She shook her head at him, her hands gripping mine tightly.
“I didn't want you to see how unstable I was. I try to hide it.” She tried to smile but her lips continued to tremble. “I wanted the illusion of a stable sister to continue for at least a little while longer.”
Emiliano crouched down.
“Do you think I'd love you or admire you less? Because I don't. I admire you more, though. For surviving all that you did. For becoming who you are today. I know Dad would tell you the same.”
The look that shifted in her eyes was remarkable. It was shuttered but the more his words of acceptance were shared, they transformed into calm serenity. I could visibly see the fear of judgment lift from the beautiful greenish hue of her teary hazel eyes.
“Thank you,” she whispered, her breath evening out more.
She reached out to him, and he moved on to his knees and hugged her close. Her eyes were focused on me before she closed them, silent tears gliding down her cheeks.
“Te quiero, hermana. Nada y nadie puede cambiar eso. La felicidad que siento después de encontrarte nunca se morirá.”
He'd told her that he loved her, and that nothing and no one could ever change that. Emiliano said that the happiness he felt after having found her, would never die.
I heard my father and Tomás call out.
“I got it,” I told Emiliano.
I wanted Cari to have more time with her brother. I felt like she needed that.
“Where is she?”
The fear in Tomás’ eyes made him look wild.
“She's ok. She's in that office.” I said pointing. He rushed passed me as I turned to my father.
“Orozco?”
I nodded, clenching my jaw. “She hasn't confirmed, but her fear,” I paused as I composed myself. My father reached out and laid his hand on my shoulder. “The way I found her. It was him.”
“Any idea where he went? I have Shadow and his people on stand-by. Tomás has called his second, and they're tightening the hunt.”
“Tightening?”
My father nodded. “As soon as he found out about Caridad, he sent his men out. Orozco has been on the run for a while now after the meeting announcing Tomás and Emiliano’s return. It's only a matter of time.”
I looked down as I flexed my hands. “My hands itch to wrap around his throat.”
My father slapped my shoulder and squeezed it again. “Hijo, you're going to have to share. Your future father-in-law and brother-in-law want a bite, too.”
My nod was curt. They had a right to kill him, too.
The police came in. It wasn’t Al or Rey, which would've made this shit easier. I gave my statement of what I knew.
“No.”
My answer was adamant when they asked to speak to Cari. “She's been through enough today.”
I looked at my watch. It was close to ten at night.
“Carlos.”
I looked back and saw Emiliano at the threshold of the office. I walked over and was annoyed that the detectives followed. When I was next to Emiliano, I turned, and snapped.
“I fucking told you that she's not in any condition to talk now.”
I saw them posturing but I didn't give a fuck. Cop or no cop- they were going to fucking leave her alone until she was ready.
“It's ok, Carlos. I just want to get it over with.”
The detectives looked at me, waiting for me and Emiliano to move.
“I don't want her upset. The questioning will end if it reaches that point. Understood?”
“Listen, Zambrano, I get that you want to protect her, but we're doing a job here.”
I held my hand up. “Save it. Doing your job? Like you did with my brother?”
That got to the cop. “Those were the feds, not us. You implying we’re dirty?”
My muscles hardened like my jaw. “I'm not implying.”
“Carlos.”
I turned back to Cari, who was looking on. I didn't want to stress her out further. I turned back to the detectives.
“The only reason we're not having more words is because of her. You're on notice. She gets more upset, and you're done.”
Emiliano and I moved sideways to let them through.
It took all of ten minutes for them to get most of their questions out before I saw her lips tremble again. They were delving into her past.
“We’re done. You have information you need for the investigation,” I spat the last word out mockingly. “But now you're going somewhere she doesn't want to go, and you don't need to know.”
“We need to know their history.”
I snapped my head to the side towards the door in a gesture telling him to leave, as another doctor from the practice arrived. “You're done with her. Any other questions, and you can talk to Roman.”
The detective’s red cheeks were hot enough to light a fire. They left and while Cari was speaking to the director of the practice, whose office she was currently in, I took a phone call from Roman and a very worried Izzy.
“Meet us at my place. Yea. Ok. Bring them, but seriously, like five minutes Roman. She's been through a lot and needs to rest.”
The doctor was examining Cari against her wishes, but he was obviously worried. After about ten minutes, we were ready to leave. Her father and brother wanted to come, so I grudgingly agreed.
Why the fuck not?
Everyone and their goddamned mother was going to be at my penthouse to check on her.
And while I almost found it annoying because I just wanted to be alone with her, I was also ecstatic that so many people loved her.
She wasn't alone anymore.
57
Cari
“Could you have been any more rude?”
He pressed the door closed behind his father. Everyone, and I mean, everyone, had come over to the penthouse. His whole family, I’m talking all brothers and his parents, Iza, and my father and brother, came.
He turned and looked at me from the door.
“You need your rest. They were here long enough.”
“They were here for ten minutes.”
He had the nerve to laugh.
“It was enough time for Izzy to check you over and then to see that you're okay.”
I snorted and yawned.
