“I’ll see you later, about 8:30 or so.”
She nodded but didn’t look at him.
He exited the door and shut it. When he had reached the restaurant door, she backed out of her space and drove to Renata’s house, parked and knocked on the door.
EIGHTEEN
Las peleas de amentes son pronto reparadas.
Lovers’ quarrels are soon mended.
~Mexican proverb
“Stephanie. What a surprise. Come on in out of the cold.” Renata was welcoming, and her house was warm. Stephanie started to shiver all over.
“Can I take your coat?” Renata offered as she noticed Stephanie hugging it to herself.
“No, thanks, I’m a bit chilled. Do you mind if I warm up by the fireplace?”
“Go right ahead. I just finished eating. Would you like something?”
Stephanie shook her head.
“How about a cup of tea?”
“I think I could handle that, thank you.”
“Good.”
Stephanie walked into the family room by the gas fireplace and found the twins in the playpen. They were sitting up, playing with toys and babbling incoherently to each other.
Stephanie smiled weakly. “Hi, Ella. Good evening, Rosa. Aunt Stephanie has come to visit.”
The twins gazed up at her for a few seconds before turning their attention back to each other. Stephanie turned to sit in the chair closest to the fireplace, still hugging her coat as close around her expanding middle as possible.
Renata entered with a tea tray, and soon, Stephanie sipped the hot tea and poured out what she had discovered into her friend’s ears.
Renata sat there stunned. “Oh, my. Maybe this isn’t what you think it is.”
“What am I to think? Is he having an affair with this young hottie? Or is he into porn? He has an addictive personality.”
“But that was to narcotics.”
“We’ve been fighting over that, with me trying to get him to take something for his pain and him refusing. Well, tonight he took some. So for me he won’t, but for her he will?”
“From what I know of your husband”—Renata emphasized that last word—“he is a man of integrity that too many were eager to paint as a loser for getting you pregnant. Something he did not do. Are you sure you are not guilty of accusing him of something he has not done, simply based on appearances? There has to be some other explanation.”
“But why has he not said anything to me?”
“You are pregnant, on bed rest, and have blood pressure issues. Maybe he was trying to protect you? Or perhaps he didn’t know how to tell you what was going on because you are a little hormonal right now.”
“Hormonal?” Stephanie started to sob, and Ren handed her a box of tissues. “I don’t know what to do. I prayed and waited for him to say something, but he didn’t. He went to his stinkin’ meeting.”
“Wait a minute. Those meetings are important. They help him with his commitment to stay drug free for you and the baby.”
“I understand. I just feel so abandoned and ugly. How could I compete with some gorgeous young girl like that? Look at me!”
Renata did look. “Your face is puffy from crying, and you are not dressed in the most attractive style as you usually are.” Stephanie scowled. “But remember, Roberto chose you for your heart, for the way you love Jesus and have persevered in your problems. He adores you just the way you are.”
“Humph.”
“Listen, I get how you feel. I felt like a beached whale when on bed rest with the twins. I was all stomach, remember?”
Stephanie smiled weakly. “Yes, I do.”
“Tony kept telling me over and over again how much he loved me, but I struggled to believe it was true. He would kiss my tummy, massage my feet, do almost anything to try to show me that he really loved me just the way I was.”
“Robbie’s done those things.”
“It’s hard to be pregnant and alone most of the day with your thoughts. I think you need to be patient and wait to hear what Robbie has to say. I’m sure he will tell you when he’s ready.”
“I hope you’re right. I’m not a very patient woman these days.”
“No woman is when she’s in her third trimester.”
Stephanie stayed and helped put the babies to bed and sat sipping tea by the fireplace, talking with Ren about faith and pregnancy and marriage. Every once in a while she broke into tears. Finally, she glanced at the clock. It was 9:30.
“I should go. Robbie said he would arrive home at 8:30. I’m surprised he didn’t call me when he found out I wasn’t there. I hope he’s okay.”
“Be careful driving home, okay?” Renata walked her to the door.
“I will. Thanks for listening to me snivel and whine.” Stephanie reached to give her friend a hug.
“Anytime, you’ve done it enough for me in the past.”
* * *
Stephanie drove slowly on the slick roads. When she arrived at their complex the apartment was bathed in darkness. She shrugged. Probably not surprising if Robbie still had his migraine. He might not have waited up for her. Walking a little too fast across the parking lot, Steph found herself sliding on her side, ending up on her rear end with the breath knocked out of her. She rose slowly to her feet and crawled to the railing for the few stairs leading up to the building’s entrance. Stephanie stood and assessed herself for any damage. She felt the baby moving around as if to complain that she had shaken him up. Placing her hand on her stomach, she received a kick in that spot. She smiled. “I guess you are okay, huh?” Steph turned the key in the lock and let herself into the darkened apartment and flipped on the living room light. Robbie’s coat wasn’t there. Maybe he hung it up in the closet? Her checking there revealed its absence. After she put away the soup and left the pan in the sink to soak, she readied herself for bed. She checked her phone again, but pride kept her from calling or texting to find out where he was.
