Melinda – Five Months Later
I groaned as I stood up from the beach chair. I was boiling hot after baking in the sun for only fifteen minutes. Even though Antonio, Cassandra, and I had been in Mexico for months, I was still getting used to the tropical climate.
My belly protruded in front of me. I felt hugely fat – like a waddling penguin – but Antonio kept assuring me that I was sexy and beautiful no matter what. Still, I was avoiding catching a look at myself in the mirror for the time being. A sharp pain exploded in the small of my back and I groaned again, rubbing the knotted flesh with one hand.
Reaching down to the ground, I grabbed my straw beach bag, water bottle, and wrap. It was too hot to be wearing anything more than a bikini. I brushed the sand off my feet and slipped them into my rubber flip-flops before walking up the vast, hot expanse of sand and into the cool house.
“Hey,” Cassandra said with a grin. “I made salad for lunch. Sound good?”
My stomach grumbled and I laughed. “Anything sounds good,” I said. “As long as it’s food, and it’s in front of me, I don’t care.”
Cassandra burst out laughing. “You are going to have to do some crazy dieting,” she said, rolling her eyes. “But I don’t care. Little baby Cantonneli will be worth it.”
I groaned. “Don’t remind me,” I grumbled. “I’m going to take a shower. Is Gloria here yet?”
Cassandra checked her watch. “Her flight landed an hour ago. Antonio went out to the airport to get her,” she said. “I bet if you hurry, they’ll be here when you get back downstairs.”
The cool water of my shower felt good on my hot, blistering skin. I was a deep shade of tan that I hadn’t been since high school. I loved living in Mexico – the tropical weather, delicious food, and beautiful landscape were always enough to keep me in high spirits.
And then there was Antonio. I still couldn’t believe we’d fallen so deeply in love. Every day with him was like a new adventure, a perfect little bubble of happiness. When we’d first arrived, I’d barely been able to sleep. I’d been a bundle of nerves, worrying about the baby…and the things I’d left behind in Wilmington.
I’d heard from Gloria that something bad had happened the night we’d escaped, but I hadn’t been brave enough to check the online news and find out for myself. Thinking about hearing a tragic story was enough to put my stomach in knots, but I knew I couldn’t hide from the truth forever. It almost seemed like a curse to remain so willfully ignorant of my situation, but part of me was afraid of poisoning the baby. I didn’t want all of those old emotions to come out and ruin her – I was sure it was a her. I wanted her to have a perfect, healthy pregnancy.
When I got out of the shower, I heard voices coming from the kitchen below. I dressed as quickly as I could in a beautiful blue silk kimono that Antonio had given me when we’d first arrived. Since I’d left all of my clothes and most of my possessions back home in Delaware, I’d been more than happy to do a lot of shopping in Mexico. The money I’d taken from my father had lasted for a long time – it had been enough for Antonio and myself to buy our house and to find Cassandra a small place of her own just a few blocks away. Antonio was working as a bodyguard for the son of a local business owner, and I was more than happy to have my days to myself. I knew I’d get bored eventually. I still hadn’t ruled out the idea of going to college, but I was looking forward to being a mom.
I spritzed on a bit of perfume then waltzed down the stairs. Antonio, Cassandra, and Gloria were seated at the island, sipping drinks.
“Oh my god, look at you,” Gloria cried. She jumped up from the table and wrapped her arms around me. “You look fabulous!”
“She does,” Antonio agreed. He grinned at me and a shiver of lust ran down my spine. I’d never thought being pregnant would make me so horny, but now that I was all done with morning sickness, sex was always on my mind.
“Hey, babe,” I said to Gloria. “I’m so glad to see you!”
“I know,” Gloria said dramatically. “I feel like it’s been years!”
“Me too,” I agreed.
Antonio handed me a glass of coconut water with fresh fruit around the rim. Taking a long sip, I settled into a chair.
“So,” I said. “What did you bring me?”
Gloria laughed. “This,” she said, passing over a box the color of a robin’s egg. When I opened it, I saw a gorgeous silver baby rattle inside.
“Oh my god, that’s beautiful,” I said softly. “Gloria! You didn’t have to do that.”
“I did,” she said smugly. “Besides, you weren’t registered anywhere!” Gloria pulled a folded paper out of her bag. “I also brought this,” she said quietly. “You know. Just in case you ever wanted to know.”
I glanced down at the paper, suddenly feeling nervous. “Can’t you just tell me instead?”
“Your father, Alexander, and James are all dead,” Gloria said softly. “Marty is the head of the Cantonneli family now. Everyone thinks you’re dead, too; I think Marty knows you’re not, but you’re free, Melinda. No one is going to come looking for you now.”
The words knocked the wind out of me, and I gulped a mouthful of coconut water. It was just like I’d suspected, but somehow hearing the truth felt like a salve to the wound that had been burning since that fateful night.
“How do you feel?” Gloria asked softly.
“I know it sounds crazy,” I said, “but honestly, I feel relieved.” I frowned. “Does that make me a bad person?”
“Not at all,” Antonio said. He walked over and put an arm around me. “You have every right to feel that way.”
I nodded. “It’s just…I loved my father, I really did. But as soon as I realized he was only raising me to use me as a tool…” I trailed off.
“So I take it you don’t want to name the baby after him?” Gloria smirked and we all burst out laughing.
“No!” I cried. I glanced at Cassandra and Antonio, my two best friends in the world. “I was thinking of Cassandra, actually,” I said softly. “To honor the woman who saved my life.”
Cassandra blushed and Gloria grinned. Antonio leaned down and kissed my forehead.
“I think that’s perfect,” Antonio whispered, pulling away and winking at me. “Just like you.”
Cradling my belly, I looked down at the round bump under my kimono.
“And you’ll never have to marry anyone, unless that’s what you want,” I cooed. “It’s a new Cantonneli family tradition.”
In that moment, I knew for sure I had finally found my happy place. Everything was wrapped up, we were happy, and nothing would ever hurt us ever again.
THE END
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