Mi Carino (39 page)

Diego back handed her so hard she flew into the wall. He was on her in an instant. Hands locked around her throat. Marie gasped in shock, hitting at his shoulders, kicking as her feet nearly left the ground. His grip became so tight her face went from red to purple, her eyes bulged and watered. Then he released her. She dropped to her knees hacking.

“
I’m done with you. I leave you as you left me…left us…with nothing.” He stepped toward her, his foot covering her hand he crushed it under his heel. She cried out in pain as he put more weight down on her hand. “I had planned a much different ending for you Marie, but I see now even in death you aren’t worthy. Sad Mama…I’m no different than you…that’s why I’ll enjoy your suffering.”

“
Diego!! Stop!!!” she pushed at his leg, the rings on her fingers cut through her skin, he put down more weight crushing her hand to the bone. “PLEEEAAASSE!”

His lips curled into a snarl, he hovered and hung his rage tight to his chest. He’d never have a family, never have a chance to be a better man. That was her curse. He punished Marcella and all he wanted was to punish himself. Sick, twisted, they deserved their misery. He stepped back. Marie howled, recovering her hand she looked up at him with angry tears. “I’m your mother!”

“
And I’m your son. I see that now.” He knew his cruelty. He knew how badly he had wronged the woman he loved. How empty his life would be alone. “Get the fuck out before I snap your neck!”

Marie scrambled to her feet, stumbled out on the patio to collect her purse then to the door. “They have thrown me out of my home.” She sniffed. “The attorneys have taken everything. I need…money.” she looked back at him angrily. “I’m your mother!”

Diego smiled. “Too bad for you, the wrong child lived.”

“
Burn in hell!” she shouted at him then ran out.

“
I will… I will.” He grumbled and went back out to the deck, to his bottle of tequila, into the rain.  

***

“
Marcella? Baby? It’s Mama…”

Marcella opened her eyes. Ginger had stayed in bed with her for days. If it weren’t for Susan she wouldn’t have eaten or bathed. Heartsick, she thought her mother’s voice was a figment of her imagination. But she looked up into soft brown eyes like her own. “Mama?”

“
Hi baby.” Andrea said, stroking her cheek.

“
Mama? Why are you here?” she sat up and blinked away the fugue covering her mind. “When did you get in? How…”

“
Shhh, I spoke with Susan, she picked me up from the airport. Marcella, sweetheart, why didn’t you call me?”

“
I’m so ashamed.” Marcella wept. “I’m sorry for not calling you and telling you but I’m so tired, and…”

“
Hey, hey, it’s okay.” Andrea pulled her to her breast. Marcella held her mother and told her everything. How she met Diego, how much she loved him, and their sad ending. Her mother didn’t judge her. She just listened and held her until the last tear over her ill-fated relationship fell.

“
Sometimes we can’t help who we love baby. I loved your father when everyone warned me against it.”

“
Why? Why did things end between you two? You’ve never told me.”

Andrea looked down at Marcella and smiled. She stroked her face. “Because I wanted to protect you. I wanted you to know the good in the man. He wasn’t a bad man Marcella; he just wasn’t a man who wanted commitment. Sometimes sweetheart, people show us who they are, before they ever tell us. Sometimes we see what we want to and convince ourselves of anything. And sometimes we confuse that with love. Your father wanted to be free of the expectations of his family, hell of society. He was a painter like you.”

“
I don’t paint.” Marcella scoffed.

“
You did as a little girl. But you talked yourself out of it in Art school. Thing is you never could leave what your heart desired behind. And neither could your father. I loved his spirit, his carefree attitude, and I was convinced that he and I would have the love of a lifetime. Then he told me that he would leave. Head to Paris with some friends, to do some art thing I barely understood. I was desperate to hold on to him Marcella. I… I conceived you to hold on to him.”

Marcella pulled away from her mother. “You did what?”

“
I got pregnant on purpose. We fought. He was so upset. He let his friends leave and he stayed with me. But he was miserable Marcella. He held you when you were born and it was the first time I saw him smile since I told him he was going to be a father. He did try Marcella.”

“
So he left because he didn’t want me?”

“
No. No sweetheart. He left because he didn’t want me. He loved you. The thing was he said he couldn’t be a father to you and I was so upset I told him if he left not to even try to.”

“
Oh Jesus! Mama!” she got from under the covers and stood shaking with anger. “You kept him from me!”

“
Never Marcella! Never. If he tried to reach you I would have let him see you. I loved him so much, so hard, I would have done and said anything those days. He left and never came back. His family contacted us, you remember, several times.”

“
You said they didn’t want me!”

“
They didn’t want me. They offered to take you, and raise you in South Florida with them. I wouldn’t let you go. They haven’t heard from him. We don’t even know if he’s alive. Marcella I’m so sorry.”

