Reading Time: 81 Minutes
Title: For Whom The Phone Rings
Series: Becoming Evan
Series Order: 1
Author: Chimera01
Fandom: 9-1-1
Genre: Contemporary, Drama, Family, Kid!fic
Relationship(s): Gen, Background: OFC/OMC, Philip Buckley/Margaret Buckley, Family Relationships
Content Rating: R
Warnings: Underage Sex, Adult Language, Mentions Child Abuse, Strong Language, Mentions Mental Illness, Adult Situations, Minor Character Death
Author Note: There are timestamps, rather than chapters, in this story. This is because the main timeline of year 2000 is the main story, with flashbacks of previous phone calls in other years. See glossary tab in main page
Word Count: 20,239
Summary: A series of telephone calls to, and from, Magdelina Rubio Buckley illustrate important times during her long life. The most recent call, however, alerts “Maddie” to a dangerous issue involving her youngest grandson.
Artist: Twigen
August 2000
The shrill trill of the mobile telephone on the end table pulled Magdelina Buckley’s attention from the year-end reports she was reviewing. Sighing, she dropped the folder onto her coffee table and reached for the phone, blinking in surprise at the name on the caller display.
Telephones, she thought, were a wonderful and disturbing invention. Certainly, they allowed instant communication with family and colleagues, but they also allowed instant conveyance of terrible and fearful news. Caller Identification, however, was a godsend that Magdelina was grateful for as it allowed her to screen calls when she was at home. Her nephews never allowed that she could have a private life and did not want them to bother her outside of ‘business hours’ unless there was an emergency.
The phone trilled again, the display lighting brightly in her hand, and she smiled as she read the name indicated: Philip. Her son. Magdelina glanced at her wrist watch before answering, noting the time difference mentally. It was late for a call from Philip, as he normally called just after the dinner hour.
“Hello, Philip,” she answered with a smile. “How are you this evening?”
Over the line there was a heavy sigh, and Magdelina’s smile began to fade.
“Mother,” her son said, his voice cracking, and Magdelina sat forward on the settee.
Many wonderful and horrible conversations had happened within her family that began with that one word. Mother. It was a simple word, but it conveyed so much.
Joy, fear, triumph, sadness, dread. So many emotions in that single word.
“Philip, what is it? You sound…disturbed.”
“I need you, Mother,” her son rasped. “Please.”
1955
Cadiz, Spain
“Mother! Father is on the telephone for you!”
Sixteen-year-old Magdelina Francesca Rubio was not typically allowed to shout inside the house, but her mother was in the backyard, talking to a neighbor over the stone fence, and likely had not heard the ringing of the new appliance in the salon. Renata Rubio did not like the telephone and did not want to allow it in the house, but Francesco Rubio, her husband, and the head of the family, had insisted. It was necessary for his business, he had told her, and so Renata had reluctantly acquiesced, but she did not like the appliance and often refused to use it.
Magdelina stood on the back stoop and waited for her mother to stop speaking. Senora Molina was a terrible gossip and Magdelina avoided her when at all possible, so she was reluctant to cross the small yard to collect her mother.
Plus, Senora Molina was trying to arrange a marriage for her son, Gabriel, and Magdelina was her most recent target.
Magdelina shook the horrible idea out of her head and called again, “Mother? Father needs to speak to you.”
Finally, Senora Rubio disengaged the conversation and turned to her daughter. “Can you not take a message, my daughter?”
Magdelina smiled softly, with no disrespect. “I have already tried that, but Father is most insistent.”
Renata sighed and wrung her hands inside her apron. Muttering lowly, words Magdelina could imagine but could not hear, Renata crossed the yard and climbed the stairs to the stoop, patting her daughter on the shoulder as she crossed into the house. Magdelina saw that Senora Molina lingered at the stone fence, so she respectfully nodded once before following her mother into the house.
Inside, Magdelina hurried to the stove to stir the rice that she was preparing for dinner. She could hear her mother’s voice responding to whatever her father had to say, but she could not make out the words. Her father had given no indication as to why he was calling, but Magdelina figured it had to do with the Hotel that her father had opened with his oldest children; his three sons. Magdelina was the youngest child in the family and was also the only daughter. Her life was much insulated from outside of her family as a result, as her older brothers—the youngest only two years older than her—took significant effort to shield and protect her.
Not without reason, she could admit, as she garnered much attention when she was out with her mother, doing the shopping. Magdelina’s skin was light-olive, like her mother’s, but her eyes were dark blue, and her hair was blonde, just like her paternal grandparents.
Rubio. The name meant ‘fair-haired,’ and that ran true in her father’s family. Her father was born in Asturius but had moved south to Cadiz during the War. Light-haired people were less common here, but not completely unheard of. Francesco Rubio met and fell in love with Renata Martin while he was building a large hotel on the coast. They married soon after and began their family just before the beginning of the Second World War. In fact, Magdelina was born just months before Germany invaded Poland. The hotel was, among other things, a refuge for the Rubio family during that time. Magdelina practically grew up within the walls of the Hotel de Agua Clara, until her brothers were old enough to marry themselves—or to move out and begin their lives.
Reynaldo Rubio, Magdelina’s youngest brother, had left home at the age of fifteen years, to begin formal schooling in Seville, so she was the only child at home, and Renata had argued in favor of having a home away from her husband’s work. Francesco finally agreed, and thus they had purchased a home in a lovely district not far from the Rota Naval Base.
Because of the Hotel’s location, there were many foreign guests enjoying the clear waters and sandy beaches of the coastal region. Because of the War, there were more than many foreigners out, especially since the Government allowed the United States of America to build a Naval Base in Rota after the end of the War. And because of all the foreign guests and residents in the area, Francesco had declared that his children would learn as many languages as they could. It would help further his business ventures, he explained to his sons, who were looking to build hotels in other countries. It would expand their family’s ‘world view,’ he explained to his wife, who became interested in reading novels in their original languages. It would allow for more educational choices, he explained to his only daughter, who began to take small pleasure in speaking French, English, and even the difficult Japanese (no small feat given the results of the Second World War) with other ‘expatriates’ shopping in the local market. Magdelina was proud to be conversational in those three languages as well as in a few Arabic and African dialects due to the immigrant employees at her father’s hotel. She had actually begun learning when she was quite small, absorbing spoken languages thanks to those same employees, and was proud to be more multilingual than even her oldest brother, Raphael, and he was always the most studious of them all.
Renata came into the kitchen from the salon and bustled to the icebox. “We’re having guests for dinner,” she announced, “so you shall need to change your dress once the rice is finished. And be sure to wash your face as well.”
Magdelina turned to her mother with a frown. “Who is coming to dinner? And why didn’t Father tell me that himself?”
Renata shrugged and rolled her eyes. “Who knows why your father does what he does? The guests are from the Naval Base, so it is likely business.”
“Are Raphael and Joaquin coming as well?”
“Yes, I believe so,” her mother replied. “Of course, Reynaldo will not be coming because he is too busy with school.”
Magdelina sniffed. “You mean he is too busy with Luisa Serrano.”
Renata slapped at her with a dish cloth. “Luisa Serrano may well become your sister, Magdelina, so you should be kind about your brother’s attention to her.”
“She is…difficult to be kind about, Mother. She sneered at my best dress before Easter Mass and asked if we could not afford better quality clothing for a Holy Day.”
Renata huffed and returned to the icebox to pull out more sausages. “Perhaps she will mellow after the courting progresses. Reynaldo wrote that he has yet to meet her father, so the relationship will go no further for a while yet. Now, change your dress and wash up. Your father said our guests are Naval officers of some type, so we shall show them proper respect.”
Magdelina did as she was told and washed thoroughly before changing into a clean, if plain, day-dress dyed blue like the waters off the coast. She tied her hair back with a matching ribbon before slipping into comfortable house slippers and descending to the dining room to set the table.
“How many place settings will we need, Mother?”
“Set for three more, plus your brothers. We will need to use the whole table, I think, so you should clear the sewing off the end.”
Magdelina quickly cleared the sewing from the end of the long family table in the formal dining room and gave the table a careful wipe with a damp towel before placing woven mats in front of most of the seats. Spaces were left empty where missing family members might have sat as Francesco purchased the extra-long wooden table with the thought that the extended family would take meals there. The woven placemats were colorful in contrast to the dull wooden furniture, and her mother’s best formal dishes stood out as decorative, rather than functional, items. Even the water pitcher that Magdelina placed in the center of the table was painted in an intricate floral pattern that belied the weight of the heavy clay.
Magdelina was just placing the last plate on the table when the front door opened, and her father entered the house. As was his routine, Francesco went to the kitchen to greet his wife with a tender kiss. The small gesture always made Magdelina smile. No matter how long and difficult her father’s day had been, no matter what small disagreements came between her parents after a long marriage, he always greeted his wife with a kiss. On the cheek, on the forehead, or on the lips, he showed his unending affection to his life mate every day, sometimes many times each day from waking to sleep time. It was the kind of marriage that Magdelina hoped she would someday have.
Her father had assured her that he would only bless such a loving, supportive union for each of his four children, and since he had made good on that promise when introducing his oldest son to a lovely woman who would soon become Magdelina’s sister-by-marriage, Magdelina knew he would also choose a good man for her.
Magdelina soon received her own kiss on the cheek when her father entered the dining room.
“This looks lovely, my daughter,” Francesco said with a smile. “Your brothers will be along soon, as they stayed behind to lead our guests to the house.”
“Who are our guests, Father?” she asked as she slid a chair back into place.
“Ah!” Francesco exclaimed softly. “Our guests are specialists that are currently in the United States military! They are intelligent men, all of them, and they will be entering into a special project with me. So we have had business meetings for over a month, both at the hotel and at the military base, and tonight I bring them into my home—to meet my lovely family—to celebrate our plans coming to fruition!”
He turned to her then, taking her by the shoulders and stooping to look deeply into her eyes. “These are good men, my darling Magdelina, so you should show respect. Speak to them using English, even if they try their Spanish with you and your mother. Give them the courtesy of not embarrassing them, yes? And I am certain that they will happily answer questions you have about America.”
The last was said with a grin, so Magdelina smiled in return. “I do know that not every American knows famous movie stars personally,” she said with a laugh.
It was an old joke, constantly overheard when she was wandering through the hotel: local citizens fawning over Americans and asking if they knew John Wayne or Humphry Bogart, or gushing about how beautiful Carole Lombard was, or asking if Katherine Hepburn was as nice in person. Movies from the United States were a treat, and the hotel had a small cinema on the lowest level just for international guests. That haven was even more special during the War and her father often mentioned making sure more of his hotels had cinemas on site.
Francesco laughed softly and lightly bopped her on the nose with his finger. “I know you know these things, my darling. I also know that you understand how much larger America is than Spain. I have no fear that you will embarrass me. You are my bright star.”
Francesco said that often, that Magdelina was his bright star. It meant many things, he had once explained. He could have been complimenting her golden hair and fair skin. He might have been remarking upon her intelligence, which she proved time and again with her studiousness and inquisitive nature. He might even have been describing his delight in coming home to her and her mother, whom he often referred to as his Sun and Moon.
Sometimes, when she was feeling silly and petty, Magdelina thought he was comparing her to her youngest brother’s girlfriend, who was rather dim and had a habit of speaking without thought. Luisa Serrano had often asked when she would be able to meet the movie stars from the films being shown in the hotel cinema—especially since Francesco Rubio was friendly with many Americans.
Presently, Magdelina shook her head slightly and moved toward the kitchen to help her mother bring dinner to the table. She was just filling the wine carafe when the door again opened and her brothers, Raphael, and Joaquin, came into the house leading two men in military uniforms and another in an elegant suit. Magdelina and her mother were ushered into the salon for introductions and Magdelina was surprised that she blushed when she shook the hand of one Lieutenant Daniel Buckley.
Magdelina had never been swayed by physical appearance, but this Buckley had striking blue eyes and wavy, dark-blond hair, and a strong chin—and a pleasantly dazzling smile.
She resolved to ignore his broad shoulders.
