After the doctor stuffs me full of painkillers, only a little soreness remains and I decide to drive down to the orphanage after all. Not only do I want to see Rosanna, but when Mateo doesn't answer his phone, my worry about whether he made it back okay also reaches a new level.

Just after the fork in the road, I take the narrow forest path to the left that leads to the cabins used for staff housing. His motorcycle is parked next to the small porch and the shutters are closed; something that usually only happens when he's at home in bed.

After my knocks go unanswered, I pound against the door with my flat hand. "Mateo, open up."

Nothing.

Maybe I should kick in the door. Or at least try to pick the lock. How hard can that be? Rosanna always keeps a few extra hair pins in the Jeep and it looks easy enough in the movies.

Before I can make up my mind, shuffling drifts through the door. The key turns in the lock and the door swings back. Mateo looks like crap with disheveled hair and dark circles under his eyes. He yawns behind his raised hand.

Still wired from my fight with Miguel, I shove him back into the house without giving him a chance to say anything. The wall in the hallway breaks his fall.

"Hell, Mateo, you scared me half to death. Why don't you at least answer your goddamn phone?"

"I didn't hear it ring." He runs his fingers through his hair, messing it up even more. "What time is it?"

"Almost nine. Don't you have to get ready for work?" Last time I checked, classes start at nine thirty.

"No. After I got home last night, I couldn't sleep, so I texted Pearson this morning that I wouldn't be in until later."

What a fucked-up work ethic. Mayor Conde would have my ass if I asked for time off just because I was a little sleep deprived. "Speaking of last night, what the hell were you doing at the rebel camp?"

"I met with someone."

"With a rebel?" I snort. "That's treason, Mateo. I could shoot you right now and no one would care."

"We both know you'd never shoot me, so let's cut the crap."

He is right about that one. Whatever he does, he's still the only family I have left. "Why were you meeting with the rebels?"

"What do you think? They want me to join them."

I snort again. This is so absurd, I don't even have words to describe it. "I hope you aren't considering it." Brother or not, I won't be able to protect him if he crosses sides. And sooner or later, we will face each other in battle. It's a scenario I don't want to imagine.

"Honestly, I'm not sure." He rubs his chin the way he usually does when a situation confuses him. "I've had a few meetings with them over the past couple of months. Méndez seems to have his shit together. Did you know he was a close friend of Dad's?"

My jaw unhinges and it takes all my effort to keep the shock from my face. "You met with General Méndez?"

"Yes, last night."

"Ho oh, back up. Méndez was there last night?"

"I turned his deputy down, so I guess he wanted to try to change my mind himself."

My incredulous laugh is meant to hide my rising anger. Mateo is heading straight on a collision path with death. Why can't he see the ridiculousness of the situation? And why are the rebels so keen on him joining them in the first place? How will he further their cause? He doesn't even have military experience.

My hands ball to fists, but I control the impulse to punch him in the mouth. It was reckless of him to meet with Méndez, and worse, I'm the one stuck in the middle now. If I had risked his career like this, he'd be at my throat. "Hell, Mateo, you can't just go and meet with the head of the rebels and then come back here as if it wasn't a big deal. If you had been caught with him, they wouldn't even have asked for your name before executing you. And then they'd shoot me just because we are family."

His smile is thin. "You're exaggerating."

The calmness in his voice proves too much. My fist tightens and I punch him hard in the shoulder. He stumbles back, but the wall saves him once again.

"And I can't believe you're even considering joining them. What happened to staying out of politics?" My words shake with anger.

"Well, it's hard to do in a small country like Malaguay. At some point, you almost have to choose sides. I only stayed at the orphanage to keep an eye on you because I promised Mom, but it looks like you're set on screwing up your life, no matter what."

I frown. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, come on, Tomás. You joined the regime that killed our parents as if it was nothing."

How often does he intend to bring this up? "Wake up, brother! We live in times of constant war, and our parents were casualties."

Maybe it would be different if I still remembered them, but I don't. In these types of civil conflicts, there's no right or wrong. You only have the top dog and the underdog. I've always wanted to play on the winning team and not hide out in the mountains in constant fear of capture, hoping for a minute of fame that might never come. My whole childhood, I was the little orphan who everyone pitied. No respect whatsoever from anyone. At least if I die fighting for my country, my life will have meant something.