“See that. That's why they needed to be here only ten minutes. And since I know you can't kick them out because you feel bad, I don't have any such reservations.”
I laughed. I couldn't help it.
He was right.
I was bone weary. My body hurt everywhere. I felt like I’d been in a brawl- and I had.
More than anything, my soul hurt.
It wasn't just the emotional turmoil every confrontation with Manny caused me.
It was also because I had a big secret and was scared something had happened to him or her. I tried to block his blows.
But he'd landed one.
Iza hadn't thought the baby was in danger despite the hit but my frayed nerves weren't in the right place currently. I was too emotional to be logical right now.
I started to cry.
“It's ok, caramelo. I'm here. I'm here.” He said into my hair, having rushed over from the door.
I went to stand up but he wouldn't let me.
“No, please. I have something to show you. Although I suspect you already saw.”
He let me walk over to my tote. I'd gotten it before leaving the office, and had placed my surprise gift for him in there. I grabbed the beautiful medium-sized yellow box and brought it to him.
“He ruined my perfect surprise.”
That statement made the floodgates open. I began crying out of nowhere, so upset that my perfect idea had been ruined by the son-of-a-bitch who had nearly ruined my life.
“I'm sorry!”
I was so fucking emotional. My emotions and feelings were like the balls in a ping pong game. They hit some metal spiral and were propelled across the game board to another metal piece, that zoomed it across
another direction.
Carlos brought me into his warm, safe, and strong embrace.
God, it felt good to be loved by him.
“Let's pretend I didn't see it. It's perfect anyway, no matter what. In my arms, I have everything I'll ever need and all I've ever wanted.”
That made me cry more. I was hung over, emotionally speaking. Everything had come to a head, having been scared out of my mind for my life, Luis’, and that of my baby’s. It had been an emotional intoxication, and instead of the dizziness and headache that accompanied an alcoholic inebriation, my hangover was an onslaught of emotions, tears, and fears.
“Open it.”
I curled my legs underneath me beside him on the couch as he took the box from me. Before opening it, he looked at me.
“I fucking love you so damn much, Caridad.”
A wobbly, teary smile was my answer.
Slowly Carlos opened it and grabbed the positive pregnancy test.
“There were three others from different brands, but I just saved this one.”
That had him laughing. “Four?”
I nodded. “When you're in shock, and it's unexpected, you have to have a few variables to make sure the result of one brand wasn't a fluke.”
He chuckled. “That's my little doctor.”
He took a moment to look at the test, as if it really were the first time he looked at it.
“You do know I peed on that?”
His laugh warmed me, and he reached out to cup the side of my cheek.
“I have one more result.”
His head dipped down as his eyes locked with mine. “One more?”
I shrugged. “I needed to be extra sure, so my OBGYN drew my blood.”
His grin was wide as he reached in again and gingerly took the onesie. Holding it up, his smile widened as he read it for the first time.
“You hadn't read it before now?”
He shook his head.
“The positive pregnancy test and outfit were enough. I didn't take the time to read it. I was desperate to find you.”
“It's called a onesie.”
He laughed and his eyes dipped down to my belly. He reached his hand out and placed it over.
“How far along?”
“Almost three months.”
His eyes were wide as they met mine.
“I didn't eat when you were kidnapped. Most certainly, I didn't take my medications or vitamins, or anything. No birth control pills, either. And when you returned…”
“We fucked like rabbits.”
I slapped a hand over his mouth. He laughed and then sobered.
“Do you think everything is ok?”
My eyes began to water. “Iza said nothing was wrong, but he hit me. I moved to shield my abdomen.” I stopped and inhaled a shaky breath. “I hope the baby is ok. I called Lissette. She's should be here soon.”
He held me as we sat quietly on the couch. A few minutes had passed before his phone buzzed.
“Let her up.”
I sat up and looked at him curiously.
“I've tightened security. That was my man in the lobby calling for permission for the doctor.”
“I don't want to live under microscope or fish bowl.”
He kissed my forehead. “You won't be. But Orozco is still on the loose. And it's either me or your Dad and brother. They wanted to keep you in a safe house.”
“What? But I have to work. And live.”
He waved off my concerns. “I promised them twenty-four hour surveillance, something I'd already been planning.”
There was a knock at the door. Carlos got up and greeted Lissette.
“Dr. Garcia, I'm Carlos. Please come in. Cari is in the living room.”
“Please, call me Lissette.”
“Thank you for coming, Lissette. Can I take that for you.”
“Sure.”
They walked in and I saw Carlos was carrying a large tote. Lissette walked straight to me. She hugged me tightly.
“I'm so relieved you're ok.”
I shook my head. “I don't care about me. I'm worried about the baby.”
She pulled back and gripped my shoulders. “Despite a lot of miscarriages happening in the first trimester, babies are heartier than worried mommies give them credit for.”
I nodded, emotions rendering me unable to speak.
“Lie back. I brought a portable ultrasound machine.” She looked up at Carlos, whose worried face, I imagined, matched my own. “Want to get a look at your little bundle?”
I smiled and Carlos nodded. I could tell he was trying to keep his emotions in check. He brought over a chair for Lissette.
