Caray, Caray!

So, Aurora knows who her daddy is and she won't leave without meeting him and talking to him first.

Santi and his pimp argue about Santi seeing Aurora. Pimp!Fer thinks Aurora is fine where she is. Santi feels bad about all the hurt he caused Aurora. But Pimp!Fer says they'll be together soon and watch their baby grow up together.

Barbie is agitated, she wants Aurora to let Barbie take care of her. Aurora says she hasn't taken it all in yet. Barbie just wants her to run away with her to someplace nice to live together. Aurora says she realizes that Barbie is a victim, but she (Aurora) never had anything, and now all of a sudden she has a Mom and it turns out it's her dad who ruined both their lives. "Well, of course I'm not just going to say 'yes, Mom, I'll go with you'!" Barbie says they don't have time and they have to leave ASAP. Aurora refuses, loudly, and the Madre Superior comes in and throws Barbie out, saying enough is enough for today. Aurora asks Barbie to tell "that man" that she wants to talk to him. Barbie grabs Aurora's hand on the way out, but leaves without saying anything. MS tells the other Sister to walk Barbie to the door. Aurora cries.

Gardenia comes back to Grupo Lactos. Flor wonders where she was, but Gardenia lies and says she went to the pharmacy.

Franco tells Esteve, Venus, and Martina that he's getting married on Saturday. The gals wish him the best, they hope he'll be happy in his marriage, etc. Have they not been paying attention? He asks them all for a favor, the final favor. He's leaving Las Animas on Tuesday, so Martina won't have a job anymore, but he's setting up a bank account for her so that she and Silvestre will be taken care of, she can get her nursing degree, etc. Martina thanks him, but Franco says it's the least he can do. He asks Venus to leave with Esteve on Tuesday and go to New York and tells her they're going to be the happiest couple ever. Franco says on Monday night, it's all over. Martina asks what he's doing, but Franco says it doesn't matter, he just wants them to know that he's deeply grateful for their loyalty and everything they've done for him. Martina and Venus look worried.

Flor didn't buy the pharmacy story and hassles Gardenia for an explanation. She's worried about what Gardenia might have been out doing. Gardenia says she spilled all the frijoles to Erika…well, only the frijoles about Fer and Franco having a thing. And she justifies doing this because Franco doesn't even love Erika. Gardenia shares the shock of hearing Erika say that she's marrying Franco no matter what. But Gardenia plans to go to the wedding and scream out the truth for everyone to hear. Fer, wandering into the kitchen, wonders what truth that would be. And who can deny a truth to a woman in a pimp hat?

Barbie cries about not wanting to do what Aurora asks or she'll lose her forever. She just keeps sobbing "my daughter, my daughter…."

Aurora has dinner with the nuns. She tells the MS and Sister H that she always knew she'd found her mom as soon as she met Barbie, but she thought she was being stupid--how could a woman like that be her mother? She always thought finding her mom would be the happiest moment of her life, but then she lost hope. And then she heard Barbie's story, which is way worse than hers. Aurora says she can't hate Barbie, but she doesn't believe her either. She doesn't know what she'll do with her life.

Pimp!Fer will not be denied and keeps asking Gardenia "What truth?" Gardenia laments opening her mouth. Fer has been so good to her and here she's involving Fer in gossip. She runs off, saying she just can't tell. Flor makes excuses, but eventually caves and says that Gardenia told Erika that Fer and Franco are in love. Pimp!Fer is impactada.

We get a shot of a cloudy sky…stock footage to indicate some time has passed. Or, in the case of this show, time for a wardrobe change. Fer knocks on the door of Las Animas, sans hat. I'm almost sorry about that…with no hat, how am I supposed to mock? Oh, well, I can only hope the wardrobe department has done as crappy a job of dressing her as ever. Franco, freshly sweaty from a workout, invites her in. Fer says she has to tell him something important. He wants her to calm down first (and if this were earlier days, he would have spent a half hour on that and she wouldn't have gotten her news out until next week). She tells him they've got a problem and asks if he's talked to Erika. He has. Fer tells him that Gardenia told Erika that they (Fer and Franco) are in love.

Gardenia is happy. A little too happy. She eats breakfast with Jacinto and Margie and says she's happy because she's going to enroll in school. Soon she'll be a "muchilingue" secretary. Jacinto and Margie crack up laughing (bilingue = bilingual; muchilingue = many-lingual, and no, that's not a proper word). Flor comes over for breakfast. She yells at Gardenia for being a coward and tells Jacinto and Margie what Gardenia did. And that's not all, now Fer knows. Gardenia tries to blame Flor for ratting her out. Jacinto hurts himself yelling at Gardenia. Even Margie joins in, screaming "When are you going to learn to shut your mouth!" Gardenia leaves. Flor tells them that the wedding is still on. Jacinto wonders if Erika also knows about Franco's real identity, but she doesn't, as far as Flor knows. Margie surmises that Gardenia is saving that little nugget of intel for Fer.

