Newton Neighbors (New England Trilogy) (49 page)

By early afternoon, the entire family had assembled in Leticia’s house, and the smell of roast pig hung tantalizingly in the air. Drinks were poured and the feast commenced. There were traditions Cody had heard about but never witnessed. For example—just for fun—everybody wore
pava
s, straw hats they would use later for the
parranda
.
 

“It’s a bit like your ghosting,” Maria explained to her son. “We’ll have a good old sing-along here after dinner, and then we’ll go surprise a few of the neighbors.”

“Give them candy?”

Leticia hugged him. “No, we’ll surprise them by arriving on their door and having a sing-along—a bit like caroling but with Puerto Rican songs. When we’re done, we’ll move on to the next house.”

The boy nodded and smiled, like it was all very normal to him, and Maria marveled at how adaptable kids were.

Now it was getting dark. She pulled herself up off the bed, knowing that if she didn’t move soon, she’d fall asleep. Her kids would be up till three or four in the morning singing and dancing with the adults. She was out of practice, she mused as she fetched her aquamarine wrap and headed back outside to the party.
   

The noise level had risen since she’d left them. Everybody was full of food and needed to burn some energy, and all the kids were back in the pool. Maria smiled because it was so nice to be somewhere warm enough to swim outside in December. The dads dove in next and played rough with all the boys. It was remarkable that, between Maria and her sisters, there were nine boys. Alice was the only girl, and she was passed around like a doll. Alice loved all the attention, but it exhausted her and she soon nodded off in her stroller.

The noise level was high, so when the doorbell rang, Maria didn’t even hear it. Lola and Carlos arrived to cheers of
Feliz Navidad
, and the boys tried to get Carlos into the pool. He looked like he was prepared for the midnight swim, because he didn’t take much convincing and he had a swimsuit on under his clothes. She didn’t mean to look when he stripped down, but Maria couldn’t help noticing what great shape Carlos was in. He looked as good now as he had back when they’d dated.

“Bring back memories,
la memoria?
” Sara, Maria’s younger sister, teased her.
 

Maria shook her head and snapped back to reality. “No, not at all.”
 

Leticia got up to answer the door again.

“It’s a letter for you,
cosa guapa
.” She handed the envelope to Maria.

“What? Where did this come from?”

“Fed Ex. Just now. I didn’t know they worked Christmas Day.” Leticia sat back down at the long table to watch the action in the pool.

Maria turned it over. She recognized the handwriting immediately. She glanced up to see if her mother was curious, but everyone was focusing on the water fun. Alice was still asleep in her stroller.

She nudged Sara who sat next to her. “Can you keep an eye out for a moment?” Maria pointed to the baby, and her little sister nodded.
 

Maria tightened the shawl around her and went into the house to read the letter. She ripped open the envelope and was surprised to see a handwritten note from Ricky. It had been a long, long time since he had done that. Everything was e-mail or text these days.

She headed for her mother’s living room at the front of the house. From there, the noise of the pool was barely audible, and she could hear herself think. Maria switched on the lamp next to the brown leather sofa and sat down to read what her husband had to say.
 

Dearest Maria,

Feliz Navidad. I guess that’s a good place to start. I hope Cody and Alice were happy with their presents and they’ve had a good day. What about you? How have the last few days been?

I’ve been in hell, Maria. I can’t do this. I can’t live without you and the kids. How did we get here? Was it me? Did you really think I was serious about that sitter? I swear nothing happened. I’m sorry if I looked at her the wrong way.
 

Yes, she was attractive, but Maria, I adore you. You’re the light of my life. I remember the first day I saw you in college and that quarterback was making moves on you. I didn’t think I had a chance but I tried anyway, and I kept trying until you agreed to go out with me. I always thought you were the single greatest treasure in my life. Then, as if all of that wasn’t enough, you gave me two more treasures. My life was complete, but now, somehow, I let you slip away. How did I do that? How stupid could I be?

Maria, I’ll give it all up. I’ll come with you to Puerto Rico. If that’s what you want, I’ll move. I’m sure I can get a job there. If it means this much to you, I’ll move. Just don’t leave me.

I love you always and forever.

Ricky

By the time she reached the last line, Maria was crying. What was she doing, so far away from her husband?

“
Hola
, Maria.” He was standing in the doorway.
 

“Jesus, I didn’t know you were here!” She grasped the arm of the sofa.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, but your mom let me in. I explained to her that I wanted to write you a letter because—well, you know why. I want to do things different this time. I’ll do it your way.”

“Oh, Ricky.” She stood and stared at him. He was wearing light blue jeans, a white shirt, and his brown suede jacket. He looked so familiar, and she started to walk across the room, but then she faltered. “Ricky, I need you to understand—Alice. I love her so much, but she doesn’t seem to want me. You and Cody can make her laugh so easy, but she just screams at me. There’s no letup. I’ve been getting more depressed, and then I saw my weight skyrocket. I could just about cope with all of that, but the day I saw you look at Jessie, I knew I’d reached a breaking point. I didn’t mean to push you away. Damn it, I wanted you to save me, even from myself, but you were either working or in that damned gym or flirting with her.” She folded the letter and put it in her pocket.

