Tiny Tina

"Sorry to hear that. Divorce?"

"Yeah. She was a bit younger but we had a fundamental difference about kids. I wanted some and she didn't. We couldn't get past it. You know, it's not something one can compromise on. Either you're in or you're out."

Upon hearing this Maria's heart beat a little faster and she wondered what he would say to her news.

"What about you?" he asked. "I have to confess I googled you when I heard about your call. A lawyer, huh?"

"Yeah, and I love it. I do family law, you know, simple wills, custody issues and, unfortunately, some divorces."

"So, you must have gone to college at some point?"

"Actually, I never did. My boss encouraged me to take the LSATs and was able to convince his alma mater to take me based on them, my junior college grades and my experience in his office. I did pretty well, passed the bar and eventually took over his practice."

"Wow. I knew you were pretty smart, but that's amazing!" He paused for a few seconds while she took a swallow of her wine. "You know, I almost didn't agree to this meeting."

"Why not?"

"To be honest, you hurt me back then."

"What do you mean? We agreed to part as friends..."

"Did you not read my letters?"

"Uh, no, I didn't."

"Why not?"

"I'm afraid there was something going on in my life and I couldn't face any complicating issues, you know, with you. What'd they say?"

"Well, the first one was pretty standard, as I recall. You know, the 'How are you?' kind of thing. I really wanted to hear from you and when you didn't respond, I laid it all out on the table."

"What? That you wanted to keep in contact? Wanted to stay friends?"

"No, I told you that I was in love with you and I wanted to be with you."

Maria sat there stunned, unable to say anything. With shaking hands, she grabbed her glass and swallowed the remaining wine. "You loved me?" she squeaked out.

"Umm-hmm. I know we talked about our time together as being short term and we were just friends. We enjoyed the sex, at least I did, a lot! But once I left, I realized I was in love with you. That's why I was crushed you didn't even answer my letters. It hurt. It really did."

Tears began to fall from her eyes. She realized in that instant not opening those letters had been a huge mistake, one that altered her life and Tina's life forever. If she had only opened them, well, maybe they could have been together as a family. Maybe, maybe...

"Honey, did I say something wrong? What's the matter?"

"Oh, Meegs," she said using an old nickname she had for him, "I royally screwed up. Totally. Completely."

"Did you love me?"

"At the time I didn't think I did, but that following year I thought about you more than you might believe. I got married after law school to a very nice man and I realized soon after I had nowhere near the feelings for him that I did for you. Needless to say, things didn't work out and we split up after a year or so. Looking back on it, yeah, I really did care for you, maybe I even loved you. And I fucked it all up. I'm so sorry I did that to you, to us."

"Yeah, me too."

As they stared at each other, each with a tiny grin and her mind racing. She had to tell him and she knew, she absolutely knew it could be a most painful bit of news. She had thrown him away and in the process 'thrown' her daughter away. She dabbed her eyes dry and after she laid her hand on the table, he lowered his on top of hers.

"Is this visit simply to get reconnected, Maria, or is there more?"

"Honestly, if you must know, there's more."

A few seconds later, the waiter came up with their entrees. The two began to eat and the conversation turned briefly to a discussion of the food, restaurants, food preferences and the like. Once the plates had been removed, Maria ordered another glass of wine.

"I never thought you were one to drink much, Mar."

"You're right. One's usually my limit, occasionally I'll have two."

"This is your second. You nervous about something?"

"Honestly, I am. Oh, here's my wine. Thank you, Sir," she said before turning back to Miguel. "Now, Miguel, I have a little story to tell you. It's true, one hundred percent. Please, I beg you, please don't interrupt and don't jump to conclusions and don't get mad. Hear me out, OK?"

"Now you've got me nervous," he chuckled, "OK, I promise. Hit me."

"Back in ninety-seven, after you left, I got sick. At first I thought I had a stomach flu. But it persisted. I missed a period. Well, you can see where this is going, can't you?"

He nodded 'Yes.'

"I tested positive for a pregnancy. You were the only one who could have been the father, trust me on that. I was torn. I didn't know what to do. I was sure you'd be upset and I didn't want to ruin your chance for medical school. I talked to a priest. Yeah, me, I talked to a priest. Can you believe it? Anyway, he gave me some reasonable guidance. And Tia Catharina helped me a lot..."

