Chapter 255 - She's Our Mother - mtres
Miguel
How could they give me this news just hours after my son was born? Now I had mixed feelings, and one made me feel bad for the other.
"Miguel," she was hugging Inés, and we were still in the office. "After lunch, go get the suitcase I left in my room; I'm going to take care of Diana during her breastfeeding for these forty days."
"You're sick..."
"Don't even think about treating me like an invalid now because the anger will make that lump in my head explode! We'll continue as we have, and I'll work until I collapse in bed like a vegetable. I don't want anyone bothering me with saying I can't do anything!"
We all burst out laughing at her reprimand. I hugged and kissed her on the forehead, knowing I would have her at my house for a few days. I kissed her forehead again.
"You’re the boss."
"Thank you. I'm still alive, as Josefina told me. I have the privilege of not being in the constant fear that they might kill one of my children. That's a blessing. I need all of you to watch over Arnold. I don't want him to relapse into alcohol or drugs; you know how hard it was for him. Please, don't neglect my boy."
"Let's hope Lupe helps control him."
"I hope so too. Let's have lunch. From now on, I ask that we dine together, those of us at Blanco and the farms. I want to share days together. In that, I will be a bit spoiled. At the house where I am." She asked for what she had instilled in us.
"Soon, we will all be living nearby," Aníbal commented.
"Guys," Roland spoke, already standing. "We'll keep working on the operation, the companies, and now finding specialists, treatments, or whatever it takes to get that thing out of my mom."
"To God," said Verónica, and Inés agreed. "Everyone, in our own way of praying, let's ask the only one who can miraculously give us life for Inés."
"That's enough for me," she said, smiling and clinging to my waist. My girl was a little taller than my Little One.
"Inés, as you asked us to continue normally, we notify you and everyone present that Gustavo and I are pregnant," said Gladis.
"Thank God!" she exclaimed with that smile that showed us... Life goes on, and this was what she wanted. Now we had to find a way to save her. Inés ran to hug them.
"Old lady, don't you dare die without meeting my child, considering the trouble I went through to conceive."
We laughed; it wasn't just Mrs. Josefina who stuffed him with things. A few months ago, when he told us he seemed to have trouble conceiving, Inés started giving him smoothies.
"You realize God's hand is in this."
"And everything you and my mom gave me to drink."
"You also need to meet mine," Aníbal commented.
"For my part, I'll cling to life until I have a heart attack and die suddenly. I've always asked not to be bedridden. Let's eat; I have a newborn grandchild to care for. In four months, Sergio will be born, and in about eight months, another one."
She looked at Shirly, and as if given an order, she put her hand on her forehead.
"Yes, my captain!" we laughed again. "My Black, we need to work the handle."
"That gets worked all the time, Sweetheart; you're the one who needs to stop blocking your eggs."
"No more contraceptives," she said, blushing.
We all left the office with a bit of peace. Our glances were evident, but now we had faith. After a noisy and smiling lunch, full of the usual jokes, except for Arnold, who we knew was at the stream, according to what Roland talked with Lupe.
We arrived at the Oasis. I informed my wife, who cried, and then I regretted it when Inés scolded me, and she couldn't breastfeed Augusto because of the shock of the news. My girl gave me a few knocks for being such a brute; well-deserved, given my wife's nickname for me.
"But how was I supposed to know that if a woman is breastfeeding and gets a shock, her milk could sour?"
"You're not more of a brute because you're not older. Here, take this thermos to Dianita so she can prepare the baby’s bottle for today."
"What are you going to do?"
"Supervise dinner. Today, and for forty days, you'll have the house full at night." That made me smile.
"I love you, old lady. You may have that lump in your head, but you're going to live as you deserve."
"Like a princess," she teased.
"No, like a queen."
"Who’s going to put up with you now?"
"You," I said, taking the thermos and heading to the room.
"I'm sorry I wasn't with you when you got the news," Diana said once I entered the room. She was still crying. Now it was her turn; we had done it a few hours ago.
"We'll do everything possible to keep her alive."
"I know that. With how intense you all are."
Augusto started crying. Isaac was napping, with his nanny watching over him. I prepared a one-ounce bottle and held my son. Having him in my arms was a privilege. I couldn't believe that I, a complete brute, could create something so pure. I started feeding him the bottle. I realized that no one was born tainted; it was circumstances and treatment that led humanity astray. What a tremendous task we parents had.
