Katey looked out at the passing scenery. It was all familiar to her, St. Louis, the place she had grown up.

They were only about half an hour away from her parent's home, and although she'd had the entire plane trip, and this cab ride to think about what she was going to say to them…. She was still drawing a blank.

Four years ago they had talked her out of returning to Cuba. "Think about Rosa!" her mother had scolded, and Katey had silently nodded, feeling defeated.

Now though, she knew that she couldn't let them talk her out of returning. Not this time. Javier had sent for her, and she was not about to refuse this opportunity.

"He deserves to know!" Katey had sobbed all those years ago, and her father took her in his arms. "Of course he does….and he will…" he had whispered, "…but not now, not while it is so dangerous".

Katey knew they were right. But still, she had been so desperate for Javier. She had so badly wanted to be back with him, to relieve herself of the secret she had kept from him.   

Katey sighed, and looked down at Rosa, nestled under Katey's arm in a deep sleep.

Her mother had, subtly, warned her of what could happen if she ever let a boy pressure her. Still, Katey loved Javier, she was willing to throw everything away for him… she was going to defer from school upon their return to America; she was going to spend the rest of her life with him. Or so she hoped.

And even though Javier didn't come back to America with Katey and her family, he had still changed her life… in more ways than one.

Rosa was conceived that night of the revolution, on the hotel beach. It had only been a few weeks since her return to America that Katey realized she was carrying Javier's child.

She told her parents, and naturally, they'd had a fit. They had tried to persuade Katey to 'get rid of it', even though the very idea was unheard of…. being an unmarried mother seemed a far worse fate.  

But Katey refused. She had been hurting so much, the pain of losing Javier was ad enough… but the very idea of losing this child as well? Losing his child? No, she couldn't do that. Rosa had filled that empty part of Katey's heart, Rosa had made missing Javier a little bit easier.

So, why didn't she tell him? She could have written to him at any time during that first year of separation, but she never did….

She knew Javier had to be strong for his family. And she knew that he loved her enough to leave everything behind for her and their child… and she simply couldn't ask that of him. Not when his place had to be in Cuba, in his home… just as he said, his father had given his life for the revolution… how could Katey ask him to leave that all behind for her?

So she had never told him of her pregnancy. She planned to… she had believed so passionately that she and Javier would one day be reunited, that she thought it would just be a matter of time before he would see for himself….

She had never even imagined what would happen though, that they would have to lose contact for six years, for their own protection. And with Rosa now born, Katey knew that being labeled a communist was an even bigger risk… she didn't want to lose her little girl.

So, Katey went to University near home. Rosa stayed with her parents for most of the time, and the neighbors simply presumed that Rosa was their child… even though Katey suspected they knew better, nobody ever questioned.

And three years ago and she Rosa had gone out on their own, to live together in New York City, where the people were not so conservative, where a child out of wedlock, and an unmarried mother would not be so horribly discriminated.

But the whole time…. For all these years…. Katey knew she had to return to Cuba, to Javier…and tell him of his child.

"Here miss?"

Katey shook her head and blinked, "pardon?" she asked the driver.

"Is this it? Number 58?" he asked again.

Katey looked out the window at the large, white two-storey, weather-board home; "yes, yes this is it" she answered, and he pulled into the driveway.

She gently nudged Rosa, "Bebe, we're here…Rosa, wake up"

Slowly her grey eyes opened, "come on Rosa, let's go see Grandma and Grandpa" Katey whispered.

The driver helped her out of the cab, fetched her suitcases and placed them on the front porch.

"Thank you very much" Katey said, handing him the fee. "Have a nice day" he chirped, as he jogged back to his cab.

Standing in front of the door, Katey knew she had already been spotted. She could already hear a flurry of movement inside, her mother's heel's clicking across the floorboards to the door, her father's newspaper rustling.

Suddenly, the door swung open and her mother's jaw dropped. "Katey!" she exclaimed, then looking down to Rosa beside her, "My babies!" she chimed, her smile growing wider.

"Hi mum" Katey mumbled.

"Bert! Bert! Come here!" her mother called out.

"Who is it…" she heard her father's voice come from somewhere inside.

"It's Katey! And she's brought Rosa!" her mother yelled again, and, suddenly remembering they were standing on the porch like strangers, gasped, and ushered them in.

"Katey! Rosa!" her father appeared and opened his arms. Katey walked straight into them, "hi dad, good to see you" she whispered. "Hey kiddo" he replied, smiling as he stepped back to get a better look at her.

"Well look at you!" he beamed again.

Katey, still holding onto Rosa's hand, nudged her forward.

