Caray, Caray!

Carlota sits in severely unflattering light and sobs wretchedly over the failure of her seduction attempt. “Eh, uh, uh, uh,” say the captions.

Cristóbal kneels in glowy holy light and prays, saying he’ll still be faithful to the church’s teachings, but as a regular dude now.

Carlota now paces in her room so we can see her horrid unflattering pants. Rufi graciously comes by to offer her tea, and gets yelled at for her trouble. Carlota sobs some more and looks more pale than purple. She might really be broken.

Mac gets the report from Command Central, i.e. Rufi in the kitchen: Paloma is still at painting class, and Cruel is “cerrada a piedra y lodo” (locked up tight). They guess that Cruel must have spoken to Cris; it’s the only thing that would explain her attitude. Rufi is just worried that now Cruel will hate Mac even more. Mac thinks she’ll have to go far away to live in peace, and Rufi says if only Cris wasn’t a priest, surely he would be courting her all over again. Mac is about to fill her in on the latest juicy development, but Paloma arrives. She’s carrying the gigantic stuffed rabbit and says Aaron gave it to her as a gesture of friendship. Rufi looks skeptical.

Orlando is waiting around for his party to start. Cris is the first to arrive, quite conspicuously in a regular suit with no priest collar. Orlando doesn’t seem to notice. Cris congratulates him on the business success.

Mac and Paloma talk about her art, and Mac says maybe she’ll start painting again herself. Somehow this involves bringing the birds into the living room. Paloma is excited about learning more but wonders whether her relationship with Emiliano will survive if she moves to México City. Mac says time and distance can’t destroy true love. Paloma notes that Mac seems really happy but Mac won’t tell her why.

More people are at the party. Joel asks to be introduced to Angélica. Rafael looks around anxiously for Camila until she finally arrives. He commiserates with her about her search for Romina, but is interrupted by a possessive Orlando. Rafa is trying hard not to let his jealousy show, and pretends for Emiliano’s sake that he’s having a great time.

Paloma is still giving the birds a tour of the house. Now she puts them down in the kitchen, and she, Mac, and Rufi all sing wordlessly for awhile. “Lararara, lara, lara,” say the captions. Paloma notes how happy they all are and will be in the future. Rufi says maybe Edmundo will return and serenade her again. What a coincidence that they all found love at the same time, says Paloma. Rufi with Edmundo, Pal with Emiliano, and Mac with…(Mac looks nervous)…Dr. Bermúdez, of course! Cruel comes to spoil the party. She says the doc is in the sala to see Mac. When Paloma and Rufi start humming again, Cruel gets furious and tells them never to sing that song again. They are baffled. Paloma guesses that song must remind Cruel of her unrequited love. It’s anybody’s guess how Carlota could recognize a song from that tuneless humming.

Back at the par-tay, Emiliano calls Diana and finds out that she is indisposed, but has sent a representative in her place. Said emissary arrives and plants several lengthy smooches on Emoo’s cheek while dozens of flashbulbs fire and everyone stands around and stares. Em looks disgusted but lets Romina do the ribbon (listón) cutting. I don’t know why a new business partnership requires a ribbon, but the gazillion photographers seem to think it’s quite the Kodak moment.

Everyone is back to normal partying. Emiliano is furious at Romina, but she tries to convince him she’s the perfect proxy for his mother. Ugh, Romina, no one wants Oedipal overtones in their futile romantic entrapment attempts, you creep. Emiliano storms off. Germán remarks that the dress Romi is wearing is one he bought in the D.F. Camila finally gets a chance to talk to Romina and asks her to come home. Romina says she doesn’t want to go back, even after she finds her father.

Rodolfo has visual aids for his Marry Me presentation: photos of the house which could be Mac’s for the low, low price of marrying him. Mac starts to say she needs to talk to him about something very important, but then she sees Carlota eavesdropping from the hall and just says she will have to think about it. He encourages her to overcome her fear and tries for a kiss but is denied.

Once he’s gone, Mac reams Carlota for the pathetic skulking around. Cruelota refuses to play defense and goes straight to offense, saying that everyone knows about Mac’s scandalous interest in the priest. The D.F. won’t be far enough to escape her shame; she’ll have to go to China. Mac retorts that she’s not ashamed and she’s not going to let Cruel stop her. “Oooh, I’m so scared!” mocks Carlota. Mac says Cruel is just jealous because Mac has what Cruel can’t have: love. “With your daughter, or with the priest?” asks Cruel, making a face to imply that only stupid people want love. “Both!” zings Mac. Cruel is out of ammunition and resorts to her default “Imbécil!” as she flounces back to her room. She hisses that she hates Macarena.

Camila is still upset about Romina, but Orlando tells her to forget it and just enjoy the party. Rafa and Emiliano join them in a toast, and Romina horns in and hangs on Emiliano’s arm.

