Chapter 37:
"So," Miguel said as Jessica, Ricky and I sat there eating. "Do any of you have plans
for tomorrow?"
"No," Jessica and I said simultaneously.
"Why, what's up, Miguel?" I asked him curiously. I knew he had concocted some idea
in that pretty little head of his.
"How about I take all of you out to Harmony's own amusement park?" he suggested.
"Ya!" Ricky practically screamed. "Can we Mommy, please?" Ricky gave me the
puppy dog look, which I couldn't resist.
"Sure," I answered in response to Ricky's question.
"I want to spend some time bonding with my son," Miguel said looking at Ricky. "And
I really want you to come, Kay. You too, Jessica." he said, smiling.
"Oh, I wouldn't want to impose," Jessica said, shaking her head no. "I can tell the
three of you really need this time to catch up with each other. You guys go ahead."
"Ok, Jess," he said. "But feel free to change your mind."
She nodded.
"I'm gonna go buy the tickets now," Miguel told us. "I'll be back in an hour. Are any
of you working today?" he asked Jessica and me.
"No," we replied.
"Good," he said. "I want to take all of you to the Lobster Shack. What do you say?"
"Umm, sure, Miguel," I said after a moment's thought.
Miguel sure did seem enthusiastic and happy, despite his hangover. If I knew THIS
was going to be the outcome of last night, well, heck I would rather have Miguel be drunk
EVERYDAY! Just kidding, but still.... it was nice to see that our horrific night yesterday
turned out to have THIS outcome.
"Great, see you later," Miguel said, grabbing some toast as he headed out of the
house.
"Mommy?" Ricky said, tugging at my pants.
"Hmm?" I answered absent-mindedly as I watched Miguel's disappearing silhoutte,
"What is it, Ricky?"
"Is Daddy going to be staying with us forever now?"
I looked at my son and then up at Miguel as he backed his car out of the driveway, "I
don't know, sweetie," I replied. "But it looks like he wants to spend time with you and me
tomorrow at the amusement park. We're going to have lots of fun!" I tickled him as I kissed
his forehead. "Now go wash up."
Ricky went to the bathroom.
I went back to the table where Jessica was already sitting, drinking her coffee.
"This looks good, Kay," Jessica said enthusiastically. "He finally knows and he's
making the effort to spend time with the two of you."
I nodded slowly. "But I'm wondering what he's going to do, Jess." I told her. "I mean
he DID tell Charity he'll go back to her in a few days."
"Oh sweetie," Jessica said, stroking my arm. She too knew that Miguel was going to
go back to Charity. There was nothing she could do to make me feel better.
Did Miguel think that spending a few days with me and Ricky was going to satisfy the
love we both needed and wanted from him? And did he then expect to go back to Castleton
and continue his role as Charity's husband? I really hoped not......
* * * * *
The next day, Miguel, Ricky and I headed to the amusement park at 10 am. Once we
got there, all Ricky wanted to do was go on EVERY single ride there was. Miguel and I
complied, even though we both wanted to discuss things with each other.
Around 12 pm we all sat down to eat lunch. Ricky was playing with his french fries and
so it gave Miguel and I a chance to talk, at least for a while.
"So you finally know the truth, Miguel," I told him.
"It's been a long wait to hear those words, Kay," he answered. "How come you didn't
tell me, or your father? We would have done something to prevent this!"
"Because, Miguel," I said, as I remembered that day Charity ruined my life with those
threats, "I knew she was serious. You saw how ballistic she became when I announced I was
pregnant. I couldn't risk Ricky's life. I wouldn't."
Miguel nodded, taking his hand in mine. "That was such a noble thing to do," he said
sweetly. "Putting your happiness and your LIFE aside for the sake of your son's."
"I would do it again if I have to," I said firmly, turning to look at Ricky.
"I should have known there was some other reason you went to UConn," Miguel said.
"You would never leave me."
But you would! my thoughts screamed out. I really wanted to lash out and yell at him. I
would never leave him but he WOULD leave me?! That wasn't fair! But there was no point in
getting mad. What was done was done. I couldn't change the past. But I could influence the
future.
"Miguel, what are you -" I began but was interrupted by Ricky.
"I'm done eating mommy, daddy," Ricky said impatiently. "Can we go on more rides
now?"
I sighed. "Sure son," I said.
I was just going to ask Miguel what he was going to be doing NOW, but I didn't get the
chance. Maybe later I could tell him.
We went on more rides, until there were none left to go on. As we were walking
through the park, ready to leave, an employee stopped us, asking us Miguel and us a
question:
"Would the three of you like to take your family portraits?" the redhead asked the
three of us.
I looked at Miguel, trying to see his reaction to all of this. Did he think of me, Ricky
and him as a family? Or did he view us as being an estranged threesome?
"Sure," Miguel replied enthusiastically.
We followed the girl and she directed Miguel and I to sit down in the back, with Ricky
being in the middle front, so as to look like a triangle effect.
Snap! went the camera and ten minutes later, the picture was being developed. The
three of us looked at it eagerly. We looked great. Like a real family. The way we should have
been.....