"How is she, anyway?" he interrupted.

"Oh, it's so sad, but she has severe dementia and is living in a memory unit now."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Oops, interrupted you. Sorry. Go ahead."

"Anyway, I decided that I would not tell you and give her, yes, it was a her, up for adoption. That way you wouldn't be saddled with child support and I could go on with my schooling. So, after she was born..."

"When? When was that?"

"The seventh of January. Oh, Meegs, she was adorable. So cute. A tiny little thing, only six pounds. I held her for just a few minutes and handed her off to the nurses and they took her to her new parents. It was absolutely the most painful thing I could ever have imagined. But I did it for her. For you. And for me, to be honest."

"And?"

"Even though it was a closed adoption, she recently found me through genetic testing. I've met her. She's a lovely young woman. She's got your eyes, Meegs, and your smile. We have reconnected in ways you wouldn't believe."

"Why now?"

"Her parents have both died. She has no other family and she wanted family. So, now she's got a family. She's met Sofia, you know, my sister, and she's met Momma and Papa. They are over the moon to have a granddaughter. Our short time together has been the most exciting and rewarding experience of my life."

"And you've decided to tell me this now because...?"

"Naturally she wants to meet you. I agreed to tell you and see if you were interested. We didn't want to spring this on you, you know, show up unexpectedly..."

"She wants to meet me? Really?"

"Umm-hmm."

"Where's she live?"

"In Rockland. She's going to the U there."

Miguel stood up, threw a big wad of cash on the table and said, "Well, Mar, what the heck are we waiting for? We've got a bit of driving to do!"

"Really? Now? We're driving there now?"

"Why not? My daughter wants to meet me and I want to meet her. Let's swing by the Manor and get your things. I figure we can make it a few hundred miles tonight and a long day tomorrow and we should be able to get there before noon Saturday."

"Oh, Meegs," she said as she threw her arms around him, "Oh, I'm so happy, so relieved. How about flying? Could save some time..."

"Nope, I want to also use the time to get to know you better. Nothing like sitting cooped up in a car to force us to reconnect. We'll leave your car here. I've got to call Robin and cancel my day tomorrow. Family emergency and all, you know. Come on, let's hit the road."

After dropping her off at the Manor to gather her things and check out, Miguel tore off to his place to throw together some clothing and personal items before returning to the Manor. When he pulled up, a proud, self-reliant attractive woman was waiting for him. He stared at her like a thirsty man might look at an oasis. After throwing her suitcase into the backseat, they drove off into the night.

As he drove, she told him everything she knew about Tina. He asked many questions, answers to which she frequently did not know.

After three hours and with it getting quite late, they found a roadside motel to spend the night. It was a rather shady place with dingy furniture and a smelly bathroom. After brushing her teeth and using the toilet, she returned to the main room to see Miguel wearing pajama bottoms and with his chest bare. He was still a striking looking man and she could see the definition of his muscles in the chest and arms though, she had to admit, he had a tiny bit of thickness above his waist.

After he excused himself, she quickly got into her nightgown. When he returned he found her looking carefully between the sheets of her bed.

"What are you looking for?"

"Bedbugs. I worry about bedbugs in a place like this."

He chuckled a little bit but took her advice and checked his bed as well. Within minutes of turning off the lights they were both sound asleep.

The next day had gorgeous weather. The temperatures were in the 70s, the skies were clear and spring was evident everywhere with green hills and carpets of wildflowers. They talked constantly sharing stories of their professional careers and their lives. Laughter erupted frequently throughout the day. After several hours of driving, he turned the wheel over to Maria before resuming driving near the end of the day.

That evening they had a wonderful meal at a small Mexican restaurant before they went to find a room. As there was a local community spring festival in the town, they ended up having to take the last single room available. Miguel was quite nervous and stammered a bit when he told her about the room arrangements. She laughed briefly and teased him he would have to use some pillows to make a barrier to keep her from snuggling up to him. Once the lights were out, they crawled into bed, leaving a large gap between them.

