We Took the Fall
81: It Was Bad Of You Both
“M...mama” Catalina spluttered “What...what are you doing here?” she posed, her eyes not shifting away from Marisol who stood on the doorstep, her own eyes studying Catalina closely. It had been a few long seconds, as soon as she had pulled the door open, Catalina had been rendered speechless by the sight of her mother, but she knew that she couldn’t just say nothing, even if the idea of slamming the door in her mother’s face was tempting. She knew that her mother wouldn’t have shown up for no reason and she wanted to know what it was that had led her to her doorstep.
It had been a while, since her ill-fated attempt to convince her mother to show up at her wedding, Catalina hadn’t seen or heard from her mother, and she was more than slightly surprised to find her on her doorstep, even more so given that she was due to leave any moment to make it to the venue on time.
Marisol, who’d been staring at her daughter, blinked a couple of times at the sound of Catalina’s voice before she lifted her head, her stare meeting her daughter’s. “Catalina” she murmured softly “You...you look amazing” she stumbled out.
Catalina’s cheeks warmed a little at the compliment before she lifted a hand, nervously pushing her hair off of her face. “What are you doing here, mama?” she noted, her voice more than slightly uncertain “I mean, it might not be overtly obvious, but I am a little busy” she babbled.
Marisol nodded. “I know” she noted “I’ve spoken to your sister and she told me that today was the day” she added, her stare dropping back down towards the dress that her daughter wore.
Catalina followed the line of her mother’s stare before she shook her head, a small scoff falling out of her mouth. “Mama, I don’t have time for this” she noted “If you’re not going to tell me what you’re doing here...”
“I want to be there” Marisol interjected.
Catalina blinked a couple of times, surprised by her mother’s interruption, before she lifted her head, a frown pulling at the corner of her mouth. “What?” she spluttered.
Marisol shifted a little before she let out a soft sigh. “I...I want to be there, Catalina” she murmured “I know that I’ve been nothing short of awful towards you, and towards Fernando, but you were right the last time we spoke. You’re my daughter, Catalina, and if you’re going to go through with this...”
“I love him, mama” Catalina interrupted.
“Catalina...”
“No” Catalina cut in once more “You’re going to let me finish talking. This isn’t some fling, mama, this isn’t a relationship that we put back together just to be spiteful of Alicia. This is the man that I love, the man that I want to marry, and if you can’t accept that, or intend to cause me a problem today, then I don’t want you there. I know that we messed up, both me and Fernando made mistakes before he broke things off with Cia, but she made them too and that means we’re all responsible for the mess that we made. You have to accept that, that we all messed up, and not just Fernando” she explained, her voice a lot firmer than she had been expecting.
Marisol stared at her for a moment, allowing her words to hang in the air, before she let out another soft sigh. “I don’t like him, Catalina” she noted.
“Mama...”
“He hurt Alicia” Marisol continued despite Catalina’s protest “I know you think she was with him for the wrong reasons, and maybe she was, but she did love him, Catalina. Maybe not like you love him, but she felt for him and he broke her heart, not only by breaking up with her, but by jumping straight into bed with her baby sister. I know you hate to hear it, Catalina, but it was bad, of both of you, and I am not inclined to just forgive him” she insisted firmly.
She knew that it wasn’t what Catalina wanted to hear, for a while, she had tended to shy away from any mention of how her relationship with Fernando had resumed, but Marisol wanted to point it out, wanting Catalina to see it from her point of view. It had been messy, the way in which Fernando’s relationship with Alicia had ended had been painful, and she wanted Catalina to see it, even if it didn’t change her mind about the forward. She wanted her to be slightly more wary than she had been since she and Fernando had gotten together again.
Catalina was quiet for a moment, processing her mother’s words, before she shook her head. “I can’t make you forgive him, mama” she noted “I can’t even make you like him, but you need to get it through your head that this is the man I love and if you can’t do that, then there is no point in you being there today” she added, sparing her mother a soft look.
Marisol looked her up and down briefly before she shook her head. “I want to be there, Catalina” she murmured “I mean, I am not his biggest fan, and I probably never will be, but you’re my daughter, even if I’ve been a pretty terrible mother to you, and I want to be there when you get married. Can you allow it?” she posed, her voice growing slightly timid.
She knew that there was a lot more talking that needed to be done, since Fernando had appeared back in Catalina’s life, she had been nothing short of awful towards her youngest daughter, but she wanted to make the first step, even if she was sure that Catalina would be wary. She didn’t want to skip out on another important milestone in her youngest child’s life.
Catalina spared her another soft look before she nodded her head hesitantly. “I can” she murmured “But if you even dream of causing a problem, I will have no hesitation in getting you out of there, mama. This is something I’ve been waiting for, for a long time now, and I am not going to have it spoiled because of you. Do you understand that?” she pressed.
Marisol nodded. “of course I do, Catalina” she insisted.
Catalina opened her mouth to reply, but stopped, the sound of her father’s voice filling the air. “We need to get moving, princesa” Santiago announced as he stepped into the hall.
Catalina nodded her head. “We do” she agreed “Madre?” she posed.
Marisol, who’d shifted her stare towards Santiago, lifted her head at the sound of Catalina’s voice before she nodded, forcing the best smile she could muster onto her lips. “I will see there, Catalina” she mused before she took a pace back, stepping away from the door.
Santiago watched his ex-wife step away before he flicked his attention towards his daughter, wordlessly asking if she was OK.
