Audrey Hepburn's Pearls: Part I

Chapter 32.5: 1994, Ruiz

Chapter 32.5: 1994, Ruiz

 

"This one is for Ruiz," Miss Cha Cha grinned at me, handing me yet another package that had mysteriously appeared under the tree last night as if indeed Santa had came.

"For me?" I felt overwhelmed. "Miss Cha Cha..."

"Open it. You'll like it," Ambrose said, hugging me from behind on the floor against the couch, as he had done for the past hour. Baby Doll was stealthing around the tree, winding around brightly colored boxes and sniffing them inquisitively one by one.

"This one is for Baby Doll. Maybe we can distract her," Ambrose said, dragging out a triangle shaped package nearby to us and holding it up. "You want to open it for her?" he asked, resting his chin on my shoulder.

"Okay," I giggled. As I took it, it started jingling. Baby Doll's head snapped up immediately. We all laughed. Quickly, I ripped open the funny bag and to our delight inside were festive kitty jingly balls. I shook them in their netting and Baby Doll went crazy, jumping at them.

"They're her favorite. They always get lost," Ambrose chuckled behind me. "I'll get them open quick. Here." I handed them to him, looking up at his happy face.

I couldn't remember a time where I had felt this comfortable and happy. So loved. It made me think again, as I had done all night. But I didn't get to dwell long.

Over my shoulder came a bright red jingle ball and like lightening Baby Doll's legs went absolutely everywhere all at once as her excitement ricocheted like dynamite explosions. She flew after it to the other corner of the living room, making huge meowings at it in her ragdoll kitty joy. We burst into laughter again at her and I couldn't describe the overwhelming elation in my soul.

"Now you," Miss Cha Cha smiled warmly, leaning her elbows on her knees and setting her chin on her hands, watching me with tender eyes.

"Yeah, open it," Ambrose urged sweetly, squeezing me gently around the waist.

The gift was tiny in my hands, smaller than the ring box Ambrose had given me yesterday. It was like a gift you'd give to a fairy, like Tinker Bell. Slowly, I undid the little white ribbon, and underneath there was no tape holding the shiny gold gift wrapping. So when the present fell open in my hand, my other hand slapped over my mouth.

"Oh my god," I whispered, the tears in my vision blurring the silver key in my hand. I knew this key. This was...

"Our home is your home. You have a key now, so what happened yesterday will never happen again," Miss Cha Cha said. She looked so serious yet so delicate, kind, and wise on her perch on the chair beside to the tree.

"Miss Cha Cha made the key yesterday," Ambrose explained softly to me, kissing my ear in the process.

"You always have a place here," Miss Cha Cha went on, her voice the most no nonsense I'd ever heard it. 

She really, truly meant it.

"...I don't know...what to say," I choked.

"Its okay, honey. You can cry. Its a lot to take in," Ambrose nuzzled into me as he said this, loving me.

"I've been crying too much," I sniffled, wiping my eyes with my hand.

"That's okay," Miss Cha Cha assured me, her voice going tender like a mother.

So I cried. 

 

Later on in the morning, surrounded by the most garish and loud wrapping paper I had ever seen, Miss Cha Cha, Ambrose, and I sat in our same places eating bunuelos. The jangling of the kitty jingly balls were rocketing around the house, seeming to come from all around us all at once. Every now and then, there would be a forlorn meowing somewhere in the apartment and Ambrose would chuckle and go free a jingle ball for Baby Doll.