Sad, lonely, and afraid of what the future might hold, she crawled into bed, hugged her pillow tight, and cried herself to sleep.
* * *
Stephanie spied the sexy young college student coming towards her, swaying her hips and wearing very little. Stephanie reached out to slap her across the face.
“Leave my husband alone!”
“I will have whoever I want and you can’t do anything to stop me.” The young woman looked Stephanie up and down, “Why would he want a blimp when he could have this?”
“No. No, No. He wouldn’t. He promised. No!” Stephanie cried.
In the morning when Stephanie awoke, she found a note and a white carnation on the pillow next to her. She opened the note to Robbie’s distinctive scrawl.
You are the only woman I would ever want or need.
Forever yours,
Robbie
Stephanie rose and padded around the apartment. He’d come home but was gone again. Where? He didn’t have class this early today or appointments that she was aware of. Sighing, she went to shower and dress. She discovered that she had a big purple bruise on her right thigh, and her arm was sore from when she had landed on the ice. She called the nurse, but since she seemed fine otherwise, and was due in tomorrow morning, felt she could wait to be examined.
She placed the flower in a vase and put it on the coffee table in the living room. She had energy to burn and was supposed to be resting, so she settled down to read her Bible and came across Philippians 4:6-7. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Stephanie’s phone rang “Hello?”
“Hey, Steph, it’s Ren. Any news after last night?”
“No. He wasn’t home when I arrived, but he was here during the night, I think. He was gone when I awoke, and there was a carnation and note by my pillow.”
“Aw, that is so sweet
. Tony’s never done that for me.”
“Yeah, but I still don’t know what’s going on or where he is.”
“Trust him. Don’t be anxious.”
“Funny you should mention that. I just came across Philippians 4:6-7.”
“Be anxious for nothing?”
“Yup.”
“Isn’t that right after the command to rejoice in everything?”
“Yup.”
“So how are you doing with that?”
“I’m reading it. Living it doesn’t come so easy.” Her hands caressed the open page of her Bible.
“I get that. Remember, Paul was in prison when he wrote those words.”
“Bed rest feels like a prison sometimes.”
Renata laughed. “Oh, girl, you’ve only just begun.”
“Don’t laugh at me. I see the doctor tomorrow and hope I can go back to work.”
“Don’t hold that hope too high. You want to make sure that baby stays healthy, and that means you need to stay healthy.”
“Yeah, I know. Just tired and cranky today and wish I knew what was going on with Robbie.”
“Patience is a fruit of the Spirit. Sounds like you need to grow a little in that, hon.”
“Good thing you are on the phone or I might slap you.” Stephanie chuckled and Renata joined in. A baby could be heard starting to cry in the background.
“I gotta go take care of the girls. Rest while you can Stephanie. Trust me, when that baby comes, you will be longing for time to sit, relax and sleep.”
“We always want what we can’t have.”
“True enough, talk you to later.”
“Thanks for calling, Ren.”
* * *
Roberto sat through a long meeting with Mr. Murphy and had visited with the Chancellor of the school to discuss the harassment charges. It was determined that he probably needed to be removed from tutoring and subbing until January in the hopes that the situation with Miss Rubinski could be resolved by then. So once again, due to no fault of his own, he found himself unemployed, at least for the time being. He stopped for a cup of coffee, to rest and think before returning home to let Stephanie know what had happened. The phone rang and he was surprised to find it was Mr. Harrington.
“Mr. Rodriguez?”
“Yes. Mr. Harrington, what can I do for you?”
“Always the professional, aren’t you? I wanted to know if you could come by and visit me in my office in about thirty minutes.”
“I’ll be there.”
Robbie was grateful he had dressed with care. Maybe not suit and tie like he did when he was going to court, but at least professional casual attire. The migraine from yesterday was gone as well, thanks to the medication which he decided to take again this morning. He still moved in a brain fog. What he always referred to as his migraine hangover. He was glad he had taken the meds, though. He hated to admit it, but his wife had been right about his need for them. He still worried about addiction, but for now, he was at least semi-functional.
Arriving in Mequon at the Harrington and Associates, he ran into Mr. Fry in the hallway.
“Curtis. Again, thank you for your help with my wife’s legal case.”
“Glad to be of service, Roberto. Did you get notification that Mr. Vasquez has been released?”
Robbie stood there, shocked. “Did he escape?”
“I don’t think so. I don’t have the details. All I know is he’s out.”
“No monitoring? Probation?”
“Not that I’m aware of.”
“What about notifying his victim?”
“Haven’t heard anything on that. I only found out through reading the paper yesterday.”
“How am I to protect Stephanie from this guy?”
“Maybe the Department of Immigration and Naturalization will seize him?”
“One could only hope, but I wouldn’t count on it.”
“Mr. Rodriguez?” came the voice of Helen, Mr. Harrington’s secretary, “Mr. Harrington will see you now.”
“Thanks for letting me know, Curtis.”
“Anytime.”
