Must Wait (23 page)

The wedding vow renewal between my in-laws was
beautiful. Ryan and Olivia are so in love. I will do this for
Katie someday since we did not get a wedding. Olivia is
staring across the room boring a hole right through me
like she has been for two weeks now. I feel like she
knows, but unsure. A few minutes later, Olivia is pulling
Katie into the kitchen. I follow them through the door.
Ryan looks worried as Olivia pulls Katie out the
backdoor.

I pace around in the kitchen worried for twenty
minutes when I see Katie running towards me through
the door. She grabs my hand.

“We have to talk now, Pedro. I have something to say
and you are going to be so angry with me.”
Katie looks up at me when I hear Ryan walking past us
with Olivia.
He calls over to her, “Tick tock, Katie.”
Olivia chuckles.
Katie shakes her head at him. “Jerk.” She turns back to
me. “Okay, Pedro, I have to make this quick. We are not
married. I messed up. It is not a legal marriage since you
were not an American citizen. Mom is going to file for us
and I will have Grandpa pull some strings to get it
approved faster. Daddy is going to make an engagement
announcement. Pedro, say something.”
“Um, I do not know what to say, Katie. So Olivia is
fine with us? How did she find out?”
Katie laughs. “She heard rumors for a few weeks when
she got home from the tour. She overheard the children
talking to Ramón.”
I nod. “I am a little shocked. I guess we get to do this
again. Your parents will be so happy to be there this time.
Maybe it was supposed to be this way.”
She smiles. “You are so understanding, Pedro. There is
more though, you and Ramón have to come back to New
Jersey with me to file at your embassy. I have to get him
enrolled in school too.”
“We can do that. When do we need to leave by?”
“A few days, I hope that is alight with you. We have to
get back inside. I am worried about what my father is
going to say to everyone.”

Once we are back in the Cantina, Katie becomes
obviously nervous. She bites at her fingers as she watches
her father pour drinks behind the bar. A few minutes later
Ryan leads Olivia over to us. He winks at Katie before he
turns around to face their guests.

He gets their attention then speaks loudly, “So, I have
some news with a twist. Katie and Pedro were wedded
back in June with no knowledge to anyone but Nick
Junior, who took my job of walking her down the aisle.
Well, Katie had a little paperwork oversight and their
marriage is not legal. So I am proud to announce that Livi
and I will be filing the forms for Pedro and Katie to be
legally married with a princess wedding to follow.”

“Please raise your glass in a toast with me. To Katie
and Pedro, time to get this right!”
Clapping fills the Cantina and Ryan hugs me. He turns
to kiss Katie and she pinches him in his side just like her
mother does when he teases her.
Ryan laughs. “You are your mother’s clone.” He walks
away to allow the others to congratulate us.

It has been a long night for us as I place Ramón in his
bed. Carrying a ten year old was not fun, but Katie
wouldn’t let me wake him. I think about all the work that
I have to do in order to leave with Katie. I will have to
speak with my brothers tomorrow. They knew I was
leaving eventually and the time finally has come for us to
move in with Katie. I am happy and scared at the same
time.

We are up in New Jersey for about three weeks. Katie
got Ramón registered in school and we are getting in a
routine with him. We have some issues in the house
because Katie does not have the heart to kick Nick out
yet. Nick has been staying away more and more since
Katie is no longer out partying with him all the time. I
hear noises in the garage and assume that Nick is there.
The door pushes open and Ryan comes into the houses
ranting.

He sees me standing in the kitchen and points to the
garage. “Where the fuck is my car, Pedro?”
“Katie’s has it at work. She has been leaving me her
Hummer to drive.”
He keeps pointing. “I asked you to do one thing. Keep
my car safe.”
“No, you asked me to keep your daughter safe.”
He nods, knowing that I am right. “What are you
doing now, Pedro?”
“I was going to head out to the beach. I am really
getting to love that park. I even applied for a job doing
patrol.”
“Why would you do that? Just stay here all day.”
“No, Katie can’t concentrate on her cases with Ramón
and me here. She needs the house to herself if I want her
to stay home more.”
Ryan laughs. “She has her office right over there.”
“No, we converted that to Ramón’s bedroom. We
thought it would be best to keep him away from Nick and
all the visitors upstairs. Ryan, why are you here?”
He smiles. “Your marriage request is approved. You
will have to see a judge here in this town to get the license
signed. We also need to pick a date. Get your ass in the
Hummer. We are going shopping for a truck and an
engagement ring.”
I laugh at him. “Do you think I can get a jeep?”
Ryan laughs. “Sure, whatever you want. Let’s get a ring
first. Do this right, Pedro. I want my daughter to get the
complete experience this time around.”
“Well, at least we have the wedding bands from that
jeweler that you like.”
Ryan smiles. “That is exactly where we are going. To
get a matching engagement ring. They will have on file
what Katie purchased in the past. Move now.”

