Seasons of Change

58

Though the cat was partially out of the bag, Nina and Domink officially announced their pregnancy over Christmas Eve dinner, they were expecting a baby girl in June who would be named Selena Gladys Hernandez-Milhailov. The pregnancy was almost halfway through and the baby was as healthy as can be.

Marisol pretended to be surprised while Gladys burst into happy tears.

"Oh mija, this really is a Christmas miracle, I am so happy for you and Dominik," she gushed.

Fernando smirked, congratulating the happy couple, "Aye, Ama, how come I never got no congratulations like that?" he laughed, picking meat out of his teeth.

"Because you are a pendejo," she informed him.

Victor exchanged looks with Lissette and cackled, leaning his chair back and falling.

"Who the pendejo now?" Fernando asked laughing.

"I got it from you," Victor teased, his ears red with embarrassment.

"Prolly did," he agreed.

When the laughter died down, Dominik fought back a nervous smile, "Nina, I have something for you," he told her dropping down to one knee. Gladys and Marisol began crying, fanning themselves with their hands as if that would stop the tears.

"Aw sheeeeit," Fernando grinned, pulling out his phone to record the moment.

Dominik glanced around the room, his heart going a mile a minute as he wiped his sweaty palm on his slacks, "Nina, you know I've loved you since the moment I saw you...I'm so nervous," he laughed, "I can't wait to be a father with you...I mean I can't wait to be a parent with you. You've made my life...complete...Will you...will you be my wife forever?"

His presentation was awkward but it was heartfelt and sweet. Nina damn near jumped from her chair, after Dom slipped the ring on her finger, "Yes! Oh my gosh, yes!"

The Hernandez family cheered in congratulations, happy to see that Nina had found her Prince Charming and was finally having the baby she'd wanted so badly. Things were looking up for her.

****

"Dad took us to see her," Sophia told Nina bitterly the following evening, "He made us hug her and tell her that we loved her."

It felt as if she had been punched in the gut and it wasn't from one of Selena's little fists.

"He took you and Junior to see Karla in prison?" Nina repeated, unable to comprehend the words that were coming out of her mouth. She was completely and utterly flabbergasted. Fabian had been completely against the kids even visiting because of Karla, Fernando, and the lifestyles they led. And now with Karla serving life for a double murder he suddenly wanted to reconnect? Hell no.

Junior nodded from his Nintendo Switch, "He even got mad at us when we wouldn't say it or call her mom."

"I hate him," Sophia spat, folding her thin arms over her chest, "Karla wanted nothing to do with us until now? Now that she is in prison and has nobody? My dad is so stupid."

"Mija, don't say that you hate your dad," Nina told her gently.

"How would you feel?" Junior wanted to know, his thick eyebrows furrowing, "If your so-called mother disappeared from your life because you were an inconvenience to her, and then your stupid dad decides now that she is in prison that she deserves to be in your life now?"

Sophia nodded in agreement, "She didn't care about us until now. She doesn't care about any of us, all she did was blame everyone else for why she can't see everyone else," she told Nina angrily.

"She told us that you and Marisol just wanted to steal her kids and that she can't see Rocco because his dad is trying to raise him white, whatever that means," Junior blurted out.

Nina massaged her forehead, trying so hard not to chime in with her opinions. The kids were already being bombarded with adult problems and she didn't want them to feel like she was playing them off Fabian.
She outstretched her arms, offering both a hug. Sophia burrowed her face in Nina's chest, sniffling. The always aloof Junior accepted a side hug at arm's length.

"I know you don't want to have to talk to Karla but if your dad is making you see her and talk with her, just...I hate saying this, do your best to muddle through it and hope that this whole...relationship fizzles out."

The kids nodded solemnly, "I guess so," Junior frowned.

Nina cupped Junior's chin in her hand, "We will get through it, ok?"

He nodded, "I just don't like it."

It was hard not to berate Fabian for forcing the kids into an unwanted relationship with their biological mother but Nina was aware that she was fortunate he even brought the kids to see her after he kept them from her.

What was he getting out of a relationship with her anyway? They were unable to be physical beyond what was allowed during the confines of a prison visit. Karla hadn't even been a good girlfriend to him before she slept with Krist. She had cheated with multiple of his homeboys and a few of his enemies. On top of that, she demeaned him constantly, they were volatile physically and emotionally towards one another.

Did he actually have love for her? The thought made Nina sick to her stomach. Yes, she had moved on from Fabian and had a great relationship with Dominik but the question lingered and kind of hurt. What if her entire relationship with Fabian had simply been to spite Karla and make sure his children had someone to raise them when it was convenient for him?

Had he been so awful towards Nina because he never truly loved her? Had she even loved him or was he simply an escape from the pain that she felt from the loss of Krist Antonio and the hurt Krist had caused her?

Even if that had been the case, Nina didn't regret her failed marriage. Yes, Fabian himself was a waste of time but it had been filled with good times. Memories with the kids, she didn't regret a single one.

There had even been good times with Fabian. In the beginning, when he appreciated her for being a good, faithful woman. The kind of woman who was submissive, made she he and his kids were fed three home-cooked meals a day and had a clean home to come back to. Fabian told her that he'd never had a woman treat him like a real man. His exes, Karla included, had been whores and hood rats who liked him simply for his name in the streets and the way he made money at the time.

Of course, after he snitched on a few homies when his spot got raided, those hood rats lost interest. Was that why he had been so eager to leave the state and begin a life with Nina?

Nina hadn't even known that he told on people until Fernando texted her to let her know that he heard all about that rata and that if he saw him, it was on sight. Her relationship with her brother at the time was already rocky, she was angry that he got high with Krist and was still associating with him even after how he had done her. Fernando was angry that she chose to be with a man who had no honor and not only that, that she had such minimal respect for herself or her family that she would marry him.

Eventually, Fernando had chilled out, only because she was his sister, and deep down he hadn't wanted to cut ties with her but it took a few years. Nonetheless Fabian had been afraid which was a lot of why he refused to visit the family. She suspected that Fabian no longer saw Fernando as a threat since he'd stepped back from the gang life and was paralyzed which was why he was willing to visit his hometown.

Those memories brought her to another question...Karla absolutely knew that Fabian had snitched, why was she interested in a relationship with him? The only answer for that was money. Karla was a hustler. A manipulator. A con artist. And Fabian was a simp.