Until her father, with a wryly raised eyebrow, seated the Lieutenant (call me Daniel, please) beside her at the dinner table. Magdelina carefully raised her eyes during the blessing and looked across the table at her mother—who was glaring at her father! Of course, once the blessing was finished and heads were raised Magdelina’s mother was wearing her ‘pleasant company’ face, so perhaps she had been mistaken about the glare.
The conversation flowed easily around the dinner table. Their guests had, as predicted, practiced their Spanish while speaking with their family. Renatta and Magdelina allowed this with much grace, and Magdelina even engaged Daniel Buckley in a short conversation entirely in Spanish, concerning the sights he had managed to see while stationed at Rota.
The one thing nobody ever mentioned, neither Francesco nor his sons, nor their guests, was what, exactly, the business Francesco planned to do with American service members.
2000
“Philip, you sound so…distraught.”
Magdelina dropped the folders she had been studying and moved quickly to her office desk and the computer she was still logged into. Her son’s breath hitched in a sob and her own heart broke just a bit as she searched for an airline site for travel tickets.
“It’s Margaret, Mother. And…and Evan. Oh, God! I can’t even think right now!”
“Take a breath, my son. You do not have to give me all of the bad news right this minute, but you do need to calm yourself. I cannot help you from here, so you need to calm down.”
Another sob, and then another, while Magdelina entered her credit card information and confirmed tickets for a flight to Harrisburg International by way of Baltimore. She checked her watch briefly before deciding that she could do with a small carry-on and could purchase any necessities once she arrived.
“I’m sorry, Mother,” Philip conceded. “I just feel so lost right now.”
Magdeline sighed and frowned, more concerned than ever. “I know, Philip. I have a flight reservation, and I will be leaving for the airport within the hour. Do not worry about meeting me; I am quite capable of handling my own travel. Just—. ase, Philip, can you tell me if anyone was horribly hurt?”
Philip sighed heavily, and then was silent for a long moment. Magdelina was distracted from gathering her purse and passport, terrified of the answer that was yet to come.
“Philip?”
“Um, Evan is in the hospital right now, and Margaret…,” Philip cleared his throat. “Margaret is also in a hospital.”
Magdeline sat, hard, on her desk chair. There was a distinction there, and she would be a fool to misunderstand it.
1955
“Magdelina, I believe the caller on the telephone is asking for you.”
Magdelina looked up from her knitting and frowned. She had heard the telephone ringing inside her father’s office while she sat just outside, and she had distantly heard her father answer—and begin a conversation. But they had been talking for long enough that Magdelina’s shawl had grown several inches.
“For me?” she asked her father. “Whoever could be calling for me? Here?”
Magdelina had recently finished her formal examinations that week and had taken to spending afternoons with her father at his office in the coastal hotel. She was waiting for her exam results and avoiding her mother’s best friend at home. Senora Molina’s son had returned home from his travels and the older woman was trying very hard to make a match between the insufferable man-child and Magdelina. (Her mother would be horrified to learn that was how Magdelina had thought of Raoul Molina, but the man did hold tight to his mother’s apron strings.)
“You shall have to come into the office to find that out, my Bright Star,” Francesco said with a laugh, so Magdelina carefully folded her knitting into her bag and carried it with her into her father’s office, where the phone receiver was waiting.
Picking it up, Magdelina cautiously said, “Hello? This is Magdelina Rubio.”
“Miss Magdelina! This is Daniel Buckley. I hope you remember me?”
Magdelina smiled at her father, who nodded amiably and stepped out, closing the office door behind him. “Yes, Daniel, I do remember you. How have you been?”
Their conversation continued lightly, each telling the other of their activities of the past few months. Buckley and his cohorts had been visitors to the Rubio home several times since that first dinner. Renatta had eventually warmed to the Americans, even conceding that there was an attraction between her teenage daughter and the young officer. But there had been no solitary meetings between the two.
Until now.
“I’ve asked your father permission to take you for a drive and a picnic, and he agreed, so I’m now asking you if you might be interested in meeting with me?”
“You wish to take me on…a date?”
“Is that okay with you? I like you, Maddie, a lot, and I would like to spend time with you.”
“Maddie?” Magdelina whispered with a smile, fingers rubbing softly over her bottom lip. Louder, she said, “I would love to go on a date with you, Daniel.” She looked down with a frown and said, “I’m not really dressed for an outing, though.”
Over the phone, Daniel chuckled. “I’m sure you look very presentable right now, but if you’d rather, I can pick you up at your home later?”
Thinking about the look on her mother’s face—and the expressions of the Molinas over the stone wall—quickly settled her mind. “No, I think I will wash up here and wait for you in my father’s office.”
“That’s fine, sweet Maddie,” came the reply. “I’ll meet you there in an hour.”
Magdelina returned the receiver to the base and went out to find her father, who was waiting by the front desk with a huge smile on his face.
“You said yes, did you not?”
“I said yes,” Magdelina agreed. “You do not mind? He is quite a bit older than I am, and he is American.”
Francesco shook his head and opened his arms to her, folding her into a tight embrace. “I told you, once, that I would see happy matches for all my children so that you all could be as happy as your mother and I are. I believe this Navy Lieutenant will be a good match.”
He pulled back, keeping his hands on her arms, and said seriously, “Lieutenant Buckley will be leaving the Navy soon, and then my business venture with him and his fellows shall begin. He will no longer be living in Rota, but that move will also be necessary.”
Magdelina frowned. “If he is leaving soon, why do you want me to know him better? We could never be serious if that is so. He may even have someone waiting for him back in America that we do not know about.”
“Magdelina, no,” her father argued. “He had nobody waiting for him, other than his parents. He joined the Navy after college, to do his part for his country, but Military service was never his life-long plan. That was why I asked him to join me in the business venture. His talents would be greatly needed for this.
“And he is clearly taken with you, no matter your age, my daughter. But if you have doubts, then refuse his attention. I will not think badly of you for it.”
Magdelina bit her lip softly. “He is quite handsome, is he not?” she giggled. “And his Spanish is not so horrible. Perhaps.”
Francesco laughed. “His French is much worse!”
Magdelina laughed until she snorted, covering her mouth with her hand in shame. Sobering, she asked, “He really speaks of me?”
“Often, my daughter. We have meetings several times each week, and after the business is finished all Daniel wants to talk about is you. I am grateful that we are as close as we are, because I was able to answer many questions about your likes and dislikes.”
Francesco carded his fingers lightly through her golden hair. “I believe he really has a fondness for you, Magdelina. I believe he will be a good match for you.”
Magdelina pressed his hand against her cheek briefly before kissing his palm. “He called me Maddie,” she whispered. “I think I liked it.”
2000
“Philip? I have hired a car at the airport, so I will be at your home in less than an hour.”
There was a relieved sigh on the other end of the line.
“Thank you, Mother,” Philip sighed. “You have no idea how thankful I am that you came.”
“Philip, I will always come for you! You are my child, my family, and you and your children are especially important to me.”
The drive from Harrisburg International to Hershey was blessedly quick. Traffic was not often on her side, especially during family emergencies, and Magdelina definitely considered one grandchild and one daughter-in-law in the hospital a family emergency. If she were to be honest with herself, she had spent the entire journey, from Peru to Baltimore to Harrisburg, imagining so many horrible scenarios that she was almost afraid to find out what, exactly, did happen two days before that caused her only child to call her in such distress. Each scenario was worse than the one before, and Magdelina was only happy that Philip had not reported any deaths during that harrowing telephone call.
Before she was actually prepared, Magdelina pulled her rental car into the driveway of a brick-and-white colonial house on an unassuming suburban street. She checked her watch, noting the time as nine o’clock in the evening. Had she even slept since that phone call?
She knew she’d drunk plenty of coffee, but she wasn’t certain a nap on a lounge bench during a layover counted at all, but her exhaustion bypassed all reasonable limits and her worry had won out in the end.
Locking the car, Magdelina walked to the front door, which opened before she even reached the top step to the porch—and suddenly, her boy, her Philip, was in her arms, shaking but not sobbing, and he seemed so incredibly young to her at the time.
1957
“Mother? Can you hear me?”
“Si, Magdelina,” came the staticky reply from the long-distance, international connection. “I hear you! Is my grandbaby here?”
Magdelina almost wept for the connection to her mother after being so far from her for over a year. She was the first of the Rubio children to get married, despite her young age, and the first to produce a Rubio grandchild. And while her marriage had occurred in Spain, at her family’s church with her family’s priest presiding, Magdelina had followed her new husband to America as soon as she could once the marriage had been validated.
She had been in America for only a few short months. Daniel Buckley was currently stationed at the Naval Station in Norfolk, Virginia while he transitioned from Military service to civilian life, and he brought his new bride to live with him in a small apartment off base. Magdelina’s pregnancy had been a surprise as they had only spent three days together in her father’s hotel after the small wedding. Daniel had been prepared to introduce his new, young wife to his parents, and to house his wife in a furnished apartment, but he had in no way been prepared to welcome a baby mere months after his wife’s arrival.
“Mother!” Magdelina laughed. “I think the baby will wait a while yet, and I am being kept comfortable by Daniel’s mother. We will wait for your arrival.”
“Si,” Renata sighed. “We shall arrive within the week, I think. Your father has made all the plans and Joaquin is quite proud to be left in charge.”
Magdelina quickly wrote the information in a notebook kept by the telephone in her tiny kitchen. Daniel would, she knew, be happy to retrieve her parents from the airport, but he would need the flight information. Ending the call with her mother, Magdelina gently rubbed circles on her large, round belly and smiled.
“Tu abuela is dreadfully afraid to fly, but she is coming to greet you, mi querido hijo.” Magdelina received a hard kick in response.
Sighing, Magdelina returned to the cozy living room and regained her seat on the firm easy chair next to the window. The view was of the Naval base and the ocean beyond, but it was not the same ocean she grew up looking at—even if it was. Virginia was cold and the sea was stormy grey all the time, but this was her home for now so she could deal with it.
“Is your mother excited about the visit, Mags?”
Magdelina’s lips pressed together in an amused smile as she turned to look at her husband’s mother, Elaine Buckley. Mags was a new nickname bestowed upon her, solely used by the elder Mrs. Buckly (call me Lainey, dear) and was spoken with a strong Mid-western drawl that was laced with hesitant affection.
“Si—yes, she is looking forward to the visit, but she is not looking forward to the flight.”
“Hmmm—well, I suppose a boat would be her preference, but that might take too long to get here.”
Magdelina inclined her head as she reached for her sewing basket. “She can hardly believe that she is to be a grandmother, so she shall endure the flight.”
Magdelina’s relationship with her husband’s mother—his entire family, really—was building slowly, and the foundation was the extreme protectiveness from Elaine Buckley herself. Apparently, she received the news that her only son was getting married to a ‘nice girl’ in Spain before he returned home after his European tour with ill grace. Elaine had heard stories about the kinds of girls that attracted young American service men. She had also heard stories about War Brides and fluctuated between seeing Magdelina as either a wanton hussy out to seduce her way into an American Citizenship, or as an innocent, naive girl that was taken advantage of by her very own son. By the time Magdelina was on a plane with her own steamer trunk full of possessions, four months after her wedding to Daniel Buckley, Elaine had decided that the girl was in over her head and needed protection, even if from her husband, until she could get used to living in America.
The fact that Magdelina was visibly pregnant when she landed at the airport in Norfolk shocked both Daniel and his mother. Daniel recovered first, and he picked her up and spun her gently in a circle, all the while whispering how happy he was to be reunited with her and how excited he was to be a father. Once he released her, he pulled her gently to his mother and father for introductions and Elaine wrapped her in a tight embrace and kissed her cheek, declaring that she would be proud to be a mother for Magdelina now that her own family was far away. Daniel’s father, Otis, was more reserved, offering a handshake with his welcome.
With confirmation of a pregnancy—and confirmation that their son really did love this young Spanish girl despite not knowing her very long—the elder Buckleys set about fully bringing Magdelina into their lives and family by renting a temporary apartment near the young couple’s home. Elaine took Magdelina to doctor appointments and taught her to cook American meals that Daniel liked. Magdelina taught her new mother how to cook Spanish food, which was quite different from the Southwestern Mexican food that was popular in the United States. And while Magdelina enjoyed reading and sewing with her mother, Elaine taught her to knit.