That night Ryan pushes Katie and me out from the
house. I am freaked out by him wanting to watch Ramón.
Ryan is not the best role model with his vulgar mouth. I
take Katie in my new jeep to the State Park where I drive
on the untouched perfect beach. I stop and turn off my
jeep taking in the moonlight on this late fall evening. We
snuggle into each other, feeling the night chill off the
water. I am a romantic idiot as I wear the new
engagement ring hardly halfway on my right pinky finger.
She reaches out to hold my hand and notices instantly the
ring. She reaches across me trying to find an interior light.
She gets frustrated pulling out her phone to light up the
ring.

She gasps. “My god, Pedro, it matches perfectly.”
I smile knowing that she is happy. “Ryan helped me. I
am not going to lie to you. The approval is done, we need
to just pick a date.” I take the ring and slide it on to her
finger.
She beams at me. “Six weeks, my trial should be over
by then.”
“Sounds good to me.” I pause, shivering because I am
cold and also worried about Ramón being left with Ryan.
“So I take it that is a yes and you will marry me again?”
“Really, Pedro? I asked you many years ago. Yes, it is
always yes.”
I lean down to kiss her.
Pulling back, I look over at her. “Can we go? I am
freezing and I am worried what Ryan is saying to Ramón.
He might be showing him porn.”
Katie laughs out. “Yes, home. Now!”

Ryan leaves a few days later to go back to Costa Rica.
Plans are finalized for the wedding in eight weeks in
Costa Rica after our judge visits here. Katie keeps coming
home later each night. Her client is taking up a lot of her
time before they go to trial. After dinner, Ramón goes off
to bed and Katie leads me up to our bedroom. We start
enjoying each other as we do before we get overly heated.

She looks up at me. “Oh wait, we need protection
now.”
I am confused as I watch her run off to her bathroom.
She comes back bringing a box of condoms.
I scowl at her. “Is there something wrong, Katie?
Condoms, I do not understand.”
“I had the implant removed a few weeks ago. I wanted
to start trying for a baby in January. Doctor said it could
take a few months for the hormones to leave my body.”
I jerk up in the bed shocked. “What? Baby. No. You
said that you never wanted children?”
She laughs. “What, Pedro? When did I say that?”
I feel my arousal leave me. “When we broke up the
first time.”
She laughs. “I was stupid then, not talking right.”
“No Katie. We cannot have children. I am cursed and
you will leave me, dying. You said no children, so I knew
that I could love you. I could be with you.”
She takes my hand. “I was dumb. I was mad when I
said those things. Of course, I want to have children. We
are going to have children, Pedro.”
I shake my head as I pull on my pants. “No, Katie, you
lied to me.”
“Pedro, you are overreacting. I did not lie. I want
children and I am not going to die.”
I get up and leave her in the bedroom. I yell at her as I
walk down the hallway, “No, Katie. No children. Not
with me.”

I pace around the kitchen, knowing that I have to
figure this out with her. We need to have an
understanding that I do not want to even attempt to have
a baby with her. I love her like mad, but I do not want to
take that chance. I will lose her, then I will be alone again.
I should have gotten a vasectomy like Paolo. If I did, I
would not be having this misunderstanding with Katie
right now. She comes down to the kitchen trying to
explain that everything will be fine. I stand my ground
and we end the night fighting. She storms off to bed
while I try to sleep on the couch. She is so stubborn, but
she is not going to force me to do this with her. For the
next two weeks, all we do it fight about the baby topic. I
am not giving in. I refuse to put her in danger. I decide
that I must set her free. Let her marry someone else who
would give her what she wants. I can’t do it, not that.
When I told her that I was leaving. She didn’t care. She
was cold and emotionless. My loving her was not enough
to get her to change her mind. She wanted what she
wanted. Katie always gets what she wants. I pack up and
return home to Costa Rica with my son.

