Picking Up the Pieces

“Reyna” Sergio breathed as he watched me from across the room.

I took a deep breath as I gave a nervous smile back at him.

Jose coughed as the attention was brought back to everyone that was in the room.

“Marian come help me with doing the dishes” Pacqui ordered as she stood up and started collecting the dishes.

“But mum Reyna needs…”

“NOW” she snapped as her daughter stood up and followed behind her.

Rene and José gave some incoherent excuse as they both left, leaving Sergio and I alone.

“Is this where you’ve been hiding?” he finally spoke after a few minutes.

I felt my anger boil at that statement.

“Excuse me. I wasn’t hiding from anyone” I snapped as he walked towards me.

“Oh really Rey. I’ve been calling you everyday for the past 3 weeks and I’ve been getting your voicemail. If that isn’t hiding then I don’t know what is”

I scoffed at his statement before standing up and meeting him halfway.

“I’m surprised you even noticed that I wasn’t around. I mean with you never spending any time at home, I would have thought you enjoyed the freedom”

My statement seemed to hit the mark as he bit his lip before replying.

“Look Rey I can explain” he began as he reached out to take my hand. I pulled away and I saw the hurt flash in his eyes.

“You don’t need to explain anything Sergio. I can see that you have decided what you want in your life and that is obviously freedom. So I’ve decided to give it to you” I breathed as he looked at me in confusion.

“From this moment you and I are no longer…”

“No” he shot back before I finished my sentence. He moved forward as he cupped my face with the palm of his hands. “Baby please I can do better” he pleaded but I said nothing as I moved away from him.

“Sergio there is nothing to fix so you don’t have to make anything better” I cried as he looked on in fear. “Sergio we are over and there is nothing that will change that. I just want you to be there for your child”

He looked at me in confusion before glancing down at my belly.

“Baby are you…are you pregnant?” he cried as he moved closer to me before placing a hand on my stomach.

I just nodded my head as I watched a smile break over his face and tears began to form in his eyes.

“You are carrying my child?!” he repeated as if letting it sink it.

After a few minutes, he turned to look me in the eye before he spoke.

“We can fix this” he stated but I shook my head no. “No Reyna. Hear me out. We can do this. We can make us work. I can change. I want to change for you and my baby. I want to be a better man for us” he explained but despite all his assertions I would not change my mind.

“Sergio there is no going back. You being back in Madrid has changed you and I don’t think I can sit back and do nothing. It’s for the best that you and I separate” I explained to me but he wasn’t hearing it.

“No you can’t do this. We are having a child together. you cant just break up our family Rey” he continued to plead as he sat me down and knelt as he spoke to me. “After losing your parents don’t you think our child deserves two parents? You always say that you want a normal family. Why are you denying our child that?” he attempted to explain but I looked on in shock as he threw my parents death back in my face.

“How dare you?” I cried as I stood up and left him there. I began to pace as I told him exactly what I thought. “Leave my parents out of this. Because what they had was real. My dad worshipped the ground my mom walked on. He never made her feel like she was an insignificant part of her life. He never spent the whole night out with his friends and left her home alone to worry about his safety. My mom never had to read reports about him dancing in clubs with random women, who also called that they had a bathroom fling with him. And more importantly when my dad made a promise to my mom he kept it” I cried as he looked on in shock.

“I didn’t mean for that too…” he began but I shut him up again.

“That’s the problem with you though Sergio. You never mean for things to happen and I’m not sticking around this time to help you fix your mess”

“So this is it? You are just going to give up on us? On me? Because I made a couple of mistakes?” he cried as he attempted to make me reverse my decision.

“I’m giving up because I can’t fight for us by myself. I’m tired Sergio. Tired of pretending I’m OK with everything you do. If you want to change, your going to have to do it without me” I confessed as he looked on in disappointment.

“I’m sorry I hurt you Rey” he finally whispered following a long silence.

“I’m sorry too. I guess the only thing left to discuss the custody arrangements?” I asked as I tried to change the subject.

He nodded before adding.

“We’ve got plenty of time to deal with that for now I just want to make sure you and the baby are OK. When is your next scan?”

My mouth opened and closed as I thought about his question.

“In a couple of weeks”

“Good just give me a day and time and I’ll be there”

I opened my mouth to object but he stopped me.

“No Rey I want to be involved in this whole process. Just because I can’t be with you it doesn’t mean I wont be there for my child”

I nodded my head at his statement, before asking to be excused because I felt tired.

As I walked away from where he was standing on the patio, a part of me couldn’t help but wonder if I was walking away from the best thing to ever happen to me.