Paloma tries to convince Mac to accept Rodolfo’s offer. Mac says no way; she is not in love with him.

Cris calls Mac from Ange’s desk and they arrange to meet. Nosy Inés comes along and almost-ex-padre Cris totally lies to her about the call. After he walks away, she picks up the phone.

Joel hits on Angélica. She’s amenable.

Cris and Mac meet up in the park. He tells her he’s given up his vestments and he’s now free to pick up where they left off. Passionate lip-lock ensues.

Inés calls miserable Diana and reports that the op is a great success. Orlando is strutting around like a peacock with Camila. Inés thinks he’s in love with her, which disappoints Diana because she’d like to think she’s harder to forget than that. After 25-odd years. And abandoning him. And leaving him wondering about their child. And stealing all his money. Yes, how dare he fall in love with someone else?

Cris and Mac take a romantic stroll and marvel that their remotest dreams have come true after all this time. Cris says he wants to get married; they just need to wait a few days until someone can come to replace him in the parish. Mac accepts with one condition. She wants to take Paloma and Rufi and go far away from Real del Monte and not tell anyone where they are going. He agrees it’s best to get away from Carlota.

Emiliano has a big foolish grin on his face, so the text message he’s writing must be to Paloma. Romina rudely interrupts him but he’s having none of it.

Cris says they’re back in the same place they were twenty years ago: wanting to get married, and no money. He thinks he can get a teaching job, though. Mac says she can sew or sell jam or paintings. She’s just worried about separating Paloma and Emiliano. They agree they won’t let P&E end up like them. Cris says he really likes Emiliano, but there’s just something special about Paloma. It must be that she’s so much like Macarena. Mac does not take this obvious opportunity to tell him that Paloma is his daughter. Cris gives her a diamond engagement ring. I wonder how he acquired that on a priest’s stipend. I think the twinkle sound as he puts it on her finger indicates that it is magic, provided by his fairy godmother. More mad making out.

Paloma reads the text message from Emoo and sends one in return. She hugs the phone.

Turns out Cris has been holding onto the ring for nearly twenty years. Smoochity smooch smooch. Odd that no one seems to be out and about tonight to see them. They must be in the same park where Emiliano could bellow about being Paloma’s novio, yet keep it a secret.

{Aside—I hate the ad bumper where Emiliano is licking his lips. It looks lewd. Can’t they get rid of that?}

Orlando has pulled Camila into another room to try to get the afterparty started early. She thinks they should get back to the guests, but he just wants to get busy. They kiss and giggle.

Mac swoons into the house with her lip gloss miraculously intact. She and Rufi blather about Carlota’s goings-on. Rufi offers dinner, but Mac says she isn’t hungry. I guess she’s getting an early start on living on love, since she hasn’t bothered to OPEN THE FREAKING ENVELOPE. Rufi is frustrated that no one in the house wants to eat. Don’t diabetics have to eat on a regular schedule whether they want to or not? No wonder Mac is always sick.

Cris tries to talk to Padre Mateo, but PM is already in bed snoring so Cris just tucks him in.

Macarena admires her ring and is nearly floating. She goes back to the annoying singing but is mercifully drowned out by the soundtrack.

Joel and Ange are still chatting. She gets a call from Dario, begging her to return, but she hisses at him to leave her alone and stop calling. Joel overhears and is concerned, but she tells him it’s nothing.

Paloma asks Macarena just where she has been at this time of night. Mac says she’s not telling, but everything is going to be different now.

Rafael corners Camila and says they need to talk. She says not here. They agree to meet in the cafeteria in the morning.

The next morning, Mac is up early cooking breakfast and singing again. Rufi asks her if she’s read the papers Carmen brought yet. “Oh, right, those…Carmen said they would change everything,” says daffy Mac. Rufi goes to find them. Paloma appears for breakfast and a magical twinkly hug with her mama.

Carlota has taken to her bed to cry and relive the humiliating rejection by Cris. Enough tears, she decides.

Rufi and Mac can’t find the envelope. Rufi thinks Mac is just absentminded, like she’s in love or something.

Paloma is about to leave for school and notices the envelope in her bag. She sticks it in a drawer and leaves.

Mac is searching her bedroom, to no avail.

Padre Mateo is sick and hacking all over. He has the flu and will have to stay in bed for days. Cris still wants to talk to him about his important business, but PM says not now, just manage the church for a few days. Cris looks really disgusted, either at all the coughing or at having to share a scene with this heinous overactor, and he finally gives up.

Mac wonders why Carlota is still in bed and asks if she’s seen some papers. Carlota has not. Carlota says Cris is not allowed in their lives or their house. She really has no footing in this argument yet Macarena still looks cowed. Years of conditioning will do that.

Avances: Cris is back in his priest duds, but sweet-talking Mac on the phone. Carlota eavesdrops and goes ballistic. Does Mac get pushed down the stairs?

Labels: amor