Chapter 10

The RIGORS of day to day were inexorable. After helping Cami settle in the apartment, Benja left to work, pressing for Felipe's insistence. And she also got to work: She wanted to send her curriculum to several companies and call Case Renfrew, who had promised her to use it.

On the other hand, he lacked energy to get to work, an activity that, moreover, did not fit with Dr. Stern's recommendation that things should be taken calmly.

-Are you going to call Dr. Stern's secretary? -Benja asked him when he was about to leave after eating quickly-. For the appointment that advised you? Have you already told your mother that you are going to have twins, did you call her yesterday at the hotel while she was out? -he took her.

-Not yet.

In fact, he hadn't told him anything about his pregnancy, although he wasn't sure Benja knew it.

What he spoke about how rare the relationship between the two was, in that forced marriage, as well as how easy it was to hide something so important from his mother because of her lack of interest. Cami thought that if they were really loquely in love, Benja would have felt that something worried her.

-I'll call it soon- she continued. Tomorrow or Wednesday. He is now liated with the film.

-And I want to call Thomas, to see how he is doing with Amy -Benja remembered-. By the way, if you can, make the appointment last minute; after five. Any day except Wednesday, I have a meeting.

-Do you think to accompany me?

Benja was frozen. For a moment he did not move. Meanwhile, Cami looked at him, admired for how well he felt in the black suit he had put on.

-Perdonates- he said. I thought it was better.

-And it is- said Cami. But I know you're busy.

-I will never be busy for such a thing, okay? -Benja said, looking her in the eyes. -Never!

For some reason, it sounded like a threat.

Once he left, the apartment was left too empty, quiet. It was part of a large Victorian architecture building, which had been renovated to accommodate the comforts of the new times, without neglecting the style of the period.

The apartment itself was also large, consisting of a kitchen, two bathrooms, a living-dining room and a master bedroom and two smaller ones, used as a desk and guest room, respectively. They had not yet spoken about it, but she intended to occupy the guest room.

Although it might have to be changed later, they would have to decide which of the two pieces they would remodel to use as a room for the children. With twins on her way, it was an interesting challenge and she wanted to take care of the changes that were made.

Perhaps it would help to look at some decorating magazine, Cami thought at a time of optimism and vitality.

And so, driven by that optimism, he was encouraged to call his mother... who was not too happy to hear her:

-Are you crazy, fondness? How do you think of calling me now? -Nora asked him. Obviously, Cami had forgotten the time difference. You know we have to go to work. I only answered if they were calling the studio to change any schedules.

-Sorry, mum; I just wanted to…

-Can you call me at another time? -Nora interrupted her-. I'm looking forward to you tell me all about Anthony and the wedding; but right now...

-Anthony?, who is Anthony?

-Tony, I assumed he was Anthony's diminutive.

-Benja, Mum. It's called Benja, not Tony.

-Are you really? A very sexy name. Benjamin Rojas. In short, I cannot delay another second.

-Of course, mum, I understand.

-I'll call you as soon as I get any news. Let us be lucky.

-Yes, although I don't think you have my new number…

He had hung up. Communication had been interrupted across the line and Cami imagined her mother running in too tight clothes, with heels too high and a face too stretched. Esthetic surgery had been done the previous year, while the volume of her breasts increased. If he continues, he would end up looking like Cami's younger sister, she thought.

Seconds later, the intercom rang. The first thing Cami heard was the crying of a baby, followed immediately by the voice of Rosalina Rojas:

- Can I enter, honey?

Sometimes Cami had felt so happy to see someone.

Rosalina climbed the stairs and entered the apartment full of joy. He carried Amy on one arm and held a stroller and a pack of diapers with the other.

-If you're busy, I'll leave. But before I have to give a bottle to this reindeer,- Rosalina said. Then, without warning, he gave Amy to have Cami grab her while she was preparing the bottle. -I'm taking care of her while Tom finds a babysitter- he explained.

-It's a sky- said Cami as she sucked in the delicious aroma of the little one, which was beginning to calm down.

-It is! Tom is looking forward to spending more time with her, but in the hospital he is being tightened a lot of screws- Rosalina said. I guess Benja will have the same thing... Cami, if you're angry with him for not having a honeymoon...

-I'm not.

-I assure you that it will compensate you. I know about it. It is not like my Philip, who needs you to be a bit spabile to determine his priorities.

-Does Benja have them clear?

-You think yes, right? -Rosalina asked, worried.

-Yes, yes -said Cami, who had already encariñado with that beloved woman. But I like someone who knows him from a lifetime to tell me, nothing else.

-Did you feel a little alone or am I wrong?

-A little bit- Cami acknowledged.

-Well, you can leave it to me- Rosalina said, referring to Amy, once she had prepared the bottle.

-Do you let me...?

-We'll give him half each -Rosalina advanced while grabbing the little one-. I know I'm being selfish and you'd like to practice a little, but I want it very much... Don't imagine!

-Yes, Rosalina, of course I imagine.

-After seeing how Thomas suffered when he lost it, I almost did not dare to release it -Rosalina dried a tear while accommodating the little one on the arm and began feeding it. Amy dropped a small burk and Rosalina separated her a moment's bottle. Not so fast, fondness... The bottles are fine, but nothing like natural milk.

-I didn't want to use bottles- said Cami. But now I don't know if I can produce enough milk: We're going to have twins, Rosalina.

It was not the best way to communicate the news. Rosalina moved the startled bottle and Amy broke to cry again.

-How do you say? Are you going to have twins, how do you know it so soon? - Rosalina asked while calming the girl. Cami remained silent, because he did not want to worry about the tear in the placenta. I see that you are the same as Benja. You couldn't meet you, fall in love, get married, get pregnant and have a baby. You had to meet you, fall in love, get pregnant, get married and have twins,- said Rosalina.

«You're wrong in order» Cami thought. «First I became pregnant, then we met, we got married and I didn't fall in love until...»

Until the previous day. Had it been the day before? Yes, it had been like looking through a camera before focusing on the image: He had always known what he had before him, but he hadn't seen his feelings clearly until the last moment: He loved him.

He could not deny that he loved Benja in his entirety: He loved his body, his tenderness and his affection; he loved his energy, his sense of humor, his frankness and the way he had to relate to his enormous and wonderful family. He wanted to be part of his life eternally, just as he wished to be in the photo Benja had taught him two and a half weeks ago.

Wanted to conquer him; conquer a hollow in his heart. Above all, he wanted Benja to correspond to his feelings.

As she looked at her mother with Amy, she felt divided between letting herself believe that it could happen or facing that it was not possible.

How was it going to be? The premarital agreement showed the mutual caution with which they had faced that relationship. It contained forty-seven clauses that established the rights of each one in the most strange situations that could occur.

Then he thought of the mistrust Benja had shown at first as he saw it bleeding. I couldn't blame him. Instead, she might have thought the same. But he spoke clearly of the distance that separated them.

The other thing that had happened the day before, mutual sexual desire, was only an illusory façade behind which the harsh reality was hidden.

-We have just received a call from her husband, Mrs. Rojas -informed Dr. Stern's young secretary. He says that it is going to be delayed five minutes; but it will come in a moment. Please move on to the waiting room.

-Thank you- said Cami, hiding his disenchantment.

Although it was a minor thing. After all, how important did Benja have to be present while she answered a battery of questions about her medical history? None. But simply, because babies were the only thing that united them, he clung to any matter related to them, as it made it easier for them to see, talk and touch.

Because Benja was too busy for that most of the time. If he had not known in advance that his company planned to launch the new game shortly, he would have thought he was hiding from it.