Fer and Franco discuss the trouble they're in. Did Erika believe Gardenia? Franco calls her to find out. She babbles slightly less first thing in the morning, but is her usual gushy self. Franco says he'll talk to her later, hangs up, and tells Fer that from the way Erika talked to him, he doesn't think she believed Gardenia. Fer says if she were Erika she'd also be pretending she didn't believe it and she wouldn't confront him…not him. Franco doesn't know what to make of that.

Barbie stares at Gonzo while he eats breakfast and says he couldn't sleep all night for thinking about Camilo. Barbie is thinking about Aurora. Tomasa comes in to tell them that Comandante Lozoya is here to see Barbie. Barbie wants to see him in the library, but Gonzo overrides her and says they'll see him in the dining room. Barbie says Lozoya is there about Macario and breaks the news to Gonzo that he's dead and they found the body. Tomasa serves Lozoya coffee. Tomasa hadn't heard about the death and is briefly impactada. Lozoya says he died as a result of trauma incurred in the fall and no one knows why he was there. Barbie again offers to pay for the burial, but Lozoya says that the body has been given to the family. Tomasa asks what's going to happen with Rocia, the granddaughter, but her aunt and uncle have taken her to Veracruz. Lozoya just came over to update them. Tomasa can't take it anymore and runs off to the kitchen to cry. Barbie thought bubbles that this is one less problem.

Fer explains how Erika is actually behaving intelligently. There's no reason to hassle Franco since Franco is going to marry her and Fer isn't going to try to break it up. Fer thinks that Erika probably thinks that the thing with her and Franco was an accident. Franco tells her that it's no accident, he loves her intensely, desperately, like a condemned man loves life.

Speaking of…Damian buys a soda at the jail snack shack. And who should be running the snack shack but our old friend Lucio! He reminds Dam who he is and asks why he's there. Damian asks how long Lucio has been there. Lucio says he's getting out soon for good behavior. Dam wonders what he did. Lucio says that Barbie gave him some jewelry to sell and then turned him in for stealing it. Damian tells him that Barbie doesn't just do stuff like that without a reason and wonders what Lucio knows that makes him dangerous to Barbie. Lucio says he knew too much, about a lot of things…like that Dam and Barbie were sleeping together, for instance. Lucio laughs and laughs, saying that Barbie really got him, yes sir, and he wouldn't be at all surprised if one day Gonzo ends up in jail courtesy of Barbie.

Franco tells Fer that he's going to be out of her life soon, but first he'll save Lili. Then he'll try to live with Erika and learn to love her. But he doesn't want to leave without telling Fer that being near her has been enough for him to fall in love with her. He knows this is their destiny, for him to know she exists, but he can't reach her. Although, right now, he wants to just indulge himself, even if he's going to have to come back to reality soon. He tells her he loves her and he asks her to let him say goodbye…. "Goodbye?" She asks. "Yes, goodbye forever." He plants a big 'ol kiss on her. And she reciprocates. And Erika doesn't come knocking on the door. Still going with the kissing. Still no Erika. And we fade directly to….

The church! And the wedding march! And a caption that reads "a few days have passed." Seriously? Don't they usually give us more warning when a wedding is coming up? The nice "You are cordially invited" at the beginning of the episode? But here we are. There's a string quartet playing rather screechily. Franco stands at the altar, trying not to stare too much at Fer in the front row. The church is a little sparse, but it's looking pretty respectably stocked. Martina and Venus are also there. And it looks like Augustin caved and is walking Erika down the aisle. Well, Erika and her ginormous cleavage and her even more ginormous pregnant belly and her super-mega-ginormous bouquet that she's attempting to use to hide that belly. And as Mr. 5ft points out, a shot straight down does nothing to hide that belly. Or the cleavage, I say. Fer looks upset. And actually, the bouquet isn't that big, it just has tons of trailing ribbon and Erika is holding it exactly the way the minister's wife told me not to at my wedding…"Hold the bouquet down a little, you don't want it to look like 'boob, flowers, boob'." But hey, when you gotta hide a belly, you do what you gotta do. More shots of Fer looking upset.

Jacinto, Margie, and Flor (in a dress! And makeup!) are running late and worrying that they won't be able to stop Gardenia's evil plans. But Gardenia is still back at the house and locked in. And her dress is ok, but it seems like the wrong shade of green. She tries looking for the keys, doesn't find them, and then declares that she's going to screw up the wedding one way or another. The kitchen window has no bars and some twisted wire keeping it shut.

The wedding starts. Esteve would have looked better without a gauze turban.

