This is the third day in a row I haven’t been able to sleep in due to some appointment or another, with trying to plan my wedding. Especially since a crazy man only gave me two weeks. He originally gave me one week but I put my foot down. There is no way I could plan one of the most important days of my life in one week. After giving him a little red light special in the corner of a Chinese restaurant under the table, he relented.
Though I don’t mind the early rise, it happens to be the third day in a row I have woken up running to the bathroom and puking my guts out. At first I was distressed thinking I had the flu. Like seriously, who the freak has time for that? But now that it has been three days and I haven’t had a fever or any other symptoms, I am pretty sure I know what it is. And to say I am over ecstatic is an understatement.
Pregnant. Oh Dios mío
Maxy is going to be a daddy. I cannot remove the grin from my face even if I wanted to. When I am finally done, brushing my teeth to get the yucky taste out, I look at myself in the mirror. Obviously, it is way too early to see a change, but I can definitely feel how much more sensitive my breasts are, now that I have taken a second to notice.
I start to devise a plan in my head for how I am going to tell him, when I stop and decide I at least need to take a test and make sure. No sense in getting my man all worked up for nothing. With a plan in mind I get dressed, grab my purse, and walk downstairs. As I go to grab my coffee cup, that’s when it hits me. NO. MORE. COFFEE. Shit. Me and no coffee is not pleasant. But when I put my hand on my stomach and remember that I am most likely growing another life inside of me, I don’t care about coffee as much anymore.
Whoa.
Another life. Me and Max. We are building a family. Families, which I can nurture, take care of, and protect and love. Without indifference, cruelty, and with a lot of love. I know without a shadow of doubt that Max would never abandon, lie to, hurt us, or allow someone else too either. My heart couldn’t get fuller than in this moment. I rub my stomach and promise my baby everything in the world I can give it. And with Max’s family and my new sister and grandpa, my baby will never be without all the love in the world.
Walking down the sidewalk to meet Max’s mom at the dress shop for my final fitting, I am so lost in my own thoughts I do not register someone is talking to me,until I feel a tap on my shoulder. Turning around I come face to face with a bruja. That is the only word to describe the pinch faced, overly tanned, and bleached walking disaster in front of me. A witch.
“Wow. So now Max is fucking the hired help. He must really be desperate and missing me to stoop this low.”
Did this puta just call me the hired help. Oh hell no. I square my shoulder and let my purse stoop a little because I am going to need the shoulder room. I look this evil, miserable bitch in her face and smile. I mean why I would give her the satisfaction of thinking she got to me. Which of course she didn’t….though I have to wonder if this is what Max went for….why did he choose me?
Nope. Stop it Estupida. This man loves you. He asked you to marry him. Not this wet cat. You’re having his baby and you will not let someone, who is obviously jealous ruin your happiness. With that thought, I simply say. “Oh my gosh. You’re Elizabeth. You poor thing. I totally understand why you are so sad now. Your sluttish ways have gotten out and now no one will touch you with a broken broomstick. My poor Maxy. Such slim picking in this town, that he laden himself with you. Aye. Qué lástima. You should do something about the smell.”
Having said all I wanted to, I made to walk away when she said, “You bitch.” She went to raise her hand, but before she could strike me, which I really wanted her to do so I would have a reason to stomp her ass, someone who was not my, someone, grabbed her wrist.
“Elizabeth. What in the hell are you doing?” Whoever this man is, he practically yanks her into the whole of his body and gives her the death glare. Staring at the two of them as he growls and manhandles her, reminds me of Max and myself. Interesting.
“Are you so desperate for attention, you would strike a woman who has done nothing to you in broad daylight?” He asks as he shakes her. When she put her head down, I almost feel bad for her. Almost. But it isn’t until he puts his hand under her chin to make her look at him, that I realize what I am witnessing. He is in love with her and she him, but for some reason she is running from him. And I get it. I did it with Max for a bit, but that was literally because every time I saw him, I wanted to run and throw him on the nearest surface and have my way with him.
