CHAPTER 23:
It was noontime and the whole Bennett household was busy, except for Ricky.
Jessica, me, Hank and Noah took care of preparing and buying and food. Sam and Ivy
dealt with the decorations. There was a big "Happy 5th Birthday Ricky" sign taped up
to the porch wall in the backyard. Very festive.
I sighed as I looked around after everything was set up. It all looked great. I
just hoped the day WOULD be great. It had to be. For Ricky's sake. He deserved to
have his father in his life. Hopefully, Miguel felt the same way.
By the time it was four o'clock, everything had been set up and the guests
began to arrive. I saw Luis and Beth arrive together, followed by Sheridan and
Antonio. Then Liz, Uncle Hank's girlfriend, showed up. More and more guests came
by the time it was 5:30 pm. But no sign yet of Pilar and Miguel.
"What do you think could be keeping him?" I asked Gwen, Jessica and Beth.
They shrugged.
I hope he didn't change his mind about coming, I thought to herself.
Just then I heard the doorbell ring. I looked through the window and saw Pilar
standing outside.
I barely caught a glimpse of Miguel, who was standing by her, but I knew it was
him. He had come! I quickly prayed that everything would go smoothly.
Sighing heavily, I put my hand on the doorknob, ready to let them in.
"Hi, Pilar," I said giving a small smile.
I turned to my former boyfriend. "Miguel," I said nervously.
I let them inside. Pilar went on to greet the guests, leaving Miguel and me
alone in the living room.
Wow, he hadn't changed much. Based on looks, he was still the same, athletic
brown-haired boy I used to be so close to. But he was not a boy anymore. Miguel had
definitely matured these past four years. He looked sader, but wiser. He didn't have
that same smile as he used to.
"I, I'm glad you came, Miguel," I said, trying to break the ice between them.
Miguel nodded. "Ya, Ricky deserved to have his father here on his birthday."
He looked straight into my eyes when he said that. It was pretty evident the
point he tried to make. He hadn't come here for ME. Just for our SON.
I nodded back, trying to fight away my tears. He was mad at me for my
"betrayal." If he only knew the truth.
My heart was screaming out at me. Tell him you fool! it shouted out. Tell him
the truth. Win him over again!
"I've, I've missed you," I said, hoping he felt the same way.
Ohh, how I wanted him to say it back! I had been starving for love these past
four years. My family wasn't around to support me, and neither was the man I loved. I
had truly missed the times me and Miguel had spent together when Ricky was born.
We had truly gotten closer romantically then. I missed the way he would caress my
hair and kiss me as we'd watch the sunset together. I longed for little things like that.
Miguel squirmed when I said that I missed him. He wanted to say it back,
because it was true - he had missed me too! But he was still angry. How could I
"betray" him? How could I say that to him now after everything I had put him through?
"That's a surprise," Miguel answered.
"It's true, Miguel," I said quietly, looking down.
"Hmph," he said, crossing his arms. "Tell me, Kay, did you miss me when I
came to visit you and you said that you didn't want to see me? You missed me so much
that you didn't even bother calling me once in the span of 4 years?! How can you be
such a hypocrite and say something like that?"
"Miguel," I cried out, surprised to hear him call me a hypocrite. In all the years
I had known him, he had not once put me down verbally. "I do miss you. I need to tell
you something. Please if you would just listen..."
"Mommy!" Ricky shouted as he came down the stairs. "I got dressed on my
own Mommy, see?" He was dressed in his little birthday outfit, but the buttons of his
shirt were in the wrong places.
I laughed lightly as I helped him get dressed properly.
I noticed Miguel looking down at our son. It was the first time he was seeing
him in the past few years. I'm sure from Miguel's point of view, this kid seemed like a
total stranger. Miguel had not known Ricky for four of his five years. He continued to
stare at our son, who day by day was looking more and more like him. He had
Miguel's dark hair. He had his nose and lips. He was practically all Miguel, except for
the eyes.
"Ricky," I said, trying to get his attention as he eyed his presents that were
stacked on a table, "I want you to meet someone. He's someone very special."
Ricky turned to look at the person standing next to me. Miguel.
"Hello," Miguel said, extending his hand.
"Hi," Ricky said, shaking his father's hand. "Who are you?"
"I'm -" Miguel turned to look at me, asking me with his eyes if he should tell
Ricky that he was his father.
I nodded a yes.
"I'm your father, Ricky," Miguel continued.
Ricky didn't say anything for a while. Just kept staring at his father.
He spoke after a few moments of silence.
"Daddy?" he asked.
Miguel nodded happily. It was such a nice moment. Father and son were being
reunited. I just hoped that Miguel and I could be reunited in the same manner.
They hugged. All those moments they had lost out the past four years was
made up for through that day and that hug.
"Happy Birthday son," Miguel said, beaming. He handed him his gift.
"Thank you, Daddy," Ricky said, opening it up to see a GI Joe action figure.
I smiled from the background as I watched those two. They were so great
together. WE were all great together. I just wished that the three of us could call
ourselves a family.
