Easter's Lilly Read online

Mark delivered the divorce papers to us personally. We stayed at Max and Diego’s house until the papers were officially filed. It was creepy. When the papers arrived Mark said, “Free at last, free at last!” I grabbed the papers and ripped open the envelope. I jumped up and down and threw my arms around Max. “Are we still getting married?” I asked.

  “Are you kidding?” Max said. “I’m going to call Hector and have him fly out here; unless you want to get married in Arizona. Maybe in a little church in the rocks? Baby, I want you to have what you want.”

  “Fly Hector and Dieguito out here and let’s get married!” I was so excited.

  “I do have one condition.” Max looked serious and it scared me.

  “Anything,” I said. “What is it?”

  “I want to get married on Easter Sunday.” He looked at me with the sweetest eyes.

  “Are you serious?” I asked. “If we get married on Easter, someone will interrupt the wedding with a machine gun or something. No way!”

  “I want Easter to be turned around for you. I want you to remember Easter as being a good day.”

  “Max, I lost Johnny on Easter. I married Diego a week after Easter. My dad was shot on Easter. My mother’s funeral was on Easter and you were shot, almost to death on Easter.” I thought about all the sadness I had experienced on such a holy day. “Do you want to have our anniversary so close to my anniversary with Diego?”

  “Yes,” he answered. “Because you will remember it with love and joy.” I thought about his suggestion for a while. Although, I really did think he was crazy, I went along with it.

  We decided to hold the ceremony at the Flamingo with Hector as Max’s best man and my little son who would stand up for me. I looked at myself in the mirror in my dressing room, thinking about how I hadn’t lost all the weight from the pregnancy. John knocked on the door. I opened it and said, “You can only come in if you promise not to kiss me.” He laughed, and came inside. “I just wanted to give you one more chance to change your mind.”

  “I love Maxwell,” I told him. I took his hands and kissed his cheek. “I can’t thank you enough for all you have done for me. But Maxwell is all I think about. I’m sorry I didn’t kiss you back, but I didn’t want to lead you on.”

  “I came on too strong,” he admitted. “But I don’t regret it.”

  “Oh and thanks for placing doubt in his head. I needed that,” I said sarcastically.

  “On some level, you do love me,” he said. “And you did kiss me back.” He smiled like he knew something I didn’t. I shook my head in disapproval.

  Just then Hector walked in unannounced. “Get the hell out of here,” he said to John.

  “I was just wishing the bride a good life,” he said and he walked out.

  “Any kissing?” Hector asked sarcastically.

  “Oh my gosh, no…” I answered. “I love Max, Hector. Only Max.”

  “Keep that guy at bay,” he warned. “I’m not kidding, Lilly. Max won’t put up with this.”

  “I’ll tell him he was here,” I offered.

  “Not today,” Hector said. “He is so excited.”

  “I do not want Johnny,” I continued. “I can’t help if he still wants me. It’s not my fault.”

  “Be meaner to him,” he said laughing. “So, you and Max.” He paused. “It’s the real deal?”

  “Hector, I hope you find it someday.” I kissed his cheek. “Yes, it’s the real deal.”

  “That’s if you can get over me,” he said. I rolled my eyes.“If I’m going to give you away, we’d better get moving.” He started straightening his tie in the mirror. “You know I love you, Lilly. You’re like the sister I never had.”

  “You have Elena,” I said laughing.

  “You’re like the sister I always wished I had,” he corrected himself.

  I took his arm and he walked me down the aisle. Hector delivered me to Max and took his place beside him. Johnny was an involuntary witness. Our baby was five months old now and Diego was finally five. So much time had gone by and Max and I had never lived a normal life. The preacher looked at Max and said, “You have your own vows you said you would like to recite.” I was shocked. He never said anything about it to me.

  “Yes, I do.” He grabbed my hands and looked into my eyes. I could feel my heart slip into my stomach. My legs got weak and I had to remind myself to remain standing. He kissed my hands, one at a time and searched my eyes for longing. I could tell they were beginning to fill with tears before his musical voice even began to speak.

  “Querida,” he started. “You are my reason for drawing breath in the morning.” His glance never left my eyes. “The first time I saw you, you were like a wounded bird looking for hope. I fell in love with you instantly. My heart aches for you when we are apart and my soul feels incomplete. You make me whole. Together, we can face anything and we will passionately enjoy the journey. Thank you for being my baby girl.”

  I had no idea how to follow that. He did not warn me, so I had not time to write anything down. “Since you didn’t tell me you were going to do this, I am not prepared.”

  He smiled and said, “Just reach inside your heart.”