Maria was completely unable to sleep. She found herself wide awake completely excited about seeing Tina again and reliving the conversations of the day. Miguel and she seemed to pick up right where they left off years ago. There was a comfortable feeling being with him, a surprising familiarity even. As she thought about him her mind started to drift to thinking about 'them.' A tiny question niggled in the back of her mind; Could there be a 'them' again?

As she tried to relax she became aware Miguel's breathing was not regular and he seemed to be stirring on his side of the bed. She whispered, "You awake?"

"Umm-hmm. Can't sleep. Too much going on in my mind."

"Me, too. What cha thinking about?"

"A kiss."

"A kiss?"

"Yeah. A kiss."

"And just who's kissing who?"

"Me. You."

"Well, waitin' for Christmas?"

Miguel rolled over as Maria scooted closer to him. Their arms wrapped around each other and in the dark their lips found each other. The kiss was at first tentative, teasing before it deepened into a kiss of lovers and soul mates. After several minutes Miguel pulled away and whispered, "I've waited twenty years for this kiss. And I don't want to wait for another twenty years."

"Then don't. Kiss me again." The kisses were reaffirming, reassuring and relaxing all at the same time.

A few minutes later they pulled apart and stared at each other in the darkness. "Feel better?" he asked.

"Mmm-hmm."

"Think you'll be able to sleep?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"Good night, Love, sleep tight," were the last words she heard as she snuggled up to him and drifted off.

The next morning, she woke up a few minutes before he did. She watched him silently as he softly snored next to her. Her mind raced as she wondered about their situation. What was this leading to for him and for her? Was he just playing along until he met Tina? Could she trust her feelings about him? She had always said she had fallen 'in like' with him all those years ago but maybe, maybe it was 'love' all along. And their time together the day before was as if they'd been apart for a week or so, not twenty years! She found herself imagining life with him and wondered what it might be like. Could they work things out? Where would they live? Would he even want to be with her?

As these thoughts and worries raced through her mind, he slowly stirred and opened his eyes.

"Hey, you."

"Hey, Meegs."

"Sleep well?"

"The best in years."

"Me too," he responded as he neared to her, looking for a kiss.

After a few kisses, they broke apart and suddenly she giggled.

"What's so funny?"

"It's not funny. I'm so happy. I can't believe we're here and more importantly; I can't believe how good you, your kisses feel."

"Mar, you might think I'm overstating things a bit, but I want you to know that my intentions are both honorable as well as a bit racier. Understand?"

"You didn't try anything last night..."

"Oh, I wanted to, but let's say I'm playing the long game. And in the long game, quickies don't amount to a hill of beans."

"Are you saying that after less than two days you're...?"

"Yes. I don't think I ever truly stopped loving you. But we need some time to see if it, if we still work." After a few more kisses he broke away. "We've still got some more business to attend to today. Let's get dressed and go visit our daughter! I can't wait!"

Their drive on Saturday was a few short hours. Once they arrived on the university campus, Maria texted Tina.

In town. Got news about your dad. Care for a visit?

Gr8!

Where?

campus fountain

c u in 10

Maria grabbed Miguel's hand as they walked across the campus square towards the fountain. Tina was sitting on the stone ledge facing away from them, seemingly lost in thought. As they approached her, she turned and faced them with her face lit up. She took one look at Miguel before running to him and wrapping her arms around him.

"Dad? Can I call you Dad?" she cried into his chest.

"Of course, of course you can. It might take me some time to get used to the name..."

"Don't you have any kids?"

"Yes, I've got you. Let me take a look at you."

They pulled apart and he looked at her adorable face where he saw his eyes looking back at him, streaming tears of joy. Maria came to them and became the third person in a three-way hug. None of their eyes were dry as they babbled, laughed, cried simultaneously. After a few minutes the tears stopped and they sat on the grass next to the fountain to talk. Tina and her father had the most to tell each other about themselves though Maria added to the conversation off and on.

Towards late afternoon they agreed to dinner together with Maria insisting on paying. At a nice steak house, they enjoyed wonderful food and a few drinks. Towards the end of the meal Tina turned to her parents who were sitting next to each other across from her and asked, "Are you two, uh, together?"

"Sure, Honey, we drove here together from Central City," answered Maria.

"No, I got that, but are youtogether, like dating?"