Marcella shook her head. “Diego never changed Mama. I did. He was who he was from the day I met him. I never tried to change him. I tried to change me. Now it’s all over and I don’t even know what we had.”

“
Call him Marcella…”

“
No! No! It’s over. I’m done. I’m done.”

Andrea walked over to her and drew her back into her arms. “Okay, then I’m here baby. For as long as you need me.”

***

“
To Marcella!” Garrett said lifting his champagne flute.

“
TO MARCELLA!” Sam and Susan cheered.

Marcella beamed. She smiled so hard her eyes teared. Susan was the first to hug her, then Sam. Garrett’s embrace was saved for last. It was all so overwhelming. How could it happen so fast, the worst and the best things in her life? She laughed at the way Susan danced around the office spilling champagne as she refreshed her glass.

“
Thank you guys, you shouldn’t have done this.”

“
What? Is she for reals? First she runs out of here on her biggest night, then stays gone for days, now she’s wanted by every antiquities collector in the country, and we shouldn’t have? Girl your modesty is sickening.” Susan laughed, tossing back the champagne and pouring more.

“
You got us here Marcella. This is you, what you’ve done, how you’ve turned this gallery around, Katchner’s discovery brought the attention of the world here.” Garrett kissed her. “I’m proud of you. We all are.”

Garrett picked up the paper and handed it to her. “Did you even read the Times? Read the article?”

“
I was too nervous.” She lied taking another sip. She was wounded for the first three days nursing her broken heart. Only Susan knew how deeply she mourned the end of her relationship with Diego. Then her mother flew in. Something remarkable happened. She healed. She finally got the strength to return to work and now she was completely overwhelmed with joy and excitement. She felt like herself again.

“
Well they talk more of you than they do of Katchner. How you persuaded him to have his unveiling here, what you’ve done for the gallery, where you will go next. Marcella this is it dah-ling. You’ve outdone them all. Take a bow.”

She bowed and they clapped. Marcella blinked back tears of happiness. “Yeah, I did.” She said softly.

“
Well I think we should celebrate.” Sam said rising from Garrett’s chair.

“
Celebrate? That’s what we’re doing.” Susan choked, covered her lips and giggled.

“
No! Dinner, dancing, take Marcella out on the town. You up for it?”

Marcella accepted the newspaper; she stared at the article with Katchner’s picture. He stood in front of his discovery. He looked forlorn, uncomfortable in his success.

“
Marcella?”

Her eyes looked up. “No, no, not tonight.”

“
Guys let me work on her. We’ll do something! I promise.”

Sam shrugged. “We will celebrate, and you will enjoy it.” Sam said pointing a finger at her then walking out. Garrett followed. As soon as the door closed Susan gave her that look.

“
So you know I haven’t pressed, but it…”

“
I know it’s been two weeks.”

“
Sweetie, has he called?”

“
Wouldn’t know, I changed my number again remember.” Marcella looked away. She took another sip of the champagne but her hand trembled holding the glass. It was over, her choice not his. She was determined to keep it that way.

“
Garrett make you the offer?”

Marcella licked her lips. She set the empty flute down on the desk. “Paris? He can’t hold water. He made me the offer, this partnership with Dubois? It sounds interesting.”

“
And?”

“
It looks like a new beginning for me. A fresh start.”

“
But Paris? Wow. I’d love to visit but damn, to move there Marcella. Are you sure?”

Marcella thought of her father. How he left for Paris and never returned. The lengths her mother had gone to for a man she loved, and her existence because of it. “I haven’t said yes.”

“
You haven’t said no.”

“
I don’t know Susan. I’ve had the best and worst things happen to me all at once. I’m kind of trying to stand still for a minute. To catch my breath.”

Susan walked over, her arms open. “Then I was wrong. You aren’t the ‘U-type’ of girl. You are definitely the ‘Me-type’ of girl. To walk away from a man you love no matter how bad things were takes courage Marcella. I’m proud of you girl for putting you first. Richard, Diego, whatever, they’re the losers in this not you.”

Marcella turned into her arms with tears in her eyes. “Then why does it hurt so bad?”

“
Awe sweetie, it’ll take time, it always does. You know that.” Susan held her. “It’s okay, you always got me!”

“
Excuse me,” Sam said sticking her head in.

The two of them separated, both wiping under their eyes. “Marcella, you got a delivery of flowers out here.”

Marcella rolled her eyes and turned away. “Throw them in the trash. Tell the delivery boy to take them away and not to come back or I’ll call the police.”

“
Hun, it’s a personal delivery.”

Susan frowned. Marcella turned her eyes stretching in disbelief. “Diego’s here?”