"In this case, you should respect my choices, just as I've respected yours. I could never fight on the side of the regime responsible for killing Mom and Dad. That's just sick." The resentment in Mateo's eyes catches me off guard. He must have carried this bitterness with him for years.

"How did the rebels even make contact with you?"

"Through Yolanda."

My laugh is even more incredulous this time. This is a downright betrayal. "You've been talking to our sister? Mateo, she dumped us at the orphanage and never even checked on us once. How can you ignore that?"

"Trust me, she had her reasons. You should go and talk to her. Might be a real eye-opener." The resentment on my brother's face has reached a new level. Knowing him, he's about to lose his temper, which only happens on rare occasions. Yet what is even more disturbing is this new distance that has formed between us without me even noticing.

I open and close my fists to pump out the anger that is still burning hot under the surface.

Calm down, Tomás.

Beating my brother to a pulp won't make him change his mind.

"I'll never forgive our sister for abandoning us." She and her uppity husband, who is a member of the Vera clan, have had plenty of opportunities to make things right. They blew any chance with me. "I can't tell you what to do, Mateo, but joining the rebels is a death sentence. Mark my words."

"Like I said, I'm not sure yet what I'll do, but I'm keeping my options open."

Unable to stand the sight of him any longer without risking for my anger exploding, I storm out of the house. Screw him. Next time, I'll let him get blown to pieces. Slamming the door of the Jeep shut, I turn the key in the ignition. In the state I'm in, the only person who will be able to calm me down is my girlfriend. My heart yearns for her after my brother's betrayal.

I floor the pedal and the Jeep takes off with spinning tires. As I race down the forest path, I jump over a bump in the road, almost losing control of the car. I don't care. I don't slow down until I roll behind the bushes in my usual hiding space. Exhaling through tight lips, I try to calm the turmoil inside me. A little tension seeps out of me, but my body still trembles with anger. By the time I reach the dorms, I have settled down enough for my hand not to shake when I tap against the window.

Rosanna opens it and gasps. "Oh my god, Tomás, what happened to your face?"

"Just a boxing fight. No biggie." Smiling at her hurts, but I keep a brave face. In her condition, she shouldn't worry. I peek around her to look for Dolores. She is stretched out on the bed; when I call out her name, she turns her head.

"Can you cover for us?"

She looks torn. "We have classes. What should I tell Pearson?"

I grin. One thing he never questions is these female problems that come once a month. During those days, he stays away from the girls as if they have the plague. Rosanna and I have played on this plenty of times before. "Just tell him that Rosanna isn't feeling well because she's got her period."

Unease is still on Dolores's face, but then she nods. "Okay."

