Caray, Caray!

Fernanda tells Rebeca and Fab that Flor is pregnant. Fab says that they had “relaciones” last year when she was in Germany and when he came back. He didn’t know about her condition then.

Amparo and her nephews complain about the high prices for food in the market and speculate about the effects of the financial problems on their lives and those of other middle class people. Francisco arrives and announces that the factory has gone bankrupt and he can’t set up his taco business since he didn’t receive a ‘quinto’ – literally a fifth. Is this some kind of severance payment?

Back in Tabasco, Fernanda explains to Fab & Rebeca that since she is preggers, Flor must stop taking her medicine and that makes her time remaining a matter of weeks or maybe months. Fab is devastated. He wants a child but not at this cost.

On his private plane on the way to Tabasco, Gonzalo calls Benjamin, the director of the hospital where Fernanda works. After a little chit chat, Gonzalo gets to the point. He has found out that Fernanda de Aragon is working at the hospital and he wants Benjamin to fire her without a recommendation or any severance. ‘Sorry,’ says Benjamin, ‘no can do. First, Fernanda is a top-notch cardiologist and second, she has a protector who is super powerful in several areas and I’m not going to cross him.’ Benjamin gives Gonzalo some advice, ‘don’t mess with this lady. You have no idea who is behind her.’ Gonzalo says to himself that Fernanda and her protector, whom Gonzalo assumes is her new lover, will regret this.

Amparo and her nephews try to raise Francisco’s spirits with a lot of old bromides like, ‘when God closes one door, he opens another’ and something about mules that I didn’t really get. They will pawn whatever they can and all work together to get by.

The aged Naty has finally woken up in the old folks home. She tells Joel, another of Amparo’s nephews who is working there that she wants to back to her village where a pistol is hidden in a tree. Someone gave it to her and she ran and ran and put it the tree. [Presumably, this must have some relevance to the story. Would this perhaps be the pistol that Gonzalo shot Alfredo with???]

Cesar arrives at his apartment after being fired. He gets a call on his cell phone from Bertha. He says that Gonzalo’s business is ruined and he is going to New York. ‘What about my stuff in your apartment?’ asks Bertha. ‘The owner can keep it or throw it out. I don’t care,’ says Cesar. Bertha then threatens to denounce Cesar to Interpol for his financial misdeeds. Cesar capitulates. Bertha tells him to take the first flight to Tabasco. She wants him at the hacienda.

A lot of time is wasted while the various guests arrive for the wedding but at least they aren’t talking. Alejandro is still letting Miranda believe that he is married to Daira. The drama comes when Fernanda is introduced to Gonzalo. We get to see the whole memory of the Gonzalo/Fernanda/Adolfo incident again. There is an awkward silence and then Gonzalo asks to speak with Fernanda alone later. She agrees.

Then the second big moment - Bertha arrives looking 10 years younger since she stopped pulling her hair into that ugly bun and put on some makeup. She is also wearing a very age and event inappropriate long, white or off-white dress. Flor and Renata are ecstatic. Miranda is annoyed and everyone else is stunned. Then Bertha sees Fernanda and her triumphant smile fades away. We see a flashback to a young Fernanda begging her sister to help her and a young Bertha refusing while one of Fernanda’s daughters (I’m guessing Renata) watches.

Meanwhile, Cesar is rummaging through the stuff Bertha left in her room in his apartment looking for the proof she has of his crimes. He finds the jewelry designs that Adolfo left in the hacienda 18 years ago but that is not what he is looking for and he throws it aside.

Alone with Fernanda, Gonzalo tells her to leave the hacienda and the lives of him and his daughters. Fernanda has another flashback to the incident with Adolfo. She recovers from Gonzalo’s blow and sees Adolfo unconscious [she probably thinks he is dead] on the floor. Young Gonzalo tells her to get out before he does something else. Fernanda wants her daughters but Gonzalo refuses. Back to the present and Gonzalo tells Fernanda not to approach his daughters or he will tell them who she is. ‘Go ahead and tell them,’ she says, ‘and I’ll tell them you are a murderer.’

Meanswhile, Gonzalo’s interview with Fernanda is holding up the whole wedding. [Couldn’t they have waited until after the wedding?] Everyone is just waiting in the living room of the hacienda. Pamela and Miranda make catty remarks about Fernanda including pointing out that she wore a white gown to the wedding to compete with the bride.

Bertha starts to try and turn Flor and Renata against Fernanda by saying that Fernanda is just trying to get Gonzalo and is a trepadora. [My dictionary says a ‘trepadora’ is a climbing rose or a nuthatch. I’m guessing it also means a social climber.] Renata agrees with this.

Bertha comes into the library with Gonzalo and Fernanda. The sisters exchange insults and Fernanda says that Bertha has to explain why she encouraged Flor to break up Miranda and Fab and why she never told Gonzalo that Renata was taking drugs. At this point, Miranda comes in and says the ceremony is about to begin and she leaves with Fernanda. Alone with Gonzalo, Bertha says that all is forgiven now that she is back. ‘Not so fast,’ says Gonzalo. ‘You have a lot of explaining to do.’ Alone, Bertha vows that Fernanda will not mess up her plans and that she will regret coming back into their lives.

At last we are at the ceremony. While he is waiting at the altar, Miranda goes up to Fab and tells him that he has destroyed her life and has never once said he was sorry. She wishes her sister happiness but she wishes him unhappiness for the rest of his life. As the processional starts, Fab says you don’t have to wish me anything. I am already paying and you don’t know how high a price.’

An unseen choir sings Ave Maria. Miranda is very upset during the ceremony and tries to leave. Alejandro tries to tell her that is one day and the wounds will heal, etc. etc. He keeps her from leaving by saying that she can’t evade this moment and she must confront it like a lady - “una dama.”

In one shot we see a smiling Flor and Fab kneeling at the alter while behind them Miranda's bosom heaving as she hyperventilates. Watching the ceremony, Miranda has a flashback to a romantic dinner with Fab. They are kissing. She says they will marry when he returns to Mexico and she will plan everything. Fab says, ‘Whatever you want, dear.’ Fab starts make moves toward having ‘relaciones’ but Miranda says no. She wants to wait until she is married.

[I have never been to Tabasco but I’ve been to Veracruz state, the Yucatan and lowland Guatemala and even in the winter, it is hot there and incredibly humid. The wedding is being held in a tent outside. Some ladies have fans but no one is sweating and they are all dressed up. The men are wearing jackets for God’s sake. Today in NJ it is about as hot and humid as it is every day in Tabasco. I can’t put one foot outside the door of my air-conditioned house without starting to sweat.]

Finally the wedding is over and Flor and Fab are married. Bertha tells Flor that she told her that she would marry Fab and it now it has happened. Flor invites Bertha to live with her and Fab at the ranch. Flor is cold to Fernanda. Bertha says to Fernanda to prepare for bad things to happen and Bertha says, ‘to you too, don’t doubt it.’

At the reception, Alejandro recognizes the necklace that Bertha is wearing and asks where she got it. She lies and says that someone very important to her gave her the necklace many years ago. Alejandro concludes that Bertha has his father’s jewelry designs.

Gonzalo tries again to get Fernanda to leave. She tells him that she won’t be harassed by him anymore. She then tells him that Flor is preggers.

The TiVo stopped just when Miranda approaches Flor in the receiving line.

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