Caray, Caray!

After Miranda has driven off, Alejandro says, “You are going to lose your pride, Miranda, I swear it to you.”

More old friends from Alborada. The actress who played Adalgisa, now is playing Amparo, a friend, apparently, of Fernanda. Fernanda tells Amparo about Florencia’s situation and how upset she is that nothing can be done for Florencia and that she will die without knowing her mother. Amparo suggests prayer to the Virgin of Guadeloupe. The wedding announcement for Miranda and Fabricio has appeared in a newspaper (Fabricio really is a jerk to have not told Miranda earlier) but Fernanda knows that Fabricio is going to marry Florencia. She needs more information about what’s going on with her daughters and she will try and get it from Tomasa.

Renata chews her father out for throwing Bertha out of the house. She knows it was Miranda’s doing. Tomasa observes that Bertha probably made a similar call to Florencia, which provoked her collapse. No one can reach Miranda. Upon being informed that Florencia has been taken ill, Renata starts to call Fabricio. Gonzalo doesn’t want him in his house. Renata points out that Fabricio’s presence has helped Florencia get better in the past. Eventually Gonzalo yields to the pleading of Renata and Tomasa and calls Fabricio.

Cesar tells Fabricio in no uncertain terms that he loves Miranda and he is going to marry her. The Florencia-is-sick call interrupts them. Bertha scurries out of her room and wants to know what happened in the hall outside the apartment. Cesar tells her that Fabricio and Alejandro interrupted him when he was kissing Miranda. Cesar is concerned about Alejandro interfering with his plans for Miranda since he can see that Alejandro is madly in love with Miranda. Bertha says not to worry. Alejandro is hers. She will take him out of the Miranda picture. Cesar is surprised to hear that Bertha is in love with Alejandro.
“Why?” asks Bertha. (Cesar does not say what I was thinking – you’re old enough to be his mother) rather, he says, “I didn’t think you could love anyone.”
“Life is full of surprises,” says Bertha. She puts down the glass of wine saying that tomorrow she is being operated on. Cesar asks what kind of operation and Bertha replies that the operation will give her back her ‘animo’ – spirit or vitality and she will be able to fight against those who stand in her way.

The doctor reports on Florencia. Her attack was precipitated by the news that Bertha had left the house. He doesn’t think hospitalizing her would help and he leaves detailed instructions for giving her medicine with Tomasa. (This means Florencia might actually get her medicine since we know Bertha has been substituting non-effective pills for the real medicine.) Renata demands that Gonzalo permit Bertha to return to the house – for Florencia’s sake and he finally agrees. The doctor’s parting advice is that Florencia must never be depressed or she will buy the farm. Fabricio arrives. Gonzalo tells him to go and cheer Florencia up by talking about the wedding. “You know that Florencia wants to have children when she is married,” says Gonzalo. Fabricio replies that he knows that must not happen and he has taken precautions. Gonzalo says further that he will pretend to like Fabricio while Florencia is alive but once she kicks the bucket, Fabricio had better make himself scarce from the San Llorente family.

Miranda arrives home. She tells Gonzalo that she still loves Fabricio. She can’t change that. Miranda comes into Florencia’s bedroom where Fabricio is sitting by her bedside holding her hand. Miranda wants to explain about what happened at Cesar’s apartment. Fabricio isn’t interested. Miranda insists on telling him that she now understands that he is marrying Florencia out of pity. Fabricio starts to deny it but Florencia wakes up. She wants to know if Bertha is coming back. Miranda says yes and orders Fabricio out of the room. She helps Florencia up so that she can take a shower. Florencia tells Miranda that she could only pay with her life for all that Miranda has done for her. “Don’t say that,” Miranda says to herself.

Gonzalo is annoyed with someone on the phone who can’t find out where Fernanda and her patients have gone. They must have left some trace. Find them. Fabricio come in. (You would think that he might keep away from Gonzalo and let him cool off but no.) Gonzalo wants to know if he has bought an engagement ring yet. Fabricio says that his mother wants him to use her engagement ring. He starts to describe it but Gonzalo says that he knows it well, he helped Fabricio’s father to pick it out. “Can’t we be like we were before?” asks Fabricio. “No,” says Gonzalo, “I don’t forgive treason.” To illustrate, Gonzalo says he will tell Fabricio something now that he is going to be a member of the family. He has told no one this before. 18 years ago he caught his wife with someone else. A flashback to a young Gonzalo coming in with a gun to where his wife is kissing another man. (That other man, unless I am completely wrong, is Arturo Peniche, who played Antonio on Alborada. Actually, it is his voice I recognized.) The lovers beg Gonzalo not to do something stupid until they have explained what is going on. Gonzalo isn’t interested in explanations. He hits Fernanda and knocks her down. He and the man struggle. A gun goes off. “I did what I had to do,” says Gonzalo, “and she ran away without respect (‘consideracion’). “You betrayed Miranda with her own sister and trampled on her love. When we are with other people, I’ll treat you like a son but when we are alone, I’ll treat you like a bastard (‘canalla’).

