Lesson

I stare at my alarm clock, indicating that my day is starting and Carlos must have already left for Lisbon. I couldn't sleep thinking about the argument I had with Carlos and how our relationship has reached the point where I'm seriously considering divorce. But the way things are, we can't go on like this, especially if he's going to stay in Lisbon... What will become of us? I look at his side of the bed and slowly run my hand over the sheet as tears start falling again. I take a deep breath, wipe my tears, and then head to the bathroom, where I take a shower, brush my teeth, and comb my hair, pulling it up into a bun as I observe the tired-looking woman reflected in the mirror. It feels like I aged ten years overnight. I need to pull myself together... I need to rise above this... I leave my room and go to my son's room.

I enter Juan's room and turn on the light, and to my surprise, my son is not in his crib. I go to the crib to make sure I closed it properly, then walk to the bathroom, noticing that his daily bag is also missing. Panic sets in, and the first thought that comes to my mind is that Carlos took my son to Lisbon, but a part of me doesn't believe he would be capable of that.

"Juan!" I call out, desperate, searching in the guest room as well, where there's no sign of my husband anymore. That son of a bitch took my son away.

I return to my room and grab my phone, dialing Carlos' number, which goes straight to voicemail. He knows I would call him as soon as I found out. I leave my room and walk towards the living room while calling the police. As I reach my office, my heart stops at what I see.

Juan is on the floor, sitting, playing with his toy train, hitting the teddy bear frantically. I run towards him, grabbing him, showering him with kisses, and holding him tightly while crying, relieved that he is okay.

"Good morning, my love," Carlos says. I stand up from the floor and see him in the kitchen, in front of the stove, preparing breakfast. My husband approaches me with a plate and hands it to me along with a red rose. "You were supposed to be in bed. Juan and I were preparing breakfast for you, mommy."

"I thought you were already on a plane back to Lisbon," I say harshly.

"You're welcome," Carlos responds, returning to the kitchen and grabbing his plate. Meanwhile, I notice Juan's suitcase neatly packed in the living room and Carlos' suitcase in the corner. The fear of him wanting to take my son resurfaces. He won't take my child away from me. We sit at the table, and he looks at me. "Yes, I was going to return to Lisbon today, but I thought a lot about what we talked about yesterday... I don't want to go back there on bad terms with you. We need to talk and work things out, so I decided to stay here until we figure out how to handle my work and our family. I'll stay here until I convince you that you and Juan are my top priority."

"Well, what if that takes... months?" I ask, testing Carlos' intentions.

"Whether it takes months, years, or centuries... Dalia, you and Juan mean everything to me," Carlos says, approaching me for a kiss.

"That remains to be seen, Carlos... it remains to be seen," I say, stepping back without kissing him and taking a sip of coffee. "Now I have to take our son to therapy, then I have the gym and the NGO. My day is quite busy here."

"I insist on joining you," Carlos says, eating hastily. "I want to prove that I'm serious about what I say."

"Accompanying my daily routine won't prove anything. You'll have to do better than that," I reply.

"Then tell me what I need to do," Carlos asks, holding my hand.

"I'm glad you asked. You can start by taking Juan to speech therapy and taking care of him for me because my parents won't be looking after him anymore," I respond, releasing my hand. He widens his eyes, nervous. He has never been completely alone with Juan, which gives me some satisfaction knowing that he will really have to figure things out, and it's a good way to show if he's serious. "Learn to take care of your son in my absence. I know you'll handle it just fine."


***
"Friend, you didn't do that," Filomena exclaims from her desk, surprised by everything that happened. She claps in my direction. "Dalia, you're unbelievable."

"Filo, this is just the beginning," I say, smiling. "Carlos needs to understand that the world doesn't revolve around him and that I haven't stopped being the Dalia he knew."

"Wow, I want to be your friend," Filo says, looking at the computer. "Well, I think after a day with Juan, he deserves a second chance."

"Friend, taking care of Juan is just the beginning," I say pretentiously. "The good part is that it will give me a break to get everything in order before the lunch with the financier."

"I can't wait to meet our financier in person. I hope he's as handsome as he appears online," says Filomena.

"Have you seen the financier?" I ask, surprised.

"I met him yesterday on Skype. Richard, me, and him were talking about the lunch. And I must admit, he's a real piece of eye candy."

"Is he really that good-looking?" I ask, curious.

"Well, for him, I would leave my husband," Filomena replies.

"Wow, I've never heard you talk like that about any of the guys you've met... not even about Richard."

"Richard is nice, but this financier, he has the look of a man who can make a woman's life unforgettable. It's written all over his face: Great in bed. Oh, if he shows interest in me, Barcelona will be too small for the two of us," Filomena concludes, fanning herself.

"Okay, I got it, the guy is hot, and you'd lose control for him," I say, laughing at my friend. "Now I need to focus on the NGO because if this so-called 'good in bed' doesn't like what he sees, I can assure you he won't even want to look at your face."

"Alright, rest assured that during these days, I'll be the best employee there is," Filomena says. Then she looks at me mischievously. "And you'll help me get that bonus called..."

"I promise to help you get the 'good in bed' in your bed, but now focus, friend, focus. For MAMA AFRICA."