Catalina nodded. “I’m fine” she noted “Let’s just get going” she added, a faint smile pulling at the corner of her lips.
Santiago offered her another dubious look before he nodded his head, moving to give her hand a light squeeze. “Let’s go and get you married, princesa” he enthused brightly.
It had been a while, since her ill-fated attempt to convince her mother to show up at her wedding, Catalina hadn’t seen or heard from her mother, and she was more than slightly surprised to find her on her doorstep, even more so given that she was due to leave any moment to make it to the venue on time.
Marisol, who’d been staring at her daughter, blinked a couple of times at the sound of Catalina’s voice before she lifted her head, her stare meeting her daughter’s. “Catalina” she murmured softly “You...you look amazing” she stumbled out.
Catalina’s cheeks warmed a little at the compliment before she lifted a hand, nervously pushing her hair off of her face. “What are you doing here, mama?” she noted, her voice more than slightly uncertain “I mean, it might not be overtly obvious, but I am a little busy” she babbled.
Marisol nodded. “I know” she noted “I’ve spoken to your sister and she told me that today was the day” she added, her stare dropping back down towards the dress that her daughter wore.
Catalina followed the line of her mother’s stare before she shook her head, a small scoff falling out of her mouth. “Mama, I don’t have time for this” she noted “If you’re not going to tell me what you’re doing here...”
“I want to be there” Marisol interjected.
Catalina blinked a couple of times, surprised by her mother’s interruption, before she lifted her head, a frown pulling at the corner of her mouth. “What?” she spluttered.
Marisol shifted a little before she let out a soft sigh. “I...I want to be there, Catalina” she murmured “I know that I’ve been nothing short of awful towards you, and towards Fernando, but you were right the last time we spoke. You’re my daughter, Catalina, and if you’re going to go through with this...”
“I love him, mama” Catalina interrupted.
“Catalina...”
“No” Catalina cut in once more “You’re going to let me finish talking. This isn’t some fling, mama, this isn’t a relationship that we put back together just to be spiteful of Alicia. This is the man that I love, the man that I want to marry, and if you can’t accept that, or intend to cause me a problem today, then I don’t want you there. I know that we messed up, both me and Fernando made mistakes before he broke things off with Cia, but she made them too and that means we’re all responsible for the mess that we made. You have to accept that, that we all messed up, and not just Fernando” she explained, her voice a lot firmer than she had been expecting.
Marisol stared at her for a moment, allowing her words to hang in the air, before she let out another soft sigh. “I don’t like him, Catalina” she noted.
“Mama...”
“He hurt Alicia” Marisol continued despite Catalina’s protest “I know you think she was with him for the wrong reasons, and maybe she was, but she did love him, Catalina. Maybe not like you love him, but she felt for him and he broke her heart, not only by breaking up with her, but by jumping straight into bed with her baby sister. I know you hate to hear it, Catalina, but it was bad, of both of you, and I am not inclined to just forgive him” she insisted firmly.
She knew that it wasn’t what Catalina wanted to hear, for a while, she had tended to shy away from any mention of how her relationship with Fernando had resumed, but Marisol wanted to point it out, wanting Catalina to see it from her point of view. It had been messy, the way in which Fernando’s relationship with Alicia had ended had been painful, and she wanted Catalina to see it, even if it didn’t change her mind about the forward. She wanted her to be slightly more wary than she had been since she and Fernando had gotten together again.
Catalina was quiet for a moment, processing her mother’s words, before she shook her head. “I can’t make you forgive him, mama” she noted “I can’t even make you like him, but you need to get it through your head that this is the man I love and if you can’t do that, then there is no point in you being there today” she added, sparing her mother a soft look.
Marisol looked her up and down briefly before she shook her head. “I want to be there, Catalina” she murmured “I mean, I am not his biggest fan, and I probably never will be, but you’re my daughter, even if I’ve been a pretty terrible mother to you, and I want to be there when you get married. Can you allow it?” she posed, her voice growing slightly timid.
She knew that there was a lot more talking that needed to be done, since Fernando had appeared back in Catalina’s life, she had been nothing short of awful towards her youngest daughter, but she wanted to make the first step, even if she was sure that Catalina would be wary. She didn’t want to skip out on another important milestone in her youngest child’s life.
Catalina spared her another soft look before she nodded her head hesitantly. “I can” she murmured “But if you even dream of causing a problem, I will have no hesitation in getting you out of there, mama. This is something I’ve been waiting for, for a long time now, and I am not going to have it spoiled because of you. Do you understand that?” she pressed.
Marisol nodded. “of course I do, Catalina” she insisted.
Catalina opened her mouth to reply, but stopped, the sound of her father’s voice filling the air. “We need to get moving, princesa” Santiago announced as he stepped into the hall.
Catalina nodded her head. “We do” she agreed “Madre?” she posed.
Marisol, who’d shifted her stare towards Santiago, lifted her head at the sound of Catalina’s voice before she nodded, forcing the best smile she could muster onto her lips. “I will see there, Catalina” she mused before she took a pace back, stepping away from the door.
Santiago watched his ex-wife step away before he flicked his attention towards his daughter, wordlessly asking if she was OK.
Catalina nodded. “I’m fine” she noted “Let’s just get going” she added, a faint smile pulling at the corner of her lips.
Santiago offered her another dubious look before he nodded his head, moving to give her hand a light squeeze. “Let’s go and get you married, princesa” he enthused brightly.