Once Magdelina reached the six-month mark on her pregnancy, she called her father at his hotel and told him the happy news, which he excitedly spread to the rest of the family.
The backlash was amusing, even from across the ocean.
Magdelina’s mother, Renata, immediately began collecting treasures such as Christening gowns, rosaries, and silver trinkets to give to her first grandchild. Raphael proposed to his long-term girlfriend, and a wedding was planned for the new year—a large, ostentatious affair that fit more to his supposed station than Magdelina’s small, family-only celebration. Joaquin, the second son, began planning, with his father, the opening of a new hotel/resort that was being built on the coast of Peru. Joaquin would take the position of owner/manager of that new resort, and he had hopes of finding his true love in that area.
As to the youngest son, Reynaldo—his casual girlfriend, Luisa Serrano, began bandying about the idea that Magdelina’s quick wedding was made more of disgrace than expediency, and that perhaps it was the girl’s idea to trap an American sailor because none of the local boys would fall for her dubious charms. Reynaldo Rubio was so incensed that he not only broke off the casual relationship, he did so publicly in front of Luisa’s parents, making sure they and everyone in the restaurant understood that Magdelina’s reputation was above reproach and that she had no need to trap anyone in a marriage. Once it became clear that petty Luisa was trying to tarnish the reputation of his daughter, Francesco Rubio withdrew the offer of partnership with Diego Serrano, telling him that he could not even control his own daughter, there was no way he could control the fortune that Francesco was building. Reynaldo was only nineteen years of age, but already he was showing a keen head for business, and Francesco was grooming him to head another resort hotel in the family chain. After hearing about the dissolution of that relationship, Magdelina began laughing so hard that Daniel had to take the telephone receiver from her hands and finish the call from his father-in-law.
“I’m sorry you’ll be missing your brother’s wedding, Mags,” Elaine said after a while, breaking the companionable silence between the two of them. “Travel will be difficult with a newborn.”
Magdelina smiled. “I will be pleasantly occupied at that time, yes, but I shall look forward to the photographs of the occasion. I know my new sister well, and I know she is well-suited to marry Raphael. They will be as happy as Daniel and I.”
Elaine put aside her knitting and leaned forward in her seat. “You are happy, aren’t you?”
Magdelina’s smile grew. “Deliriously so, yes.” She gently patted her rounded belly. “I did not mean to have a baby so soon, but my mother assured me that God’s unexpected gifts are more of a blessing than those we can plan for.”
Elaine reached out and patted her knee. “My own mother conceived my brother on her wedding night. It is certainly not unheard of, but you are so young!” Elaine sighed and resumed knitting. “I worried, you know. Daniel is my only child, and he never showed any serious interest in girls. I mean, he dated in school, but he did not have a serious girlfriend, even in college.
“And then he joined the Navy right after getting his degree, and I worried about that—about him being in a dangerous situation so far from home. And when he called to tell us that he was married!” Elaine laughed, sharp and brittle. “Not that he was thinking of getting married, or even that he might be getting engaged, but that he was already married—in a church we didn’t know, in a country we were not in.”
Elaine sighed again and shook her head before smiling at Magdelina. “I am happy that he married a lovely girl like you, but I have heard things about War Brides, you know; women that prey on lonely, unassuming young men in the hopes they can get citizenship. I mean, I didn’t want to think that the opposite was true, and he was taking advantage of you, you know, because of your age…”
“Lainey!” Magdelina interrupted, “It is fine. I do understand. I am much younger than Daniel and was just finishing school. Daniel had been to our home many times by then, and I knew he was an honorable man. I was pleased with his interest in me, but still we are getting used to each other.
“Do I wish you and I could have met before I married your son? Of course, I do. I also wish that Daniel and I were not separated for so long right after our wedding.”
A sharp kick from her unborn made Magdelina gasp sharply and press against her belly. “This one,” she said with a laugh, “is mandon—very bossy.”
Elaine laughed with her. “Do you think it will be a strong Spanish daughter, like you?”
“I know not,” Magdelina shrugged. “I would like to give Daniel a strong son, yes? But what shall be, shall be; it is beyond our control, and all I can offer now is love.”
2000
Magdelina took the offered mug of tea with gratitude and sipped slowly, savoring the flavor of lavender and chamomile. With a smile at her son she leaned back into the softness of the sofa and cradled the mug with her hands.
“Tell me, Philip, what has happened to cause so much distress. When last we spoke, Maddie was settling into her new course work and Daniel was moving into his dormitory.”
Philip sighed and lowered his head into his hands, rocking it back and forth. “I’m not even sure I know what happened, Mother.” He leaned back with a groan and rubbed both hands over his face.
“Maddie was looking forward to getting back to school, to her friends, so she left a few weeks early to settle into the apartment they were sharing.”
Magdelina smiled and sipped her tea. “I do know this, mi Corazón. She called me while she was packing, extremely excited to move beyond her basic classes so that she could begin formal training.”
Philip nodded. “Yes, well, that left us with Daniel getting ready to pack up and move into a dorm. Margaret was so proud, at first, when Daniel said he wanted to study to become a doctor because of his childhood illness. But when he began to apply to colleges two years ago, she became a bit…distant.”
Magdelina shook her head. “This I do not understand, my son. Margaret was always closest to Daniel. Why would she pull away just when he is growing to the man she prayed for?”
“I wish I knew, Mother,” Philip sighed. “But lately it has been one thing after another. First Margaret was happy to send Daniel off to a good pre-med program, then she was upset when he applied to out-of-state schools and refused to discuss them. When the acceptance letters began to arrive, I noticed more than a few in the bedroom trash can, so I began to collect the mail on my lunch breaks so she couldn’t toss any aside.
“I gave the few that I found to Daniel so that he didn’t lose hope. In the end, Daniel had narrowed his choices to Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Chapel Hill, and of course, University of Pennsylvania. Margaret was lobbying hard for Penn, but Daniel wanted Harvard or Johns Hopkins more. Especially since he was wavering between Oncology and a surgical specialty.”
Magdelina frowned. “I fail to see what the problem is.”
“The University of Pennsylvania has a surgical program, but it is a general program, and there is no Oncology program. When it became clear that those were Daniel’s two choices, I understood that he would be traveling far from home for college. Margaret had…difficulty…with that concept.”
1968
“Daniel! Please, you need to come home!”
“What is it, Maddie?” came the harried reply. “I’m in an important conference right now.”
“It is Daniel! He has a fever and is vomiting. I am taking him to the hospital, and I would like you to be with me!”
She heard the rustling sounds of papers being shuffled before her husband replied, “Which hospital are you going to? I will meet you there. Anderson and Jonas will understand, or they will not, and I won’t worry about it.”
Magdelina was not in the waiting room, pacing restlessly, for long before her husband came to her side.
“Hey, Sweet Maddie!” he said as he took her into his arms. “I am sorry I took so long, but traffic decided to be a bear! What’s the word from the doc?”
Magdelina pressed a hand against Daniel’s face and breathed shakily. “They said it was his appendix, that it was rupturing,” she sobbed. “They took him from me when we arrived. For examination. Oh, mi querido hijo!”
Daniel led her to a chair and pushed her into it. “Stay here, Maddie. I’m going to ask for some information.”
Magdelina nodded her head and wrapped her arms around herself. She was staring at the wall for an eternity when Daniel returned and pulled her into a tight embrace.
“I’m sorry I took so long, but there was paperwork that they neglected to give you because you were upset.”
“Of course I am upset, Daniel! He’s our boy! What is happening?”
Daniel kissed her forehead and inhaled against her hair, taking in the flowery scent of her shampoo. He pulled back to look into her eyes and said, “Philip is in surgery right now. From what little information I got, they might have caught the appendix before it burst, so the surgery is a good thing.”
Magdelina nodded and rested her head against Daniel’s chest. “He must be well, Daniel. He is our only one.”
Magdelina was only seventeen years of age when she gave birth to her first, and only, child. Her parents had flown in from Spain to be with her as she birthed their first grandchild, and she was grateful for the support—especially since there were complications during the birth that resulted in a great deal of blood loss and internal damage to Magdelina’s reproductive organs. Magdelina spent several weeks in the hospital after undergoing an emergency hysterectomy, much longer than her baby was to spend there after the delivery, and her mother and Daniel’s mother both bonded over caring for the small boy until Magdelina could return home. Daniel, her husband of less than a year, was with her every day that he could manage, often bringing the baby with him so that she could bond with her son.
They had named their son Philip Arlow, using the middle names of both their fathers, and both Daniel and Magdelina were determined to give their only child all the love they had. And now their son was in an operating room, cut open for all to see, and Magdelina had no choice but to pray for his recovery.
“He’ll be all right, Sweet Maddie,” Daniel promised. “And when he’s out of here, he’ll give us all sorts of hell because he is a boy after all.”
Magdelina laughed, which was the point. Their son, not yet ten years-old, was all boy from his tousled hair to his often-grubby feet. Philip was active from rise to sleep and kept Magdelina at attention every day. He loved sports—or even just running around–and was rarely found without a ball in his hands or a handy bicycle nearby. He was also a genial and personable boy that made friends quickly, so during the summer Magdelina was host to a small gang of rowdy children playing in their spacious yard. The mothers of those neighborhood children became good friends to Magdelina, so she was grateful for her son’s exuberance.
“Yes,” she said, mumbling into Daniel’s chest, “he will be all right and running around after the other children soon.”
1976
“Hello, Mother?”
Magdelina’s breath caught as she answered the telephone and heard her son’s voice. “Yes, Philip, it is me. Is everything all right? You are still coming home for the Spring holiday, correct?”
“Yes, and that’s why I’m calling.”
Magdelina settled onto the sofa and tucked her legs underneath her. “Should I have your father on the extension for this conversation?”
Philip laughed on the other end of the line. “No, I don’t think so since you’re the important one in the family. Besides, isn’t he on a business trip with Uncle Joaquin until next week?”
“Si, that is so. So what do you need to talk to me about before your important midterms, querido?”
“Well, um, I’ve met someone. A girl. A young woman. Named Margaret Finlay.”
Magdelina sat upright quickly with a smile on her face. “A girlfriend?”
“I, uh…yes, a girlfriend. At least, I hope so. She is…special.”
“So tell me about this special girlfriend named Margaret Finlay.”
Magdelina settled back onto the sofa as her son waxed poetic about a young woman who was in his Economics class the previous semester and in his Modern World Literature class in the current semester. She was blonde, like Magdelina, which is what originally drew Philip’s attention, with a petite figure and sparkling blue eyes—especially when she laughed.
Margaret was majoring in Art and Art Studies, which melded nicely with Philip’s own Architecture program, and they had been study partners for their joint classes both semesters. Philip had asked her out for dinner dates twice, and they had been to movies and college production plays together several times. It was clear to Magdelina that her son was quite smitten with this young woman, but before she could ask to meet her Philip’s monologue turned to the upcoming break.
“So, since Margaret doesn’t want to travel to Florida with her friends for Spring Break, I thought I might bring her home with me?”
“That sounds delightful, Philip! But what about her own family? Will they not expect her during the school break?”
“Ah, well, Margaret is not a local student like me, so her family is not close. I think her mother lives in Cincinnati, but she also mentioned an older brother in California somewhere. She’s not really close with her family; I think there were some arguments when she was living at home, but she doesn’t like to talk about it. I do know her father died when she was just a kid.”
“That is terrible for her!” Magdelina exclaimed. “Family is so very important.”
“Yes, Mother, and I agree. Which is why I would like to introduce Margaret to mine. I know Father will be home towards the end of break, so maybe we can invite Grandma and Pops up for the last weekend?”
“Philip, you want to introduce this girlfriend to your entire family. This sounds very serious.”
“Maybe I would like it to be serious, Mother. I know I’m a few years from graduation, but I think perhaps Margaret is my One. Do you think I’m rushing things?”
Magdelina laughed. “Philip, your father knew I was his One the moment he first met me, when I was just a girl. You know that we married quickly so that we would be united before he left Spain with the Navy, but I never once doubted his feelings toward me. Your grandma assured me that Buckley men always knew quickly who they were meant to be with.”
“Ha! Grandma also told me that she was worried that you were only after American citizenship.”
