Chapter 33-35
Chapter 33
He was just about to lay down in his German hotel bed when his phone buzzed. Do I need to check this? I’m seriously too tired to even care right now. I don’t know how I’m going to get through this…He picked up his phone unlocking it to see a text from Isela.
I love you. That’s all.
The phone buzzed again.
Oh. And we’re over budget. Just so you know.
That’s the way you win my heart, baby?
It’s the only way. Go to sleep.
Okay. But know I’ll be dreaming of you.
“Dreaming...Isela thought to herself as she sat at the table with their wedding planner deciding on final colors and font for their wedding invitations. Next to her were her sisters.
“What are you thinking about? Is something bothering you?” Sarah asked.
“No. Nothing is bothering me.”
“What did he say?” Lola asked. Isela handed her phone to her sister to let her read the texts.
“God, I need a Bruno Mars in my life.” she responded.
“We’ll find you one. One of these days…” Isela trailed off. I was really thinking of that dream…
After several hours of flipping through samples they finally decided on a fancy orange font on red crinkled paper with black accents.
“It’s so…” Isela started.
“It’s so Hawaii.” Yuli finished for her sister.
“Yes! I love it. I love it.” Isela complimented the wedding planner, Stacey, and the designer.
“We will get them out in 3 weeks. Do you have the guest list?” Stacey asked.
“Oh..yeah. Yeah.” Yuli pulled a big envelope out of her purse. “Geez, sissy. This is really big and long…” Yuli said.
“That’s what she said…” Isela finished laughing.
“Oh shit!” Rebecca responded. Everyone started laughing as they headed out the door.
The girls got in Isela’s car turning on the radio. Sarah and Rebecca started talking about school stuff loudly so Yuli leaned over to ask Isela a question. “Selly…what’s wrong? I can’t figure it out. But I know.”
“I just had this crazy, crazy, crazy dream last night. Like I can’t shake what it was about.”
“Was mom in it?” she asked.
“Yeah. And I haven’t had those dreams since I was in college.”
“You know when someone is in your dream they are thinking about you.” Yuli told her.
“That’s weird…” Isela answered looking out the window to turn.
“It’s true though. I’ve just gotten used to the mom dreams. What happened in yours?”
“I had a baby. And we yelled a lot. And then I woke up.”
“In mine I’m on Broadway and mom is my manager…” Yuli told her.
“Hmm…I wonder if we all have those…” she wondered out loud.
**
I’m not going to have weird dreams tonight. I’m not going to have weird dreams tonight. No. I’m not. Isela thought to herself as she stretched out in her bed. She drifted off quickly. The wedding planning had really started to wear her out. And working, and all that life had. She was just exhausted.
“Isela Luz. You are so beautiful…” she heard a voice waking her up. She squinted her eyes to look across the deep darkness. “And I’m so proud of you. You have become an amazing..”
“Mama?” she asked.
“preciosa….sí.” Isela started to cry. She felt her mother’s soft hand touch her face. She hadn’t aged at all. She looked only a few years older than Isela. She looked exactly as she remembered her mother – beautiful long black hair layered with big 90s bangs. Her eyebrows were very dark and her eyeliner was even darker. “Mija, don’t cry. Please. I’ve been guiding you since I left. I wouldn’t let anything bad happen to you. Vas a tener una vida bonita. Con todo. Y para siempre.”
Here’s the translation: Precious..yes…daughter don’t cry. You are going to have a pretty life. With everything. And forever.
“Simepre, mama? Y porque he tenido todos estos problemas? MI salud, los novios, Bruno..por qué? Y no me dices que es para estar invencible. Porque ya sabemos que no soy invencible. “
Here’s the translation: Always, mama? And why have I had all these problems? My health, boyfriends, Bruno…why? And don’t tell me it’s to be invincible. Because we already know that I’m not.
“Mi luz, sabes que tenemos un plan. Y ya he hablado con dios para encontrar el plan perfecto para ti. Y el pan para Bruno, y sus hermanos. Todo está como necesita estar. Todo. Tienes fé. Fe en todo su vida.”
Here’s the translation: My light, you know that we have a plan. And I have already talked to God to find the perfect plan for you. And the plan for Bruno, and your siblings. Everything is there. Like it needs to be. Have faith. Have faith in your life.
“¿Fe? Creo que ya he perdido esto. Muchos años en el pasado, mama. Con el cáncer, trabajo, con la gente. Todo. Por qué necesito tener fe?”
