Caught In A Name

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Richard stopped in the middle of the staircase, slowly turned around and deliberately looked at Elvira at the bottom of the stairs.

"Who?" he asked, his voice dangerously icy.

"Don't play dumb with me, Mr. Faulkerson! You know exactly who I'm talking about" Nicomaine began with a huff. "And stop staring Elvira down. She had nothing to do with it" she added.

"Mamita" Richard threatened.

"Ricardo? Don't you dare try to intimidate me. You seem to have forgotten I've changed your diapers. I've seen you at your worst, young man. No me asustas [You don't scare me] Ricardo! How was I supposed to know that you never told her about Liz. No me lo dijiste. No leo mentes [You didn't tell me. I don't read minds!]!" Elvira puffed with her fist in the air. "You are now married to this beautiful woman over here who deserves to know the whole truth about you. Tu madre y yo no levantamos a un cobarde [Your mother and I did not raise a coward]" she exclaimed as she turned her back and started walking away. However, she stopped suddenly as if remembering something. "Lo siento, Nicomaine. Ven conmigo. Vamos a esperar a Ricardo en la cocina hasta que encuentre sus pelotas [I'm sorry, Nicomaine. Come with me. Let's wait for Ricardo in the kitchen till he finds his balls back]" the older lady huffed as she resumed walking away again, expecting Nicomaine to follow.

Nicomaine, for her part, couldn't help the satisfied smirk that came slowly on her face as she stood there and watched Richard be reprimanded by someone half his size and most likely 30 years his senior. And the funniest part of all was the look of shame on the full grown male adult's face. It was priceless! She met his pleading eyes with a challenge and one of her eyebrows raised.

"Lo siento Mamita. I'm sorry okay" Richard replied, his head hung in shame.

"You should be" Elvira answered with the dignity of an offended mother. "Your family and I will be in the kitchen eating lunch. Hurry up so you can join us" she added, a little softly.

"Maine love, I will explain everything. I promise. I'll just quickly take a shower" Richard pleaded but only got a nod from Maine. Leave some of the caldo de pollo [chicken soup with rice], por favor" Richard remarked facing Elvira's retreating back, resuming his ascension up the stairs.

"There's enough for all of us Ricardo. Solo apúrate [just hurry up]" were Elvira's last words before disappearing from view.

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Nicomaine meekly followed Elvira into the kitchen silently admiring her surroundings on her way there. As they entered the kitchen, a petite young Hispanic woman turned to greet them with a smile on her face while wiping her hands on a hand towel.

"Nicomaine, I would like you to meet Lucy, mi sobrina [my niece]. She was the one that took care of Charmaine earlier while you were still in bed. She is on a break from school that's why she's here to help me out. She's going to be a doctor someday" Elvira stated with obvious pride. "Luciana, Esto es Nicomaine, la esposa de Ricardo y la madre de Charmaine" she added.

Lucy came forward with a welcoming smile and her hands extended for a handshake. "Hello Nicomaine. It's nice to meet you. I have been dying of curiosity. I wanted to see who's this person that finally made RJ come back home" she greeted with a wink, her English perfect, no hint of any accent.

Nicomaine took Lucy's extended handshake as she returned a smile of her own. Initially she felt this pang of jealousy from the way Lucy mentioned Richard's name with much familiarity. No right Nicomaine! You have no right to feel that way! But she also couldn't help admire the way the younger woman carried herself with such confidence and grace.

"Encantado de conocerte [Pleased to meet you]" Nicomaine stated.

"Ooohhh tu hablas español [you speak spanish]" Lucy gushed with glee. "Esto está mejorando [This is getting better and better]" she added with a laugh. "Please sit down. I'm just going to grab the bassinet from the family room" Lucy remarked as she walked in the opposite direction. "Puedes empezar a comer tía. Vuelvo enseguida [you can start eating Auntie. I'll be right back]".

"Nicomaine, sit down" Elvira stated as well, indicating one of the chairs by the breakfast table. "Don't mind Lucy. Sometimes she's too talkative for her own good" she added, trying to reassure the younger woman. Because for a split second, she saw the look of jealousy pass on the younger woman's face when her niece was chattering away. "She just started medical school last year. She always wanted to be a doctor ever since her mother, my youngest sister, passed away of cancer when she was 15 years old. Thank goodness for the Faulkersons. If not for them, Lucy would be involved with some unsavoury characters. She probably would be dead by now. The Faulkersons opened up their house and their bank account to finance her education.Les estaré eternamente agradecido [I will be forever grateful to them]" she finished as she placed a steaming bowl of aromatic soup on the table.

Lucy walked in pushing a white, expensive looking bassinet, decorated with a frilly lace and a mobile made up of different looking shapes. Well, that looks brand new.

"That bassinet looks brand new. Is it?" Nicomaine asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

"Oh yeah. Daniel bought it this morning. He also assembled it himself" Lucy declared proudly.

"Daniel está aquí [Is Daniel here]?"

"Él fue pero se fue a hacer algo. Regresará pronto [He was but he left to do something. He'll be back soon]" Lucy further explained, stepping back as Nicomaine lowered the now sleeping Charmaine onto the bassinet. "May I just say, you're daughter is so cute. So precious. She takes after you, gracias a dios [thank God]" the last part she whispered but the other two women heard it and laughed nonetheless.

That's how Richard found them.

"What's so funny?" he asked as he walked in, fresh from the shower.

"Nothing Kuya RJ" Lucy guiltily answered.

Richard, following an unknown force, headed straight to Nicomaine's side, dropping a kiss on the top of her head and linking his hand with hers.  As soon as he was done, he bent down to caress Charmaine's head. He slowly straightened and when he looked up, he was suddenly wearing the most thunderous expression. His hold on Nicomaine's hand tightened to the point of being hurtful. However, Nicomaine couldn't  do anything because she was taken aback by the sudden change of Richard's expression. For a minute, she actually felt scared.

Richard looked straight at Elvira and asked, his voice as cold as ice. "Mamita. Where did this bassinet come from?" The mood in the room turned as cold as the temperature outside. A pin drop could be heard.

"Ricardo. Daniel bought it this morning and dropped it off earlier while you were attending to your horses" Elvira answered, her voice soft and her hands up, palms out, as if fending off a wild animal. "Cálmese Ricardo, por favor [calm down, Richard, please]" Elvira entreated, walking closer to Richard. She placed her arms around the young man, a mother comforting her child. "Respirar. Solo respira [Breath. Just breath]" she instructed.

Nicomaine watched the exchange between Elvira and Richard. She observed quietly as Richard had to physically pull himself out of some dark place that he unknowingly placed himself in triggered by the baby bassinet. Hhhhmmmm. This is very curious. Two questions that circled her mind...1) What happened between Richard and his wife? and from the looks of it, 2) What happened to the baby whom the nursery was made for?