“Clearly, we got over our differences before you were born, querido. Your grandma is one of my dearest friends now. Bring your girlfriend home to meet us. I will call your father to warn him that we shall have a guest, and then I shall call your grandparents and invite them for an extended visit for the end of your break. Your grandma and I will use the time after you return to school to talk about you and to decide if this girl is good enough for you.”
“You think you’re funny, Mother, but you’re not.”
2000
Magdelina slept fitfully in her son’s guest bedroom, but she did sleep. Now she was dressed in linen slacks and a soft summer tunic, making breakfast in her son’s kitchen. She could hear Philip moving around upstairs so she readied herself to finish their conversation from the night before.
And after that, she wanted to retrieve her grandson from the hospital.
Magdelina had just finished placing toast beside the eggs on two plates when Philip joined her at the breakfast bar.
“You didn’t have to cook, Mother,” Philip chided gently.
“Nonsense, my son. You are in no condition to cook at this time, and I needed to busy my hands. Now we shall eat, and then you will tell me how things have gone so badly.”
They ate in silence. Philip refilled coffee cups while Magdelina filled the dishwasher. And then they were once again seated in the spacious living room, side-by-side on the sofa, staring into their coffee.
“I had thought Margaret was finally okay with Daniel going away to college. She was her usual, supportive self all during his Senior Year, you know? We attended school functions together. We took Daniel to visit Maddie in Boston during Parents’ Weekend just so he could ask her about living away from home. I know she posted the acceptance letter to Johns Hopkins herself, and she began buying supplies for his dormitory for Christmas.
“Hell, Mother, you saw how happy she was at his graduation ceremony! It was like nothing had ever bothered her once his course was set.”
“Si, I remember. It was a good day, and even Maddie was able to come. And Margaret didn’t even mind about Daniel’s graduation trip with me, so what happened this weekend?”
“As I already told you, Maddie left earlier than she was planning so that she could settle into her apartment before classes started. Daniel was actually using graph paper to plan how to load his car for the long drive ahead of him.” Philip laughed, short and brittle, as if the memory pained him. “He did not want Margaret and me to drive with him, so we promised to wait until Homecoming weekend to visit him on campus. And then, last weekend he finished loading his car, he kissed Evan and his mother goodbye and hugged me in a very manly manner and drove off toward his new adventure.
“He called when he arrived, before checking into the dorms. The drive is less than two hours from here to there and I think Margaret paced a trail in the carpet the whole time until he called. I wanted to take her somewhere, maybe a drive, just to get her mind off Daniel leaving, but she refused. So I took Evan out for ice cream instead.”
“And this was last weekend, yes? All was good this week?”
Philip shook his head slowly. “I thought all was good this week. Evan starts school next week, so I thought I would take him school shopping this weekend. Margaret seemed…disinterested in the whole thing this year.” Philip sighed and slammed his empty mug onto the coffee table. “I figured everything was fine, you know? Margaret had spent a week cleaning Maddie’s room after she left for Boston, and she acted like she was going to spend this week cleaning Daniel’s room, just to keep it neat and orderly.”
Magdelina also set aside her empty mug, albeit more gently, and pulled her son into her arms, resting her chin on his broad shoulders.
“Philip, your children’s bedrooms have never once been untidy and disorderly. It was never allowed.”
1979
“Mother, it’s Philip.”
Magdelina laughed in delight. “Of course it is Philip! Who else would call me ‘Mother’? What can I do for you, my darling?”
“I’m, um…I mean…Mother, Margaret and I are getting married, and I would love for you to be with us.”
“Married? So soon? Not, of course, that I doubt your love for Margaret, but you have only just graduated.”
She heard her son sigh from across the telephone lines and almost regretted her words. She had met Margaret Finlay only twice in person: once, when Philip had brought her to the family home in Eaglewood, New Jersey. Margaret was polite, of course, and soft-spoken, but she seemed reserved in a way that Magdelina could not explain.
She tried, of course, to get to know the young woman that her son had fallen in love with. Magdelina had invited her to shop, and she and Daniel had shown Margaret the resort hotel they were personally running on the coast, but Margaret had been uninterested in the property that was part of Magdelina’s family legacy. And when asked about her family, Margaret had demurred, only mentioning that her mother lived in Ohio and that she was not close to her brother after a falling-out.
Magdelina had not asked for details.
The second time they had met was at Carnegie Mellon University Graduation, when she and Philip had both graduated. Philip had been pleased to finish at the top of his program, as it meant he was offered a much-desired position at an architectural firm in Pittsburgh. He had been quietly bragging about it to Magdelina and Daniel when Margaret had approached, accompanied by an older woman with grey-streaked blonde hair.
“Philip,” Margaret had said quietly, “I would like to introduce you to my mother, Jeanne.”
She had ignored Magdelina and Daniel completely. Only when Philip introduced them did Margaret pay attention.
Jeanne Finlay was much more pleasant, more genial, than their daughter, and seemed delighted to meet the family of the man Margaret had mentioned at least once. When Daniel had invited the two women to join his family in their celebratory dinner that evening, Jeanne was happy to accept, but Magdelina could see that Margaret was reluctant.
Still, the dinner went well, relatively. Jeanne asked about the family business and how it related to Philip’s decision to study architecture, and Daniel explained how he was asked to join Francesco Rubio’s burgeoning hotel empire when he was at the end of his Navy career. Jeanne seemed more impressed than her daughter to learn that the Rubio Family owned several luxury resort hotels in Spain, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Japan, and the United States. They were, in Daniel’s words, bigger than the Hiltons internationally. When Jeanne mentioned that she thought Magdelina looked familiar somehow, Magdelina demurred that her father and brothers had used her in print ads for the hotels in other countries, and that those ads were sometimes reprinted in fashion magazines.
It was much more than that, of course, but Magdelina never spoke about any sort of modeling career no matter how successful it had been. Her unofficial contract with the hotels stated that her image could not be used in American publications, and she used that same contract once she was asked to model for a Spanish fashion house. It was only recently that several European fashion magazines began to be sold in the United States, but their circulation was mostly in larger cities like New York and Los Angeles. Magdelina’s image featured in Vogue France, Vogue Italia, Vogue Spain, and Grazia, and she had been asked to walk the runway for Balenciaga and Paco Rabanne several times—something Daniel was incredibly proud of. Of course, whenever someone mentioned to Daniel that his wife ‘could be a model, he would brush it off with a laugh.
Magdelina asked about Jeanne’s family, of course. Mostly out of politeness, but also so she could know more about the woman her son loved. Jeanne explained that she was a teacher in a Cincinnati high school and that her late husband had been a football coach at that same school. Jeanne began to mention her oldest child, but Margaret interrupted angrily and said that this dinner was to celebrate the success of the former students present—not the failure of someone who was far away.
Magdelina never forgot the alarmed look on her son’s face.
“Mother,” Philip’s voice brought her out of her reverie, “Margaret and I are getting married because I want to offer her some stability.”
“Querido Nino! Is Margaret…with child?”
“No, Mother, she’s not pregnant. We haven’t…um…you and Dad taught me more self-respect than that.”
“Then why the hurry? I am sorry, that was rude—but as far as I know, you hadn’t even proposed to Margaret. I still have my mother’s ring for you.”
Philip sighed heavily. “Yes, and that is part of the reason I’m calling. I would like you to bring the ring so I can give it to Margaret as a wedding ring. The thing is—Jeanne, Margaret’s mother, is dying. She has cancer. Ovarian, extremely aggressive. Margaret said the doctor hasn’t given her much time, and she is kind of…lost right now. She and I went to Ohio for a visit in February, and Jeanne asked me to take care of Margaret. I promised that I would.”
“But you are really marrying for love, yes?” Magdelina asked hesitantly. “I know that you care for her, that you have been steadily together for years since school. Please tell me you are not marrying her out of obligation to her dying mother!”
“No, Mother, I’m not. I love Margaret, with all my heart.” Philip paused before saying, “I think I can picture her with my future children, Mother.”
Magdelina’s breath caught. “That is a profound love, my son. When do you need us there? Your father may have to reschedule a business trip.”
“Um, we will be flying to Cincinnati to get married in the hospital chapel where her mother is. I have asked for time off for a week from now, and as it’s between semesters, Margaret has the time off as well.”
Magdelina diligently made note of the time and place before saying, “Is there anything you need us to bring besides my mother’s ring? May I provide her bouquet, for luck?”
“I think she would like that, thank you.”
“May I have the phone number to reach Jeanne? I would like to let her know that we are coming, and to offer condolences and anything else she might need that your father and I can provide.”
“Thank you for that, Mother. You are graceful and kind, and I know the contact would be appreciated.”
The contact might well have been appreciated by Jeanne Finlay, but it was not appreciated by Margaret. She did not berate Magdelina and Daniel in front of her dying mother, but she gave Magdelina a proper, angry dressing-down in the ladies’ room just outside of the chapel. Magdelina stood, stoic and graceful, as Margaret hissed in displeasure over the Buckleys’ offer to take over hospital and treatment payments, Magdelina’s improper offer of a wedding bouquet full of archaic symbolism, and the Buckleys’ offer to fly Margaret’s older brother, Mitchell, in for the wedding.
When Margaret’s spleen was sufficiently vented, Magdelina replied, “I am only genuinely happy to witness your union with our only son, Margaret. In my happiness, and also in my personal grief for your mother’s situation, I only seek to ease this day and make her more comfortable for your benefit. I am sure that there is insurance to pay for the hospital, but lately it seems as if treatment bills always outlast the insurance, and my husband and I do not feel that you and your brother should be burdened with payments as you grieve for your mother.
“The bouquet was traditional from my own family, and it is my way of welcoming you in as you marry my son. I apologize if my welcome has offended you, but I only wanted to extend the same courtesy that my Daniel’s mother extended to me. As to the invitation to your brother, I only thought that your mother would like to see him before her condition worsens. Jeanne, herself, had informed me when I called that her son’s presence would not be welcome, but she asked if I would extend the offer after the marriage because she does want to see her son.”
Magdelina leaned over the sink in the ladies’ room and fixed her lipstick before turning back to Margaret. “I do not expect you to welcome me as another mother, Margaret. But I do expect you to accept me as your husband’s mother, and I expect you to accept me as a part of his life. Daniel and I raised Philip to honor his family, and he is incredibly close to his father’s parents and my own extended family. That will not change, even after this marriage. I will always be close to my son, and I will be as close to you as you will allow. I am not competing with you.”
“I never said you were competing with me,” Margaret huffed, rubbing her temples with stiff fingers. “I’m just…I wanted nothing more than to be married to Philip. He is so bright and energetic and handsome and good. And he has been so attentive since I found out about my mother’s cancer, spending time and money to bring me here often to visit.”
Magdelina reached out tentatively, breathing a sigh of relief when Margaret accepted her embrace. “Losing a mother is a difficult thing, Margaret. My own mother passed away two years ago, while visiting my older brother and his family in Lima. She had also been ill for a long time, so there was time to say our goodbyes and make plans. My father, I think, will soon be with her as his grief is a mountain he bears upon his shoulders. Because of this, I will be going to Spain at the end of summer. Daniel’s mother will be going with me.”
Margaret pulled back and stared at her with wide eyes. “You’re really that close with your mother-in-law?”
“Si,” Magdelina laughed. “She worried about me being in a different country when I was first married. I was all alone but for Daniel, so Elaine Buckley opened her arms and her heart to me. Of course, it helped that I was already very pregnant with Philip when I arrived, so we bonded over the baby.”
Margaret shook her head. “I’m not…Philip and I haven’t slept together.”
“I would not condemn you if you had, Margaret. My son clearly cares for you, so therefore—so do I.” Magdelina gently pulled back and wet a paper towel at the sink, using it to blot under Margaret’s eyes. When she finished and Margaret looked more put-together, Magdelina said, “I will not interfere with your marriage to my son, Margaret. I will not overstep, and I will not try to come between you because my son loves you. He told me that he can picture you having his children, and that, to me, means so very much. I only want to be to you what Daniel’s mother is to me: another trusted mother to stand beside you in troubled times.”
Margaret took a deep breath and nodded. “I can accept that. And thank you, for raising a son that is so easy to love.”