It's my girlfriend's cue to climb out the window.

~~~~

Not even an hour later, Rosanna and I scramble across the rock field to get to our special spot. The backpack I carry is stuffed with a sleeping bag and plenty of drinks and snacks, and the straps cut into my shoulders as I help Rosanna keep her balance. By the time we get to Pool's Rock, my whole body screams in agony from the effort. Rosanna coos around me with relentlessness, making sure I'm comfortable on the sleeping bag before filling a cup with water from the pool. When she presses a wet cloth to the cut on my forehead, I flinch back. Though she means well, it hurts like hell. Sometimes, her smothering is too much.

Exhaling through tight lips, I close my eyes in an attempt to relax. Hell, she's only trying to make me feel better. As I shift to get more comfortable, the even bickering of the falling water carries me away. The warm caress of the morning breeze is soothing. In this position, I could lie here all day. It's so peaceful. The pain and soreness in my muscles ease with every breath. God, I love this place. Even my fight with Mateo doesn't seem as bad anymore.

Rosanna's lips brush my forehead. "And Miguel did this?"

"Yep, he did." I'm sure Juana is nursing him back to health as we speak. What she sees in him is still a mystery to me.

"Are you hurting a lot?"

I gaze at her through hooded eyes and smile to camouflage the pain. "Just a little." Toughing it out is part of the job description of a soldier.

Rosanna opens the small backpack she brought. "I wrote you another poem."

"Read it to me." I close my eyes again to focus on her voice. It's so melodic, I could listen for hours.

"Don't you feel the countless wistful thoughts, slipping past my lips? Wandering around your unhearing notice. Stretching my fingers, searching for your presence, maybe we could meet here . . . between the creases of this book. Like a scented memory of a buried flower, cure me of this longing hour, cloak my space with your love, and when this fading ink reaches your hold"—she pauses, smiling down on me—"there won't be distances no more . . ."

When she stays silent, I roll on my side. "It's beautiful." I stroke her belly. "Can you feel anything yet?"

"No, but I have to pee all the time and my boobs hurt a little."

"We need to tell Pearson soon. I want you to have a proper check-up."

She turns her head to avoid my gaze. "I'm really scared, Tomás."

Tell me about it. "It'll be all right. He'll blame me more than you."

When her gaze returns to me, her eyes sparkle with tears. "But I don't want him to be mad at you."

It's unavoidable. "I'll have to face him like a man. As long as I take responsibility, he'll get over it."

"I hope so."

I wipe away a few loose tears with my thumb. "Hey, don't worry. I promise I'll take care of it."

She smiles.

I pat the sleeping bag in front of me. "Come here."

"Won't that hurt you?"

Who cares? I long for her warm body. Curling my arm around her midsection, I rest my hand on the part of her stomach that should soon show a bump. Maybe being a dad is not so bad after all. "Would you rather have a boy or a girl?"

She shifts to get more comfortable; when her elbow pokes my bruised ribs, I bite my lip to suppress a groan.

"I don't really care as long as it's healthy. You?"

What man doesn't want a son as his firstborn? "I don't care either."

She snorts. "Tomás Araya, you're such a liar. I know you want a boy."

My chuckle vibrates painfully in my side. "You know me too well, Rosanna Velasquez." I shift, closing my eyes to control my breathing. Damn Miguel.

"If it's a boy, I want to call him Isandro."

"Oh." My brows peak. "Why Isandro?"

"Believe it or not, I dreamed I was holding a little boy by that name. He had your blue eyes. Do you like it?"

It's a nice, strong name, but I won't make it that easy for her. "I'm not sure. Maybe we should call him Rafael, after my father. Or Jhon, after yours."

Her body stiffens. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea."

"What's wrong with our fathers' names? I mean, it's tradition in Malaguay to name your firstborn son after his grandfather, isn't it?"

"It would always remind me that they died under such violent circumstances." A few hot tears splatter on my hand.

"I'm sorry, Rosanna." The last thing I wanted is to upset her. Juana was right, her hormones are all over the place.

"And it's like a foreboding—as if something bad will happen to him as well." More tears fall and I turn her around to look into her beautiful eyes.

With the back of my hand, I wipe her face dry. "Nothing bad will happen to our baby. If I have to, I'll protect him with my life."

"But one day, he'll be all grown up and go to war."

"You don't know that."

Her laugh is bitter. "What else is there in Malaguay, Tomás?"

I can't hold her pained gaze. I don't have an answer. "There's still plenty of time to pick a name. Let's just play it by ear."

"Yes, that's a good idea." Her smile is crooked. "And I'm sorry. I didn't want to spoil the day for you. It's rare enough that I get you all to myself for so long."

"You didn't spoil anything." My gaze flicks to the falls. Splashing around in the water is always relaxing. "Hey, want to take a swim?"

"Sure."

We get up and walk over to the pool. I watch as she slips out of her shoes and dress, her tanned skin glowing like liquid gold against her white underwear. When she pulls the elastic band out of her hair, the long, wavy strands fall softly around her shoulders. She looks so fragile but graceful at the same time. Slowly, with my gaze never leaving her beautiful face, I peel her out of her bra and slide down her panties. Stepping back, I soak in her beauty. Naked, she is nothing short of perfection.

I quickly shake out of my clothes and her eyes burn with desire as she scans my aroused body. Before I can put this to good use, she pushes me into the pool with a giggle. The chilly water burns the cuts and doesn't do much for the soreness in my body, but our banter has managed to calm my frayed nerves.

Rosanna glides into the rippled water and I pull her into my arms. Soft lips press against mine for a long kiss. Her tongue is as sweet as her breath and my need to feel her against my skin is all consuming. I pull her closer and glide my fingers through her folds. She moans in pleasure.

The clearing of a throat makes me freeze. Rosanna slips closer to me to hide her nakedness. With a sigh, I turn my head and squint at the intruder a few feet away. It's Mateo, the only person other than Felipe who knows about this place. He has always had a knack for bad timing.

"What is it now, Mateo?"

"Sorry to interrupt, but Pearson caught on that Rosanna disappeared. Needless to say, he's furious. You two better come back with me to the orphanage."

Groaning, I drop my head back. What a fucked-up day.

~~~~~

© Sal Mason 2018

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