My wife, My life

    Max kept her close while he was resting his eyes. The cab she took jammed him by accident, she groaned inwardly at the driver's mistake.

"What's her name?"

"Marianna Alexis_ Mia"

He grinned "That was my mother's name"

Startled, he never mentioned his mother or father once. 

"I see"

He did get his eyes and hair from his mom but his looks from his dad, it was like she reincarnated_not that he believed in that sort of nonsense but it seemed fit to describe it this way. 

   Marianna the first was shot by Hugo Alvarez years ago when he was little.

"Do you have any alcohol?" He said.

"What?" She looked stunned for a moment. "No"

He needed to numb the pain on his side and the pain he was feeling right now remembering how his father came home. Max had never seen a man that looked so tortured, so agonized in his life. 

"I need something for the pain" eyes closed 

"I'll get Aspirin_"

"Anything will do"

Mia squirmed, his hand ran over her hair, her eyes rolled back looking up at him.

     The next evening, the pain had died down enough to be able to bear. Stella helped him with a cup of herbal tea, he had better reception and a proper warm dinner this time.

"This tastes good" he ate a slice of cornbread and savoured it

"This would've been horrible if I didn't have Mia to deal with"

"She slept like a baby" He said, Stella smiled when he held up a finger to stop her from saying anything.

    Max knew she was being honest, the dark circles under her eyes were solid evidence. He never meant to leave her or cause her pain.

  He traveled to the United states, and met Stella, everything fell into place until he found out his father had lung cancer_stage 5, he was well aware that he *Max* married a gringa and had no plans to take responsibilties...

~1 year ago 

"Your father is ill, it's time to come home son" Max's chest tightened at the coughing and wheezing that followed.

"I can't run the manor, I have a wife and a job"

"You don't know half of it" he reverted back to the subject.

He paled "How bad is it?"

Alejandro coughed "Stage 5"

Feeling conflicted, impatient when he didn't respond

"Are you going to pick her over me?, son the future of Martinez manor is in your hands, don't throw it away over some girl."

Max's jaw clenched "You don't understand padre, I love her"

"Nonsense, I loved your mother, she died, I was down in the dumps and I got back on my feet and moved forward_"

"Padre"

"You've had time Maxwell_ let her go" 

"I won't"

"Don't be a fool..."

Max heard choking noises and coughing and beeping on the other line, he sat up 

"Padre__ dad!"

****

She barely looked him in the eye, when he held Mia he saw how worried she was. 

"Sirena"

Stella stiffened, she knew what was coming.

"It's Stella" she mumbled with a curt voice.

"I know things are going a little too fast, I want to be excited that I have a daughter but it's only obligatory to take the test"

   Her hands curled, she didn't know if she could afford a test, the expenses for healthcare were a little too expensive these days and worst of all, she didn't have health insurance.

"I'll take care of the expenses, you don't have to worry"

   There was a note of reassurance in his voice, Max had such a soothing voice, she would prodd him to go with her to the daycare to read stories to the kids because they always dozed off while he read to them and their parents often wondered how their hyperactive kids looked so peaceful.

"If the test results are done, then what happens to Mia?"

            ****

 It was no surprise that he was her biological father, who else would it be? She would have given that thought an eye roll but was too nervous, too emotional, her throat clogged and she swallowed.

    He didn't return after the test but stayed away for several days___ probably to give her enough time with Mia. But she was too sleepy to play with mommy.

  Stella wouldn't think of running, he would track her down anyway, when she picked the call, he picked up the signal and triangulated her location... 

   The doorbell made her feel nauseous, something hit her, why would she let him in any way? why was he suddenly interested in Mia?. 

 She swung the door open after deep breaths, her heartbeat against her ribcage. It was the electrician, his moustache had a lift when he grinned and tipped his cap. She could finally have that outlet fixed for real this time.

"Mrs Nicholson?"

"Oh, hello, thank goodness you're here, I...."

 Max emerged into the room in a navy blue shirt and khaki slacks, shoes, his hair was cut an inch shorter with spikes. 

The electrician cleared his throat "Hello Mr Nicholson_"

"Martinez and we won't be requiring your services today and goodbye"

She began to protest.

The electrician looked half disappointed and half relieved. 

"Sir, I..."

Max draped his arm over his shoulder, led him out the door and slapped a stack of bills on his palm. 

"Get out and get out fast," Max said sotto voce

The electrician's eyes rounded and then pocketed the bills "Pleasure doing business with you" he murmured and walked away with a smile.

 He turned to get an angry look from her, arms folded, he closed the door.

"I don't appreciate your antic, Max," she said sternly.

"You don't need an electrician"

"You were the one complaining about an exposed outlet!" She touched her forehead.

"Well I see you take my advice seriously Sirena" 

Her cheeks burned, infuriated by that name 

"Where is Mia?" He asked.

"Asleep"

"I'll need to wake her, our flight's by 9 am, so we just have one hour to prepare"

Taken aback by that statement "W_w_wait, flight, where are you taking her?"

She put a hand to his chest to stop him from getting to the other room.

"To Madrid, to live with me" 

"You can't do that, she belongs with me_"

He pulled out a Visa and three flight tickets and gave it to her, she looked in and her eyes dilated.

"I've been away for days because I've been trying to secure this" 

"You're coming too" 

     The watch, the clothes and the Visa were over the top, she began to have her suspicions about him. Average Max comes back one year later richer!.

"Trust me"

"Trust you?!!!" She retorted 

"I'll explain later, we're out of time"

   She adjusted the pink hat on Mia who cried, she didn't like wearing hats. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴, 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦'𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥.

   Getting her luggage, he effortlessly took them to the car, a flashy Mercedes Benz. A man in a black suit with shades took them from him and loaded up the booth. 

  Stella looked back at the house and waved at Mr Ellis who was standing there raking leaves on the lawn.

"Road trip, Star?" That was what they called her even though she corrected them over and over. She gave up eventually.

"Something like that"

"Don't forget to send us a Christmas card"

"I'll miss you too, Albert!"

    He gave a quick salute, she climbed in and the chauffeur started the car, the glasses were tinted, she could barely see the garden she stopped tending to when her joints started to ache and her big belly got in the way and Mia arrived.

Uncertainty filled her thoughts, goodbye St Louis forever?