Two days later, Katey dressed in a lavender dress and headed off to work. Jeannie took care of the kids and getting Jen and Miles to school. Katey arrived at work a few minutes early and saw a dark skinned man standing outside. He was at the door. He was looking at her. As she neared him, she offered him a shy hello.
"Hi," he replied.
"I'm new here, I'm a secretary," Katey said, trying to make polite conversation.
"I just got hired as well, but as a janitor."
"I'm Katey," she said offering her hand.
The man didn't reply with words, but with his gaping mouth. She gave him a funny look.
"I knew I knew you from somewhere!" he cried out. "Katey, it's me, Javier!"
"Javier Suarez? What are you doing here?"
"There were some problems with my life in Cuba, so I left."
Javier and Katey made plans to meet for lunch.
Katey typed letters to other hospitals for almost 3 hours before she was let off for an hour lunch. She met Javier at the door and they walked to a nearby café. After they were seated, they began to catch up.
"My husband, Robb, recently died of cancer. I have 4 kids. Jennifer is 11. Miles is 8. Samantha is 4 and Kerri is 2. I just got fired so I live with my mom and this is my new job. Oh it's been a long and interesting 14 years."
"I'm sorry about Robb."
"Thanks, what's new with your life?"
"I got married a few weeks after you left to a girl named Rosa. She decided to up and leave a few weeks ago and leave me with our 5 kids."
"I'm so sorry."
"Thanks, I don't know why I married her in the first place. Anyway, Tomas, my oldest is 13. Then there's the twins, Juliana and Josephine, which are 8. My other daughter, Adrianna, is 4, like your Samantha. And my youngest is 1, Javier Jr. We call him Javi for short."
"Wow, I thought I had a bunch of kids."
Katey told Javier about Susie and her family. She told him about her family and other things that went on in the 14 years since she last saw him.
"I thought I loved Robb more than I did. Now that he's gone and you're back, I'm not sure if I loved him as much as I loved you," Katey replied, looking deep into Javier's eyes.
Javier took Katey's hand, "I love you too, Katey. I never really loved Rosa. I just needed someone to fill the gap you left and she was there and she "loved" me so I fell for her."
"Javier, if you didn't marry Rosa, you wouldn't have your kids."
"It was the best mistake I ever made. Finding you again was the best thing that's happened to me, second to finding you in Havana."
After that, Katey and Javier walked hand in hand to the hospital. They kissed before they entered and returned to work. When Katey and Javier's shift finished, Katey drove Javier to the hotel where he was staying. He told her he was moving into an apartment in a few days.
After dropping Javier off, Katey got home as quickly as possible.
"Mom, Mom, guess what!" Katey yelled, running into the house.
"Katey, slow down, what's that matter?" Jeannie asked, walking in the living room carrying Kerri.
"Javier is here, in St. Louis, and he works at the hospital. Isn't that wonderful?"
"Oh Katey, that's marvelous. How has he been?"
Katey told Jeannie about her rendezvous with Javier. Jeannie was happy for Katey that Javier was back. After her initial disapproval, she decided that if Katey truly loved this man, she wouldn't have cried for months after their departure from Cuba. But she always thought Katey was over Javier when she married Robb. Jeannie was just glad to see Katey so happy.
Katey called Susie to tell her the good news. Then she called Javier to arrange a dinner at her house, where Jeannie and Bert could see him again and where all the children could meet. The dinner was arranged for Saturday evening, two days away. Katey anxiously awaited the night when her family could meet her rekindled love.