At the jail, Jacobo and Damian conference. Barbie isn't taking Dam's calls. Jacobo encourages him to call her at home or talk directly to Gonzo. But he doesn't think Gonzo would believe him. He wants Jacobo to give a note to Priscila. Damian doesn't want to spend any more time in jail. He's sure that Pris will want to come visit him when he gets the note and that Anibal will help her get him out of there faster. He tries to hustle Jacobo off, but Jacobo is stuck to his seat. Because Damian forgot to wait for Jacobo's last line "we'll get you out of here," after which he repeats that he doesn't want to be stuck there any longer.

The wedding continues. Erika looks like the only happy person. Everyone else looks worried or just blank.

Gardenia caught the bus into town and heads for the church.

Padre Bosco continues the wedding. Now we see that Dolly is also smiling, but not as consistently or crazily as Erika.

Padre Bosco gives a sermon about what a marriage is and isn't. "Is it a custom that we go through the way we go to school? Is it something we have to do because that's what everybody else does and we just don't question it? Or could it be that a marriage is a party that we want to throw because in some way it gives us prestige or relevance? What reasons bring a couple to make the decision to stand before an altar, surrounded by friends and family and say out loud that they promise to form a family in Christ's name?" Big warp-speed zoom on Erika. Is Padre Bosco getting to her?

Gardenia is close enough to hear Padre Bosco from outside as she keeps walking toward the entrance of the church.

"I have the impression that sometimes they come to a marriage to satisfy desires that don't have anything to do with love. And that's why I ask Erika and Franco to take a moment, a moment that should be enough to ask themselves what brings them to this altar." Erika looks like she really is thinking about it, and maybe coming to the sane decision.

We hear Padre Bosco's voice from outside as the wedding car's chauffeur gets out and Gardenia walks by, paying way too much attention to the car. "I hope it's love and not a petty [mezquino] desire that has brought us into the presence of God, our Lord, and that it is humility and not vanity that motivates us to make these vows of faithfulness."

"That it be freedom and not the slavery of a dream that guides us to this altar. Please rise." Padre Bosco comes down and starts asking the pertinent questions. Franco first…"Do you promise…until death separates you?" He steals a glance back at Fer as Erika smiles broadly at him. Franco accepts. Fer is shocked. Erika looks like everything is going just as she expected. Now Padre Bosco asks her. And Erika gives a big toothy grin to her parents as Margie thought bubble prays "Dear God, you know how much Eddie loves Fer, but if it's your wish that they not be together, then thy will be done." *sigh* Sometimes Margie is just too much of a good girl. But then again, she's in one of the few stable relationships in this show, so I guess sometimes nice gals do finish first.

Gardenia comes running in and marches straight up the aisle. She does pause to genuflect [kneel and cross herself] and in that moment, Jacinto puts a hand over her mouth and drags her into the pews. Erika is still smiling and looking around, but she stops smiling as she looks a Fer looking at both her and Franco, looking devastated. Erika says before they continue, she wants to talk to Franco for a moment. Padre Bosco whispers "What's wrong?" Erika tells him not to worry, so Padre Bosco ushers them into the sacristy [little getting-ready room, often just off the altar] as he tells the assembled crowd that they'll continue in a few minutes. Fer looks anxiously around.

In the sacristy, Padre Bosco says he'll entertain the crowd while they take all the time they need. "And may God bless you." Padre, I think we're gonna need more than that! Erika and Franco look at each other.

Jacinto drags Gardenia out of the church. She gets away from him, but then Flor and Margie are blocking the way back into the church. Jacinto reminds her this is going to hurt them all. Flor opines that Eddie has a right to do que-ever the hell he wants to. Gardenia screams that she's going to go in there and tell everyone "Don Santorito is Eduardo Juarez," causing Flor and Margie to gasp.

Erika tells Franco that he's already accepted her as his wife, but now their destiny hangs on her answer. Franco reminds her he's keeping his word. She knows and says she didn't stop the wedding because she doubts his word. Why, then? She says she hasn't forgotten for a moment the terms of this marriage and she knows they're not marrying for love. Franco reminds her that she said their love can grow. Erika says there's something that was missing in their original agreement. She wants to ask him a question and she's sure he'll tell the truth. "Do you love Fernanda Elizalde?" He doesn't answer. "There's a lot at stake here, because the love I have for her is like the love of a sister and you know it. Do you realize? It's not just our marriage in play here, but a great friendship. Franco, don't be afraid to tell me the truth, because right now a lie could be terrible for our lives. I'll repeat the question. Are you in love with Fernanda?" "Yes, Erika. I love her." Erika gulps air and sobs.

Finally, he grew a pair! No previews as we're in Ultimas Semanas, but I can only guess we'll be getting even more exciting revelations tomorrow!

Labels: manana