I hadn't even thought about it before now, but this was almost a repeat of the feelings he would've felt with his ex, only this baby was real.
“Are you okay, my love?”
His blue eyes moved from my tummy to my eyes. He nodded and kneeled next to me.
“Alright. Let's open your robe and I'll put some gel. I don't have a gel warmer, so it'll be cold.”
I untied the belt to my robe and spread it open. I breathed in when the cold gel hid my stomach. Lissette laughed.
“Gets warmer, promise.”
I smiled and looked at Carlos. We were basically eye-to-eye as he was on the floor next to me.
Lissette had opened the large plastic case and revealed a screen and keyboard. She attached the wand and looked at me.
“Now, it can be tough to get a picture this early. We may have to do a transvaginal ultrasound. I'm trying this first as it's least invasive and just might work. Ready?”
I was hesitantly optimistic and eager.
I looked at Carlos, and we nodded.
“Okay.”
She began swirling the wand and spreading the gel over my tummy. Immediately a white-speckled black picture came up. She pushed a few buttons.
“You're so early, and it'll be hard to see, but we should be able to glimpse the little nugget.”
Carlos reached for my hand and we gripped each other's tightly. He looked over at me and I smiled, feeling excitement. It was mirrored on his face, too.
“Here were are. Let me switch settings to take a look at blood flow. I acquired this machine for this specific purpose- traveling to patients for emergencies.”
She kept moving the wand, and finally she stopped. Lissette rapped a button a few times, and then we heard it.
The baby’s heartbeat.
My breath caught. Tears flooded my eyes immediately as I looked at Carlos, whose eyes were riveted on the screen.
“Is that…is…”
Lissette smiled at him. “Yes, Carlos. That's the heartbeat, and here's your little nugget. Let me take a few measurements on the screen.”
He looked at me and we laughed, tears falling down my cheeks in elation. He moved his head closer to mine and our noses touched. His thumb caressed my damp cheek.
“I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you,” I responded, nuzzling him with my nose.
“The baby’s measurement is on target for our estimated due date. Ten weeks along. Baby Z is the size of-”
“Z?”
She smiled at me and shrugged. “Zambrano or Zavala, works both ways.”
“Zambrano,” Carlos said, kissing the hand where my engagement ring was.
“So the baby is the size of?” I prompted.
“A strawberry.”
Carlos laughed. “A strawberry?”
Lissette shrugged. “It's either that or a kumquat. But do you know how big a kumquat is?”
At our blank faces, she nodded. “Then strawberry it is.”
“So the baby is fine?”
She looked at Carlos. “Everything looks good. I want Cari resting for the next few days. I want to monitor hCG levels over the next week. I want to take blood tomorrow and every two days after that, to make sure levels are increasing steadily.”
“Thank you, Lissette. Thank you, God,” I whispered.
Carlos grabbed a hand towel from the bathroom and helped clean my stomach of the gel. Lissette packed the machine, hugged me, and he saw her out.
I stood up when he neared. He stopped for a moment, eyes looking me up and down, and then focusing on where our nugget was growing. His eyes moved up to mine again and he rushed to me, scooping me up into his arms. Burying his face into my neck, he sighed.
“I love you, caramelo.”
My hands threaded through his hair, holding me close. Carrying me to bed, he laid me down gently, and settled next to me. Slowly he undid the tie of my fluffy robe again, and spread it open. Reverently, his palm caressed my stomach and he bent over and kissed it.
“A miracle.” He looked up at me. “Our miracle.”
My fingers continued to run through his soft hair, and after a long moment, I spoke.
“I don't want to wait to get married.”
Carlos propped himself on his elbows.
“Neither do I.”
I laced our hands together and rested them where our baby was safe and sound. “I don't need a big wedding- I don't want one. I only want close friends and…”
My smile was wide.
“And what?”
“Those who I never thought I would have at my wedding. Those who I always dreamed of.”
He grinned at me when I spoke.
“Family.”
58
Cari
One month later
“How does it look?”
I asked as I slowly spun on the small elevated rectangular stage. My eyes happily focused on my tiny bump in the mirror and every time I did, relief flooded through me. My hCG levels had risen normally, and baby Z was healthy and growing.
We were at an exclusive wedding dress boutique in Coral Gables owned by one of Maria Elena’s closest friends, Lydia. There was nothing like connections and money to make wedding dress making and fitting quicker. It was an original design by her and I loved it.
I'd sat down down with her and shown her what I’d had in mind.
The ethereally airy dress was bright white with thin spaghetti straps over my shoulders. The sweetheart top was an amazing array of fabric petal appliqués that adorned the bodice of the dress. The waist was high, right below my growing boobs and above my growing, yet still small, belly. The back was low-cut, but Lydia had used the most beautifully sheer material, and cleverly sewn petal appliqués to cover my scars. It looked as if the petals had been directly applied to my skin. The skirt was airy and wispy, and just barely reached my feet so that I wouldn't drag sand with my as I moved around in my beautiful, delicate, but blingy, barefoot sandals.
Carlos: A Zambrano Family Novel Page 28