He stood where he was, looking nervous to move. “I’m sorry. I know the kids really changed things, especially Alice, but she’ll grow out of it. You know she will, and she loves you.” He took a single step toward her but stopped again. “I love you, too.” He stared at his wife. “I see now how obsessed I’ve become with work. You’re not the only one getting older, and I think work made me feel like I was making a difference. It sounds dumb, but it made me feel young.”

“What about Jessie?” She pulled the pashmina around her shoulders.

“Yes, flirting with her at Cathi’s party was not my smartest move, especially since we were just getting over a rough patch, but before you get too mad at me, I swear to you, nothing actually happened.”

“Nothing?”

“Well, I offered her a coffee one morning. It was the first time you came down here. She turned up to watch Alice, and I was so damned furious with you, I offered her a coffee.”

Maria covered her mouth with one of her hands. “What happened?”

“She blew me off. She knew I was a stupid married man and way too old for her.” Rick risked another step forward. “Honest. If you can forgive me, Maria, you need to know, I really have learned my lesson. I know you’re the only woman I want, and I’m so close to losing you.” His voice broke, and he began to weep.
 

Maria rushed over to him. “Oh, Ricky, don’t cry. I’m sorry, too.”

She wrapped her arms around him. “If I hadn’t run away, you wouldn’t have ended up in that position with her. I blame myself for this mess, too. I’m sorry I couldn’t just talk all of this out without running away like a schoolgirl.”

He lifted his tear-filled eyes and gave a miserable laugh. “Please, no more talk of schoolgirls. God, I love you.” He hugged her. The pashmina fell to the floor, and Maria kissed him like she hadn’t kissed him in years.

“Ricardo,
cariño
, I love you, too. Let’s not get this crazy ever, ever again.” She peppered his face with kisses. “And thank you for coming, for saving me, again.”

Rick laughed through his tears and kissed her back, but then Maria remembered something. “There’s an ex of mine out in the pool tonight, and I see how easy it is to appear suspicious, even if it means nothing.”

“An ex of yours here? Should I worry?” But he was smiling and wiping his tears away.
 

“No, his mother and mine are best friends. That would be a recipe for disaster.”

Maria hugged him tighter. He smelled great, too—familiar.
 

“I’m just glad to have you in my arms again.” He nuzzled his nose into her neck and breathed her in like she was his oxygen. “And what’s all this craziness about you putting on weight? How many times did I tell you in college that you were too thin?” Maria was about to disagree, but Rick continued. “You were! Now you’re just perfect. Babe, you’re still my very own weapon of mass seduction.”
 

At that moment, Maria didn’t feel fat or old. She felt like she had a decade earlier—treasured.
 

He was still talking. “I love you more than life itself. I’ll do anything, and I mean anything, to keep us together.”

He pulled out an envelope from his inside jacket pocket and handed it to Maria.

“What’s this?”

“It’s what I’ve been doing for the last two days. Michael Grant has moved into our house because he and Cathi are going through some stuff at the moment.”

Maria rolled her eyes. “What? Are they breaking up?”

“No, I don’t think so. He told me he believed in the whole for-better-for-worse thing. She’s just going through one of her ‘worse’ phases at the moment. Looking at him, I got to say he still loves her, but who knows? I offered him the house, and he’s thinking about it. He wants to take a year off to write, so he might end up renting it. It would be a heck of a lot cheaper than the one they’re in now.”

“Rent our house? But what about us? What about your work?”

“That’s what I’m telling you. I’m staying.”

Maria’s heart leapt. “You’d move here?”

“This is a copy of my letter of resignation. I handed it in yesterday. So I’m here, if you’ll have me.”

“But, Ricky, that job is your life.”

“No,
cariño
, you are. You and the kids. It’s time for a change. It’s time to put us first.”

“Shouldn’t we at least talk about this?”

“What’s there to discuss? You want to live here and I want to live with you. Business is booming in Puerto Rico. I know I’ll get a job. Are you having second thoughts about leaving Newton?”

“No! I want to live here!”

“Then so do I.”

Maria slipped her hands down and inside the denim pockets on his backside and smiled. “Hubba-hubba,” she said and kissed him.
 

“Daddy!” Cody climbed out of the pool and ran to Rick, hurling himself at his father.

“Hey, buddy. Merry Christmas. Looks like I managed to get here after all.”

“Come on, get your clothes off. All the dads are in the pool.” Cody started to pull Rick toward the water fully dressed, but Maria watched as Rick managed to sidestep the water for the few moments it took to thank his mother-in-law and greet the rest of the family. There were nephews whom Rick had never met, so it took some time, and he said wanted to see his baby girl, too. Alice slept through the reunion.

Rick excused himself and went into the house for a moment to change. When he came out, Maria couldn’t care less if Carlos had a good body—Ricky’s was better. He was hers, he was the father of her children, and he adored her—what a Christmas present.

Her mother came over and sat next to her. “
Esta bien, chica
?”

“Never better. I think things are going to be okay. Ricky says he’ll move here.”

Leticia’s eyes lit up, and she clapped with delight.

“Oh, that is the best news ever. You can all stay here until you find a good house.”

“Thanks, Mami.”

“No, thank you. I have my four daughters living here in Puerto Rico, all married to good men. I have to tell you, Maria, that is as good as it gets. This really has been the best Christmas ever.”

Chapter Thirty-Four