1980
“Magdelina? How are you doing?”
Magdelina smiled despite her sorrow. Her beloved father, Francesco Rubio, had passed quietly in his sleep just after the new year. The funeral in Cadiz, Spain was very well-attended, and Magdelina had spent a month there with family after the funeral. Her mother-in-law, Elaine Buckley, had gone to the funeral with her, but she had returned to the States after a week after making sure Magdelina was emotionally stable.
The death had not been unexpected. Francesco had grieved the death of his wife, Renata. Their love was the stuff of legends, and Magdelina’s brother, Joaquin, had speculated that their father’s broken heart would take him from this world sooner rather than later. The month spent in Spain was cathartic for the immediate family, who spent the time reconnecting and telling stories of their families.
Raphael, the eldest, had married his long-time girlfriend, Marina Martinez, just a month after Magdelina’s quick wedding, and they had twin sons a year later. Another child, a daughter, followed two years later, and another son a year after that. Many photographs were passed around, highlighting the children as they grew up.
Reynaldo, Magdelina’s youngest brother, had married Carlotta Ortiz, the General Manager of the Rubio Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. They had only recently had a baby, so Carlotta had not traveled to the funeral and Reynaldo had returned to his wife a week later. Magdelina had promised to visit Daniel very soon.
Joaquin, the middle brother and second eldest child, had married Alessa Vargas in Peru when Magdelina’s son, Philip, was five years old. Alessa had been a minor miracle in Magdelina’s eyes because Joaquin had always been a quiet and reserved man. He never saw any woman socially, had never been involved in athletics in school, and was never vocal during business meetings. Alessa had been a photographer in Lima, assigned to create a marketing campaign for the Rubio Resort Peru, and had casually begun a friendship with Joaquin during said campaign. Joaquin had visibly bloomed under Alessa’s attention, and the romance grew steadily. Renata Rubio, Joaquin’s mother, overcame her hatred of air travel just so she could visit her youngest son as often as possible, and she was in his company, visiting her youngest granddaughter, when her illness grew worse and ended her life. Alessa insisted on naming the baby ‘Renata’ in her honor. Magdelina had been happy to see her brother and sister-in-law, and to meet the young niece.
Daniel had flown back to New Jersey two weeks after the funeral, leaving Magdelina with her family. Business was business and Magdelina was thankful for her husband’s loyal support during this challenging time. They stayed connected through telephone calls, and that was how Daniel had arranged her travel home after her month-long reunion.
The pain of loss had lessened during that time. And now she was home.
“Margaret,” Magdelina said with a smile, “thank you for calling. I am…well, now, thank you. And how are you? Philip called last week to brag about your promotion at the museum. That must have been exciting for you.”
“Yes, it was, thank you. I am actually calling for another reason.” There was a long pause, long enough that Magdelina was about to speak when Margaret continued. “I’m pregnant,” she blurted.
“Well,” Magdelina stammered, “that is wonderful news!”
“It’s a surprise, I know,” Margaret acknowledged. “We…I…found out just before Christmas. But I was nervous about it.”
“Nervous? Why?” Magdelina frowned, trying to recall anything Philip might have mentioned about Margaret’s health. “Is anything wrong?”
“No, not physically.” Margaret sighed. “I had a friend in college, Joan. She was a few years ahead of me and a Literature major, but we were friends. She was married by the time she graduated, and pregnant not long after that. But she miscarried before her third month.”
“Oh, no! How horrible for her.”
“Yes, it was.” Margaret laughed darkly. “She wanted that baby so much, and it was all she talked about. Then, after the miscarriage, she felt that it was a punishment because she talked about the baby so much. I remembered that, vividly, and I talked to my doctor about it. He confirmed that most miscarriages happen in the first trimester. Apparently that’s a cautious time.”
“Ah,” Magdelina whispered, immediately aware of the issue. “So how far along are you, Margaret?”
Margaret sighed again. “I knew you would understand, Magdelina. I am past the first trimester mark. I was just a month along at Christmas, but I did not even tell Philip until New Year’s Eve, when he asked why I didn’t want Champagne. But we wanted to wait to tell anyone else. I am sorry. Philip called Daniel this morning to tell him, but I asked to tell you myself.”
“I’m glad to hear it from you, Margaret.”
“My own mother can’t be here for me,” Margaret demurred. “I am very happy that you can be.”
1981
“Mother! Margaret is pregnant!”
Magdelina dropped the folder she had been reading and waved to her husband in the hallway. Once Daniel was beside her, she quickly pressed the ‘speaker’ button on the telephone base.
“Your father is here with me, Philip, and we have you on speaker. Please repeat that.”
Philip laughed in delight. “I said—Margaret is pregnant. Again.”
Daniel clapped his hands in delight and kissed Magdelina loudly on the forehead. “Another grandbaby, Sweet Maddie! We’re gonna have another grandbaby!”
“Yes, yes, I heard him, my love. Tell me, Philip, is Margaret well? Is there anything I can do for her?”
“I love that that’s the first thing you asked about, Mother. Margaret is a bit overwhelmed right now, but she urged me to call you when we had the go-ahead from the doctor. Her health is good for now.”
“Please tell her I will call her tomorrow. She and I will have some girl talk, si? From mother to mother, so you should not be involved, Philip.”
Philip laughed again. “I see how it’s going to be! I’ll tell her to expect your call around ten o’clock in the morning, okay? Baby Maddie will be having a mid-morning nap then.”
Magdelina had been overjoyed that her first grandchild was a girl, and even more so when Margaret suggested naming the baby after her. Philip had agreed, of course, but insisted on calling the baby ‘Maddie’ rather than Magdelina. He also insisted on having ‘Jeanne’ as a middle name, which brought Margaret to tears. Out of respect, Magdelina and Daniel did not visit until Margaret and the baby had been home for longer than two weeks, but Magdelina had made her presence known well before that. With Margaret’s permission, Magdelina had prepared and decorated the nursery—under Margaret’s direction—so that the younger woman did not exert too much physical energy.
Magdelina had also arranged for a housekeeper to take care of the house while Margaret was taking care of the baby. Margaret had tried to decline the offer, but Magdelina had insisted, stating that she’d had her mother-in-law staying with her when Philip was an infant, but she did not want or need to move into her son’s house. The housekeeper would clean and make breakfasts, but Margaret would oversee dinners and other snacks and meals. Magdelina had also subscribed to a diaper service, which was something she would have loved when Philip was a baby.
“You will thank me for this later, Margaret. I know it seems like a lot, and perhaps you think I assume too much, but while you are changing all those diapers and receiving towels, I want you to think about having to wash all those diapers and receiving towels.”
So, three weeks after Margaret and Philip brought home baby Maddie Jeanne, Magdelina sat in the rocking chair in the nursery and watched Margaret change a diaper.
“You were right about the service, Magdelina,” Margaret said with a grimace.
“I will tell you something else you need, but do not want, to hear: when that darling granddaughter of mine is older, those diapers will become more disgusting. And when she gets on solid food?”
Margaret laughed, which was Magdelina’s intention all along.
“Speaking of food, would you like to feed her later?”
Magdelina tilted her head in inquiry. “You do not breastfeed?”
Margaret sighed. “I tried in the hospital. She could latch on easily enough, but I am not producing enough milk to sustain her, so we’re going with formula.”
“Then I shall happily feed my namesake later and give you a bit of a break.”
Margaret lifted the baby from the changing table and turned to face Magdelina. “There is no judgment from you. At all, about anything. I think I really love that about you. And Daniel.”
“Judgment?” Magdelina questioned. “What should I have judgment about? You are healthy, my son loves you, you keep a tidy house, and you have a respectable job that you clearly love. You are a very modern woman, si?”
Margaret smiled and handed the baby to the older woman. “You would be surprised what people get judgmental about. I kept getting disapproving glares from some of the nurses in the hospital because I couldn’t nurse. Like it was my fault or something.”
Magdelina smiled at the drowsy baby. “They probably considered it your fault. It has been my experience that many nurses seem to think they know more than even doctors sometimes. Besides, I am sure you had a midwife or someone like that come in to help you with nursing, si?”
“Yes, there was a lactation counselor and a midwife, and they both said that milk production is nothing that they could help with. My diet was within doctor’s orders, so that did not need to be improved.”
Margaret sighed and slumped onto the play mat on the floor. “The truth is, I do not even know if my mother nursed me or my older brother. I do not know if my grandmother nursed. All those questions that I needed answered had to be buried away after my mother died.”
“I am so sorry that I could not be a help to you when you had all of those doubts, Margaret.”
“Oh, no, I didn’t mean anything like that.” Margaret rubbed her hands over her face. “The truth is, I have been incredibly lucky to have you, Magdelina. You have never tried to take over my life, but you have offered endless support. My mother was distant after my father died, and we only managed to regain that closeness after her diagnosis. I never felt like I could ask her the tough questions.”
“I find that I am a poor substitute in this case, Margaret. I nursed Philip, of course. And I washed those horrid diapers and cleaned the sick from my dresses and blouses after winding him. All I have to offer is my experience.”
That experience was invaluable to Margaret during baby Maddie’s first six months. Magdelina or Daniel would visit often separately if they could not visit together, and either one was happy to take the baby so that Margaret and Philip could go out of the house for an evening or afternoon. Philip’s career was rising, and they could afford more dates than before they were married, and he was happy to spoil his wife as much as they could. A regular date night was the least of what he wanted to give her.
A year later, Magdelina and Daniel were happily babysitting infant Maddie and newborn Daniel while Philip and Margaret were out to dinner and a late movie. Magdelina stared at the sleeping babies and sighed.
“Something wrong, Sweet Maddie?” Daniel asked from the doorway.
Magdelina turned with a sad smile. “We raised such a loving son, mi querido amor. And now we have two lovely grandbabies.”
Daniel entered the nursery quietly and wrapped his arms around his wife. “Are you sad that we only had one, Maddie?”
“No,” Magdelina denied, leaning her head back to rest on Daniel’s shoulder. “We could have adopted if we wanted more. We did discuss it, once. By then, of course, you were shoulder deep in my father’s schemes and I was…busy being beautiful, I suppose.”
Daniel chuckled. “I know your real beauty is in your brain and character, but you do look nice in those magazines.”
Magdelina scoffed. “My looks only enabled you and my father to do what you had always intended. I am hardly ashamed that I could also bring in large paychecks for such.”
Daniel sighed and kissed Magdelina’s cheek and neck. “You are such a good mother. I wish, sometimes, that we had decided to adopt, just so you could continue to be a good mother.”
Magdelina smiles and patted Daniel’s arm gently. “Now I shall become a good grandmother, even though I feel much too young for that role.”
Magdelina had been only sixteen when she married Daniel, and seventeen when Philip had been born, so by all accounts she was much too young to be a grandmother. Not that she would tell anyone that.
2000
Philip pulled back and stared at his mother for a long moment before shaking his head. “You know, you are right. The kids were never allowed to make a mess, and I never really noticed it. I mean, they were kids, right. I’m sure I was a messy kid, wasn’t I?”
Magdelina snorted delicately. “Oh, Philip, you were a very spirited child. And you were highly active, so of course you were very messy. And I think I kept your bedroom clean out of pure spite.”
“Yeah, okay, I was spirited,” Philip agreed. “But so were Maddie and Daniel, and Margaret never allowed a ‘spirited’ mess in our home.
“In any case, she was here while I was shopping with Evan, and I think she was…mourning, maybe, somehow? Margaret was always closest to Daniel of all the children. She was unaccountably distraught when we got home.”
“What happened, Philip?” Magdelina asked with dread creeping upon her. “What happened when you got home with Evan and his school supplies?”
1987
“Mother, I’m sorry to bother you while you’re on vacation, but I really need to speak with you.”
Magdelina turned away from the open balcony doors and stalked further into the suite. “Philip, you are never a bother. I just returned from breakfast with your uncle Joaquin, so I am blissfully free to speak with you.”
“Mother,” Philip’s voice cracked. “We just got back from the doctor. It’s Daniel.”
“Say no more, Philip. I am packing now. I will leave a message for your father to meet me there after his business is done.”