With them, I sense it is something else. He has a darkness about him that is scary and hot if I am being honest. The power you can see he is withholding around her is palpable and I have to swallow multiple times to not gasp and moan myself. I mean seriously, he is eye fucking her and chastising her at the same time. And it is seriously turning me on. Where the hell is Max when you need him? Her voice brings me back to the present.
“Chip, let me go. You can’t be throwing me around. How many times do I have to tell you? I. Don’t. Belong. To… ”
“If you finish that fucking sentence Kitten, I am going to tan your ass right here on the street. I know you don’t want to belong to me, because you think I am some dumb 19 year old kid, but we both know this has been a long time in the making since we were six and ten. Now apologize to this nice lady and wish her luck.”
Well shit. I mean I am in no way attracted to him, but that manly display set me off and I need Max now. Woman to woman, I can look at her and tell she is also turned on, but determined to not let him know it. Much to my surprise though, she does indeed look at me and apologize, through gritted teeth.
“I’m sorry. And yeah whatever, congratulations.” She yanks herself out of his grasp and hightails it out of there. I am slightly disappointed that I didn’t get to whoop her ass. But then I think about the little bundle I am secretly carrying at this moment and I know it was for the best.
“I’m sorry about that ma’am.” Chip says to me. “Elizabeth acts like a bitch to cover up the sad existence she has. Everyone thinks because you have money, it makes everything ok. If people knew her real life, they would give her more slack. I have always been a fan of the Crawford Brothers and I am really glad to see Max find someone after what happened. So I want to sincerely wish you both the best. Oh and by the way, my name is Chip.” and with that he walks away.
Shit. All of a sudden I remember I have an appointment and hotfoot it to the store. Now I just want it over with so I can tell Max the news. I will do anything to make that man happy.
Finally I am done. The dress fits perfectly, though I am glad now that the wedding is next week. If I had wanted a little more time, it might not have. As I am walking to the car, I look to my right and realize I am walking past a baby store. Hmmmm….that gives me an idea. I go into the baby store and buy two newborn outfits. One for a girl, and one for a boy. Then I walk into the specialty aisle and find two nameplates. One says Selena and the other says Jr. Ever since I was a little girl, I knew my daughter’s name would be Selena. Has a singer I loved and fellow Tejana, there was no thought needed. She is the one who let me see that there is life outside of this state. Finally, I find a pregnant suit for dads and go to the checkout.
By the time I get home, I have about 15 minutes to get everything in order before he comes home for the day. I put the girl clothes with the nameplate on my side of the bed, the boys stuff on his side and then I throw on the pregnant suit underneath my sweater dress and go downstairs to start dinner.
I have almost got the salad done and the steak is in the oven when he gets home.
“Preciosa, donde estas?” I love it when that man speaks Spanish. It is so fucking hot.
“Aqui mi Amor. ¿Porque no subes a la recamara y te cambias primero y luego bajas a cenar?”
As he walks up the stairs, I start the countdown in my head. 5… 4… 3… .2… ”Rosa, why are their baby clothes on the….and why the hell do you look seven months pregnant?” He says as he makes his way into the kitchen.
“Wait….are you trying to….are you saying?” He takes two strides to me and unbuckles the pregnant suit. He is abnormally quiet, which is making me a bit anxious. He falls to his knees, pushes my dress up over my stomach, and kisses it. The emotional flood starts. I am crying before I know what hits me. Rubbing his head as he tells the baby he loves it and promises to be a great dad.
When he has finished, he stands up and kisses me with so much reverence, I think my heart will melt. “Thank you Rosa. For giving me everything my heart desires and more.”
I grab this man by his head and tell him the only way I know for certain. “I love you Maxy. Before I met you, I merely existed. You helped me live. I am so excited for this life we are building.”
He turns the oven off and proceeds to show me all night long, how happy he is and how much he loves me.