<><><>
Gem finishes touching up the blue eyeshadow on her friend's makeup, places the crown of black roses, which holds a white veil on her head — All done!
— Amazing! I really do look like Emily — says , examining the fake scar on her cheek.
— I'll put on the wedding dress and then I'll be all set.
By the time they arrive at Mrs. Carmen's house, Tadeus and Alexander are at the door handing out candy to the kids. — Are you supposed to be the other dad? — Yenedith asks after greeting them both with a hug.
— In what world does he..?
— I'm Jack — says Alexander.
— And I'm Sally. Obviously
— Oh, that explains the wig — says Gem.
— What, does it look awful? — asks Tadeus.
— I didn't say that.
— No.
Tadeus makes a grimace, at which point Alexander kisses him on the cheek before saying — You missed dinner.
— It's barely nine o'clock — says Yenedith.
— Mommy saved some food for you, go on in.
Daisy welcomes them with open arms — Oh, my precious girls did come! Sit down, I'll serve you.
— Thanks — they say in unison.
— We're out of candy — says Tadeus as he walks into the kitchen — We're leaving now.
— No, wait for us! There's a stand-up comedy show and a costume contest at the Red Star. If we go together, we'll have a better chance of winning a prize — says Yenedith.
— Okay, we'll go get some more candy and be right back.
An hour later, they arrived at the bar just in time to participate in the costume contest in the couples' category. After three elimination rounds, Yenedith and Gem took third place. The prize was a free cocktail that night and a free meal at a restaurant in the chain every Tuesday for three months.
Second place went to Frankenstein and his girlfriend, who won a romantic dinner at a luxury restaurant, free meals every Tuesday for three months, and tickets to an aquatic amusement park.
In first place were Vlad in his armor and Elizabeta, who won five thousand dollars and a four-day, three-night trip to San Andrés.
Luck continued to favor the group as they won the trivia night, so they'd have free drinks for the rest of the night. Emily and Victoria drank until dinner came escaping out of their mouths, a sign Tadeus took as his cue to take them home. — Don't throw up on my shoes — he warns his sister as he drags her by the arm to her room.
— Where's Gem?
— Right behind you, keep walking. — he insists until he manages to get her into bed. He takes off her high heels, wipes her mouth with a damp cloth, and tucks them both in as Alexander lays Gem down on her side.
— Oh, my head is spinning.
— I'll leave a bucket next to you in case you need to throw up — he whispers. When he returns to the room, he kisses her on the forehead before leaving. Tadeus sighs heavily, rests his head on the seat, and takes off his shoes in the car. — I didn't know she would drink like that.
— It was fun — says Alexander.
— Yeah.
<><><> NOVEMBER <><><>
The look on a man's face when he has lost all hope is hard to read. Does he feel anger, disappointment? That thought crosses Tadeus' mind as he watches him sit down. His beard and hair are unkempt; his eyes look more sunken into his face, and his cheeks are gaunt. — Sorry it took me so long to get here. How are things around here? — the man remains silent, his gaze fixed and devoid of judgment. —I'm sorry about what happened with…
— It's not so bad here. They've been treating me differently since I agreed to work with the I.C.U. I heard they contacted you, too. What did they tell you?
Tadeus feels tears welling up in his eyes — That I could receive training to become an undercover agent right away. They were willing to give me a new name, but I didn't want to keep running.
— That's good, good for you.— Gustaph places his hands over Tadeus' on the table — I regret not acting in time when you took the initiative. I should have been on your side, but I was a coward.
— Let go of his hands — says one of the guards passing by the table.
— Come see me again. I'll be here for about three years before I can request house arrest; time will fly by if I see you more often.
— I don't think I'll be able to come this often, but maybe once a month — he says with a smile amid a sob — What happened to Rebeca?
— She's in protective custody, just like her mother. We don't know much about the other women they rescued from the casinos.
— That's enough for me.
After an hour, the guards begin ushering the visitors out. Tadeus gives Gustaph a big hug and heads for the exit before a guard can scold him again.
Meanwhile, Alexander welcomes Claire into his office. — I haven't been able to track down Egan. According to my informant, the man vanished; several of his dealers started dying, and he shut down most of the clubs. It's presumed he was arrested or fled to another country under a different alias.
— He's probably waiting for word from Tadeus now that he has no one left to sell him drugs. What about the old man?
— Singer is in isolation, under surveillance to prevent him from committing suicide, and they let him out into the yard at different times than the other inmates to avoid any attempt on his life.
— That can wait — he guards his hands in his pockets and sighs as he looks out the window — What about the senator?
— He's in solitary confinement too, but he spends time with other inmates during meals. Apparently he has some kind of arrangement; my source couldn't find out what kind of deal he has with the prosecution — she moves closer — he had a visitor today. Do you know who went to see him? Your fiancé — she says, placing her hand on his arm.
— Thanks for the information. You've done a good job all these years, and I think it's time to let you go.
— Why so suddenly?
— I'd already thought about it.
— Is it because of what happened at the center? — she asks incredulously — You ordered me to shoot on your signal.
— A signal I never gave — he says, looking her straight in the eyes. She tries to say something else, but Alexander stops her by covering her mouth firmly — Live with that child you're taking care of and enjoy your freedom. I don't want to see you again. Do you hear me well? — She nods, and he releases the pressure on her cheeks — You'll receive a cash settlement and new identities for both of you.
— Thank you, Alex.
— Don't go home — he tells her just before she opens the door. — Robert will take you to the hostel where a nanny is taking care of your daughter. Your flight leaves in three days.
— Understood — she says. By the time Alexander looks toward the door, the woman is still there, nodding at him with a slight smile, and she runs over to give him one last hug before leaving.
On her way out, she wipes away her tears when she bumps shoulders with Tadeus, who apologizes. — Are you okay?
— I'm fine — she says, nodding, holding her breath so she won't start crying again.
— My love, how was your appointment?
— You're never going to stop, are you? — Tadeus tilts his face away to evade the kiss, though he doesn't forbid him from wrapping his arms around his waist, nor does he refuse to look at him when he caresses his chin — What was she doing here?
— I laid her off — he says before cutting off his words with a kiss that takes him a while to savor. He wants to change jealousy for desire, but he finds it difficult. And of course he longs to enjoy that smile he loves so much; of course this only fuels his possessive thoughts.
— You're leaving the business.
— That's not what I said. — He wants to ask him, but all he can do is take his hand to close the distance when Tadeus gently pushes his shoulders away — What did the doctor tell you?
— After the X-rays, the doctor ordered a high-resolution CT scan and blood tests to confirm the diagnosis. She suspects I might have pulmonary fibrosis — he says with a lump in his throat.
— Wait, didn't you say your mother died of fibrosis? It's hereditary, right?
— I don't have cystic fibrosis. It would've been diagnosed during my… — he takes a deep breath before continuing — It's because of the injuries I had; she thinks the scar tissue is causing it, or maybe I had an infection.
— We'll have to wait for the results.
Tadeus lets out a sigh, as if to hold back a laugh — I basically fit in every fucking cause.
— No, don't say that — Alexander says, hugging him tightly — You're going to be okay.