Magdelina’s trip from Peru was a blur, and she could not remember any of it. Her son, Philip had rarely called when he was upset, so her imagination had gotten the better of her as she traveled to his side. A doctor visit plus her youngest grandchild did not equal anything good in her experience. Young Daniel was a healthy infant and a rambunctious toddler, and he was the light of his mother’s life. It was obvious to anyone observing them that Margaret Buckley was so very invested in her only son. Margaret did not neglect her daughter by any definition, but it was clear to everyone that Margaret doted on her son.
When Daniel was only five years old, he began getting bruises. Many, many bruises. Philip and Margaret acknowledged that their child was highly active, and perhaps slightly clumsy, but that was the way of five-year-olds. Nobody had ever even imagined there was abuse going on, especially as many of the bruises were witnessed by teachers at Daniel’s kindergarten, but since they were so frequent, and do alarmingly large, Philip and Margaret sought a pediatric specialist, only to be told that Daniel was anemic and that his diet would have to be adjusted.
Magdelina had swept in, at Philip’s request, and began researching tasty recipes that the entire family could enjoy. As she and her husband were getting older, Magdelina had had to adjust their habits quite a bit. She, herself, was very fit due to diet and exercise, so she understood the value of it. An active child had the exercise bit down pat, so that left the diet, and what child of any age enjoyed eating healthily?
But now it seemed that the change of diet was not working as much as their pediatrician had hoped.
Hours later, or an eternity, Magdelina was sitting by her son’s side in his living room. Margaret was not at home, and neither were the children, but Philip was her main concern at the moment.
Philip had been staring a hole in the bottom of a heavy pottery mug for at least an hour—at least as long as Magdelina had been in the house. The housekeeper had let her in without a word, and this was where she found her son.
“He started getting sick,” Philip said suddenly, startling Magdelina. “Little fevers, like a lot of kids get, and vomiting or just being unable to eat. Last month, Daniel was so tired and weak that we took him to the emergency room. The doctor there only gave him IV fluids and sent us home. He said there was a flu going around.”
“I see,” said Magdelina, not seeing at all. “It was not the flu, then?”
Philip shook his head. “Did you know that Daniel was not easy to conceive? That’s why I was so happy when Margaret said she was pregnant. I mean, we weren’t exactly trying when we had Maddie, but Margaret wanted our children to be close in age, so we began trying as soon as her doctor said it was safe. But it turns out—I am not exactly reproductively inclined.”
“I do not understand; what do you mean, Philip.”
Philip shrugged. “My sperm count is low. We did all sorts of tests, but it seemed hopeless.”
“But Philip, you did have another child. Unless Daniel is not your child?”
Philip huffed and sat the empty mug on the side table. “No, he is mine. Margaret asked her doctor for some advice, and he recommended a fertility specialist. It’s a new thing, this Invitro Fertilization. The specialist took my sparse sperm sample and isolated healthy sperm, then they took an egg from Margaret and fertilized it in a Petrie dish. Then they implanted it into Margaret’s uterus. The pregnancy was confirmed two days later.”
“I…I had no idea, Corazón. Why have you not said anything before now?”
Philip turned sad eyes to her and her heart broke. “We never said anything because it did not matter. Daniel is our son and nothing else mattered.”
Magdelina reached out to him and grasped his hands. “Of course it does not matter! But your struggle mattered. I would have liked to have been there for you and Margaret. I do understand the pain you felt.”
“Yeah, I know, Mother.”
“So now what has happened? Where are Margaret and the children?”
Philip squeezed her hand gently before standing. “Margaret and Maddie are visiting with Daniel at the hospital.” He rubbed his hands over his face and choked back a sob. “Daniel has been diagnosed with leukemia, Mother. He is an extremely sick little boy, and he could die.”
Magdeline ran to her son’s side and wrapped her arms around him. “Oh, Philip! There must be something that can be done.”
“He has the best chance at Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, so we’re good on that front.”
“Yes,” Magdelina agreed. “It is fortunate that you never chose to move from here after college. Not that you could have known, of course.” She pulled back and held Philip’s face between her hands. “Know this, my son, that if there is any need, be it financial, emotional, or spiritual, your father and I will provide. Should I move closer to you to help with Maddie?”
“No, I do not think that’s necessary. But thank you anyway.”
“Think nothing of it. Your father should be here in a few days, so I will get a hotel for us. Hold your family close, Philip. Family is everything.”
1989
“Philip,” Magdelina sobbed, “it’s your father!”
Magdelina Francesca Rubio Buckley had never felt so frightened and alone in her entire life. Her husband of many years was lying in a hospital bed, hooked to many wires and tubes, and being attended to by a flock of doctors.
Daniel Buckley had collapsed during dinner at his hotel in New Jersey. At first, Magdelina thought Daniel had choked on a bite of fish, so she had pulled him toward her and tried the Heimlich to remove the food. But there was no food in Daniel’s throat, and he was not breathing well. The hotel doctor arrived soon after, and Magdelina did not even know he had been called. She only heard the words ‘heart attack’ and ‘ambulance’ before she was pushed out of the way and Daniel was carried off.
Magdelina was barely cognizant of being driven to the hospital by the hotel manager. It was only when she was standing in the Emergency Room that Magdelina realized where she was, and she reached into her purse for her mobile phone and called her son.
Daniel was only fifty-five years old. That was much too young for him to leave her like this.
Magdelina stood helplessly as her husband, her life, died only a few feet away.
There was an autopsy because of the suddenness of Daniel’s death, and it revealed a previously undiscovered heart condition. Magdelina was devastated. At the funeral, Magdelina confronted her son, Philip, and demanded that he have a full physical.
“My father died of a broken heart, Philip, but yours died because his heart was broken. They said it was congenital, hereditary, so you must be checked! There are many traits that you should be proud to inherit from your family, but a bad heart is not one of them!”
When each of her brothers arrived for the funeral, Magdelina gave then each the same lecture. Despite knowing that Daniel’s heart disease is what killed him, Magdelina urged her brothers to get complete workups so that they do not leave their wives in such a manner. Fortunately for them, all the important males in her life agreed to the physician visits. All of them called immediately after the service to make appointments with their various doctors. Magdelina was only really concerned about her own son’s health. He did have two young children, after all.
Shortly after Daniel Buckley’s funeral, Philip Buckley was offered the chance to open an office for his firm in Hershey, which was three hours from Pittsburgh. Philip was interested because it was a huge advancement, but he was also reluctant because of Daniel’s treatment. In the end, he discussed the move with Margaret because it was going to be completely up to her, and she argued against the move. Philip explained to his boss about the medical situation and the man agreed that the move could be conditional, based on the Buckley child’s recovery.
Magdelina, mourning her husband, decided that she needed to move away from the east coast, so she called for a nephew, Raphael’s oldest son, to take over running the resort in Atlantic City. Once Tomas was installed as the new General Manager, Magdelina took herself off on a cruise to clear her mind and heal her soul. She stayed connected with her son, of course, and spoke to her grandchildren frequently by telephone, but her heart hurt too much to be close to her family at that time.
The cruise took Magdelina around the world in a meandering path, and when she disembarked in New York she felt alive enough to face her family again. Not wanting to intrude on her son, Magdelina purchased an apartment in Philadelphia and decorated it with photographs from her cruise. On the weekends, she drove to Pittsburgh, or took the train, and spent the weekend with her grandchildren. Daniel, her grandson, was most often in the hospital because of his leukemia, but his mother was happy to have someone relieve her vigil occasionally so that she could spend time with her daughter.
The prognosis for Daniel was not good lately. He was often ill and was spending more time in the hospital than he was at home. Maddie was eight years old and was starting to understand that her brother might be dying, and Magdelina thought that was a horrible thing for a child to understand. Her fondest wish was that her grandchildren had actual childhoods; that they could be as carefree as possible while also learning about the world around them. The world around the Buckley children consisted of the Children’s Oncology ward at Children’s Hospital, the Buckley home, and the school that Maddie attended. There were no extracurricular activities for either child, and Margaret, having left her position at the museum when Daniel had been diagnosed, had begun homeschooling Daniel in his hospital room.
There had come a day when the doctors had what seemed like a new treatment plan for Daniel, and Margaret had asked that Magdelina take Maddie out for the day as a special treat. Understanding the urgency, Magdelina immediately agreed and began a hard sell to her granddaughter on the benefits of a ‘spa day.’ Magdelina and Maddie set off to get manicures at a local beauty spa before having lunch at a trendy café. Magdelina asked about Maddie’s favorite school subjects and answered questions about her own recent cruise. She tried to keep the subjects light, but Maddie was an intelligent child and saw her world clearly.
“Is Daniel going to die?” she asked, and Magdelina paused to think about her answer.
“That is difficult to say, Maddie,” she said finally. “He is certainly extremely ill, but treatments are evolving every day. Doctors like the ones that deal with your brother learn more about illness as they go along. Cancer, at one time, was a hopeless thing. Your other grandmother, for whom you also are named, died long before you were born because she had a form of cancer that progressed too quickly. Back then, the treatments were not as advanced as they are now, and I really believe that she could have survived if she had been sick at this time.”
“So leukemia isn’t bad?”
Magdelina shook her head. “That is not what I said, Maddie. Childhood leukemia is profoundly serious, and if it is not treated properly, it can lead to death. But your brother is in the absolute best hospital to treat childhood illnesses. The cancer unit here has an exceptionally good record, so I believe he has the best chance possible for survival.”
Maddie dipped her head, and she began playing with her fingers, picking at the clear polish. “Daniel is hardly ever home anymore. Mom spends most nights at the hospital, and I have to do my homework there so that I can teach Daniel what I’m learning in school.”
Magdelina reached out to pat the girl’s hands. “Well, then, he’ll be quite advanced once he goes to a proper school, will he not?”
Maddie laughed wetly. “Yeah, he will. He is really smart.” Maddie lifted her head and asked, “Did you bring me out to distract me today?”
Magdeline chuckled and said, “You are very smart, too, Maddie. It is true that your mother and father asked me to take you out today, but I always want to spend time with you, so it is no hardship. I believe the doctor wanted to talk to your parents about a new treatment, and that conversation was probably going to be very technical and involved, so I was asked to entertain you so that you wouldn’t be bored. So, mi estrella brilliante, what other thing should we do so that you are not bored?”
“Can we go to the dog park and watch the dogs play?”
Magdelina blinked. “I…suppose so. Do you want a dog, Maddie?”
Maddie shook her head and laughed. “No, but they’re fun to watch when they’re playing. I think I might like a cat someday, though.”
“Ah, yes, and there is no cat park on the river, so you shall watch the dogs.”
Which was what they did, until Magdelina’s mobile phone rang, and they were called back to the Buckley house. Maddie told her mother all about her girls’ day with GranMaddie while Magdelina and Philip began dinner preparations. The laughter coming from the dining room was a balm to her soul, and she shared a smile with her son.
“So it was a good day?” Philip asked.
“It was a good day for us, yes,” Magdelina replied easily. “Was it a good day for you?”
Philip pressed his lips together for a moment before nodding. “It wasn’t bad, actually. It is something we’ll talk about after dinner, okay? But it does sound promising.”
Bone. Marrow. Transplant.
It sounded almost horrific, but it was a means of saving her grandson.
Magdelina dutifully read the literature that Philip and Margaret brought home from the hospital so that she could understand the process. It boiled down to a painful operation for the donor, and a painful operation for the patient, but the idea that cells from the marrow could replace the cancer cells was amazing.
The only drawback was that there had to be tests done to find an acceptable donor. Magdelina was not clear on what criteria were needed, but she didn’t really have to be; she was going to be tested. There was a donor list for marrow donors through the United States Navy, which Magdelina was still connected to through her late husband, and there was another donor list through various hospitals. Magdelina was going to be tested, and she would ask her nephew, Tomas, to also be tested. Philip and Margaret were also to be tested, as the most likely donors were close relatives, and they were also going to ask Maddie if she wanted to be tested.
Magdelina thought that was a horrific idea, but she kept that thought to herself. Maddie was also a child of Philip and Margaret, so she was a logical donor.
