Chapter 80

Puerto Cruz, 2015.

Esmeralda Rosaria Calderón y de la Cruz heard a knock on the sturdy, oak door of what used to be her father’s study. Now, it belonged to her ever since she relocated back from San Diego, U.S.A. with her wife, Aurelia Estefanía Calderón y de la Cruz, three years back. Her parents had decided to get an early retirement and were now living in their family estate somewhere in Andalucía.

“Come on in,” she said, taking her gaze away from her laptop screen. Her face lit up when she her brother, Carlos. She had been expecting him all morning.

“Esme,” he said as he walked into the study. She got up from the leather seat to meet him halfway. They shared a warm embrace.

“Nice to see you,” she said, moving away from him. She gestured towards the beige sofas on the other side of the study.

“I was only gone for a month and you’re missing me so much.” He smirked as he teased, and adjusted his grey suit. Compared with ten years ago, his hair seemed darker and he had gotten a little chubbier, but he looked great as ever.

“I know,” Esme shrugged and sat on the single armchair. Carlos sat opposite her. “You’re welcome. I take it Puerto Rico was good to you, no?”

“Well, there were sights to see.” He grinned. “Simona sends her regards, by the way. She says she’ll call you later.”

“You really got married to my friend. You never told me your fascination with my friends.”

“I promise, this time around, I have good intentions.”

“I believe you, brother.”

“You know, I never imagined we’d ever be a couple. She could not stand me at first. But then she warmed up to me, and three years later, here we are. I have your homecoming party to thank for that.”

Esme sighed. “Reminds me of Aurelia and me. I guess it happens. Love happens.”

“Have you heard from the parents? Yes, we had a Skype call yesterday afternoon with Aurelia and the twins. They send their greetings. Those two seem to be having a blast, too. See why you should marry your friend?”

“I totally get that. And where is Aurelia?”

“She is with the twins at the lake. I’d have joined them, but had to take some calls, this morning. And when you called saying you were coming over, I had more reasons to stay back here.”

“I could have met you all there.”

“Oh, well...” She shrugged.

She had cut her long tresses, and now they stopped at her shoulders. Her cheekbones were more pronounced, making her eyes seem greener. The years were good on Esme. The younger version of her almost paled in comparison to her now. Well, she had good genes. Carlos joked with her about being a vampire.

“You mentioned something to me about an amusement park.”

“Yes. This place has such potential. If I don’t do it now, someone in the future would do it. The future is now. I’m having ideas. I will run it through you all in good time.”

Carlos gave her a big smile. “Like I said, that would be a great idea. More business avenues. We get to open the hacienda to people. The land is large. We have the vineyards and all that.”

“I am thinking we could have something like a bar over here. People can come and taste the wine, see how it is grown. I see school children coming here for excursions, too.”

“You’ve always been the smart one between us.”

Esme smiled at the compliment. “Thank you.”

They stared at each other as silence stretched between them.

“I never would have thought we would be like this.” Carlos dangled his index finger between them. “Like, I would not hate you; you would not hate me.”

“I’m forever grateful for everything that happened.”

They caught up some more, and by the time it was midday, Carlos said it was time for him to return to the office. “But I’d like to see Aurelia and the twins before I get going.”

They soon made their way to the lake, hand in hand.

As the twins, two girls aged five, sighted him, cries of “Uncle Carlos!” rent the air. They left Aurelia where she was sitting on a picnic mat, and ran towards Esme and Carlos.

Carlos was already laughing, while his hands were spread wide open, “Who are my favorite nieces in the whole wide world?”

The girls with their dark, raven hair, just like their mom, ran into Carlos’s embrace. With each of them on both arms, he lifted them off the ground, thereby placing them on his hips.

Aurelia walked to meet them. “Carlos, welcome.” She gave him a tired smile and a gentle wave.

Esme leaned closer to her and wrapped her arms around her, “Babe, did you stress yourself?”

“No, I didn’t.” She pecked Esme on the lips.

