A Place In the Sun
13
Carmen walked through the park one day, deep in thought, but in constant observance of the people she passed. She spotted a young girl examining some flowers and stopped.
Wondering where the person responsible for her was, she knelt down beside the girl and asked her, ''Sweetie, where is your mother?''
''She is in heaven,'' the child said simply.
''Oh, I'm so sorry,'' Carmen said, slightly embarrassed for her assumption.
''It's okay, don't look sad,'' the girl said, standing up. ''Hi, I'm Maddie, who are you?''
''My name's Carmen, nice to meet you,'' Carmen said. ''But weren't you ever told not to talk to strangers.''
''Yeah, I guess so, but you don't seem like a stranger,'' Maddie said.
''Why not?'' Carmen asked her.
Maddie stared up into Carmen's face for several moments before answering her. ''You look sort of like my mother. She's been in heaven for six years now, so I was just a baby when she died, but I've seen pictures.''
''Maddie!'' they both heard a male voice call.
''Oh, that must be Tyler. He's my Aunt Julia's friend,'' Maddie said, brushing the dirt off her dress.
''You'd better go to him,'' Carmen said.
''Madeline Flora!'' they heard another voice call.
''I better go! No one ever calls me that unless I'm about to be in trouble. It was nice meeting you,'' Maddie told her.
''It was nice meeting you, too.''
Tyler and Julia were now within sight and Maddie ran towards them.
''Maddie, we told you not to go out of our sight,'' Julia said.
''I'm sorry, I was smelling the flowers, they're so pretty right now,'' Maddie told them.
''Still, you shouldn't disobey us,'' Julia said. ''And who were you talking with just now?''
''Her name is Carmen, she thought I was lost, I think.''
''You shouldn't be talking to strangers,'' Tyler told her.
''I know, I know! But, Aunt Julia, she looked like my mother.''
At this, Julia and Tyler stood up and looked at each other, both remembering that night in August at the Valley Inn.
...
''Hello, Hayley,'' Max repeated when Hayley didn't respond.
''H-hi Max, it's really, um, great to see you,'' she stammered.
''Hayley, don't pretend,'' he said.
''What do you mean?'' she asked him.
''You are still mad at me. I'm very sorry that I hurt you, but that was so many years ago, I'd hoped that by now you could've forgiven me.''
''I have, in my mind, I have forgiven you for what you did. But my heart, it won't ever forget, my baby died because of you. I'm trying my best to forgive you, but I can't ever forget.'' Hayley turned and walked back to the bedroom.
Liliana and Christopher looked up at Mateo with wide eyes as they clung to his legs.
''Daddy, is Mommy okay?'' Lili asked.
''Sweetie, she'll be fine,'' Mateo assured her.
'''Teo, I'm sorry, I should have waited longer to bring him here, or I could have come over when she wasn't at home,'' Raquel said.
''No, no, she'd of had to seen him sooner or later,'' Mateo told her. ''Kids, why don't you all go back to Chris's room and finish that puzzle you started earlier, okay?''
Lili and Chris just nodded and Max followed them down the hall.
Once the children had left, Mateo pounded his arm against the wall and then rested his head on his fist.
''Dammit, I thought she'd be okay. It's been years, I thought she'd put it past her, Raquel. You know, she never wanted to talk to me about it anyway.''
''That's understandable; it was Ryan's child.''
''I know, I know, but we were back together by then, we were going to raise that baby together even though it wasn't mine.''
''But when the baby died, it wasn't your own baby that died, even if you said you were going to love it as your own. It wasn't the same for you as it was for her, and I'm sure she probably didn't share everything with you.''
Mateo was silent for several moments. ''Look, why don't you two just get going, I can spend some time with him soon, today's just not going to work out.''
''Yeah, of course,'' Raquel agreed, then calling for Max to come.
''I'm sorry, it's just…''
''I understand, this is all a difficult situation.''
''Yes, mama?'' Max said as he returned to them.
''Get ready to go, sweetie,'' she told him, ''we're leaving.''
''Wait, before you go, I've got something for you,'' Mateo said, going to the closet.
Mateo handed Max a box, telling him to open it. Max ripped open the paper and took of the lid.
''Wow! A new glove and bat and ball!'' he exclaimed, hugging his father.
''Yeah, I thought you'd probably be needing a new one. Maybe we can go test it out in a few days.''
''That'd be great!'' he said, giving Mateo another hug. ''Please tell Hayley I'm sorry for upsetting her.''
''I'll do that for you,'' Mateo told him.
''Goodbye, Dad,'' Max said.
''Bye, Son.''