She wished she had told Javier about Rosa… she wished she'd told him last night…before anything happened between them.

Katey looked down at the photo she held in her hand of Rosa, and lightly traced Rosa's smile with her finger.

Why didn't she tell him before things had a chance to get more complicated?  

Katey didn't want to think about how badly Javier could hurt her now, if he turned his back on Rosa…and on Katey, for keeping his daughter's existence from him.

She knew Javier was not so cruel… but still, imagining the worst possible outcome was something Katey's parents had insisted she brace herself for.

So, why didn't she tell him?...

…Maybe because Javier was like a drug to Katey, and dancing with him was an aphrodisiac… his hands roaming, guiding her body around the dance floor. His sweet breaths against her skin as their bodies pressed up against one another.

Before the song had even finished, their lips had connected and their steps ceased.

Katey didn't even stop to think as they both stumbled upstairs to Javier's apartment, pawing at each other, placing clumsy kisses while tripping into his bedroom.

Katey looked up, the room was painted in a deep blue by the night; one opened window allowed a beacon of moonlight to pour across Javier's bed, illuminating his naked body.

Katey sat across the room, in a wicker chair, looking at the photo of her daughter while Javier slept peacefully.

She would have to tell him, the moment he woke up Katey decided. It wasn't fair that she keep this from him a moment longer…. Seven years was already too much, she wouldn't let another day pass without Javier knowing he had a child.

Katey looked across the room at the clock which hung on the wall; it was 2:30 in the morning. She looked back to Javier, and willed him to awaken…she stared hard at him while she ran through in her mind what she would say to him;

"When I left Cuba seven years ago, I left... carrying your child…."

"You had insisted we stop writing, and so I had no way of telling you…"

"I wanted to write you every day. I wanted to return to Cuba, with our baby, but that was impossible…"

"We can be a family now, you me and Rosa…"

Katey's eyes fluttered open, the clock on the wall said it was seven o'clock in the morning…she had fallen asleep.

She began to stir, sitting up a little straighter, she saw Javier sitting on the edge of the bed, his back to her.

"Javier?" she croaked, still weary.

He didn't move when he heard her wake up, he was too busy studying something to even notice her…. And that was when Katey realized.

She looked to the floor, but the photo hadn't fallen out of her hand. That was when she stood up, and saw that Javier was holding it….looking intently into Rosa's face.

"Javier" Katey spoke his name steadily.

He turned his head a little, but then looked back to the photo. "Your daughter…?" he asked, in a small voice.

Katey nodded, and then realized he was not looking at her. She felt a tear run down her cheek. "Yes" she spoke up, "Yes…that's my daughter".

The words were balancing on the tip of her tongue; your daughter.

But her breaths had become shallow, and her heart was pounding…and she couldn't seem to gather the strength to utter another word….instead, another tear fell silently.

 "She is very beautiful…" Javier murmured, and Katey let out a small gasp when he turned around to look at her… she could see his eyes were watering.

"Is she…" Javier started, but his voice quivered and he couldn't seem able to speak the words. He tried again, lifting the photo, "Is this…" he took a deep breath, feeling his eyes prick, he looked up into Katey's face; "Is this my….?" He asked, lifting a hand to his chest.

Katey said nothing; she simply gave a small nod and felt wet tears slither down her cheeks.

Javier nodded, as though he had already known the answer to his question.

Katey felt her knees begin to collapse from underneath her as she continued to stare at Javier, who had lowered his head again to study the photo.

"What is…" Javier began to ask, that familiar tremble creeping into his tone again.

"Rosa" Katey blurted out, after a moment.

Javier nodded again, not taking his eyes from the picture.

There was a sea of silence that seemed to span on for an eternity, until finally Javier looked up, his cheeks wet now; "she's so big…." He murmured…Katey said nothing.

She thought Javier would have a million questions; she thought he would want to squeeze out every little detail Katey had about his daughter.

Or, in the worst case scenario, Katey thought he would rant and rave about how cruel she was to have kept his daughter's existence from him for all this time.

She didn't expect such silence…such crushing silence.

"I wanted to…." Katey began to talk, but before she could say more, Javier slowly stood.

"I-I need to be alone for a little while…." He muttered, bending over and picking up his shirt from the floor.

Katey was so taken aback that she simply stood and watched as he walked out of the room…taking the photo of Rosa with him.

She stood very still for a few minutes before a small moan escaped her lips. She began to sob, quietly at first, taking a seat on the edge of the bed….and then, her chest began to heave and her eyes stung as her sobs turned into massive bawling tears.