Caray, Caray!

Paloma asks Carlota to keep the secret about Macarena, nobody else can know she’s . . . who she is. Paloma mentions that Mac has agreed to tell her little by little about her past and Paloma’s father, which surprises (and presumably displeases) the Purple One.

Cristobal prays and thinks back to the reunion with Macarena in her hospital room. Suddenly the rays of light shining on the floor glow and make the shape of an “M”; he looks up at the crucifix and smiles.

Liliana walks with Angelica and wonders if there’s some way to make her not think of German anymore, it still hurts a lot not to be with him, and Angelica replies that only time is the answer, although sometimes not even that is enough. Angelica suggests that Lili not think about him, try to think of something else, or go out with someone else and meet people. Lili mentions that she is going with someone but doesn’t want to be dishonest. Ange says give yourself time. Lili asks if something similar happened to her and Ange admits yes, it almost destroyed her life, but she realized she could be interested in someone else. That someone isn’t interested in her, but at least it helps her not to keep thinking about the other guy. They stop to buy popsicles, cuz Ange says they’re the best for easing one’s pain.

I’m not sure I got this next scene right so feel free to correct me. Joel comes to Camila’s shop to ask Monica out but she says she can’t, she has a personal matter to take care of. After he leaves she tells Meche that’s the first and last time she sees her with Joel—she didn’t accept because he caught her by surprise and it made her so nervous that he must think there’s someone else. Monica admits that in a way, there is someone else.

Orlando and Camila are at the cafe while he tells Emiliano on the phone that they’re going to Mexico City to look for Romina, so Emil is in charge of the business and should finish organizing the party (which Orly had forgotten about until Emil reminded him) with Angelica. Camila offers to go by herself but Orlando says no way. Camila tries calling Romina again but just gets her voice mail.

Joel glumly tells Rafael about his suspicion that Monica is going out with someone else--history is repeating itself. Is it so hard to find someone who’s only for me? Yeah, tell me about it, Rafa sympathizes. Changing the subject, he hands Joel the paperwork for their business partnership and if it looks good they’ll take it to the notary and sign ASAP.

I guess Real del Monte is close to the capital because Orlando and Camila are already at Roberto’s (Samuel’s former roommate). Roberto has filled them in about how Sam’s a mooch; Camila says poor Romina when she finds out. Roberto comments that Camila and Romina are the best that life gave to Sam, and he didn’t know how to keep them, and that Sam was never at Camila’s level. He mentions that Romina had been there with German, which causes Camila to look somewhat impactada.

Romina and German shop for clothes at the mall and she gives him a hard time when he balks at buying her another pair of shoes. He caves and says ok, but see if they have deferred payment or something like that--he claims he doesn’t want to max out his credit card.

Here’s another conversation I didn’t really understand. For some reason Diana is wearing a raincoat indoors while on the phone with the lawyer her friend recommended--Diana says she doesn’t want a divorce and when the lady replies that she gets people divorced, not reconciled, Diana says she thought perhaps she’d (the lawyer) have some secret. Anyway, if it comes to a divorce, she wants to him to regret having been born. The lawyer asks the reason for the separation and Diana has no idea, since she’s such a good wife. She thinks he’s seeing someone else. The lawyer requests that Diana gather up anything she can that will serve as proof against Rafael, and when they see each other, to pay her for this consultation. Diana is appalled at this.

Angelica brings Emiliano a popsicle and he asks her about the mother superior coming to see her--she explains about being offered her old job back but she declined. He’s glad and is sure Orlando wouldn’t have wanted her to leave. This makes Ange hopeful but is immediately bummed out when Emil informs her that she’s needed to help organize the company party since Orly went to Mexico City with Camila.

Paloma gives Macarena her medicine and reminds her that she has to take care of her health. They discuss Emiliano and how Paloma accepted him after she found out Romina was secretly going out with German. Paloma loves Emil and he loves her, and they’re going to fight for their love (hmm, that sounds like a big fat anvil to me). Paloma thinks it won’t be easy, but she’s not afraid. Macarena notes that many times fear can paralyze you, like what happened to me with Carlota and with you. Paloma vows that what happened to Mac will never happen to her.

Emiliano tells Angelica he’s not sure if Orlando and Camila are novios or Camila is as interested in Orly as he is in her. They discuss the party plans and he tells her she can invite someone. Ange explains that there aren’t any guys in her life--there was one once, but it was so complicated that she doesn’t want to get into those problems again. That’s why she came to a place like Real del Monte, where she’d have time to think about her book. Emiliano comments, so it was a form of escape. Ange admits that the change of scenery has been good for her.

