“What did you say?”
Adán Rouco froze, looking inquisitively at the little woman in his arms.
Estrella Berrocal said, “I’m not really here to study, I just came to visit the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and see some more parades, then I’ll go back to La Ciudad Santa to bring my baby and open my studio.” But … you’re not going to back out, are you? You promised me you’d open a studio and now…”
Before she could finish her words, the man’s large hand, already gripping the back of her neck, sealed her lips directly with his.
The kiss, unexpected, but expected.
Estrella Berrocal gasped slightly at the kiss, their lips parted slightly before their foreheads lay gently against each other.
Adán Rouco looked at her deeply, “Did you make the decision now, or did you decide before you came to England?”
“I made my decision before I came to England, the opportunity to study in England is really very tempting. Adam, you can support my dream, you can even wait for me to be separated for a year and a half, I can also make some sacrifices for our family, in a relationship between two people, I want us to be equal, not give me all the time, that way, it will break my heart a lot.”
Adán Rouco took a deep breath and there was a pride in his gaze, as if he had not expected Estrella Berrocal to grow up so fast in this marriage and relationship.
She had also learned to be understanding, to tolerate him, to put herself in his shoes and, frankly, she was glad.
Adán Rouco is a mature man in his thirties with a lot of experience, and Estrella Berrocal is not very different in his eyes from a college student just out of high school, with the only difference being that she married him early and has had two children.
Estrella Berrocal is lucky to have a mature and calm man like Adán Rouco with whom she does not have to think too much or fall too many times, just follow him and he will be there in good times and bad. accommodate him?
Adán Rouco lowered his gaze and gently kissed the bridge of her nose and lips, with a slight trace of laughter and affection under his eyes. “It’s not so easy to open a studio, you can open as many as you want, but first, let’s do the wedding, the old man is looking very bad these days.”
Upon hearing this, Estrella Berrocal was quick to say, “Then why don’t I skip the rest of the parade and we’ll go home tomorrow and apologize to dad.”
“He’s angry anyway, so why not leave him angry for a few more days and then give him the good news and he’ll be even more grateful to you.”
Estrella Berrocal: “…”
Is this really a good way to establish Dad?
“So, can you leave work for a few days and watch the show with me?”
“Ms. Estrella, I flew to London and I’m still at your mercy?”
Estrella Berrocal threw her arms around Adán Rouco’s neck in a happy and sweet embrace.
…
Over the next few days, Adán Rouco accompanied Estrella Berrocal to fashion shows, visited local galleries and museums, took leisurely strolls, and sought out local, starred gourmet restaurants to sit down and sample the food in a little early honeymoon.
The night before returning home, Paulita turned on the videophone and Estrella Berrocal picked it up.
As soon as the video opened, Paulita was standing on the video, wailing and crying, with her hands rubbing her eyes, scaring Estrella Berrocal.
Estrella Berrocal nervously asked, “Paulita, what’s wrong? What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
“Star, don’t you and daddy love me and my brother anymore? When are you coming home?”
Estrella Berrocal was quick to say, “No, how could Daddy and I not love you two? We’re going home tomorrow, don’t cry”.
The next second, Paulita immediately pulled her fleshy little hands away from rubbing her eyes, smiled as she watched the video and excitedly confirmed, “Estrella, are you and daddy really coming back tomorrow?”
“Yeah, ask Dad later if you don’t believe me.”
“Where’s Dad?”
“Daddy’s in the bathroom, just a few more minutes, has Paulita been good lately, has she eaten well?”
“Yes! I have been eating well and growing every day. Star, let me show you my brother.”
“Yes, how is your brother?”
Estrella Berrocal watched the video while the little boy took the tablet and went to the day care center next door.
Paulita soon arrives at the nursery and points the flat-screen camera at Lucio in his crib, who has just finished feeding and is sound asleep, a bit of a serious sleeper; the child looks, perhaps, a bit more like Adán Rouco in character later on.
But it’s good that boys are like him, they are calmer, more introverted and more attractive to girls.
After a while, Adán Rouco came out of the bathroom and sat down, watching Paulita on the video. The family talked for more than half an hour, mostly with Paulita and Estrella Berrocal chatting while Adán Rouco sat listening.
When she finished, Paulita kissed the tablet, “Papa, Estrella, kisses and good night!”.
Estrella Berrocal also blew a kiss to Paulita: “Good girl, Paulita, tomorrow daddy and I will be back, so you can say hello to grandpa”.
Paulita nodded her little head, “Yes!”.
…
A few days after returning home, Adán Rouco took time to accompany Estrella Berrocal in the wedding preparations.
But there was so much to prepare for the wedding that Adán Rouco could not stay on strike with it. The old man had said he would hire a wedding company to prepare for it, but the wedding company would only prepare the big things, but the overall direction of the wedding would have to be determined by Adán Rouco and Estrella Berrocal, and some of the finer details of the wedding would have to be prepared by them.
After a few days, Estrella Berrocal was exhausted and after a shower, stretched out on the bed wide, looking at the chandelier over her head, she said, “I watched everyone else get married with joy and happiness, why am I tired as a dog when it’s my turn to get married. And it’s not even tied yet…”
Determining the location of the wedding, the location of the reception … it’s a mess and Estrella Berrocal’s mind is going to explode.
Adam Rouco closed the file and put it aside, leaning back and looking sideways at his small face, “What is it that has not yet been determined?”
Estrella Berrocal counted on her fingers, “We have decided on the venue for the reception, at the Banyan Tree, and for the wedding, at the church, but we haven’t decided on the date yet, dad and mom are discussing it, and mom wants to ask a fortune teller for an auspicious date.”
Adán Rouco rubbed his nose, he was inexperienced in his first marriage and could not express much of an opinion in front of his elders, so he just let them do it.
“And ah, the wedding dress is not yet chosen, tomorrow Saturday, you go with me to see the wedding dress, I also asked Dulcina to accompany us for advice.”
Adán Rouco raised an eyebrow: “Dulcina Calvo has not married, can she be a counselor?”.
“Wow, Claudio Belles is too far away in The Imperial Capital, and besides, it doesn’t take wedding experience just to see a groom’s suit or something, does it? But … Mr. Adam, why do you look down on people who aren’t married now?”
Adán Rouco covered himself with the blankets, put his arm around her and said, “Since I am married, I can’t look at the bachelors.”
“The Dulcina people are not just one person, they have Dr. Esteban. ”
“He’s not married, it’s all the same in my eyes.”
Estrella Berrocal looked at him amused, “What if you are single?”.
“Then I can’t look until the showers.”
“…”