Magdelina took time to question the doctors the next time she was visiting with Daniel, so she had a better understanding of the whole procedure. She was also educated that, while it was a good thing that she and her nephew were willing to be tested, a closer relationship to the patient would be necessary—or a completely foreign donor could be used, one with a complete HLA match. Also, people over the age of thirty-five were considered risky donors, and people over sixty years of age were counted right out due to complications that could arise during the procedure. Magdelina was right out of consideration for that very reason, and Philip and Margaret were close to the lowest age limit.
1990
“Mother, are you busy today?”
“I had not planned much beyond going over the marketing campaigns for the South American resorts. I am due for meetings in the next month, so I need to catch up.”
Due to her upbringing, Magdelina had grown up in the hotel business, even if she was never interested in owning or managing herself. After her son, Philip, was old enough for school, Magdelina had been persuaded to pose for promotional photographs for her father’s original hotel in Cadiz, and with those ads came offers from Spanish fashion designers, which Magdelina had considered to be a joke. Only her husband, Daniel, had urged her to try her hand at modeling, even as a hobby. Basic print ads in Spanish magazines led to runway shows in Barcelona, Cadiz, and Malaga, where she was also promoting a hotel in the same resort group that her family owned. The modeling oddly led to an interest in marketing, and once Philip was in high school, Magdelina officially joined the Rubio Resorts marketing team.
“I forgot that trip was coming up,” Philip said. “Can you come to dinner, or are you too busy for that?”
“I am never too busy for you, querido. I shall take the train, si?”
“I’ll pick you up at the station.”
Philip, Margaret, and Maddie had been spending more time at their home in the past year. Daniel’s health was not improving, but it wasn’t getting any worse at that moment, so the family had agreed that it would heal his spirit if he were at home. Fortunately, the doctors agreed, so a home healthcare service was hired. Because of this change, Magdelina made sure to visit at least weekly, giving time for the family to reconnect in their own space, but she also traveled widely, visiting the Rubio Resorts all over the world and reconnecting with her large extended family. Magdelina had siblings, nieces and nephews, and many others, all over the place, and they always made her feel at home.
Magdelina brought photographs of her travels when she visited, and small trinkets for the children. She gave Philip news from the family, even though he was in contact with his cousins himself, and she shared art news with Margaret, who may not be working in an art museum any longer, was still interested in various collections and tours.
The visits were always pleasant and loud, with laughter and tears and singing. Future vacations were discussed, for when Daniel was healthy enough to travel, and plans were made for the holidays. Magdelina always made sure that her travels never occurred during December or January so that she could see the grandchildren at Christmas and babysit at New Year’s so Philip and Margaret could go out as a couple.
When Magdelina saw her son at the station car park, she could immediately tell he had good news. The man was practically bouncing in the driver’s seat. Laughing, Magdelina opened the rear door and inserted her small suitcase before climbing into the passenger seat in front. She turned to Philip, who only shook his head.
“You can wait the ten minutes until we get to the house, Mother.”
Magdelina shrugged delicately. “Have it your way, Corazón. I may just be in a good mood. You will never know.”
At the house, Magdelina left Philip to carry in the suitcase so she could rush to her grandchildren. Many hugs and kisses were given before Margaret interrupted the reunion to announce dinner. Magdelina noted that while Daniel seemed quite pale and tired, Margaret did not appear to be worried. She helped Margaret serve the meal, noting aloud that it all looked delicious and that this must be a special dinner, indeed.
After taking her seat, Margaret reached out and grasped Philip’s hand, smiling widely.
“This is a celebratory dinner, in a way,” Margaret said. “I had my suspicions, but this morning I confirmed: I’m pregnant! I’m going to have a baby!”
Daniel and Maddie began cheering loudly and both ran to hug their mother. Magdelina clasped her hands to her chest and closed her eyes in a silent prayer before turning her smile to Philip. He was grinning from ear to ear, and she could practically feel the love emanating from him.
“This is, indeed, unexpected and joyful news, Margaret,” she said. “Is there anything that you need? I know it is early yet, but?”
Margaret shook her head. “Just having your support is enough, Magdelina. I will be seeing a doctor often, as my OB/PED said this might be a high-risk pregnancy, but I’m eating well and active enough. I just have to be careful later on.”
“I’m so happy, Mama,” Daniel said. “I always wanted a little brother!”
Maddie frowned and said, “It could be a little sister, you know.”
Daniel shook his head. “It doesn’t matter, Maddie, because we’re having a baby!”
“Yep,” Philip said happily. “We’re having a baby.”
Once the dishes were done and the children were in bed, Philip and Margaret served tea in the living room. Magdelina took hers with a happy sigh and sipped delicately. “I suppose this will be the last time I use your guest room,” she said.
“What do you mean, Mother?” Philip asked. “You’re always welcome here, and you will be always welcome.”
Magdelina looked between Philip and Margaret, who were both now wearing frowns, and frowned herself. “I know that Corazón. And I will continue to visit, but won’t you need to turn the guest room into a new nursery soon? I will, of course, help you decorate and furnish the room, just as I did for Maddie and Daniel, but I refuse to sleep on this lovely sofa. It is pleasant for seated conversation, but I do believe there is a loose spring somewhere on the left cushion.”
Margaret blinked before turning to Philip and said, “I told you we needed a new sofa, Philip. You just don’t pay attention because you are attached to that recliner.”
Magdelina smiled, bemused, and said, “I’m not sleeping on the new one, either.”
Margaret laughed, which caused Philip to laugh, and Magdelina just sipped her tea. Once the laughter was over, however, Margaret said, “I do not see a need to set up a nursery right away. We can put a bassinet in Daniel’s or Maddie’s room for a while, so you can still stay here.”
Magdelina raised one eyebrow in inquiry. “That might seem like a good idea right now, but Daniel is still ill and he and Maddie both need their rest. I will admit that it has been many years, but I do recall that babies are often loud, restless, and smelly.”
“Yes,” Philip agreed readily, “that is true, but we’ll most likely keep the newborn in our room at first for ease with night-time baby duties. We won’t want to move him or her into their own room until they’re much older.”
Magdelina saw the smile flicker briefly on Margaret’s face, but she thought nothing of it. When Margaret pleaded exhaustion and fled to her bed, Philip stayed to chat with Magdelina about the company meeting she was going to.
“You’re really happy about this baby, aren’t you, Philip?”
Philip’s huge smile returned. “I really am! I mean, I know it was unexpected, but it is good, right? Family is everything.”
“Unexpected?” Magdelina asked, shocked. “You mean you weren’t even trying?”
Philip laughed and shook his head, gathering the tea service to return to the kitchen. “Honestly, I would have never thought to plan for another child after what we went through to get Daniel. But then, Maddie was a complete surprise after all, so these things do happen.”
Magdelina nodded in acceptance. “Yes, that is so.” She smiled and began washing the tea service while Philip dried. “Your father was so happy to be a grandfather. He wanted nothing more than to spoil those babies from the moment he held them both, but I managed to rein him in. I believe we managed to prove with you that having too much money was not an excuse to spoil a child.”
“I agree with that,” Philip said. “I had friends that always had the newest toys and new clothes, but I had experiences that were worth more. Dad’s parents taught me how to fish and go camping, and your family taught me how to enjoy food and art. The traveling that we did while I was growing up might have cost a lot, but the experiences were worth much more.”
Magdelina smiled sadly. “Daniel wanted nothing more than to buy dolls and plush animals and pretty dresses when Maddie was just a baby. Margaret had allowed one soft doll, when Maddie was six months old, and it almost broke his heart.”
“I remember that!” Philip laughed. “Margaret wasn’t interested in spoiling the children any more than you were. She said education was the best thing to spend money on, but I made her come around to spoiling with experiences.”
Magdelina turned up her nose comically. “I still do not like to fish.”
1992
“Philip, I have just arrived at the airport! I came as soon as I got your message. I will be there soon, I promise.”
Magdelina had been traveling from Cadiz to New York when she received a message from the Rubio Hotel de Agua Clara that her son was trying to reach her. Once she was able, she had called her son, only to be told by the housekeeper that he was at the hospital and could be reached there, but he had left his cell phone at home. Without even trying to reach Margaret, rightly assuming that she would be with Philip at the hospital, Magdelina merely called the hospital Children’s Ward and asked for Philip to be paged.
“Mother, where are you? I was told you could not be reached.”
“Philip, I think you should know that by now I can always be reached by my family. Diego had left a message with the airline after he talked to you, and I received the message when the plane landed. Of course, they were light on the details, so perhaps you can fill me in?”
Philip sighed deeply. “Daniel has been returned to the hospital, and it is really bad this time. There have been no matches on the donor list, so we were very worried, but Margaret had the idea to have Evan tested.”
“Oh, no, Philip! Evan is too young!”
“No, Mother, he is a year old, and the doctor said that it would be easier on such a young child than an older person. In any case, Evan is being tested right now.”
Magdelina sighed softly and shook her head. “And if he is a match? What then?”
“We’ll discuss this with the doctor when we find out.”
“Very well, my son, then I am coming to Pittsburgh on the next available flight. This is an ordeal that we shall undertake as a family, si?”
“Gracias Madre y que dios te bendiga.”
The next available flight was not for another two hours, so Magdelina made use of the First-Class Lounge for a quick shower. She had eaten on her flight from Spain, so hunger was not an issue, but stress and worry certainly were. Magdelina had never been a drinker, preferring a lone glass of wine with dinner or a single glass of champagne with a celebration, so she ordered a strong, black tea as a refreshment while she mulled over the information she had been given.
Daniel, her grandson, was gravely ill. Had been for some time, with small hope for recovery. He had been in and out of hospitals since he was six years old, childhood leukemia keeping him out of school and away from a normal childhood. Maddie, her granddaughter, was just a year older and was very bright. She enjoyed school and learning things and Magdelina loved showing Maddie new and interesting things. Unfortunately, Maddie’s childhood also seemed to be on hold because of Daniel’s illness. She spent as much time at the hospital with Daniel as her parents, and she usually used that time to tutor her brother using her own homework.
Magdelina was proud of how her family had pulled together in such horrible circumstances, but she dearly wished there was no need for it.
Philip’s job paid well, thankfully, as he was a talented architect. He was so talented, in fact, that he held a freelance contract with Rubio Resorts, with his employers’ approval. Philip had been lucky to gain employment with a company that freely allowed freelance work alongside corporate work, and he had been doing some work at home—doodling basically—when Magdelina and Daniel were visiting, and Daniel saw his sketches. A long discussion was had about Philip’s ‘fantasy work’ before Daniel was faxing the drawings to the Development Department of Rubio Resorts, and then someone who was not related to Philip Buckley flew in from Malaga and offered a freelance contract.
Magdelina was pleased, of course, because she had wanted to find a way to bring her son into the family business, but Philip had managed to do it all on his own.
That money, she figured as she gathered her luggage, would come in very handy with all the medical bills. Private insurance was not inexpensive.
The flight from New York to Pittsburgh was not long, so Magdelina did not have time to do anything other than call for a hotel reservation before they had landed. A taxi ride to drop off her luggage, and then another to the hospital, and soon enough Magdelina was again with her family.
First, she hugged Daniel, gently because he looked so fragile in his big bed. Then she hugged Maddie, who wanted to hear all about Cadiz and the fashion shows. After assuring the girl that she had plenty of photographs to show, Magdelina found Philip and Margaret in the visitor lounge, feeding baby Evan.
“Ah, querido hijo, I have missed you so much!” Magdelina exclaimed as she lifted Evan away from his mother. She bestowed many kisses on the child’s face, making him giggle loudly. Margaret, Magdelina noted, appeared displeased with the noise, but she put it down to stress.
“I got here as soon as I could,” Magdelina said, taking a seat and cuddling the infant close. “What news is there?”
Philip reached over and wiggled Evan’s hand, making Evan laugh again. “Well, this happy baby is actually an HLA match to Daniel. We just got the results.”
“I see,” Magdelina replied, much more cheerfully than she felt. She turned Evan to face her and made faces at him, causing more giggling.
“And what now, Philip? What now for this lovely baby boy?”
“He’s going to save Daniel’s life,” Margaret replied. “He’s a miracle baby.”
Margaret was smiling, but it seemed strained to Magdelina.
“The surgery has already been scheduled, then?”
