A Place In the Sun
31
"That was Julia," Edmund said, hanging up the phone.
"Hmmm?" Maria sat on the edge of the bed, getting dressed. "What did she want?"
"She said she was just over at your mama's, Mateo and Rosa were also there, and she told them about you. She hopes you aren't mad."
"Well, I'm thankful for that. I'm pretty much tired of the whole shock factor."
"Julia figured the news about you would take the spotlight off her news about her engagement to Tyler."
"Kelsey told me about Noah's accident. Poor Julia, she lost our father, then me, and then Noah. I just hope that what she has with Tyler is for real. They've known each other for such a short time."
"They have, but I've seen them together so many times. They're really attached at the hip, and they do seem to be in love."
"I'm glad she's been able to find someone."
There was a knock on the door.
"Come in," Maria said.
Maddie burst through the door and onto Maria's lap.
"Hey sweetie, what have you been up to?"
"I made you a picture," she said, handing it to Maria.
Without explanation, Maddie left the room.
"What is it?" Edmund asked, joining Maria.
"Looks like Wildwind. She drew herself, Sammy, and the two of us."
Edmund looked at it and then stood up and had to turn away to not let her see the tears forming in his eyes.
"Edmund?"
"We need to finish getting ready, your mama's going to be here any minute I bet."
"Edmund, what's wrong?"
"It just made me think of what every picture she's drawn of home has looked like," he said, pulling a piece of paper from his nightstand. "Here."
"She was only four when she drew this," Maria said, seeing a date written on it. "What's this?"
Edmund looked at the figure over the house that she pointed to. "That's you. See, you're our angel watching over us."
Maria looked down at the picture again and then at Edmund. She stroked his face and pulled him closer to her.
"I'm sorry," she told him.
Maddie stood at the door, not sure what to think of her parents' tearful embrace.
"Ummm…Daddy? Mommy?"
"Oh, yes, sweetie?" Maria said, wiping her eyes.
"Abuela is here," she told them.
"Thanks, Maddie. Tell her we'll be down in a minute," Edmund said.
Once Maddie had left, Maria turned to Edmund. "Are you alright?"
"Of course," he said, kissing her.
...
"Hey, Ryan," Jake stopped him outside Gillian's door.
"Jake, how is she?" he asked.
"Good, she's sleeping right now."
"Is it okay for us to go in, or should we come back later?"
"She'll probably wake up soon, you and Katalin can go in and wait."
"Okay, thanks," he said, pushing open the door. With Kata perched on his arm, he crossed the room and sat by the bed. They only waited a few moments before Gillian stirred.
"Ryan?"
"Hey Princess, how're you feeling?" he asked.
"I've been better," she murmured. "Kata…"
"Hi Mommy."
Gillian looked back up at Ryan. "Ryan, I'm sorry."
"Don't be."
"Ryan…"
"Not right now, okay?"
She nodded. She then turned to Katalin. "Happy Birthday, Kata."
Kata smiled.
"Did you tell your daddy it's your birthday?"
"Yup."
"I'm so glad Ray didn't find her," Gillian said to Ryan.
"Don't even think about it," he said, shifting Kata to his other knee.
"Ryan, if you're mad at me, we need to talk about this. I know that if I was you, I'd be mad at me."
"I'm not mad, okay," he said, standing up, still holding Kata.
"Ryan, I'd understand if you are. If you're not, then, what's wrong? You're acting all distant."
At first he didn't answer. "Gillian, I can't help but think this is all my fault."
Jake knocked on the door.
...
Edmund and Maria came down the steps and into the living room where Isabela, Mateo, and Rosa were waiting. As soon as they entered, Isabela stood and rushed to Maria.
"Oh, mija," she said as they hugged.
"Mama."
"Julia was right, you are here, and you're okay, and you're just as beautiful as ever," she told her daughter with tears in her eyes.
"You look great, too, Mama."
"Maria," Mateo said as he and Rosa joined them.
"We've missed you so much," Rosa told her.
Isabela stood back, looking at the three of her children standing there. "I just don't know what to say, it's a miracle."
"Mama, sit down," Maria said, going over to the couch.
Mateo said something to Rosa and she nodded and followed him out of the room.
"You know, I never wanted to believe that you were gone."
"It's okay."
"But you were still so alive to me because I saw your spark in Maddie's eyes."
"Everyone keeps saying how much she reminds them of me. I guess when I look at her I just see her as her own little person."
"She's definitely her own person. Her and Sammy both are such good children."
"Edmund has done a wonderful job raising them."
"He's no doubt glad that he does not have to do it alone anymore."
"Hopefully we will be able to look after them both for a long, long time."
"Oh, Maria," Isabela said, taking her daughter's hand. "We've all missed you so much."
Maria pulled her mother closer to her and their tears fell as they embraced.
...
"Jake, come in," Gillian said.
"Hey, how's my favorite patient doing?" he asked, going over to Gillian.
"Pretty good, I think—very sore."
"That's to be expected after what you went through," he said, flipping through her chart. "How's your head feeling?"
"Not bad, really."
"How'd you like to get out of here?"
"Already?"
"Your injuries only warranted a 24 hour stay, you'll need to change the dressing on the cut on your forehead every day and get plenty of rest, those ribs are going to be sore for a little while."
"I'll take care of her," Ryan offered.
"Ryan, please don't feel obligated," she told him.
"No, I want to," he said. "Jake, could you give me and Gillian some time alone?"
"Sure. Want me to take Kata for a bit?"
"Yeah, I mean, if that's okay with her," Ryan said, turning to Kata. "Can you go with Jake for a little bit?"
She nodded. Ryan put her down and she took Jake's hand, waving goodbye to her parents.
"Thanks Jake," Ryan told him.
Ryan sat down next to Gillian.
"Was she good for you last night?" she asked.
"She was perfect, Gillian," he told her.
"Thank you for finding her."
"No need," he said, looking down.
"I was going to tell you."
"It's okay."
"I had actually just picked up the phone to call you and see if you could come over so I could tell you about her when Ray showed up."
"Gillian, I told you that it doesn't matter now," he said, standing up and running his fingers through his hair.
"Ryan, then what is wrong?"
"If I wouldn't—if I wasn't such a jerk when we got divorced, this wouldn't have happened."
"Ryan, it's not your fault."
"But it is, okay? You see, if I wouldn't have been so stupid, we would still be together. I told you that I couldn't be with you because I didn't think I was good enough to have someone as precious as you. I thought I was going to end up just like my brother and hurt you the way he hurt women. And instead you left Pine Valley and ended up living with Ray."
"Ray isn't your fault."
"If I wouldn't have turned you away like I did you would never have met him. He'd never have hurt you. I was stupid to think I would turn into someone like that, someone just like him, because I would never hurt you like that, Princess. And if we wouldn't have gotten divorced, then I would have been there with you when Katalin was born. But I missed everything, and that's my own fault. See, you can't blame yourself for not telling me," he said, sitting back down beside her. "So, from now on, I'm going to take care of you and Katalin the best that I can. If that's okay with you."
She took his hand. "Of course it is."