Here’s the translation: Faith? I think I lost that. Many years in the past, mama. With cancer, wrok, with people. Everything. Why do I need to have faith?
“Porque sin esto su vida, como su corazón está perdido. Y no quiero una hija perdida.”
Here’s the translation: Because without that your life, like your heart is lost. I don’t want a lost daughter.
“Ok, mamí puedo tratar de tener fe en todo que va a ocurrir. ¿Puedes decirme?”
Here’s the translation: Okay, mami, I can try to have faith in everything that’s going to happen. Can you tell me?
Isela’s mother laughed loudly. It was as if she knew something she shouldn’t.
“Preciosia…si te dices…no sé que puedo occurir, pero va a ser mal. Muy mal. Jugando con fe, con el futuro..como McFly tiene muchos consecuencias…”
Here’s the translation: Precious..if I tell you I don’t know what will happen but it’s going to be bad. Playing with faith, with the future. Like McFly, has lots of consequences.
“No quiero tener estos consequencías mama. Pero estoy nervisosa sobre todo.”
Here’s the translation: I don’t want to have those consequences, mama. But I am nervous about everything.
Her mother kissed her head standing up to walk away. “Si se puede. Todo va estar bien. Más que bien. Asombroso.”
Here’s the translation: Yes you can. Everything is going to be good. Better than good, amazing.
And her mother was gone.
“What the hell?” Isela asked still sitting in her bed. She grabbed her phone to text Bruno.
I miss you. That’s all.
Why are you awake? It’s like 4 in the morning there.
I had a weird dream. It made me think of you.
Her phone rang after her final dream.
“Hi…” she answered.
“Hey baby doll. “ he sang loudly. “What’s wrong? You never text me this late.”
“It’s just my mom. I’ve been thinking about her. So much that I swear she was in my room with me.”
“Oh. Baby. You know she’s watching you. We’ve talked about this so many times.”
“I know..but this was just different. I mean…I could smell her lilacs and I touched her hair. And she told me to have faith and then she disappeared…”
“Isela…if that happened that’s…”
“It’s weird. I’m not crazy.” she told him yawning.
“Isela, mi amor…go to sleep. You’ll feel better in the morning.” he said starting to sing her to sleep. By the second verse of the song she was sound asleep. “Isela?” he asked. “I love you. I love you so much.” he said hanging up the phone. He got up from the outside bench he was sitting at throwing out his cigarette butt to go into concert hall. “I need to stop that…” he said to himself.
Chapter 34
April 2012
Isela got off of his couch quickly in the middle of typing something. “Bruno! We have to go soon!” she yelled.
“Why now?” he asked trying to find her in his house.
“Because! Michelle is going to meet us at the beach right before sunset. And neither of us are ready for our engagement pictures.” she explained walking into the bathroom.
“Selly..” he grabbed her from behind as she was putting on foundation.
“Whaaaat?” she turned into him. “I can put some of this foundation on your face, pero I don’t think it’s going to match well.” she told him getting closer to his lips.
“Do whatever you want, baby.” he laughed at her. Kiss him or get ready…kiss him or put on make-up…kiss him…She looked right into his eyes kissing him lightly. He returned her kiss pushing her against the counter. He grabbed her curly hair (she hadn’t straightened it yet) continuing to kiss her. She ran her fingers through his curls moving down to his neck. Should I unbutton his shirt? We’re going to be late….Her fingers moved to his shirt. As she unbuttoned his shirt she was careful to graze her fingers across his chest. He lifted her dress over her head looking at her black and white bra and underwear. She pushed him to the other side of the bathroom kissing his neck slowly. He returned her kisses gently touching her back moving his fingers to unhook her bra.
“Bruno…we’re going to be late…” she said feeling his hands on her back.
“Michelle can wait…” he said lifting her up to take her into his bedroom. She continued to kiss him wrapping her arms around his waist. He put her gently down on the bed kissing her stomach running his hands against her waist.
“But the sun won’t…” she said through her deep breaths.
“We’ll take the pictures tomorrow, baby.” he said looking up her smiling as he moved his hands down to take off her panties.
“Oh my godddd.” she felt his mouth against her as he moved farther down between her legs.
“You taste so good.” he said seductively.
“Bruno….I need you.” she told him.