“No,” Philip confirmed. “The surgery hasn’t been scheduled yet. Daniel needs to get his counts up some more, so a transfusion is scheduled for today. Then we will wait for another day or so before scheduling the big surgery.”
“Ah, so there is no hurry, and I can spend lots of time with Evan and Maddie tomorrow!”
“I suppose so,” Margaret agreed. “But what are you going to do tonight? I mean, we haven’t planned dinner yet.”
“No worries, Margaret, as I plan to spend as much time with Daniel this evening as I can. I have new photobooks to show the children, and I can use them to distract Daniel from the transfusion this afternoon.”
“That’s very kind of you, Mother,” Philip said as he took his son back. “Should I send dinner for you?”
“There is no need. I am more than capable of fending for myself. Take Evan and Maddie home and allow me to have quality time with Daniel.”
Daniel had had several transfusions over the years, so he was used to them. Magdelina still took the time to chat with him about the process, to assure herself that the boy was unafraid.
“It’s okay, GranMaddie,” Daniel whispered. “I’ll get new blood soon and then I’ll be better.”
“Yes, Daniel, the transfusion will help you to feel better.”
“No, GranMaddie, Evan is going to give me new blood. Mama said so.”
“Did she now?”
“Yes, she said so. She said Evan was made just for me, to make me feel better. She called him my miracle.”
“I see,” Magdelina said, although she did not see at all. “Well, then, shall I show you the new photographs that I took while I was away?”
Magdelina called Philip from her hotel room later that night, once she was certain that the children were in bed. “Could we meet for breakfast, Philip?”
“Of course, Mother. How was Daniel this evening?”
“Daniel was…good, I think. His spirits are up, which is good. But I have a…tricky question.”
“And you want to ask me during breakfast tomorrow.”
“Si, Philip. I think I must rest now, but I will see you in the morning.”
2000
Philip sank backwards into the sofa, defeated.
“We came into the house, and I called out to Margaret to let her know that we were home. Evan was so excited to show off his new backpack, so he ran up the stairs to find his mother. But Margaret found him first.”
Philip stood, unable to keep still. “I don’t think I have ever seen Margaret like that before, Mother, but she was incensed. Raging. I heard her before I ever saw her, screaming at Evan and telling him that it was his fault that her darling son was gone. She was screaming that Evan was only needed to save her son, but she could deal with him as long as her son was alive, but now he was gone.”
“Where was that coming from, Philip?”
“I have no idea. I was horrified, and Evan was terrified. Margaret was moving toward him, and Evan was backing away—and he hit the staircase before I could reach him. He went crashing down toward me and Margaret just screamed and ran into Daniel’s room.
“I went to Evan, of course, but I could hear Margaret screaming and crying. Evan’s wrist was…not the way God had intended. It was clearly broken, and so was his leg. Fortunately, or unfortunately, he was unconscious by the time he cleared the stairs, so all I had to do was call for help.”
“Oh ese pobre Bebe! He must be so frightened to be in the hospital! And what of Margaret? You said she also was in hospital?”
Philip rubbed the bridge of his nose. “When I called 9-1-1, I explained that my son had fallen down the stairs, but I also explained that my wife seemed to have lost her ever-loving mind.”
Magdelina snorted despite herself. “Oh, Philip—please tell me you did not use those exact words!”
“I might have, Mother, but I was so upset and worried about Evan. Honestly, Margaret was far from my mind at that time. But they sent two ambulances. They told me one was going to the Western Psychiatric Hospital, so I guess that’s where Margaret is being seen. I must go later today to see her, but I bet Evan would love to see you at that time.”
“A broken wrist and a broken leg, that poor child may be in a wheelchair for a while. At least until his wrist heals enough to use crutches.” Magdelina sighed. “Philip, as active as you were as a child, you had never broken a bone. Maddie sprained one ankle during dance class when she was nine, and Daniel was sheltered into a chess team before he was in high school.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake! I need to call Maddie and Daniel!” Philip rushed to the telephone in the front hallway. “Classes haven’t started yet at either school, so they might be able to come back.”
“Philip, Daniel may only be a two-hour drive away, but Maddie is in Boston, which is quite a distance away. I think it would be best to call Maddie after you drive to Daniel. The news can wait, however, until after you find out what is going on with Margaret.”
“Yes, of course, you’re right,” Philip said, dragging a hand through his hair. “They’ll need to hear it from me personally.”
Magdelina stroked a hand down Philip’s arm. “Go to your wife, Philip. I will go to my grandson, and we will make everything as well as we can.”
Magdelina heard her grandson from the hallway before she was close to his room. Evan had always been a personable child, cheerful and loving. He had a way of making everyone around him smile, even as a tiny baby. Even when they took bone marrow from him when he was only a year old, he laughed and chattered through the recovery, though he must have been in great pain.
Fighting back tears, Magdelina pushed open the door to the small hospital room and gazed upon Evan, chattering to a nurse who was checking the gleaming new plaster cast on Evan’s left leg. Shaking her head, Magdelina stepped forward and said, “Oh, Evan, I am so sorry for you!”
“GranMaddie!” Evan exclaimed. “You’re here!”
“Si, nino tonto, I am here. I am going to bring you home today.”
Evan’s face crumbled. “Is Mama going to be there?”
“No,” Magdelina denied, “your mother is not there. She is…dealing with a challenging time, I think. But your father and I are planning, si, and you will be a part of that plan. But first, we must get you ready to go home.”
Magdelina sat with Evan and chatted about anything other than his recent encounter with his mother. Evan asked about her travels, as he always did, and expressed his jealousy that his older siblings got to spend two whole weeks with just her, going wherever they wanted.
“Those were graduation gifts, querido hijo. When you graduate from high school, many years from now, you shall have the same gift. I believe Maddie began planning her trip when she was just your age. Of course, those plans changed as she got older and her tastes changed, but in the end, she got a chance to see the world.” Magdelina hummed and see-sawed her hand back and forth. “Well, she saw what she wanted to see of the world, in any case.”
Evan laughed. “When did Daniel start making his plans?”
Magdelina hummed again, frowning slightly. “I do not believe he began making plans until just before this past Christmas. Daniel was much too studious to indulge in fantasies, so he didn’t start planning for his graduation trip until he knew where he would be attending college this fall.”
Evan nodded. “Yeah, that makes sense. He doesn’t like to plan too far ahead, does he?”
“I think that is a result of his childhood illness. Daniel spent much time in a hospital bed, unsure of what the next day might bring. He never dared to dream, I think, until he was certain there would be time to dream.”
“Is that why he wanted to become a doctor? Because he spent so much time with them?”
“I believe so, si. They helped him so now he wants to help others like him.”
“That’s good, I think,” Evan said as he fiddled with the brace on his right wrist. He held up his arm and said, “This sucks, you know. I can’t even use crutches with this thing.”
Magdelina chuckled despite the darkness of the situation. “And what did the doctor tell you about ‘that thing’?”
“Not much, really. I’m waiting for Dad to come back.”
She nodded and gently stroked the brace. “Well that makes sense, Evan. Your father will need to know how to care for you while you are healing.”
“Yeah,” Evan sighed. “I guess.” Tears began to fall from Evan’s eyes, and he sniffled. “GranMaddie, why did Mama try to hurt me?”
“It was a mild psychotic break, according to the admitting doctor,” Philip said as he took a seat across from his mother in the café. “They’re going to hold her for a few days, at least, because she posed a danger to a minor child in her household.”
“That is a very real concern, Philip, even if you have never once considered it. Were you able to see her?”
Philip nodded. “Yes, very briefly. I asked her if she was being treated well, and she asked me if her son had come to his senses and come home.” He sighed and rubbed his hands over his thighs briefly. “So I asked her about Evan. Nothing probing, of course, because I didn’t want to upset her.”
“I…see,” Magdelina said. “And what did she say?”
Philip exhaled harshly. “She said that we had two perfectly beautiful children who were going to make us proud, so why did we need to keep the other one.”
“That…I have no words, Philip. I know I was not living in your house day to day, but I was around enough to know that she was a present mother, si? Margaret was attentive, if not emotional. She is a good mother. Why this, now?”
“I do not think I’ll have that answer any time soon. But what I do know is that I can’t keep Evan in a dangerous situation. If Margaret responds to treatments and comes home…what if she goes after him again?”
“When are you driving to Baltimore?”
“Tomorrow. I have called Daniel and said that I needed to speak with him, in person, so we’re going to meet for lunch. I am going to take Evan with me, just to get him out of the city for a while.” Philip huffed and shook his head. “We were supposed to spend the day at the Park, but Evan can’t go on any of the rides with that cast on his leg and a broken wrist.”
Magdelina wrinkled her nose. “I never understood roller coasters,” she sneered.
Philip laughed at his mother. “I know you’ve done your share of daring, adventurous things, Mother.”
“Si,” she agreed. “I understand hang-gliding and parasailing. I do not understand being strapped into a metal train, on a thin metal track, moving at high velocity. The resorts in Peru and Buenos Aires have installed zip lines, which is another atrocity as far as I am concerned. What is wrong with simply strolling through the rainforest?”
“You are a true romantic, Mother,” Philip said with a grin. “And for the record, I haven’t been on a roller coaster since Evan became tall enough to ride by himself. Margaret never let Daniel ride on them, so we had to sneak away on weekends. He’s not as much of a ride junkie as Evan.”
Philip sobered quickly. “You’ll come with us, won’t you?”
“Of course I will. Have you called Maddie?”
“She was upset but is happy that Evan is okay. She can’t get away, of course, but I will keep her posted on what we decide.”
Daniel Buckley was horrified to see his baby brother in a wheelchair with a cast on his leg. “How did this happen, Ev?”
“I fell down the stairs,” Evan shrugged. “Backwards.”
“You’re not clumsy, Ev, so try again.”
When Evan started to cry, Philip stepped forward and placed his hands on Evan’s shoulders. “Daniel, your mother did not take it well when you decided on Baltimore for college, as you know.”
“Yeah, Dad, but she got over that. Right?”
“Not so much, no. She is in a facility right now, Daniel, because she snapped after you were gone, and I did not notice. I will carry that guilt for the rest of my life because in her misplaced grief, my wife turned on my youngest child.”
Magdeline held tightly to Evan’s hand during the lengthy conversation about what happened in the Buckley home, and she made certain that his comfort was her utmost concern. When it was decided that Evan could not stay in the home if Margaret was to be released from the hospital, Magdelina asked Evan what it was that he wanted.
“I want to go with you, GranMaddie. I want to start my adventure now.”
~tbc~
Great story and great to see Evan with a better family and loved by most of them.
Thanks for sharing!
This is lovely. Heartbreaking but lovely.
I look forward to reading the next in the series, it is always so exciting to know that the next is already tucked away in the QB schedule!!
Thanks for sharing it with us!
very nice story the flow even with the flashbacks was superb and I love involved extensive family. Let Evan get rescued!
I really love this, I like seeing a different take on the whole situation!
Thank you!
Great story.
This is heartbreaking but I’m glad that Evan is going to be with his grandmother. She will nurture all aspects of his personality.
That was stupid cute, I can’t even. I very much enjoyed Magdelina and the new dynamic she brought to the Buckley family. Already eagerly anticipating when Book 2 drops later in the month!
I really enjoyed this. I thought I’d be confused but I was able to follow your lovely story easily. I love the story from the matriarch’s point of view. Your casting is perfection.
Thank you for sharing
I very much enjoyed this exploration of older family history for the Buckleys anc the introduction of a supportive grandmother for the children.
Thanks!
I really enjoyued this!
I think this is the first story that had portrayed Philip positively and even Margaret at the beginning was pretty good, but there were cracks showing now and then, especially in regards to her brother. Philip does not seem aware that Margaret always intended Evan to be the donor, and that is why he was conceived.
Great world building here. Can’t wait to see what happens next!
this is marvelous! off I go to read more of the series!
Thank you for giving Evan a family that loves him, even if his egg donor has gone around the twist.
This is lovely and original. Hugs to all the kids and to Magdelina. I gather your Philip didn’t know what Margaret did re. conceiving Evan, ¿huh?, and she kept up a better façade during his early years? Okay, I’ll allow him some extra sympathy (i.e., not just Daniel-related), too.