Robbie straightened his coat and tried to shake off the fear that Curtis’ news awakened in him. This on top of what he already needed to share with Stephanie? He felt like a doomed man. Going home would not be a happy event at this rate. He walked into Mr. Harrington’s office and sat across from the large mahogany desk that was devoid of any extraneous papers.
“I’m glad you could come on such short notice.” The older man grinned. Robbie had always liked him.
“I’m curious as to why you needed me with such speed.” Robbie shifted in his chair, trying to find a spot where he had less pain.
“Remember Mr. Coleman?”
“Yes, I didn’t know him well, but we had worked on a couple of cases together.”
“He seems to have gotten himself into a spot of trouble and will likely be disbarred.”
Roberto winced. “I’m sorry to hear that. He seemed like one of the good guys.”
“I thought so too. Which leads me to why I called for you. Not only did you remove yourself from any potential conflict of interest in your wife’s court case, but you handled yourself on the stand with aplomb. You probably didn’t notice that I attended the trial, but I did. You managed to get Mr. Vasquez to admit to perjury, and that is not an easy thing to do. You left here on good terms, and your work had been excellent. You chose to marry a woman who is carrying a child that is not your own. In every respect, I see you as a man of integrity. I want you back on my team.”
“You’re offering me a job?”
“Full benefits, as if you had never left. You can start tomorrow if you want. You can take Mr. Coleman’s office and pick up his caseload, if possible. I’m not sure how well he left things, so it might be that you inherit a mess.”
“Can I talk this over with my wife first?”
“Certainly. Here”—he shoved an envelope across the table to him—“this explains your salary and benefits. You will notice your wife and child are included, and that there is a significant base salary increase for you as well. Take it home, discuss it with that lovely bride of yours, and call me as soon as you can.”
“Thank you, Mr. Harrington, I will.”
“Thank you, Mr. Rodriguez. I look forward to having you on the team again.”
NINETEEN
Si quieres el perro, aceptas las pulgas.
If you want the dog accept the fleas—Love me love my faults.
~Mexican proverb
Roberto came in the front door with a bounce in his step and whistling. What a day. He couldn’t wait to share it with Stephanie. He grew quiet when he opened the door and found her sound asleep, curled up on the sofa.
He closed the door, kicked off his boots, and hung his coat up in the closet. He padded over to his wife and knelt on the floor next to her and bent over to give her a kiss on the lips.
She responded to his kiss and made soft noises. His hand reached up into her hair. Slowly, she started to awaken and looked into his eyes as he pulled his head back and smiled down at her.
“Hi, Sleeping Beauty. I missed you.” He leaned down to kiss her again.
“You did, huh?” She turned away from his kiss. She struggled to sit up, brushing aside his assistance.
“Is something wrong?” His happy news was forgotten.
“Why would there be anything wrong?” She reached up, brushed the hair off her face and shoulders, and straightened her top.
“Well, we haven’t talked in over a day and you had a nightmare last night. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen you sleeping in the middle of the day.” He ran his hand up her arm and she tried to pull away. “You act like you don’t want me to touch you.”
Stephanie glanced over at the clock. “You’re home early, aren’t you?”
Robbie leaned back on his heels, and fighting the pain, he pushed against the cushions to rise. “I have had a lot of unbelievable things happen in the p
ast day. Much of it bad, but God has worked it all for good and we can go out to dinner to celebrate.”
“Dinner?”
“Yes, to celebrate.”
“What would we be celebrating?”
“I got offered my position back at Harrington with immediate benefits and a higher base salary.”
“Harrington? Where did this come from? I thought you liked teaching at Marquette?” There was a furrow between her eyes.
Robbie sat down next to her but kept some space when she pulled away. “I left my position at Marquette.”
“Left?” Stephanie shook her head. “I’m sorry if I seem dense here, but I’m missing something.”
“It’s a complicated story. I had trouble with a student harassing me, so I had to file charges and decided to step down during the investigation. It could still get ugly, but now I don’t need to worry about the job part of it because Harrington called.”
“Harassment?”
“Sexual harassment.”
Stephanie’s eyes grew big. “Explain.”
Robbie sighed and leaned back and tried to relax his shoulders. “It was a young woman I was supposed to tutor in ethics. Unfortunately, textbook lessons were not on her agenda. I gave her warnings and finally terminated the contract with the support of the department chair. She sent me texts and emails and eventually began sexting. I took those to the sheriff’s station this morning to report it and also had her blocked from my cell phone.”
“She was after you but you didn’t want her?” Stephanie was playing with the hem of her maternity top.
“I didn’t want her.”
“Why?”
She avoided his gaze. “I have you. Didn’t you get my note this morning? You are all I want and need. You are a gift from God I don’t deserve. Why would I ever do anything to jeopardize that?”
Stephanie began to weep.
“What is it, Steph?” He placed a hand on her back and she didn’t move away.
“I saw the picture and texts yesterday.” She sniffled as she tried to wipe the tears away with her sleeve.
Salsa and Speedbumps Page 14