Chapter 9: Paloma
Merciful
rain comes down, warm drops falling on us, destroying the fire and the stench of
death all around us. I'm so happy as I watch Charity and Jake embrace and the
doll-boy comes running to hug Charity. The fright of the whole thing has
destroyed me and I faint, dead away.
~*~
I
wake up to the walls of Charity and Miguel's guest room in the house where they
live together on the island. The light green walls are comforting and the smell
of apricots is in the air. I gaze around and see Jake looking down at me.
"Prima." He whispers. "Charity! Miguel! Everyone! She's
awake!" He yells. I hear footsteps on the steps but no-one enters the room.
"What
happened?"
"You fainted.
It's been three days!" He smiles at me. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah."
"Paloma,
what's wrong?" he asks.
"Nothing," I say. Then the door opens and my whole family comes in:
Sheridan and Luis with Katie and baby Noah, Theresa, Ethan, Charity, Timmy,
Miguel, Mamma, Jessica, the Bennetts, and Faith Standish.
"My
baby!" Mamma says, tears spilling down her cheeks. She holds me close and
rocks me back and forth, and we sit like that for a while.
Everyone leaves but Jake. "I thought you were gone. Paloma, you just
crumpled." Tears streak his face and I kiss them away.
"I would have
held on," I say. "For you."
"Paloma, do
you realize it's your birthday?"
"It is? It's
June, isn't it?"
"Yes, you are
now eighteen years old, Paloma."
"Finally! Oh,
I just want to dance, and sing, and dance, and sing, and kiss you..."
"You'd better
not dance," he warns me. "But you can do all the other stuff.
Especially the last one." He smiles and flops down on my other side and we
surrender again to our passion.
A
month passes, and I wake up with a weird feeling. I make my way to the bathroom
and there I throw up, knowing right away what has just happened. I'm pregnant.
Jake must have heard me puke, because he comes running towards me. "What's
wrong?"
"Oh...Jake.
I'm... I'm... I'm pregnant."