“Sure?” Esme’s gaze travelled from Aurelia’s face down to her gently protruding belly. “The doctor says you should take things easy in the second trimester.”

“I wanted to see the lake with them. And the outdoor air would be great for me.”

“They wore you out,” Esme observed.

“Baby, no. I’m fine,” Aurelia smiled brightly. “But if you offer feet rubs later in the evening, I don’t mind.”

“Just that?” Esme stared at her quizzically.

“Uh-huh.”

“See why I married you? You’re easy to please.”

This made them giggle. Esme caressed Aurelia’s stomach through the fabric of the purple caftan she was wearing.

“Mama E, Mama A,” Mercedes called out from Carlos’s arms, breaking the love haze between them. “Uncle Carlos says he is going to take us to Argentina on his next trip.”

Aurelia looked away from Esme’s gaze and asked, “Did he now?”

“Yes,” Macarena replied, nodding her head with so much gusto. “We’re going to Argentina, and we’ll dance tango when we get there.” She clapped excitedly.

“Carlos, don’t put ideas in my girls’ heads,” Aurelia said in a faux warning tone. “Next thing, all we will hear about in this house is Argentina, Argentina, and tango.”

“But Mama A, we can go!” Macarena said stubbornly, removing the locks of hair that had fallen across her face. Carlos gave a hearty laugh.

“I thought you were excited to see your abuela Natalia in France? Was that not our plans for summer?” Aurelia leaned into Esme, and Esme snaked her arm around her waist.

“When we come back from France, we’ll go to Argentina,” Mercedes said.

“Okay, when your Uncle Carlos is going to Argentina, I guess he’ll have to take you,” Aurelia said, pretending to concede.

The girls whooped in excitement and gave each other a high-five. Carlos joined in their laughter.

Aurelia turned to look into Esme’s eyes. “Do you think our three kids would form something like a union? Like, they would have this thing in their teenage years where they form an alliance against us?”

“Babe, why so bleak?”

“That is what kids of nowadays do.”

“We’re always going to be a family, you know that, right?”

Aurelia sighed, “I know. The pregnancy hormones. Was this how it was for you?”

“I think so? I was thinking up weird scenarios that would never happen. You remember how I thought you were going to break up with me because I was pregnant and you would not think I looked sexy?”

“Baby, you were crazy.” They laughed.

“I love you. Your family loves you. We love you. All of us. Me, Merce, Maca, and little Alonzo. We all love you.”

“I know, baby.” Aurelia dabbed the side of her eyes.

Soon, Carlos left the hacienda. But before leaving, Aurelia made him promise he would come over for lunch on Saturday with Simona.

After dinner, Esme and Aurelia tucked the girls into bed.

Back in their bedroom, they lay cuddled up in bed. Esme’s arm was wrapped about Aurelia. Aurelia pressed her back into her, and Esme moaned at the contact.

Aurelia chuckled. “It’s amazing that your body always responds to mine after all these years.”

“You don’t play fair, sweetheart,” Esme murmured against Aurelia’s ear. She sucked in her earlobe, thereby eliciting a gasp from her.

“Neither do you. So we’re even.” Aurelia intertwined her fingers with Esme’s, which were on her tummy.

“I love you,” Esme said, and placed a gentle kiss on Aurelia’s nape.

“I love you.”

“I think we should try that synced breathing thing we do before we fall asleep.”

“Until I met you, I never knew falling asleep with someone could be this beautiful.”

“And magical,” Esme murmured. “Don’t forget that part.”

Soon, Aurelia turned about to face her. They were staring into each other’s eyes, sharing the same breath.

“I’ll count us down,” Esme said softly.

Aurelia nodded. Then pressed her lips to Esme’s. “Okay, baby.”

“Ten.” They both inhaled for four seconds at that.

Then they held their breaths for four more seconds.

Then they exhaled for six seconds. Then held their breath for six more.

“Nine.”

They repeated the breath cycle.

As Esme counted down, both women were feeling sleepy, with their eyelids fluttering shut.

And by the time Esme said, “One,” they both fell asleep at the same time.

The End