"Thank you, love." I kissed that tiny head. "I forgot to tell you, Gustavo and Gladis are expecting."
"Finally!" she smiled. "Life is eerily perfect, some die, others are born, some fight to stay alive, and others are conceived to start living."
"That's right, Little One. Also, Inés asked all the women to pamper us a lot, give us plenty of love, and never, ever die before us."
"Of everything you said, Beast, I only believe the last part."
"Are you that sure?" I burped my baby.
"Absolutely, because if I were to leave, you would stop being a tamed beast and become a wild and uncontrollable one."
After my son let out a small burp, he fell asleep. I placed him in his crib and knelt before my wife.
"In that last part, you are right. I, Miguel García, would become a soulless beast if your little oasis stopped giving me life." My wife's eyes filled with tears.
"Stop talking before you mess it up. Now kiss me. I love it when your romantic side comes out." I kissed her eagerly.
"No romantic side here, it's just that I'm struggling with this damn abstinence from being with you."
"You messed it up."
"Yet, you love me."
"Even after my death."
…………
Gustavo
I told my mother I would have dinner at Miguel's house, and she told me to go. Everyone else stayed to finish setting up the apartment with Gladis, who started vomiting as soon as she found out she was pregnant. It was all psychological, but I didn't care, I wanted to pamper my Queen. My sisters spoke perfect English, but my mother didn't. I stayed in the apartment, thinking. Gladis had taken my credit card; she had to furnish the entire apartment. I stayed with Enrique.
"Dad, is Grandma Inés going to die?"
"Son, on our part, we will do everything possible to make sure that doesn't happen."
With his head down, he sat beside the only chair we had. At that moment, a message from Roland arrived in the family chat.
"Inés, your appointments start in two weeks. Tonight, I'll give you the itinerary, and we'll decide who will accompany you to each appointment with the top neurologists. There are four, two in the United States, one in Germany, and one in Spain."
I smiled. That was Roland, always looking for alternatives. He managed to keep his composure, but his mind must have been racing.
"Don't let my lunch digest," responded Inés. We all wrote that she had to undergo the treatment, that it was the agreement, that she had to let us feel useful.
"Roland, I'll take her to one of the destinations in the United States," I replied. I didn't want to be too far from my Queen, especially now that she was so affectionate.
"I'll take her to Germany," Arnold responded, and I was glad to see his reply.
"Thank you, sons. Arnold, I'll see you for dinner at Miguel's house; the rest already know. I love you," replied Inés. I stared at the screen for a long time. It was a complex feeling.
"Love you more, old lady."
"I see you're in a good mood, everyone who can come, I'll be waiting."
"I'll go to Spain," replied Simón.
"I'll go to the other U.S. destination," wrote Daniel.
"Well, if those doctors can't help, we'll find others. We'll talk tonight," replied Roland.
We looked for a movie to watch with Ernesto. The kid watched it while I remembered my black queen's advice, when she told me never to stop helping my mother. At first, it hurt so much that my mother didn't want to see me or accept money. I wanted to get her out of the poverty we lived in. It was Inés who advised me to use my sister to help my mother. And that's what I did.
"God, don't take her from me. You know I love her like my mother. Never make us choose to take her life. Old Josefina would say these are tests, what a tough test. Just give us the strength, Lord."
The women in my life arrived with bags full of things. When Gladis handed me back the card, she just smiled.
"The expenses were 60/40, I don't have that much money."
"I'm going to erase what you just said from my mind."
"I want to feel like I'm contributing, that I work too, Gus. I want everything to be bought by both of us. The things will arrive tomorrow, but we did bring the laundry and kitchen stuff. We also did some grocery shopping."
"Won't you come with me to dinner at Miguel's?"
"Not today, I want to stay with my mother-in-law. Tomorrow I will. Besides, Roland told me he already had the design for our ranch. I want to see if I need to change anything."
"You won't change a thing. He always does things to our liking."
"Are you that sure?"
"Queen, I bet my brother included one or several kiosks, a place to put stools, hang hammocks, and thatched roofs without me saying a word. I bet our ranch will be a replica of the large estates in Córdoba."
"And if he knows me so well, how will he mix that with my style?"
"The inside of the house will be a masterpiece of sophistication and good taste, like a chef's kitchen and luxurious bathrooms."
"Do you think I'm cold?"
"No, love. It's just that we are the princess and the farmer."