Alejandro shows Fernanda the plush new setup for her charity patients. She will set up a foundation and Alejandro can be the president and get benefactors. Alejandro tells her that he has talked with the head of a hospital who is very interested in having Fernanda in the cardiology department. Fernanda agrees to go see him provided that Alejandro convinces Gonzalo to bring Florencia there for treatment so she can see her. He agrees.

Bertha is in the operating room. (I suppose it’s too much to hope for that she will be turned into the monster on the outside that she is on the inside.)

Miranda has had her wedding dress sent to Mexico City to give away. Florencia sees it and wants to wear it at her wedding (this is weird). “Don’t you want to choose your own gown?” says Miranda. No, Florencia wants to wear this gown and since what Florencia wants, Florencia gets (or she might die), Miranda says ok.

This evening Fabricio is going to formally ask for Florencia’s hand in marriage. Miranda and Pamela are catering the event. Renata overhears the wedding dress conversation and when Florencia has left the room says, “You’re letting Florencia wear your wedding dress?” “She asked to wear it,” says Miranda. “That hurts you, doesn’t it?” says Renata. “It is like a gash in my soul,” says Miranda, “and you and Florencia are wielding the knives.” “Whatever,” says Renata, unmoved.

Fabricio complains to his mother about Gonzalo treating him like a criminal. He passes on what Gonzalo told him about killing Fernanda’s lover. Rebeca didn’t know about this incident.

Pamela thinks that it is crazy for Florencia to wear Miranda’s wedding dress and that everyone is indulging Florencia too much.

Cesar comes into Gonzalo’s outer office where Nuria is working. He says she looks nice. She complains that sometimes he is nice and other times he insults her. Cesar says that this is her fault. Cesar makes nice with Nuria and says that if she does what he wants, everything will be fine. She tells him that Julio has returned from vacation and has been shut up with Gonzalo all morning. Cesar hopes that Julio is getting the boot from the company.

Gonzalo accuses Julio of not doing his best for the company and compares his performance unfavorably with that of Cesar. Gonzalo says that his investment in the company had declined so much that he on the point of being thrown out of the ‘consejo’ – the council? the board?

Pamela is arranging her photos in a gallery with Miranda’s assistance.

Renata comes to see Cesar. Things are so bad in her house that she wants to move in with him. Cesar tells her that with all that has happened with Florencia, this might kill her father. He will think about it though. He kisses Renata as Nuria comes in. Cesar tells her that he and Renata have known each other since they were children. No big deal.

Alejandro tells Fernanda that he is looking for a portfolio that his father left at Gonzalo’s house when he was caught with Fernanda. Fernanda doesn’t know anything about it. Amparo arrives to help with the patients. She is introduced to Alejandro. When he leaves, she says if she were 10 years younger and 20 pounds lighter, she would go after him herself. Fernanda says she has no similar feelings. He is handsome, true, but he is a good person.

Alejandro has hired some workmen to fix up the bathrooms to keep the old people from having accidents (no, not that kind of accident). He promises that if they do a good job, they can work in a construction company he is forming. They are grateful and get right to work.

Pamela tells an employee of the gallery who is trying to renege on the terms of her contract that he is a macho pig and she isn’t going to be exploited. He meekly leaves and Miranda is impressed. Pamela confesses that she can’t afford to pay any more with the cost of medicine for her mother, etc. Miranda offers to help her but she refuses.

Florencia is upset that none of ther friends can come to her wedding. Tomasa suggests that maybe they don’t want to be involved in the family problem this wedding represents. Tomasa alternately chastises Florencia for destroying Miranda’s life and urges her to stop sniveling and stand up for herself instead of cowering behind her aunt. Florencia says that Bertha was like a mother to her and her sisters. Tomasa says no, a mother sacrifices and suffers for her children and Bertha never did that. Florencia asks why Tomasa doesn’t like Bertha.

Bertha is out of surgery and the doctor says it went very well.

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