Cultural Diffusion Ch. 09

"I love you." He said, pulling away from her to look into her eyes.

"I love you too." She said replied. He put a spread hand along the small of her back and used it to guide her body into his. He placed a languid kiss onto her full lips. She looked up into his eyes and saw a glimpse of his son's.

"What's for dinner?" He asked, breaking their passionate and meaningful gaze with food. Kat playfully got out of his hold and picked up her purse.

"Guess I'm going to have to reprint these papers again." He said, looking down on his desk. It was in shambles; their love juices saturated some while Kat had wrinkled and crumbled others. She gave him a sympathetic look.

"Well... I'm going." She said, smoothing out her hair. Alejandro puckered his lips from the opposite side of the desk and she took a few steps to meet him halfway. She pecked him lightly and turned to head for the door.

"See you tonight." He said. Kat nodded and let herself out.

*******

"Are you coming inside?" Kat asked Alejandro. He was eyeing Carmen from the front of the building. She wore tennis shoes, a tee shirt and shorts but still didn't fail to look like a model. Her raven black hair was curled loosely and her large breasts were pulled up around her neck. Kat on the other hand was dressed in loose sweats, flip flops and a tank top.

"No. Why would I?" He asked. Kat didn't have a response for him. She proceeded to open her door but it locked before she had the chance to grip the handle. She looked at Alejandro questioningly.

"Kiss." He stated. Kat leaned over the barrier that separated the passenger seat from the driver's and placed a light kiss on his lips.

Carmen's first visitation was scheduled to be at a bowling alley. Kat was supervising it, as she promised the kids she would. Carmen obviously didn't like that idea but Kat couldn't care less. She made a promise to Diego and Maribel so she'd hold her end of the bargain. Plus Carmen had no idea Kat's attendance was the only way the kids would even agree to visit her.

Kat opened the back seat door to let Diego and Maribel out. They said goodbye to their dad and lifelessly stepped out the car. They walked alongside Kat up toward the entrance where Carmen waited.

"Hey!" She said enthusiastically. She hadn't seen her kids in over 5 months but you'd never know that based off the expression on their faces. But they were under Kat's watchful eye so they hugged and kissed her politely.

"I missed you." She told them both, holding their hands in hers. Kat felt a little sorry for Carmen. She didn't second guess her feelings for her kids; she probably genuinely missed them. Despite the things she'd done to her family, Kat still wanted something good for her. So to see her kids unresponsive to her presence was hard to bear. Was she wrong for that?

Kat brought along her planner so she could get ready to start teaching in a few weeks. It was definitely bitter sweet; she loved teaching and couldn't wait to see her students but she didn't know how she would hand up her baby for 8 hours. Taking care of him ensured he was getting proper care constantly. Some people weren't as thorough as she was and she didn't want those types of people caring for her son.

As assured, Carmen hardly acknowledged Kat's existence. She ushered the kids inside the bowling alley and Kat kept her distance. Carmen paid for their shoes and the lane they'd be using. Kat spotted a bench against the back wall and hastily made her way toward it.

After a few minutes of bowling, they opened up a little more with their mother. Although they did look back at Kat for recognition that she saw them knock down a couple pins at once, so her presence was never forgotten. When that happened, she'd give them a smile and a thumbs-up, embracing their warm smiles. It was about 5:00 when the lane was closed and their bellies were full of hotdogs. Kat stood slowly, and watched Carmen walk them toward Alejandro's car as he pulled up.

Kat once again, put a good few meters between them and was the last to exit the bowling alley. Kat took her seat on the passenger side and when Carmen closed the back door, Alejandro drove home. The ride was mainly Maribel and Diego conversing borderline arguing with each other about their bowling skills.

"I got down 5 before you." Diego said confidently, sounded exactly like his father with his stern, matter-of-factly tone. As if it would stop someone from trying to go against him. But Maribel of course, was used to both Alejandro and her brother so she continued her claim.

"No you didn't—Kat, didn't I get more?" Maribel asked. Kat's insides heated as a response to her gloom. Maribel had called her Kat. For the past 2 weeks Kat had been 'momma' to both Diego and his sister. Now after their visit with Carmen, their birth mom, she had become just Kat.

"You can't be upset, that's your name and that's their mother." She told herself. But it did nothing to help her. She still felt so saddened.

"Kat, you okay? What's wrong?" Alejandro asked. Her eyes were cast down onto her shoes and she hadn't even answered the little girl's question.

"I wasn't counting Mari, I'm sorry." Kat told her in such a robotic voice, she even scared herself.

"Kat." Alejandro warned. That man could read her like an open book—anyone could; Kat bottled her thoughts but could never hide her emotions.

"Hm?" She replied, facing him dead on. His square jaw had a tight angle on it, making his neck look slender.

"What's up with you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow to the street ahead. Kat didn't answer for a few seconds but when she was about to speak, he interceded again.

"Did Carmen say something to you?" With that question he looked her straight in the eyes and she knew he was ready to call her up. Kat eagerly shook her head.

"I don't think the kids see me as their mom anymore." Kat whispered. Alejandro sighed deeply and Kat knew he didn't have anything to reply. She sank deeper inside her seat and began to gaze out the window.

"Baby, I know you love them and I know they love you. But..." He shrugged his shoulders in a hopeless way. "That is their mother. Don't try and force them to choose. Just continue to love them and be their moral mother, just not their theoretical one. Although if they want to acknowledge you as their mom, let them."

"Alright." She groaned, closing her eyes for a second and letting her breaths calm her.

****

A loud crack of thunder sounded in the bedroom and instinctively, Alejandro and Kat split their spooning position and faced one another. Rain pattered softly outside the window and a bright white light illuminated the room. In that flicker of a second, Kat could see Alejandro's eyes staring into hers. They held that soul gaze up until the bedroom door opened. Maribel nuzzled up to Kat's chest but Diego sat stood idle on the bed.

"I want to lay by her." He whined, a little too loudly. Andres was luckily a heavy sleeper and still hadn't made a sound since the first segment of thunder.

"Glad I'm loved." Alejandro mumbled. Maribel chuckled in the darkness.

"I'll sleep next to you daddy." She said cheerfully, shifting to nuzzle her father. So Diego took her place and Kat pulled the covers over his body.

"You don't love me anymore Diego?" Alejandro asked, feigning a hurt whimper. Kat smiled in the darkness; what a child. Diego's reply sounded muffled due to his head being buried into Kat's neck. He clenched onto her as if she was a monkey climbing trees in the jungle.

"Yes I do." He said.

"Well I love you too. You too Maribel." He said, and it sounded as if he kissed her cheek, but Kat couldn't see.

"Does anyone love me?" Kat asked, taking on the same whining tone Alejandro had and mastering the ridiculous whimper too. Alejandro laughed, noticing her successful mock.

"I love you!" Diego was eager to say, he kissed her cheek and Kat returned it.

"Me too." Maribel said. Alejandro took an audible sigh.

"I guess I love you too." He exhaled.

"Good." Kat said, sounding content.

"Alright, now that we've all expressed our love; it's time for bed." Alejandro said a little strictly. Kat was feeling pretty good. The kids could call Carmen whatever they wanted, but Kat knew they loved her. She had plenty of love and happiness in her life to last her awhile.