"And who's this?...This cant be my Rosa! My, look how big she's got!" Katey's father bent down and received a gentle hug from his granddaughter.

"So, what brings you two here?" her mother asked, and Katey took in a deep breath.

"Actually… I was hoping you two could baby-sit for a while…." She started, tentatively.

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Bert and Jeannie Miller sat very still on their $200 sofa, looking as though they had both just been struck by lightening.

Katey didn't have the courage to speak first, so she waited patiently, sitting opposite them, waiting for some sort of sign that they had heard all that she had just said.

Jeannie blinked, and looked pointedly at her daughter. "Katey… I really don't think…" she started, but Katey interrupted her.

"Mother…" she started, slowly, taking a deep breath; "I'm not asking for your permission"

Jeannie blinked again. Another lightening bolt.

Bert shook his head and looked down at the floor, "I really don't like this, Katey… I really don't"

Katey sighed again, and her father looked up. "It isn't the country we left behind… things have changed, for the worse…it is not a safe place anymore, it's not a place for someone like you to go!"

Katey held Javier's letter up, "well it must be better now! Javier wouldn't ask me to come back if my life would be in danger, would he!"

"Wouldn't he?" Bert asked coldly, and Katey angrily looked away.

"What your father is trying to say, Katey, is…." Her mother began, "what if Javier has changed? What if things are so bad over there that he has become desperate…so desperate that he…"

"What? That he would risk my life?" Katey scoffed.

Her mother looked away, "you don't know… this letter could mean anything!"

Katey shook her head. "No, it only means one thing. It means it's time for Javier and me to meet again…like we always knew we would!"

"But Katey, what if things are so bad over there….and he is only seeing you as his ticket out of that ruined country?"

Katey shook her head again. "I can't believe that, I just can't…"

"What about Rosa?" Bert offered.

Katey sighed again. "I know Cuba is no place to take a little girl… that's why I need you both to take care of her until I come back."

"Does she know what's going on?" Her mother asked.

Katey looked away from their steely gaze, "I have always told her who her father is. I have shown her the film reel enough times… and she knows why I taught her Spanish….she will understand when I tell her where I am going"

"Will she? Will she understand why her mother is putting her own life at risk?" Bert spat.

Katey rolled her eyes. "No, all she needs to know is that her mother is going to Cuba to find her father!"

Neither her mother nor father could argue with that.

"Cant you just wait a little longer, until things are definitely safer?" Her father gently asked.

Katey shook her head. "No, it's already been too long… he has to get to know his daughter…"

"So, you will bring him back here with you?" Her mother asked.

Katey's eyes fell. "I don't know."

There was a sea of silence between them, until Katey finally stood up.

"The only plane leaving for Cuba is tonight. The next one isn't for two weeks….these tickets were hard to get….so…will you take Rosa, for two weeks, please?"

Her mother connected eyes with her daughter, "do we have a choice?"

Katey felt her eyes well, "thank you both" she whispered, and headed up the staircase, to Rosa's bedroom.

She knocked gently on her bedroom door, and pushed it open. Rosa was sitting, cross-legged on the floor playing with her dolls.

"Mama" she said, looking up for a moment, before returning to her toys.

"Mi angel" Katey whispered, sitting down on the floor next to her daughter, watching her play for a little while.

Finally, she reached out, brushing aside a wisp of hair from Rosa's brow. "Te amo" Katey smiled, feeling her eyes prick, "I love you".

Rosa looked into her mother's face for a moment, "Te amo también" she replied nonchalantly.

Katey sighed deeply, "Rosa, Bebe, stop playing for a moment". Rosa reluctantly set her dolls down, and looked into her mother's pained face.

"Mama?" she asked, a little frightened.

Katey tried to force a carefree laugh. "Don't worry, angel, I am crying because I am so happy!"

"Qué?" Rosa asked.

Katey smiled. "Because I am going away for a little while, to a place I have thought about for many, many years…"

"Where are we going?" Rosa innocently queried.

"Bebe, you cannot come with me…"

"Mama!" Rosa cried out, and Katey took both her little hands in hers. "It's only for a little while… I have to go, Bebe, I just have to!"

"Qué? Qué?" Rosa practically screamed.

Katey hushed her, wiping away the tears that were now running down her cheeks, "remember the film's I showed you? The ones where I am dancing?…"

Rosa nodded.

"You know who that is I am dancing with, don't you?"

Rosa nodded. "Pap

Katey nodded and smiled, "that's right… and that's who I'm going to see…"

"But, why can't I go?" Rosa protested.

"You just cant…but don't worry, I will be back soon…and you're papa will be with me"