"Tina, a bit over forty-eight hours ago I was on my own and had just met your mother for the first time in twenty-one years. So, no, we aren't together-together, but I can say I enjoyed our trip here while we reconnected."

"Oh, I see."

"Why?"

"Well, when you came up today you were holding hands and..."

"I was so nervous about you meeting your dad that I held onto him to calm my nerves."

"Tina," said her father, "It would be way, way too much to throw that on top of our reunion. It turns out we get along very well even after all these years, though."

"Well, that's good, I guess," she chuckled before going on, "So, what was your relationship like back then, anyway?"

"You want to take this, Mar?"

"Sure. Uh, obviously we were pretty close, I mean you're proof of that now, aren't you? Meegs was leaving to go the U and I still had a year to go with my program. We agreed to go our own ways and it was after he left when I realized I was pregnant."

"Why didn't you tell him?"

"'Cause I was a stupid, stupid young woman. I didn't want to ruin his chance at a career by tying him down with baby responsibilities and costs."

"What about you, Dad? Did you have any idea about me?"

"No. None. I did write her a couple of times but she never answered so I assumed I was only a guy in her rearview mirror."

"Not anymore," laughed Maria. "You're in the headlights now. You and I got a daughter and we'll be communicating and probably seeing each other a lot more, right?"

"I hope so," he answered as he looked right into her eyes. The look was brief but it sent a tiny thrill down her spine.

"I guess he still has those feelings," Maria thought to herself.

After leaving the restaurant and agreeing to meet for breakfast, they dropped Tina off at her apartment. Maria realized they had no accommodations for the night. "Where shall we stay?"

"Let's check on my travel app and see what's available." After a quick search he came up with a double room at a nearby hotel. "Sound good?"

"I guess. Uh, do they have a king single, by any chance?"

"You sure?"

"Umm-hmm. I liked my snuggle partner last night."

"OK. Hmm, yeah, they've got one. I'll grab it and we should be there in fifteen minutes."

In their room they went through their bathroom rituals and crawled into bed leaving a fairly large gap between them. Miguel turned on a sports channel for a short time to catch up on his favorite team's spring training while Maria read something on her phone. Once the TV was off and the phone was plugged in to recharge, Maria turned off the light before asking 'Can I get my snuggle in now?"

"Sure. Slide over here."

It felt so good and reassuring to be in his arms. The sensation, while not being sexually stimulating, was still a loving closeness. The hug gave her energy and strength while relaxing her at the very same time.

"Funny question she asked today," she whispered to him.

"What? The one about us being together?"

"Mmm-hmm. Do you think we answered it correctly?"

"Technically, yes."

"Technically?"

"Yeah. We told the truth. But, uh, I'm glad she didn't ask about the future," he responded.

"Why? What's the future going to bring?"

"Who knows?" he responded before repeating a softer, "Who knows?"

"I know one thing about the future," she paused before going on, "I know that inside of fifteen seconds I'm going to poke you in the ribs if you don't bend down here and give me a kiss!" she giggled only to find her mouth smothered by his lips well before the fifteen seconds were up. Their hugs were firm and loving and the kisses were nice sweet ones which slowly deepened into warm, sensual expressions of desire. She could feel his excitement and realized she too was responding with warmth, moisture and fullness in her pelvis.

She was right at the point of throwing caution to the wind and crawling on top of him when he broke the kiss, giving her a few seconds to recover.

"Mar, you better watch it or I might not stop."

"You're right. We need to be careful."

"You can still snuggle, though," he chuckled.

"Good. I like my snuggle partner. Good night."

-----

The three of them spent most of the next day together until Tina told them of an important exam she had the following day she had to study for. They bought her a pizza and a six-pack of diet cola and dropped her off around five pm with promises to keep in touch and to get together as soon as her Spring quarter was done. Miguel also suggested she consider applying for a summer intern position at his clinic. She had never truly considered medicine or nursing as a career but told him she might take him up on it.

They went out to dinner and enjoyed the quiet after all the talking and laughing they had experienced over the prior two days. Both took the opportunity to call their office staffs to inform them they'd not be available for several days as they had to drive back to Central city and she'd have to drive on to Western Oaks from there. After a second drink and dessert they went up to their room and relaxed before falling asleep. As on the previous night, they fell asleep arm in arm.