Can I get you anything?" she asked me.
"Water would be nice, thank you, Pilar," I replied.
When she came back with my cup of water, I had an important question for her:
"Pilar where's Miguel?"
She stiffened. "I'm sorry honey," she answered.
"Sorry?" I asked, confused. "For what?"
She turned her back to me, sighing heavily. I kept imagining the worst possible
thing. What was she sorry for? Where was Miguel? What had happened to him?
"He's not here anymore," she told me.
"Pilar," I said walking over to where she was standing. "What does that
mean?"
I noticed that she was staring at a framed picture of Miguel and me from back
when we were ten years old. Pilar seemed to be crying softly.
I began to get afraid. Miguel didn't die, did he? I thought to myself. Why is
Pilar crying?
She didn't answer me.
"Pilar, you're scaring me!" I told her.
"I'm sorry honey," she said, turning to face me. "It's just that you were always
my favorite and I expected you and Miguel to get married. I never thought that he
would marry HER. The first time around I thought they were cute together but after he
got involved with you I realized that you were the right..."
She continued to talk but I barely paid attention. A million thoughts went
through my head. My heart practically jumped out of its place. Her?! Please God, I
prayed silently. Tell me she doesn't mean Charity! Please!
"You don't mean Charity do you?" I asked, consumed with worry.
She looked into my eyes, knowing how much I would be hurt if she answered
yes. But she couldn't lie. She gave a small nod as she came and embraced me in a hug.
I began to cry. She had won. In the beginning I was worried that she would get
him to be her boyfriend again. I never expected to hear about them being married!
"This isn't the way it was supposed to have been," I managed to say through
my tears. "I was so positive he would still be here waiting for me four years later, I... I
didn't think her plan would be this...this successful."
"What are you talking about honey?" Pilar asked me.
I wiped the tears that were falling down my face.
I shook my head at her as if to say 'nothing.'
"Tell me one thing, Pilar," I said, taking a deep breath, "where is Miguel now?
I need to talk to him."
"Honey after they got married, they moved away. To Castleton. They don't live
here any-"
I couldn't stand it. I had to leave her house. I broke out in a run. I left her
house, tears streaked on my face, my hair in disarray.
I stopped when I reached the front of my house. Sitting there on the front porch,
I let all my emotions out. Miguel had gone back to her. She had won. I had lost. I cried
like a baby as I thought about what this meant: Ricky wasn't going to have a real
father, I was not going to be happily married and in love with Miguel for the rest of my
life.
Sure, Charity's plan had worked, but there was no way I was going to give up
that easily. It just was not a part of my personality. Oh, it wasn't over. I knew that one
had to "fight fire with fire" and that was just what I was planning on doing. I would
create a plan of my own, and then see what happened from there.........
I walked up the few steps leading to the Lopez-Fitzgerald's house. Boy was I
nervous. I felt anxiety because of how Miguel might react to my returning to Harmony.
After a few moments of trying to compose myself, I knocked on the door.
Pilar opened the door a few seconds later. She just kept looking at me, shocked
to see me back.
"Kay?" she asked, her face brightening into a smile, "Is it really you?"
I nodded back happily. Pilar had always been a motherly figure to me and I had
really missed her.
"Come in, come in," she insisted, leading me inside.
I stepped into her house, happy to be back. Growing up, this had been like my
second home - I had spent every other weekend sleeping over at Miguel's house, and
he had spent the alternating weekend sleeping over at mine.
"Your finally back!" she said happily. "Did you graduate?"
"Yes, I did. It's so good to be home." I smiled.
She paused for a minute. "It is?" she asked.
"Of course!" I answered. "I've missed everyone."
"Then, then how come you haven't kept in touch, Kay honey?" she asked me.
I knew she wasn't trying to be rude, but her words got to me.
"I, umm, well I was so busy, you know how college is!" I stammered.
She nodded as she took my words in.
"Can I get you anything?" she asked me.
"Water would be nice, thank you, Pilar," I replied.
When she came back with my cup of water, I had an important question for her:
"Pilar where's Miguel?"
She stiffened. "I'm sorry honey," she answered.
"Sorry?" I asked, confused. "For what?"
She turned her back to me, sighing heavily. I kept imagining the worst possible
thing. What was she sorry for? Where was Miguel? What had happened to him?
"He's not here anymore," she told me.
"Pilar," I said walking over to where she was standing. "What does that
mean?"
I noticed that she was staring at a framed picture of Miguel and me from back
when we were ten years old. Pilar seemed to be crying softly.
I began to get afraid. Miguel didn't die, did he? I thought to myself. Why is
Pilar crying?
She didn't answer me.
"Pilar, you're scaring me!" I told her.
"I'm sorry honey," she said, turning to face me. "It's just that you were always
my favorite and I expected you and Miguel to get married. I never thought that he
would marry HER. The first time around I thought they were cute together but after he
got involved with you I realized that you were the right..."
She continued to talk but I barely paid attention. A million thoughts went
through my head. My heart practically jumped out of its place. Her?! Please God, I
prayed silently. Tell me she doesn't mean Charity! Please!
"You don't mean Charity do you?" I asked, consumed with worry.
She looked into my eyes, knowing how much I would be hurt if she answered
yes. But she couldn't lie. She gave a small nod as she came and embraced me in a hug.
I began to cry. She had won. In the beginning I was worried that she would get
him to be her boyfriend again. I never expected to hear about them being married!
"This isn't the way it was supposed to have been," I managed to say through
my tears. "I was so positive he would still be here waiting for me four years later, I... I
didn't think her plan would be this...this successful."
"What are you talking about honey?" Pilar asked me.
I wiped the tears that were falling down my face.
I shook my head at her as if to say 'nothing.'
"Tell me one thing, Pilar," I said, taking a deep breath, "where is Miguel now?
I need to talk to him."
"Honey after they got married, they moved away. To Castleton. They don't live
here any-"
I couldn't stand it. I had to leave her house. I broke out in a run. I left her
house, tears streaked on my face, my hair in disarray.
I stopped when I reached the front of my house. Sitting there on the front porch,
I let all my emotions out. Miguel had gone back to her. She had won. I had lost. I cried
like a baby as I thought about what this meant: Ricky wasn't going to have a real
father, I was not going to be happily married and in love with Miguel for the rest of my
life.
Sure, Charity's plan had worked, but there was no way I was going to give up
that easily. It just was not a part of my personality. Oh, it wasn't over. I knew that one
had to "fight fire with fire" and that was just what I was planning on doing. I would
create a plan of my own, and then see what happened from there.........