“I need you too, baby. I need you too…” he repeated moving against her. He wrapped his arms around her back carefully flipping her on top of him. She pinned his arms down to see him lick his lips. “Isela. You’re so hottttt..” He said looking deep into her eyes. He put his arms around her waist sitting up to hold her tightly.
“Ohh Brunoooo. Oh my gosh. You are soooo oh my god.” she fell on top of him with a big sigh. He kissed her hair smelling the fruity shampoo. She got up grabbing her dress and underwear to get dressed. “I taste good? You’re so gross.” she winked at him turning around getting ready for their engagement photos. “Oh..and your hair curly is way hotter than straight, babe.” she told him as he got up to get dressed.
**
They at the beach a few minutes before the sun was to set.
“We’re sorry, Chelle. I promise..traffic was bad…” Isela apologized hurrying to get to her.
“Okay, okay…” Michelle was a close friend from college whose day job was as a 2nd grade teacher, but was a stellar photographer as a side hustle. “Take off your shoes..y’all are getting in.”
“The water?” Isela asked.
“Yeah…get in.” Michelle responded. Bruno looked down at his pants realizing they were going to get wet.
“Yes, your pants are gonna get wet…” Michelle told him.
“Okay..okay..I can deal. I’m a rock star.” Bruno answered.
“That’s the Bruno I know!” Michelle exclaimed. “No you two just stand real close, look into each other’s eyes and be yourselves. That’s all I want..is the two of you.” Michelle instructed.
Bruno grabbed Isela running into the water. “Put me down! I don’t want to get that wet….” she yelled at him. He laughed at her reaction giving her one of the biggest smiles she had ever seen. She looked deep into his eyes lifting her head up to kiss him. His arms slipped slightly as she pulled away from the kiss. She started to scream as she started to fall out of his hands. He caught her laughing so hard that they both stopped breathing for a few seconds. “I hate you so much, Bruno!” she said after he put her down on the ground.
“I love you, Isela….” he said leaning in to kiss her.
Michelle, Bruno and Isela sat next to each other on a bench by the beach after the sun went down.
"These are so perfect..." Isela said in awe. "Especially the one where he's about to drop me..."
Chapter 35
Isela parked her car in front of the doctor’s office. Bruno was in the passenger seat holding her hand tightly.
“I don’t know why this always scares me…” she looked at him concerned. “I haven’t had an abnormal test since 2008…” she rationalized her fears out loud.
“Isela..it’s okay to be scared. I’m here for you…” he told her gently. She smiled at his sincerity holding his hand tightly as they walked toward the gynecologist’s office.
They waited for 15 minutes watching the Food Network on the big tv.
“God, I want to be able to eat that…” Isela told him.
“Ms. Ortiz?” they heard a nurse call her. He squeezed her hand as she stood up with a nervous smile on her face.
“I’m here if you need me, baby.” He reassured her.
**
“Isela..everything looks good. “ the doctor told her sitting down on the small rolling chair.
“Can I ask you a question Dr. Guerrero?” she replied.
“If it’s something I can answer, Isela…” the doctor answered.
“How hard will it be to have children?” she asked.
“Well…” the doctor pondered her patient’s question. “It’s not going to be a surprise for you when it happens. Your cervix is a little smaller than it should be. It could stretch causing a premature birth. But, it’s not impossible. It’s actually quite common. We’ll just have to watch you very, very closely.”
“So it’s not impossible?” she asked again.
“No, Isela. It’s not.”
“But everything I read…said that it never happens after all of this…I want children…” she wondered out loud.
“Ms. Ortiz…I have worked with many women who have your issues. I am going to refer you to a specialist.” The doctor went to the cabinet grabbing a card. “He is wonderful. And he will guide you and your husband through the whole process. And you’ll have a beautiful family.” the doctor told her.
Isela took the card from her doctor’s hand. “Thank you.”
“Good, now go schedule your next visit and let me know if you need anything else.” the doctor finished.
Isela walked out of the office with a smile on her face. She took Bruno’s hand as he stood waiting for her.
“Everything is okay, then?” he asked.
“It’s better than okay…” she told him as they closed the door of the doctor’s office. “She said I could have babies…and it’s not going to be as hard as we thought…” she told him as they entered the empty elevator.
“What? Serious!” he had a huge smile on his face.
“Yes! Serious!” she exclaimed. He wrapped his arms around her lifting her off the ground.
“Your boy Bruno is the father!” he took her hand leading her out of the elevator. He started to dance as she walked behind him.
“You are so embarrassing, Bruno.” she laughed at him.