Chapter Ten
The phone rang, waking Henna earlier than anyone should be roused during their vacation. “What?” she grumbled.
“Good morning,” a familiar voice chirped. “It is Romeo. I am very sorry to bother you, but I wanted to remind my father we are teeing off in an hour. He was supposed to meet us for breakfast already.”
“Uh...” She wasn't exactly sure how to respond.
“I am sorry to embarrass you,” Romeo said. “But I know he is with you.”
“What makes you think that?” she asked.
“I know you are lovers.””
“Right. That. Everyone knows we're sleeping together. Hold on.” She put her hand over the phone as she rolled over and looked Eduardo in the eye. “Your son. You and I need to have a conversation about the fact you told everyone we were sleeping together.”
“I did do that, didn't I?” Eduardo put a hand over his eyes. “I'm never drinking with your father and your brother again.”.
“You told my father we're sleeping together?” She hissed out a long breath.
“No. No, I did not.”
“What happened to being discreet?”
“I forgot,” he said, reaching for the phone. “Hola.”
She got out of bed and went into the bathroom as Eduardo continued to chat in incomprehensible Spanish. He generated emotional responses in her that ran the gauntlet from passion to anger. What part of being discreet involved Eduardo telling everyone they were lovers? She rinsed and spat into the sink as the door opened and Eduardo walked in dressed in his trousers and a shirt.
“Knock please,” she snipped.
“You are annoyed Romeo knows we are lovers,” Eduardo said.
“Yes. I am annoyed Romeo knows we are lovers. I am annoyed that everyone knows we are lovers,” she said, doing her best Lucy Ricardo imitating Ricky impression.
“Are you mocking my accent?” Eduardo laughed.
“Yes,” she said. “My mother and Aunt Midge know. They promised not to say a word to my father. I need to tell him this myself.”
“You can yell at me later.” He kissed her on the cheek. “After I've had coffee and about four liters of water?”
“Hung-over, precious?” She grinned at him.
“Yes.”
“Good. What are you doing today? After golf? I'm guessing three days in a row of us hiding away in my room is too much to ask for.”
“Unfortunately, it is,” he said. “Today I have to do my duty. Tomorrow we will be free to do as we like after the wedding. I will see you later.”
“Later is the wedding,” she said. “Can we find some time before then?”
“I will make certain we have some time alone before the wedding.” Eduardo gave her a quick peck on the cheek and left. She showered and dressed, then went to her parents’ room.
“You're here,” her mother whispered, tugging her into the room. “Your sister has gone mental.”
“You only notice this now?” she snipped.
“I heard that,” Eden shrieked. “Do any of you care that I'm getting married in ten hours?”
“We all care,” Aunt Midge said calmly. “How about us girls all go and find some breakfast and a place to get our nails done?”
“Are you saying there's something wrong with my nails?” Eden examined her nails. “Oh, my god, have you seen my nails?”
“Honey, do you have any Valium?” Aunt Midge whispered to Henna as she walked past.
“I don't think she needs Valium,” she said. “I think she just needs some fresh air and to get out a little.”
“It's not for Eden, honey. It's for me.” Aunt Midge grabbed her handbag. “Let's get moving. We're burning daylight. Chop chop.”
“Where is daddy?” she asked, wondering if she could escape with her father.
“Daddy and Leo are playing golf with Eduardo and Romeo,” her mother said, picking up her purse and pushing Eden to the door. “I was told not to expect to see either of them before the wedding.”
“Makes me wish I played golf,” Aunt Midge muttered to Henna as Judith and Eden walked ahead of them. “I might have gotten out of here before the bridge lost her marbles.”
“Stop it!” Henna giggled quietly as she linked arms with her aunt.
“What are you two laughing about?” Eden demanded as they walked onto the elevator.
“Nothing, honey,” Aunt Midge said.
****
After breakfast and eighteen holes of golf, Eduardo was certain he and Mel would be friends. As they walked back through the lobby, a member of the hotel staff stopped. The man handed him a FedEx envelope. He knew what it contained.
“Beer?” Mel asked as they continued across the lobby.
He nodded and followed Mel into the bar. There they ran into several members of his family and ended up having more than one round. Mel's Spanish, which he claimed to have learned walking a beat in Harlem during his rookie years, was curious but not incomprehensible. After the second round, he excused himself and took his FedEx envelope up to his barely used room.
He was a man on the precipice of a choice. He could either move forward or live in the past. The cold and sterile room felt as if he'd just walked into it for the first time and hadn't put the artificial stamp of ownership on it one usually did in a hotel. His open suitcase sat on his unused bed, and a pile of laundry had begun to build up in a chair. Henna would probably disapprove of his slovenly habits. Pilar certainly would have.
He could hear her voice and feel her presence as he sat on the edge of the bed. Flicking her hair and snapping her wrists as she picked up after him. He missed her scolding him and telling him that their children were tidier than he was. The smell of her perfume had lingered in his nose like a phantom. Her clothing would still be hanging in the wardrobes of her dressing room if Gloria had not gone in and taken what she wanted of her mother's, then donated the rest to charity. That was a lesson in hard love. Gloria was just like Pilar down to her core. Pilar would have had about as much tolerance for his moping about as Gloria had.
With a quick rip across the back of the envelope, he pulled it open and pulled out a sealed paper envelope. The slight bulge in the center told him there was not a letter inside. He took a deep breath then tore it open. The plain gold band he'd worn for twenty-six years rolled into his palm. As promised, the hotel he'd stayed at in Miami had returned his forgotten wedding band as fast as they possibly could.
The problem, now that he had it back, he didn't know what to do with it. Putting it back on felt as wrong as leaving his finger bare.
“What to do?” he asked the ring. “What am I supposed to do.”
Pilar's voice spoke to him loud and clear and without any room for argument. “Put the ring away Eduardo. It's been two years. Stop being such a baby. You like this woman and you know I would like her. Okay, maybe she needs a little confidence, but with you to love her, she'll find it. You can't have a future if you're living in the past.” With that, she was gone.
He lifted the ring to his lips and gave it a kiss. Then he stood and tucked it away in his suitcase. He'd take it home with him to Colombia. Then he'd bring it up the mountain to where he and Pilar had gone riding when they wanted a few hours for themselves back when the children were still small. For the moment, he needed to shower and change.
He gathered what he needed and went across the hall to Henna's room. There, he felt he was in familiar surroundings. The room was identical to the one he'd left except for the energy and warmth present. It wasn't cold and lonely. He draped his suit, still on its hanger, across a chair and left his shoes on the ground. In the morning, he'd ask Henna if there really was a point in keeping two rooms.
But at that moment, he had more important matters to attend to. His son was getting married in a few hours, and that was where he needed to be both physically and mentally.