**** what do u all think folx? let me know! i hope ur enjoying everything
so far****
It was noontime and the whole Bennett household was busy, except for Ricky.
Jessica, me, Hank and Noah took care of preparing and buying and food. Sam and Ivy
dealt with the decorations. There was a big "Happy 5th Birthday Ricky" sign taped up
to the porch wall in the backyard. Very festive.
I sighed as I looked around after everything was set up. It all looked great. I
just hoped the day WOULD be great. It had to be. For Ricky's sake. He deserved to
have his father in his life. Hopefully, Miguel felt the same way.
By the time it was four o'clock, everything had been set up and the guests
began to arrive. I saw Luis and Beth arrive together, followed by Sheridan and
Antonio. Then Liz, Uncle Hank's girlfriend, showed up. More and more guests came
by the time it was 5:30 pm. But no sign yet of Pilar and Miguel.
"What do you think could be keeping him?" I asked Gwen, Jessica and Beth.
They shrugged.
I hope he didn't change his mind about coming, I thought to herself.
Just then I heard the doorbell ring. I looked through the window and saw Pilar
standing outside.
I barely caught a glimpse of Miguel, who was standing by her, but I knew it was
him. He had come! I quickly prayed that everything would go smoothly.
Sighing heavily, I put my hand on the doorknob, ready to let them in.
"Hi, Pilar," I said giving a small smile.
I turned to my former boyfriend. "Miguel," I said nervously.
I let them inside. Pilar went on to greet the guests, leaving Miguel and me
alone in the living room.
Wow, he hadn't changed much. Based on looks, he was still the same, athletic
brown-haired boy I used to be so close to. But he was not a boy anymore. Miguel had
definitely matured these past four years. He looked sader, but wiser. He didn't have
that same smile as he used to.
"I, I'm glad you came, Miguel," I said, trying to break the ice between them.
Miguel nodded. "Ya, Ricky deserved to have his father here on his birthday."
He looked straight into my eyes when he said that. It was pretty evident the
point he tried to make. He hadn't come here for ME. Just for our SON.
I nodded back, trying to fight away my tears. He was mad at me for my
"betrayal." If he only knew the truth.
My heart was screaming out at me. Tell him you fool! it shouted out. Tell him
the truth. Win him over again!
"I've, I've missed you," I said, hoping he felt the same way.
Ohh, how I wanted him to say it back! I had been starving for love these past
four years. My family wasn't around to support me, and neither was the man I loved. I
had truly missed the times me and Miguel had spent together when Ricky was born.
We had truly gotten closer romantically then. I missed the way he would caress my
hair and kiss me as we'd watch the sunset together. I longed for little things like that.
Miguel squirmed when I said that I missed him. He wanted to say it back,
because it was true - he had missed me too! But he was still angry. How could I
"betray" him? How could I say that to him now after everything I had put him through?
"That's a surprise," Miguel answered.
"It's true, Miguel," I said quietly, looking down.
"Hmph," he said, crossing his arms. "Tell me, Kay, did you miss me when I
came to visit you and you said that you didn't want to see me? You missed me so much
that you didn't even bother calling me once in the span of 4 years?! How can you be
such a hypocrite and say something like that?"
"Miguel," I cried out, surprised to hear him call me a hypocrite. In all the years
I had known him, he had not once put me down verbally. "I do miss you. I need to tell
you something. Please if you would just listen..."
"Mommy!" Ricky shouted as he came down the stairs. "I got dressed on my
own Mommy, see?" He was dressed in his little birthday outfit, but the buttons of his
shirt were in the wrong places.
I laughed lightly as I helped him get dressed properly.
I noticed Miguel looking down at our son. It was the first time he was seeing
him in the past few years. I'm sure from Miguel's point of view, this kid seemed like a
total stranger. Miguel had not known Ricky for four of his five years. He continued to
stare at our son, who day by day was looking more and more like him. He had
Miguel's dark hair. He had his nose and lips. He was practically all Miguel, except for
the eyes.
"Ricky," I said, trying to get his attention as he eyed his presents that were
stacked on a table, "I want you to meet someone. He's someone very special."
Ricky turned to look at the person standing next to me. Miguel.
"Hello," Miguel said, extending his hand.
"Hi," Ricky said, shaking his father's hand. "Who are you?"
"I'm -" Miguel turned to look at me, asking me with his eyes if he should tell
Ricky that he was his father.
I nodded a yes.
"I'm your father, Ricky," Miguel continued.
Ricky didn't say anything for a while. Just kept staring at his father.
He spoke after a few moments of silence.
"Daddy?" he asked.
Miguel nodded happily. It was such a nice moment. Father and son were being
reunited. I just hoped that Miguel and I could be reunited in the same manner.
They hugged. All those moments they had lost out the past four years was
made up for through that day and that hug.
"Happy Birthday son," Miguel said, beaming. He handed him his gift.
"Thank you, Daddy," Ricky said, opening it up to see a GI Joe action figure.
I smiled from the background as I watched those two. They were so great
together. WE were all great together. I just wished that the three of us could call
ourselves a family.
**** what do u all think folx? let me know! i hope ur enjoying everything
so far****