Healing Old Wounds
Chapter Two: Equivocación
"Maria?" His voice sounded choked and he took a step forward before noticing the blonde woman gaping at him, "KATIE?"
"Javier?" Katie's face split into the widest grin Marianna had ever seen and she threw her arms around him, "Oh Javier!"
Marianna lifted Ramon into her arms and he tangled his fingers in her long black hair, "Daddy?" He whispered in his soft baby voice and Marianna nodded.
"Yes that's daddy love," She smiled happily tears in her eyes, "that's Daddy."
"Oh
Katie," Javier kissed all over her face tangling his fingers in her
hair, "God you're back, I missed you."
The long separated
lovers locked lips in a passionate kiss, hands roving and tongues
wrestling as they attempted to melt into each other. Maria chuckled
quietly and covered Ramon's eyes.
"Ahem," Maria cleared her throat, "Do you mind?"
Javier released Katie and walked over to Marianna, "It is good to see you again hermana más joven. You have a son… who is the lucky man?"
"This… isn't my son Javier," Marianna said quietly.
Understanding dawned on Javier's face, twisting it into an expression of pained desperate fear. He looked at Katie, "Yours?"
She shook her head and smiled softly at him, "Ours."
"You mean?" He looked between Marianna and Katie, searching for any sign of deception, "that night on the beach… ours?"
Katie
grinned and nodded, "I wanted to tell you before but all the
letters I sent were returned and I didn't have the money to come to
Cuba."
"All this time, you've been raising him alone?"
"Yes, until Marianna came along that is…"
Javier shook his head in disbelief, "But what about your parents?"
"Javier…" Katie shook her head sadly, "My parents were killed in a car accident two years ago."
"Oh Katie…" Javier hugged her gently to his chest, "And Suzie?"
"Happily married to James Phelps, you remember him right?"
"She married that… that…" He searched for the right word.
"Bastard?"
Katie and Javier turned to stare at Marianna who shrugged innocently, "What?"
Javier rolled his eyes and Katie laughed.
"Yes, that bastard, but he's changed a lot since Cuba," Katie smiled gently at Javier and wrapped her arms around him, "He's been helping me out when he thinks I don't see it. It's because of him Ramon and I even had a place to stay."
Javier looked thoughtful then paled, "Ramon, he your boyfriend?"
Katie slapped him lightly on the shoulder, "No, he's my son. Ramon Javier Eduardo Suarez."
"Suarez…" Javier turned to look at his son, "You gave him my last name?"
"He's your son Javier," Katie said quietly, "He's always known that."
"Hola Papá," Ramon said shyly and stuck out his arms, "Hola."
"You taught him Spanish?" Javier asked in disbelief as he held his son for the first time. It was so amazing how things had changed so quickly, how his whole life had turned completely upside down in one day. Maria was back and Katie… god he still couldn't believe it, she was even more beautiful than he remembered. Never in a thousand years had he thought she would return to Cuba, to him! But here she was and she seemed to still love him as much as he loved her.
And even more than that, she'd brought him a son, their son!
"Hola mi hijo," Javier said softly and kissed his son's hair. Pudgy arms circled his neck and clung tightly. Javier chuckled then smiled at Katie, "Shall we go back to your… hotel?"
"We're staying at my place Javier," Marianna said softly, "This way."
Together the three of them walked back to the gated house. Katie and Javier chatted comfortably; catching up on lost time, while Ramon was nearly asleep in Javier's arms. Marianna was strangely quiet as they walked and opened the door to her home silently.
"Maria?" Katie asked softly, touching her friend's arm, "Is something wrong?"
Marianna glanced up at Javier and they locked gazes, he nodded slowly and she returned her gaze to Katie, "I'm ok… I just… There are some things I need to figure out."
Katie nodded despite her confusion at their exchange. Before they'd left Marianna had spoken of a bad parting with Javier and his family and now… now she was acting strangely. She and Javier had never… No, of course not, Javier would only have been fifteen at the time. She shook her head at all these thoughts and smiled at Javier taking Ramon from him, "I'll just put Ramon down for his nap while the two of you catch up ok?"
When Katie's footsteps had faded into silence Javier looked down at his shoes before speaking softly in Spanish, "It's been a long time hasn't it Marianna?"
"Yes it has," The words in her native language rolled off her tongue like honey and she realized how long it had truly been, "I've missed you Javi."
"I missed you too Maria," Javier smiled weakly, "So has Carlos."
"He… is he married?"
"No, I don't think he could, not after you left. But… Maria he has a son."
"A son? And the woman who bore it, is she his girlfriend?"
Javier shook his head, "She vanished almost as quickly as she showed up, now all Carlos does is drink and talk about how things should be better."
"He was expecting more out of the revolution I gather?"
"We all were."
Marianna sighed softly, "I know Javier, I know…"
Javier smiled at her, "Thank you for bringing Katie back to me."
"I… what?"
"You're the one who paid for the tickets, no?"
"Yes I was, but I was coming here anyways, to stay this time."
"And Carlos?"
"What about him?"
Javier shook his head, and stared her down.
Katie walked down the stairs back to the main entrance hall, she could hear Marianna and Javier speaking really quickly in Spanish. Here and there she picked up a word but she didn't understand anything they were saying.
"I still love him Javier, but does he love me?"
Katie stopped in the doorway, she'd definitely heard Marianna say Javier's name and love in the same sentence.
Javier gave Marianna a gentle hug, "He still loves you Maria, I'm sure of it."
She choked and walked into the entrance hall to see Marianna in Javier's arms. Tears welled in her eyes and she turned away.
"Katie?" It was Marianna, "Are you ok?"
"Y-yes."
Javier walked over and wrapped an arm around her waist, "Are you sure?"
"Yes!" She shook off his arm, "Sorry I interrupted. I'll go now."
Turning she ran up to her room and began to cry. She heard Marianna and Javier in the hallway speaking in Spanish and she buried her head into the pillow, "It's not fair!"