  I took a deep breath and thought about it for a minute. “You are everything to me,” I started. You rescued me from my first scary pregnancy and then you rescued me from what had become my life. You are my best friend, an incredible lover and the only part of me that makes any sense.” I could hear John snicker a little. “I have never been happier and I pray that you will stay by my side forever. Without you there is no reason for me to go on. I love you so much!” I wanted so desperately to jump into his arms. The preacher continued the ceremony and we exchanged rings. I was crying so hard, I could barely see clearly enough to slip the ring on his finger. When he got to the “kiss the bride,” Max pulled me close and kissed me deeply. I was so swept away; he had to hold me up a little.

  “We made it,” he said to me. “We made it,” and he gave me that boyish grin. “It’s Easter Sunday and not one got shot.” He laughed. “Just joy and love.” He looked over at his brother. “Things are going to be different now.” Hector hugged him and then me.

  Johnny shook Max’s hand and hugged me. Then he whispered in my ear, “If you ever change your mind, I’ll be here.” Max pulled him away by the back of his collar.

  “I don’t think you want to mess with me today,” he said to Johnny. Johnny looked at him disparagingly.

  Hector grabbed John and said, “Where are you going to stay while you wait for the trial. I hear it starts next week.”

  “I thought you and Max would put me up,” he said. “Max and Diego have that huge house.” He looked at Max. “Come on, you’re married now, I’m no threat.”

  “You were never a threat,” he corrected him. “But you’re still hitting on her, I don’t want you around.”

  “Come on Max, we can keep an eye on him this way,” Hector said earnestly.

  “Lilly?” Max asked. “How do you feel about him staying with us? The trial could go on for months.”

  “If he becomes a problem, I’ll let you know,” I answered. “Really, I promise.”

  “Okay,” he said. “But the first time I see you trying to stick your tongue down her throat…” He didn’t finish but Johnny got the picture.

  As we were heading out the door a man walked over to me with an envelope. “Lilly Montiago?”

  Max pushed me behind him and said, “Who wants to know?”

  “Is she Lilly?” I began to feel frightened. I knew Easter was a bad idea.

  “I’m her husband, what do you want?” He reached around Max and handed me the paper. “You have been served.” He turned away and high tailed it down the hall.

  “Diego probably had her subpoenaed to testify,” Hector assumed. I opened the envelope and looked at Max in surprise. “I don’t know anything about Diego’s business. What could they possibly want from me?”

  “To discredit Max,” Johnny answered. “Expose you
r affair… that kind of thing.”

  “Crap!” I blurted. “This is just great!”

  “It’s fine,” Max said. “I didn’t really hide it from Diego.” He paused and smiled for a minute. “Not very well, anyway.”

  Hector laughed and said, “You think?”

  “He knew about it and I never denied it. Besides it took us four years to consummate our relationship. Who waits four years?”

  “Like anyone is going to believe that?” Hector mentioned. “I still don’t believe that.”

  “What about you?” Max said to Hector. “You were warming Olivia’s bed for years.”

  “Yeah, we probably should have stayed away from their wives.”

  “You think?” Johnny said sarcastically, following Hector’s lead.

  “I’ll call the lawyer in the morning. But tonight is our wedding night.” He handed the keys to Hector. Go ahead and take everyone home,” he suggested. “Lilly and I have to consummate our marriage.”

  “A little late for that,” he said, holding Chris in his arms. “Just kidding, go have fun.” Then he put the baby back in the stroller. “I’ll take care of Chris for you,” he said to me. “He drinks from the bottle now, right?”

  “Yes, thanks Hector. There’s formula in the diaper bag.”

  “I’ll watch Dieguito,” John assured us. “I’m glad to have time with him.” They waved and took off down the hall. Little Diego kissed us and helped Hector push the baby carriage down the hallway.

  Max and I got our key to our room and he carried me over the threshold.It was our first night as husband and wife and our last night without any strife. We were going to have to start the trial and I would be seeing Diego every day again. As Maxwell took me into his arms I tried to push back all the craziness that was ahead of us. Max was so romantic and so gentle with me. To him it was like I was the most beautiful woman in the world. We made love all night long. He never tired. By the time we fell asleep it was almost daylight. When he finally woke he put his arms around me and said, “Is it over already?”

  “Yes daddy, it is.” I turned to look into those ocean blue eyes.

  “Do we have to go back?”

  “Yes daddy, we do.”

  “Baby girl…” he whispered. “I’m so in love with you.”

  “I love you more,” I told him.

  “That is not possible,” he said. And we began to get ready for our day. We had to call Mark and get started on our testimony. But we were finally married. I felt so safe. I was ready.