A Special Time

By Donna

You may be wondering how a woman like me ends up in a place doing something like this. It's a strange story, really. It sure isn't how I had planned things, I can tell you that.

You see, I was going to be a lawyer. In fact, I am in law school now. But, I'm getting ahead of myself. It all started two years ago, I still can't believe it's been that long.

It was the hardest thing I had ever done in my life. Aunt Sara had always been so good to me. I wanted only what was best for her. That was all I wanted. I hope you can understand that. Sometimes, however, the right thing is not the easy thing. So, there I was sitting beside her wheel chair talking to her and a man named Robert Morris. He was the admissions coordinator for Ridgecrest Care Facility.

Alzheimer's had eaten away at Sara until I barely knew who she was sometimes.

The truth was, my employer was becoming disgruntled about me being called away from my work to go find her in the neighborhood. I knew something had to be done and a friend had promised me this was one of the better facilities in the area.

The time came for us to meet the staff. Doris would be in charge of her dietary needs. Joy would be in charge of her social activities. We toured the facility, Aunt Sara acting quite calm in one of her more lucid moments, and me trying to keep from crying at the thoughts of leaving her there.

As we settled in her room, a male nurse came in smiling at us as if he were room service in a hotel. He ignored me at first, "So, you are the new lady on the block, I hear? I am Antonio and I will be at your beck and call the entire time you are here." He gave a little bow. It was hard for me not to notice his dark features outlined in the white outfit.

"You may wear whatever you enjoy wearing, remember this is your home and we want you to be as comfortable as possible." His accent was thick with his Spanish heritage. Then, he turned those coffee brown eyes to me.

"You must be Miss Catherine Lawson."

"That's right. How did you know?"

"I read all the files for my patients before they arrive. I want you to be comfortable, as well." He smiled and as badly as I felt about leaving Sara here, at least she would be cared for by one of the most handsome men I had ever seen. His dark eyes held a laughter that amazed me in its intensity. His hair was near black in color, straight and curly all at the same time. He was just gorgeous and the accent only added to the romantic air about him.

We all three worked on getting Sara settled. She told me before I left, "Sweetness, everything will be okay. Just remember that when I am me, I understand why I am here. It's not you that put me here, it's this dreaded disease." Her gnarled hand touched mine, and I felt like the worst caregiver known to man.

As I was leaving, I stopped outside looked back at the brick building and burst into tears. I couldn't seem to go anywhere, so I just stood there on the street, curious onlookers passing me and staring as I cried my eyes out, whispering to myself words of justification for what I had just done.

Without warning, I felt two strong arms around me. I was pulled toward the chest of a man. His spicy scent was familiar and his voice soothing.

"It's okay to cry, Bella. It's okay to hurt. However, know I will make sure she is taken care of. I won't allow any harm to come to her."

He gave me a wad of tissues.

"This couldn't have been in your records," I told Antonio when I found my voice.

"Sure it was." He smiled, white straight teeth against his dark coloring, and I thought my heart would jump from my chest. "My records said, only living relative is a niece named Catherine Lawson. Very supportive and loving. I knew that when you left, you would be upset."

We stood there on the street, staring at each other for a long moment.

"Would you like to get something to eat?" he asked.

"I can't," I told him, pulling from his embrace, "My boyfriend is waiting on me."

He looked disappointed. "Oh, okay, then. You must come by anytime and see her. We will take good care of her, I promise."

He held his hand up as if in a Boy Scout salute.

Somehow, I knew this man was no Boy Scout.

That night Joe and I had dinner and went to a movie. I could only think of Sara and Antonio. Joe wanted to go home with me, now that Sara was tucked away in the home. I couldn't go through with it.

I know it sounds crazy, but when I would go to see my aunt those next few months, it was cheering me up more than it was her. Antonio would be there, caring for her, helping with activities for the residents and he always seemed to save a smile for me.

One evening I walked into her room straight from work and felt fried. Joe and I were not doing well. My work as a law clerk was becoming increasingly stressful. My beeper went off and I used the only "private" phone in the place. It was Joe. He was jealous of the time I spent at the nursing home and we had a horrible fight, he said some things to me that I really didn't want to hear. Maybe they were true, but they were painful all the same.

When I came back at him with several words that, looking back, I'm ashamed that I used, he told me it was over. My answer? "Are you just now catching on to that, you moron?" I slammed down the receiver and turned to find Antonio standing behind me.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I…"

"It's okay," I told him, reaching to brush away a stray strand of black hair from his face. I was so comfortable with him, I didn't even think about how intimate that gesture was.

He closed his eyes and opened them again. "Your aunt is asleep, and now that you seem to be free, would you like to go get something to eat?"

"Again, with the food?"

"I am a growing boy."

"Yes." I mustered a smile from somewhere and an hour later found myself at a little club that served dinner and had a live band, listening to tales of growing up in Cuba, and decent soft rock music. Antonio had stopped at his apartment and changed into a black shirt and black pleated pants. My, but he looked good, I thought taking another sip of wine.

Finally, looking a bit awkward he said, "Do you want to talk about what happened earlier. I have two good ears!" He lifted his black hair off them on each side as if to prove he truly had ears.

I couldn't help but laugh aloud at his antics. "I don't know. I started dating this guy,"

"Joe?"

"Yes, now how did you know that one?"

"Sara doesn't like him. She says he is bad news." He picked up a French fry from my plate and ate it.

"Really? She never said…"

"You're kidding, right? She would sooner cut her toes off than interfere in your life. You should know that."

The music started to slow down, the mood softening.

"Dance with me?" He asked, his eyes dancing already.

I took the offered hand.

He started the conversation where he left off, "What did this Joe do that made you so angry?"

"He told me the truth."

"Which is?"

"That I should be grateful that he even asked me out to begin with, after all there isn't anyone standing in line to go out with someone as plain as I am."

He had been holding me at arms length, as we danced watching me as I spoke. His mouth fell open. "That son of a bitch said that to you?" He cursed, at least I think he did, he spoke in Spanish, then said, "Then, he is a blind liar. You're lovely; don't you know I call you Bella? It means beautiful."

He brought his hand up from his side, and cupped my face in it. "Very beautiful, indeed."

I knew he was going to kiss me. I knew I shouldn't want him to, but I had wanted this from the moment I had laid eyes on him.

He took a step closer, and took me in his arms. I felt lightheaded as he closed the gap between us and his lips took possession of mine. Tentatively at first, exploring for my reaction as much as anything. He must have realized that I wasn't going to pull away, because as the love song the band was playing continued, he became more passionate. His tongue parted my lips and he kissed me intimately, inviting me to do the same, only when I did, he suckled my tongue until I was weak with what he was doing.

The music started to get loud and he dragged his lips from mine.

"Shall we go to my apartment, Bella?" His eyes were even darker from the passion he was feeling. The truth is, I was feeling it, too.

And, that's how I got here.

Antonio moved by my side as I lay in the hospital bed, my newborn at my breast. "I am sure that we have all enjoyed the story of our romance, Mi corazón*, however, I need to go to Sara and tell her that my wife and my son are all right. Can you spare me for an hour or so?"

"You've been here for almost thirty hours, sweetheart, you should go home."

"No, Sara is lucid, according to who I spoke with at the home, I want to tell her while I can."

He kissed me tenderly and started for the door. Before leaving the room he turned to me, "Oh, Caterina, the next time you tell that story, could you leave out the part about how intimate the kiss was, it's embarrassing."

"Really," I met the boyish grin with a smile of my own, "It's my favorite part."

*The term "Mi corazón" is a Spanish expression of love and intimacy it means, "My heart."