I have been back home for a week now. I am an
emotional mess. Setting the love of my life free was the
hardest task I ever had to do. I stay hidden at my house
for a while until Paolo reminds me that Ramón must go
back to school. I have to face Ryan and Olivia eventually.
I assume by now Katie has told them about our break-up.
Paolo and I talk things out. He feels that I was misguided
by Katie and she should have
understood my fears
instead of throwing it in my face nastily. Regardless, I am
heartbroken. It was better to find out now before it was
too late. My curse wants me to be alone. I understand
that now, but it hurts so much.

I drive down the hillside to the school and let Ramón
out. Olivia is walking towards me with a puzzled look on
her face. I move fast to get back in my truck. I do not
want to speak to her. I can’t look at her without seeing
Katie’s face. This is too soon for me. I drive away before
she can get to the truck. I break down crying when I get
home. Paolo reassures me that it is going to get easier.
Why did I have to love her so much? She broke my heart
just like Olivia said she would.

Paolo is encouraging me to go outside and work with
him. I agree so I go into the bathroom to cool my face
from my stinging tears. Running the ice cold water, I
splash some cold water over my face. When I turn off the
water I can hear talking in the kitchen. Ryan is here and
Paolo sounds heated with him. I walk into the kitchen.

Ryan looks over at me. “Why are you back, Pedro?”
Oh no, Katie did not tell him.
I swallow hard. “I think you should ask Katie that
question.”
He scowls. “No, I am asking you.”
Nervous, but I tell him, “Katie and I are no longer
getting married. She sent me home.”
“Why did she send you home?”
I shake my head. “She hurt me and lied.”
Ryan gets an angry look on his face. “You are getting
married. You understand me. Your wedding is a few
weeks away.”
I get emotional. “No, it is over. She can’t fix this. Let
her be with someone else.”
Ryan rapidly grabs me by my shirt, pulling me out of
the house. He screams at me to get in his truck. Paolo
chases after us, yelling. I have no clue where Ryan is
taking me. Maybe Katie came back for me, maybe she
understands me now. We stop at the Cantina and Ryan is
carrying his laptop with him. Paolo pulls up and parks his
truck. Ryan sits down at the bar and points for me to sit
next to him. Rosalie runs out from the kitchen confused
to see me. Ryan opens his laptop and video calls Katie.
She answers and Ryan speaks, “Somebody needs to
start talking and tell me what the fuck is going on. Pedro
said that you hurt him and lied. What did you do, Katie?”
I do not look at the screen. I stare ahead. Rosalie
places her hands on mine. She can see that I am in
distress.
I hear Katie’s voice. “I did not do anything wrong,
Daddy. It is not going to work out for us.”
I become instantly angry. “You lied to me, Katie, you
lied.”
She yells, “I didn’t lie. You freaked out on me with the
condoms. I do not understand you, Pedro.”
Ryan leans forward.
“What,
Katie? What about
condoms? This is over sex?”
Katie speaks up, “No, well, yes. I got my implant
removed and he…”
Ryan stands up and pushes me. “What the hell, Pedro?
You are not getting married over sex. What the hell?”
Paolo gets between us.
Katie screams out, “No, Daddy, let him go. It is more
than that. Pedro has some serious issues haunting him. I
cannot love him anymore. Just let him go, Daddy.”
Ryan backs away from me as he can see the suffering
on my face by her words. She just cut me open again,
pulling out my heart.
Ryan looks at the screen. “What really happened,
Katie? Whatever you did to him, I am very disappointed
in you Katie for hurting him.”
She whispers, “I know. I am going now.” She leaves
the screen.
Rosalie calls out, “Paolo, take Pedro home now. I will
visit the house later.”
Glancing over at Rosalie, I can see it in her eyes that
she knows. She knows why I am broken.

That night, Paolo leaves with Ramón. Parker and
Rosalie come up to the house. Parker pours me a drink
while Rosalie brings me a plate of food that she is pushes
in front of me.