Rufi tells Macarena and Paloma that in two months Edmundo is going to come back for her answer. She’s not sure what she’s going to say; she thinks no, but she didn’t dare give a definite no, because she doesn’t want to regret it. But she doesn’t think she’ll be able to get used to living anywhere else. Mac asks if she’s going to tell Carlota and Rufi says no way. She’s going to erase Edmundo from her mind for the next two months, and when/if he comes back, she’ll do what her heart tells her.

Camila and Orlando are at dinner and still don’t get an answer when they call Romina. Camila doesn’t like that Romi’s with German. Although Orlando says he’s a good guy, there’s just something about him Cami doesn’t like. Orly suggests they order first and later go to a bar or somewhere else instead to distract herself for awhile. Camila thinks she must not be good company right now and he assures her that her company is always enjoyable for him. And yours for me, she replies, and thanks him for everything he’s doing.

As Padre Benito closes the church for the night, Cristobal comes up and tells him that he has made a decision.

Macarena prays about how she’d be able to tell Paloma about Cris and vice versa if he wasn’t a priest, and she’d be able to do with him what Rodolfo proposes, go to a place where nobody knows them and live as a happy family.

The next day Emiliano is waiting on the street for Paloma to walk by so he can accompany her to school. He tells her that each day she’s more beautiful and it’s very difficult to be without her. She thanks him again for his help with Macarena. He gives her a cell phone so they can communicate in secret. They’re all kissy and giddy, which to me signals “anvil alert!”

Carlota stomps through the house yelling for Mac and Rufi and is all put out that they left without telling her.

Rufi and Macarena go to church while Rufi worries that the doctor will scold both her and Mac for letting Mac leave the house. Mac says she had to come to thank God and the virgin for Paloma forgiving her. They come upon Cris out front so Rufi goes inside.

Paloma and Liliana talk about Romina and that now Pal doesn’t see her the same as she did before since she found out about Romi and German. Paloma isn’t going to say anything about it to Romi, but knowing it helped her to . . . Lili wants to know and says they can be friends now that Pal isn’t such good friends with Romi anymore. Paloma mentions that Emiliano must not know about Romina & German since he’s staying at the latter’s house. Lili thinks Pal should tell him but Pal doesn’t want to hurt him. Lili says Pal and Emil would make a great couple and to count on her if she needs a hand.

Ines comes in looking for Mac so Rufi tries to stall her in order to keep her from discovering and interrupting Mac and Cris’ conversation. After Ines leaves, Carlota comes in so Rufi tells her that Mac went to the dispensario. She wonders what Carlota’s doing there since there’s no mass. Carlota pretends she’s on her way to the parish office, then orders Rufi home.

More giddy mooning between Paloma and Emiliano--he sends her a text that he misses her while she’s in class and she replies “me too”. Then the nun calls on her to go to the mother superior’s office. Paloma looks scared and wonders if they saw her outside with Emiliano.

Macarena asks Cris about his retreat in Mexico City, is he going back there? He answers that he’s in Real del Monte to stay, he made a decision that’s going to completely change his life. He wants to be a free man, for her and for their love.

Carlota wanders the church looking for Padre Juan (Cristobal) and one of the ladies tells her that she doesn’t think he’s back yet, she hasn’t seen him in a few days. As Carlota’s about to leave Padre Mateo walks by with the janitor so she hides behind the corner. He’s on his way out and since he doesn’t mention Cris to the janitor she thinks he must not be back, and asks “Why did you leave? I have to see you”.

Cris tells Mac that he loves her with all his soul, and for her he will return to being Cristobal and not Padre Juan. Macarena immediately says he can’t leave the church, he promised to serve God. Cris assures her that he’ll continue to serve him, but in a different way, at her side if she’ll let him. Macarena frets that she can’t allow him to give up his vocation for her. Cris explains to Mac that she was, is and will be the love of his life, and his love for her is much stronger than everything. He’s sure that it’s with her that he should be and wants to be. Mac continues to worry and do her best to foil this romantic moment by saying she can’t take Cris away from God. But you’re not taking anything away from him--not only did he bring me back to you, he also sent me a signal (Cris goes on to explain the “M” he saw). My destiny is to be at your side.

German is on the phone with Cesar, the lawyer with whom he’s doing some shady business. Cesar asks how much money they have to give him (and when) so that his client wins and German’s client loses. German says tell your client that it’ll be a pleasure not to send him to jail. After he hangs up Romina comes in and says he’ll take her shopping again. He’ll indulge her, but first she’s going to indulge him (ewwwww)--he wants a roll in the hay with Romi and when she asks if he has a condom, he says yeah, later. Meanwhile, her phone vibrates (presumably her mom trying to call again).

Macarena doesn’t know what to say, she can’t believe this is happening, she doesn’t know if she should or can accept him leaving the preisthood. Cris tells her not to resist, don't resist that happiness that they deserve so much. It’s his decision, not hers. She’s tries to put on her worry wart hat again, “but I’m the cause,” but Cris tells her no, you’re the love. He confesses that before renouncing the priesthood he wanted to renounce her, but he couldn’t. Now, for them to be able to be together only depends on her.

