After All This Time, 2005

Lovar, spring, 2005
Antonio is 54, Carmela is 45, Verde is 18, Rojo is 13, Serendipity is 10

Antonio still tried to be romantic. Sometimes he wondered if he was trying to make up for lost time. He didn't hide the fact that he resented his father choosing Carmela as his wife. Antonio was content to live the bachelor lifestyle, however his inheritance was tied to obtaining a wife and producing heirs. One thing Antonio liked more than his art was his money so he obliged his father and married.

He didn't expect to fall in love with his wife all these years later. He couldn't deny that she was a good wife. She always had dinner ready and waiting, she served on the hood council bringing so much honor to the Herendez name and she silently put up with his artistic moods. Carmela bore his children and without compliant or resistance put her own child up for adoption. He knew that she tried to hide the pain of her past, of how her child came to be. Sometimes Antonio wanted to find the group of men and slowly torture them for the years of abuse they put her through. Sometimes he wondered if he should be the one being tortured for agreeing with his father and putting Carmela's child up for adoption.

For now all he could do was try to spoil his wife, to wipe away the years of pain that she suffered. She didn't ask for it, she merely smiled and allowed him to indulge her. Her past was hidden behind a well crafted face of high society and sophistication. It wasn't that she didn't think about it, but she only allowed the thoughts to flow freely when she was alone. She wondered about her little girl. She would be a young woman now, a year older than Verde. Was she ever adopted? Was she attending university? Was she showered with the love that Carmela's other children had? Was she married? Was she even alive?

Carmela tried not to think of her often, since she couldn't control the tears that often came with thoughts of her tiny baby girl. Her marriage wasn't that much different from her situation before...at least in the beginning, but then...then something stirred in her. Was it love? She wasn't sure if she could call it that. She respected her husband and valued him as the father of her children, but...love him? Perhaps playing the role of the dutiful wife was confusing her. Carmela was attracted to Antonio, he was a very generous lover, but that's it. They enjoyed a shared attraction, but never love. Love was never uttered between the couple.

"Do I get my trust fund after graduation?" Verde asked.

Antonio groaned. Verde had been anxious to get his hands on his trust fund for several simlonic months.

"We discussed this before, the trust fund isn't released until you turn 25."

Verde groaned in defeat.

*****

Verde wished that he had access to his trust fund now. S'Ahmisa had access to her account, why couldn't he.

"I still don't understand. S'Ahmisa and I are the same age and she can spend her trust fund."

"She's not spending her trust fund, she's investing it. Do you know how much profit she made when she sold Warwick Hall to the county council? Almost 45% profit. She's wisely taking her simoleans and doubling them with her investments. What do you plan to do with your trust fund if you had access? Spend it?"

"Umm...no, I'd invest it too." Verde lied.

Antonio sighed. He wished that S'Ahmisa's ambition would rub off on his son, but so far nothing.

"Fine. I'll allow you access to $5000 so you can invest that."

Verde grinned. "Really, that's great! Thanks, you won't be disappointed."

*****

Verde shifted his feet as he waited for the principal to come into the office. His mother had given him the message that Mr. Shazad had needed to see him immediately. Verde didn't understand why he had to return to school. Were they going to take away his diploma?

"Thanks for waiting," Johan said entering the room. "It's been really busy trying to wrap up the end of the school year."

Verde gave a nervous smile.

"How did your meeting go with Commander Peterson?"

"It went very well. I was admitted to the ROTC program and the program even pays for a tutor to help me with my dyslexia. I can't wait to go off to summer training and get started."

"That's great, you will have to return to the school and share your experiences with the other teens."

"That would be fun," Verde agreed.

*****

Antonio studied the pieces with a keen eye. He still couldn't believe that they were crafted by a child and that child was improving by leaps and bounds each day. The paintings that he now stood in front of in awe caused his young pupil disgust.

"They're not good."

"They're great, look at the composition, how you framed the picture, how you chose the colors."

Veronika regarded the paintings in question. "I could do better. This isn't my best work."

Antonio knew debating with the young girl was out of the question, she had inherited her mother's gift with words.

He had learned his lesson the hard way one day as she tried to convince him to allow her to skip school and paint all day.

"But it's still education."

"No," Antonio said firmly. "I don't think your mother would be too happy about that. Besides, wouldn't your father know that you were not at school."

"Not really, he works with the big kids, he wouldn't know."

Instead of allowing her to skip school, he arranged for her to have her own exhibit later that simyear through the Herendez Foundation for the Arts.

"Perhaps I could try my hand at pottery?" She asked before arranging her easel for her daily lesson.

Antonio shook his head. It was hard enough to get the child to focus on one style or subject matter for the exhibit, at least he could try and have her focus on one medium.

"But I could shape the clay like you do," Veronika pleaded. "Please."

"Maybe later, not today. Today you need to focus."

Veronika grumbled for a few moments before gathering her paints. Antonio watched as the girl regarded the blank canvas, her face contorted with concentration. He enjoyed watching her paint, her tiny fingers expertly choosing the colors and bringing the canvas to life.

"What are you painting?"

"My dream."

"What was your dream about?" He asked, his focus intent on sculpting.

"I had a dream about a girl. She was looking for her mommy."

"So a little girl was looking for her mommy?"

"No, she was a big girl. Like Verde. She said that she was coming to Apple County to find her mommy."

Antonio's breath caught in his throat as he jerked his head up and peered at Veronika's painting. Deep dark blue eyes stared back at him along with porcelain pale skin.

"Blancita." He murmured as his heart skipped a beat. He could see the infant's tiny face before him.

"I like that name," Veronika said. "Blancita."

----

Ok, a lot. If Antonio and Carmela confused you, simply click on their names in the sidebar to see their earlier relationship.

I didn't realize that the painting Veronika was doing looked like Blancita until I was typing the update. I wonder what happened to Blancita ;)