Take Two

Prologue

I thought marrying my closest friend was the best decision of my life. Rosalinda was perfect in every way - smart, kind, funny. We were best friends for years before we tried for something more.

We married in the mid-nineties, right around the time I was getting my name out there. News of my marriage hit the tabloids and, next thing I knew, I was being offered the lead role in what was expected to become the next big blockbuster hit. My face was on every billboard across the country and everyone knew who I was.

Life became even better when my children were born. My beautiful daughter Reya and, a year later, my confident son Renaldo Jr.

My life should have been perfect.

But something was missing.

After almost twelve years of marriage, I discovered who I truly was. Being married to my best friend when I had never been physically attracted to her, sex had always been out of an obligation or done solely for her pleasure. I craved something else, something different. I wish I did not take so long to figure out what it was, but if I knew earlier, I would never have my children. No matter what, I would never trade them for the world.

"Rosalinda, mi amor," I said softly, grabbing her hands in mine. They were soft, having never needed to work hard in many years. "I think you know this conversation was coming for a long time now."

"You are not happy," she supplied with a sad, knowing smile. Tears glistened in the corners of her eyes, but would not fall. She would not let them.

Nodding my head, I squeezed her hands gently. "No, and it is nothing to do with you or the children. This life should have been perfect, but it is not who I am."

"You are a, what are they called? A homosexual?"

A weight seemed to lift off my shoulders when she said that. Not only was she my closest friend, I was her's. She knew me better than I knew myself sometimes, and this just proved it. I was grateful she said the words first. Even though it had taken me a long time to work up the courage for this conversation, I still had not been entirely sure how I was going to say it.

"Yes."

"Is there a man in your life?"

I shook my head. "No. I would never do that to you, mi amor. I already feel guilty enough that I could not be the husband I promised you."

"Never feel guilty, Renaldo." She reached up and cupped my face with one hand. "I love you, but I want you to be happy more than anything. You've waited long enough."

"Thank you," I sighed. "I do not know how to tell the children."

Rosalinda moved her hand off my face. "We will say whatever you're comfortable saying. However you do, they will still love you. You're not walking out on them - I wouldn't let you even if you tried!"

I smiled. "Never."

I wanted to wait a bit before telling them. Not that I was worried about their reactions, but I wanted to make sure they understood. They were ten and nine years old - probably old enough to understand divorce, but would they understand the reason?

If I left this marriage and I lost my children because of it, I would never forgive myself. I would like to believe we raised them to be accepting, but I was about to shatter their whole world. I would not blame them for acting out, if they did.

"We will figure it out, mi corazón," Rosalinda said. "You have me. Forever."

________________

Mi amor - My love

Mi corazón - My heart/sweatheart

A/N:  Welcome to Take Two! This book is the Prequel to Denial, focusing on Reed's dad and stepdad. You do not need to read that book before this one, but you can if you'd like. Just a reminder for anyone who did read Denial a while ago, Reed changed his name from Renaldo Jr. when he turned eighteen.

This book is also set in about 2005. I was a small child that year, but I am doing my research to try to keep things as close to realistic as I can.

There will be some Spanish sprinkled in, considering it's Renaldo's first language. I do not speak Spanish and it's been many years since I had a class in it, so any Spanish will be from Google Translate. I'll put the translations at the bottom of the chapter like above, in case anyone wants to know.

I hope you enjoy this book! I am going to try to post an update every 2 weeks or so. Please bear with me as I work a full time job and I have a separate writing career aside from Wattpad, so updated might not be on an exact schedule. 

Thanks for reading :)