shuddered beneath them. "My friend, I’m so sorry about your loss. I know that you must be in very deep pain." Javier nodded. "Please let me and my family help you. Come stay with us for a time. Lydia and the nanny...." Antonio didn't have a chance to finish his sentence, when Javier held up his hand.
"Isabella is my daughter. No one will take care of her except me." He looked at Antonio defiantly.
It was apparent Javier had made up his mind. Antonio respected that. Once Javier recovered a bit from the loss of Cynthia, he would come around.
"When is the funeral?"
"Day after tomorrow."
"Is there anything I can do?"
"No.”
"I know this is a terrible time, but you need to be aware that Simon Levine is coming to see us."
Javier sighed, obviously not wanting to discuss business. "When?"
"Some time next week. Would it be easier for you if he came to Colombia?"
"I'd prefer here. The baby will not be ready to go anywhere by that time."
"I understand." Antonio leaned over and kissed the baby on her forehead. “She is beautiful, my friend. Like her mother.” He placed a hand over Javier’s for a moment. “All you have to do is ask. Anything. Anything you need for you, your daughter…” He nodded and removed his hand from his friend’s.
As Antonio reached the door, Javier called out to him, “Thank you, brother." Tears filled his eyes.
****
After a bite of supper, Antonio returned to his roomand reflected on Javier’s loss and of his own long-lost Marta, which kept him tossing and turning through most of the night. He had no idea where Marta had run off to, and didn’t feel that it was appropriate to ask Javier.
He got up to pour himself a drink when he heard a young woman's voice outside his door. " Señor Espinoza? " His heart skipped a beat. He wondered for a moment if it were Marta. He parted the door slowly, and there stood Josefina.
He’d seen her several times in the past with Marta. The two were obviously close. She wasn't pretty like Marta, but rather plain, and Antonio had no interest in her whatsoever.
"What can I do for you?"
"I came here to tell you something, Patrón ," she said, her close-set eyes staring down at her rather large feet.
"Yes?" Antonio asked, amused that such a silly looking girl might have the courage to approach him.
"I'm not sure how to tell you this, but I don't feel right keeping it from you."
“What is it? I am tired.”
"Marta has given birth to your son."
Antonio stared at the young woman for several seconds. She did not look at him. “What?” He finally said, his voice raised as a nervous and angry energy turned his blood cold. “Is this some joke? I will have you fired for this. You imbecile!”
Josefina shoved a fistful of letters into his palm, then abruptly disappeared, leaving Antonio startled and confused.
Antonio sat down at the desk and read the half-dozen letters Marta had sent to Josefina. They expressed her deep love for Antonio, and the powerful effect his betrayal had had upon her. The letters clearly described the details of Marta’s experience crossing the border, and how she blamed Antonio for all her hardships. It was obvious that she never wanted to see Antonio again.
He was impressed with her perseverance. He never would have imagined that Marta had the nerve to go alone to the United States. And when she mentioned how much she missed Mexico, his stomach sank, knowing he was responsible for her leaving. If only he had been honest with her from the start, she never would have had to go through so much pain.
He’d had no idea what a strong and determined young woman she was and he felt a renewed yearning for her, a desire to go to her and comfort her for all that she’d endured.
His eyes raced across the words of Marta’s last letter in which she described her pregnancy and her newborn son. Josefina told him the
"Isabella is my daughter. No one will take care of her except me." He looked at Antonio defiantly.
It was apparent Javier had made up his mind. Antonio respected that. Once Javier recovered a bit from the loss of Cynthia, he would come around.
"When is the funeral?"
"Day after tomorrow."
"Is there anything I can do?"
"No.”
"I know this is a terrible time, but you need to be aware that Simon Levine is coming to see us."
Javier sighed, obviously not wanting to discuss business. "When?"
"Some time next week. Would it be easier for you if he came to Colombia?"
"I'd prefer here. The baby will not be ready to go anywhere by that time."
"I understand." Antonio leaned over and kissed the baby on her forehead. “She is beautiful, my friend. Like her mother.” He placed a hand over Javier’s for a moment. “All you have to do is ask. Anything. Anything you need for you, your daughter…” He nodded and removed his hand from his friend’s.
As Antonio reached the door, Javier called out to him, “Thank you, brother." Tears filled his eyes.
****
After a bite of supper, Antonio returned to his roomand reflected on Javier’s loss and of his own long-lost Marta, which kept him tossing and turning through most of the night. He had no idea where Marta had run off to, and didn’t feel that it was appropriate to ask Javier.
He got up to pour himself a drink when he heard a young woman's voice outside his door. " Señor Espinoza? " His heart skipped a beat. He wondered for a moment if it were Marta. He parted the door slowly, and there stood Josefina.
He’d seen her several times in the past with Marta. The two were obviously close. She wasn't pretty like Marta, but rather plain, and Antonio had no interest in her whatsoever.
"What can I do for you?"
"I came here to tell you something, Patrón ," she said, her close-set eyes staring down at her rather large feet.
"Yes?" Antonio asked, amused that such a silly looking girl might have the courage to approach him.
"I'm not sure how to tell you this, but I don't feel right keeping it from you."
“What is it? I am tired.”
"Marta has given birth to your son."
Antonio stared at the young woman for several seconds. She did not look at him. “What?” He finally said, his voice raised as a nervous and angry energy turned his blood cold. “Is this some joke? I will have you fired for this. You imbecile!”
Josefina shoved a fistful of letters into his palm, then abruptly disappeared, leaving Antonio startled and confused.
Antonio sat down at the desk and read the half-dozen letters Marta had sent to Josefina. They expressed her deep love for Antonio, and the powerful effect his betrayal had had upon her. The letters clearly described the details of Marta’s experience crossing the border, and how she blamed Antonio for all her hardships. It was obvious that she never wanted to see Antonio again.
He was impressed with her perseverance. He never would have imagined that Marta had the nerve to go alone to the United States. And when she mentioned how much she missed Mexico, his stomach sank, knowing he was responsible for her leaving. If only he had been honest with her from the start, she never would have had to go through so much pain.
He’d had no idea what a strong and determined young woman she was and he felt a renewed yearning for her, a desire to go to her and comfort her for all that she’d endured.
His eyes raced across the words of Marta’s last letter in which she described her pregnancy and her newborn son. Josefina told him the
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