"So," Miguel said as Jessica, Ricky and I sat there eating. "Do any of you have plans
for tomorrow?"
"No," Jessica and I said simultaneously.
"Why, what's up, Miguel?" I asked him curiously. I knew he had concocted some idea
in that pretty little head of his.
"How about I take all of you out to Harmony's own amusement park?" he suggested.
"Ya!" Ricky practically screamed. "Can we Mommy, please?" Ricky gave me the
puppy dog look, which I couldn't resist.
"Sure," I answered in response to Ricky's question.
"I want to spend some time bonding with my son," Miguel said looking at Ricky. "And
I really want you to come, Kay. You too, Jessica." he said, smiling.
"Oh, I wouldn't want to impose," Jessica said, shaking her head no. "I can tell the
three of you really need this time to catch up with each other. You guys go ahead."
"Ok, Jess," he said. "But feel free to change your mind."
She nodded.
"I'm gonna go buy the tickets now," Miguel told us. "I'll be back in an hour. Are any
of you working today?" he asked Jessica and me.
"No," we replied.
"Good," he said. "I want to take all of you to the Lobster Shack. What do you say?"
"Umm, sure, Miguel," I said after a moment's thought.
Miguel sure did seem enthusiastic and happy, despite his hangover. If I knew THIS
was going to be the outcome of last night, well, heck I would rather have Miguel be drunk
EVERYDAY! Just kidding, but still.... it was nice to see that our horrific night yesterday
turned out to have THIS outcome.
"Great, see you later," Miguel said, grabbing some toast as he headed out of the
house.
"Mommy?" Ricky said, tugging at my pants.
"Hmm?" I answered absent-mindedly as I watched Miguel's disappearing silhoutte,
"What is it, Ricky?"
"Is Daddy going to be staying with us forever now?"
I looked at my son and then up at Miguel as he backed his car out of the driveway, "I
don't know, sweetie," I replied. "But it looks like he wants to spend time with you and me
tomorrow at the amusement park. We're going to have lots of fun!" I tickled him as I kissed
his forehead. "Now go wash up."
Ricky went to the bathroom.
I went back to the table where Jessica was already sitting, drinking her coffee.
"This looks good, Kay," Jessica said enthusiastically. "He finally knows and he's
making the effort to spend time with the two of you."
I nodded slowly. "But I'm wondering what he's going to do, Jess." I told her. "I mean
he DID tell Charity he'll go back to her in a few days."
"Oh sweetie," Jessica said, stroking my arm. She too knew that Miguel was going to
go back to Charity. There was nothing she could do to make me feel better.
Did Miguel think that spending a few days with me and Ricky was going to satisfy the
love we both needed and wanted from him? And did he then expect to go back to Castleton
and continue his role as Charity's husband? I really hoped not......
* * * * *
The next day, Miguel, Ricky and I headed to the amusement park at 10 am. Once we
got there, all Ricky wanted to do was go on EVERY single ride there was. Miguel and I
complied, even though we both wanted to discuss things with each other.
Around 12 pm we all sat down to eat lunch. Ricky was playing with his french fries and
so it gave Miguel and I a chance to talk, at least for a while.
"So you finally know the truth, Miguel," I told him.
"It's been a long wait to hear those words, Kay," he answered. "How come you didn't
tell me, or your father? We would have done something to prevent this!"
"Because, Miguel," I said, as I remembered that day Charity ruined my life with those
threats, "I knew she was serious. You saw how ballistic she became when I announced I was
pregnant. I couldn't risk Ricky's life. I wouldn't."
Miguel nodded, taking his hand in mine. "That was such a noble thing to do," he said
sweetly. "Putting your happiness and your LIFE aside for the sake of your son's."
"I would do it again if I have to," I said firmly, turning to look at Ricky.
"I should have known there was some other reason you went to UConn," Miguel said.
"You would never leave me."
But you would! my thoughts screamed out. I really wanted to lash out and yell at him. I
would never leave him but he WOULD leave me?! That wasn't fair! But there was no point in
getting mad. What was done was done. I couldn't change the past. But I could influence the
future.
"Miguel, what are you -" I began but was interrupted by Ricky.
"I'm done eating mommy, daddy," Ricky said impatiently. "Can we go on more rides
now?"
I sighed. "Sure son," I said.
I was just going to ask Miguel what he was going to be doing NOW, but I didn't get the
chance. Maybe later I could tell him.
We went on more rides, until there were none left to go on. As we were walking
through the park, ready to leave, an employee stopped us, asking us Miguel and us a
question:
"Would the three of you like to take your family portraits?" the redhead asked the
three of us.
I looked at Miguel, trying to see his reaction to all of this. Did he think of me, Ricky
and him as a family? Or did he view us as being an estranged threesome?
"Sure," Miguel replied enthusiastically.
We followed the girl and she directed Miguel and I to sit down in the back, with Ricky
being in the middle front, so as to look like a triangle effect.
Snap! went the camera and ten minutes later, the picture was being developed. The
three of us looked at it eagerly. We looked great. Like a real family. The way we should have
been.....