The mother superior thanks Paloma for opening her eyes regarding Angelica and believes she was unfair with Paloma, what Pal did didn’t deserve the punishment she gave her. She informs Paloma that she’s going to give her scholarship back (for the school) and return the money she paid.

Cris explains to Mac that when he first got the order to return to Real del Monte, he didn’t want to go, and had even thought of leaving the priesthood then because he couldn’t comply with the order. But he came back because that was how God arranged it; he thought God wanted him to bury his past and all the ghosts that had tormented him for years. But he never imagined finding her. It could also be a test of your faith, suggests Macarena. And it has been, Cris replies. He reminds her that there are many ways to serve God--the priesthood is one way, but not the only one. Through true love and marriage I can also serve him. Mac stutters, you’re talking about us getting married? Yes, and he sees that she continues to love him as much as he loves her, that finding each other also changed her world. She admits that it did, and not only did it revive her love for him, but also helped her to prove all of Carlota’s evilness and to discover that it was Carlota and not destiny that separated them. Cris tells her that true love always triumphs, and not even Carlota’s lies could extinguish this love that has resisted time and distance. Mac agrees--Carlota didn’t win, love won, the truth won. (Oh dear, I fear that’s another anvil just teetering away.)

Camila and Orlando are in the hotel lobby as Camila tries to call Romi again but gets no answer. Orly tries too with the same result. Orly asks what she wants to do, Camila says she wants to wait a bit longer, she needs to find Romina before returning home. Orlando suggests that in the meantime they tour the city, go shopping, etc. Just behind them, German and Romi come out of the elevator but of course they don’t see them.

Macarena admits she contemplated the idea of Cris leaving the church, but it was an illusion, and now no puede creer that the possibility of them being together and happy is a reality. Cris says he’ll only need a few days to talk with his superiors. She tells him to take all the time he needs--we've waited this long, what’s a few more days? (ugh, another anvil invitation!) He reveals that he wasn’t thinking of telling her until he’d already left the priesthood, but he’d just returned from the retreat and she was the first person he saw (well, except for that girl he was talking to in front of the church when Mac and Rufi walked up, but who’s counting). Cris says as soon as he leaves the priesthood they can shout it to the world. Mac is so happy and grateful to God--Cris is thankful to God too, for giving him this gift of being able to have the rest of his life with her.

Liliana congratulates Paloma on getting her scholarship back. Pal says nothing can be done now about a university scholarship but Liliana points out that the letter of recommendation (that the mother superior said she will give her) will help. Pal mentions going to the university in Pachuca, and Lili says she thought Pal wanted to go to the capital to get away from her aunt. Pal doesn’t know and Lili wonders if Emiliano has something to do with it. Paloma mumbles something about being open, and being a lawyer (for Lili it’s doctor). Lili then suggests they go celebrate.

Macarena prays at church--if it’s God’s will that she and Cris serve him in another way, she’ll accept it and is eternally grateful. If Cris comes back to her, she can tell Paloma he’s her father, and she’ll have a father and mother to defend her and show her that true love can conquer all, and Carlota will be out of their lives.

Emiliano is having dinner with his mom talking about Romina—she wants Romi to feel free to do whatever she wants there (Emil rolls his eyes). He mentions again that he wants her to come to the dedication party at his office and to cut the ribbon, and Orlando wants to meet her. Diana looks nervous but says she’ll be there.

Mac is back at home asking what Carlota was doing at the church--following us? Rufi was afraid Carlota would catch them but Mac thinks maybe it’s better for her to find out once and for all (that she and Cris were talking). Rufi comments that since they left church, Mac has had a smile on her face that she hasn’t seen in a long time. Mac just says going to church makes her feel good. Rufi thinks Mac won’t be able to hide for very long that Cris is Paloma’s father. Mac responds that what God wants to happen, will happen. Now more than ever she believes in his mercy.

Cris is reading a to-do list when the janitor comes in and tells him that Padre Mateo went to Tula and Tulancingo (which rings a bell with me, because the latter is the sister city of Pleasanton, the town where I grew up). Cris is disappointed the padre isn’t there and sighs that it’ll be in God’s time, not his.

Inaki’s mom has come to see Macarena. She only came to town for a few hours to finalize things with the house and to pack a few things. She gives Mac an envelope of papers that she found, she thinks Paloma should have them, but wants Mac to see it first. She’s sure that Mac doesn’t know what it is and it will surprise her.

Previews: Mac tells Paloma she’s going to give her everything she couldn’t give her before; Carlota is freaked out by Mac’s sudden happiness and confronts Cristobal with a Darth Vader-esque “at last, we meet again.”

Labels: amor