Chapter 33

As soon as Rafael enters the room, Luz begins to cry and extends her arms to him, he does not think twice.

– My girl, what’s up? -she says, pressing her cheek against the girl’s head-, – Rafael… the only thing I needed… – she tells him sobbing -, I’m pregnant.

Rafael’s whole body tenses, but not because she is pregnant, but because of the memory of how that happened.

-Now, now… don’t cry, that’s not good for your baby, because I guess you’ll have it, I can’t imagine Luz Méndez…

-Yes, but I’m thinking of giving him up for adoption. I don’t know, I have to think about it very well.

-Well, you have several months to think about it – he moves away from her and wipes her tears with his thumbs.

-I think so.

-Can you go home?

-Yes, as soon as the serum is finished.

– Well, I’ll take you – Rafael takes a seat and stares at her -. Will you tell your parents?

– Of course, a pregnancy is not something to hide. Today – in this there is full determination, because if Gerard and Rafael are already willing to help her, then she can feel brave –

I’ll wait for their reaction.

-Thanks.

That was much better for Luz, because she knew that it would not be something that they would like to hear. Her father is very traditional in some things and pregnancy out of wedlock is not something he tolerates.

He also has to call his brother, because if he is going to lose his entire family to that baby, that defenseless creature, it had better be at once.

“A defenseless creature, that is.”

He could well have prevented her arrival, if he had listened to Rafael. If she had gone to a hospital, they would have given her something to prevent the rape from having consequences. But the fear and stubbornness of the moment blinded her.

No. It wasn’t that baby’s fault.

The nurse comes in to check the bag and tells him that he can go now, he takes Rafael out of the room to help Luz change.

When the boy leaves the room, he finds Gerard with a bouquet of flowers, a stuffed animal and a pharmacy bag. He sits next to him, so the two of them end up looking at that closed door.

– For her? – Rafael tells him pointing to the bag –

Yes, they are vitamins that you must take daily, so that your baby forms well in the tummy.

The belly… it’s going to look beautiful in a few months.

– Still I feel that his youth is being stolen – Gerard tells him unceremoniously –

Sure, but sometimes other people’s decisions have consequences, that’s how babies come into the world, is n’t it?

– Exactly… – Gerard stands up as soon as he sees the door handle turn -, Camina hacia ella y ve a Luz salir acompañada por la enfermera, pero cuando Luz lo ve con todas esas cosas por primera vez en unas horas sonríe. Solo él podía ser tan tierno en el peor de sus momentos.

– Flores para la mami, las vitaminas y un regalo para tu hijo – le dice señalando cada cosa —

– Podría ser niña – le dice ella sin dejar de mirarlo -..

-Si es así, le cambiamos el listón del cuello y ya está.

Luz se ríe y Rafael se sorprende, porque esa risa es autentica. Ni forzada, ni de burla, ni por educación.

Es una genuina risa de Luz Méndez.

–¿Ya podemos irnos? – le dice Rafael ayudándola a caminar -.

– Primero la señorita debe firmar el alta médica y cancelar los honorarios…

-Solo el alta, del resto me encargo yo – le entrega las flores y el peluche a Luz, las vitaminas a Rafael y se despide, queriendo darle uno de esos abrazos que se han dado tantas veces -. Por favor, cuídate, si hay alguna novedad, la que sea, dímelo.

-Si señor…

-Solo dime Gerard, creo que todo esto nos lleva a la categoría de amigos, más que de jefe y empleada –

le sonríe y mira a Rafael -. Lo que sea, que me lo diga, estaré pendiente.

Gerard se pierde por el pasillo por donde debe ir a pagar la cuenta, mientras Luz se va con sus regalos y la enfermera a firmar. Todo lo que puede hacer es ver las cosas de la mejor manera posible, porque s i se ahoga en esto, serán los ocho meses más largos de su vida.

Una vez terminado todo el papeleo, los dos amigos salen al estacionamiento, Rafael la ayuda a subir al auto y salen de allí con rumbo a la casa de sus padres. Ve la hora y se da cuenta que al menos su madre ya debe estar allí, ya que algunos viernes trabaja mediodía.

-No vayas a dejar que te golpeen o te insulten, porque nada de esto fue tu culpa.

– Rafael, pude tomar la píldora del día después al menos…

-No es tu culpa, ni la de ese angelito.

Un ángel.

Ella no lo había pensado ni por un minuto y sonrió al pensar que tendría una princesa y un ángel. Nada mal para una chica tan triste y perdida como ella.

Llegan a la casa de Luz, ella deja los regalos en el auto, Rafael le desea suerte y ella se baja para darle 1 a noticia a sus padres.

Upon entering, she sees her parents sitting in the dining room, when they see her they are happy, but their smile fades as soon as they see the state of Light.

– Little daughter! her mother tells her. What happened?

-I’ve felt bad these days and today they took me to the doctor – her mother hugs her and her father gets a little closer – -Nothing serious? -Depends on how you see it, I already made up my mind – she tells them shrugging her shoulders and then sighs-. Mom, dad… I’m pregnant.