Caray, Caray!

Overlap: Eugenio has responded to Carlota’s drunken weepy booty call. He gets to watch her waddle around (is it the shoes, or what? Carlota has the walk of a much heavier, older woman) and cry about her abandonment. He can’t convince her that kids are supposed to leave the nest. She says no one understands her. Lady, give them a break. They don’t all have doctorates in abnormal psychology. Eugenius says he’d like to understand her, then goes above and beyond the call of duty and bravely endures her leechy face-suck. Seems to really get into it, in fact. Should he get a Purple Heart for that?

On with the new: On an autumn day in Houston, Not-So-Angelic and OrlandNo are snoozing in bed all deshabille. They wake up. “What have we done?!!!”

Over at the rectory, Padre Benito asks Cristóbal whether he will remain a civilian or return to the priesthood. Cris says it depends on what Paloma decides to do. He feels Crueloca is still a danger and he needs to protect his daughter. Padres Benito and Mateo make evil-deflecting hand gestures and nod in agreement.

Romina is at the hospital, asking the doctor with great irritation what the emergency is. The doctor tries to be civil about the fact that this brat can never be bothered with her son, and says that Bernie is doing much better and will be discharged as soon as the day after tomorrow. Romi is not thrilled. She doesn’t want to take the baby home and doesn’t know how to take care of him anyway. Doc says they will teach her what she needs to know, and she can hire a nurse for the first few days to help while she gets the hang of it. “Do you know of anyone who might want to adopt him?” is Romeana’s response. The poor doctora is flabbergasted.

La Loca wanders into the sala in her robe and sees the wine bottle and glasses. “It wasn’t a dream! Eugenio was here! We kissed and then…” long thoughtful pause while we try not to imagine “…he left! I must not lose control like that again! I can’t cheat on Cristóbal, even though he was unfaithful to me with my own sister.”

The disloyal cad himself is breakfasting with last night’s partner in Tongue Twister. Cris asks for advice on how to protect Paloma from La Loca. Eugenio says, looking perhaps a tad embarrassed, that he may be a little too involved with Carloca, and not, um, ahem, in the usual way he is involved in his cases. He flashes back to the liplock. “Don’t tell me you are interested in Carlota,” says Cris, disbelieving. Eugenio gets all shifty and doesn’t answer. I think Cris’s mind has been blown.

Carloca is still in her robe, washing her own dishes. She tells herself out loud that she’s got to focus. Her only objective is to separate Paloma from Cris, so they can’t leave her all alone.

Cris, no longer hungry, is all, “Qué the heck is WRONG with you?! You know what kind of person Crueloca is!” Eugenio (not earning that genius rating at the moment) says yes, that’s what he finds attractive. She’s perverse, selfish, mitómana (no idea what that means but it must be bad), but also very intelligent, and he likes it like that. Cris can’t believe it. He warns Eugenio to be very careful. Eugenio admits that sometimes he gets sucked into her spell, and believes that she’s a poor sweet suffering thing, even though the evidence shows otherwise. Well, this is a major weakness for Team Good Guys. Can the dimwitted B-team rally?

Paloma runs into Emiliano in the lobby of the swanky hotel, where it seems everyone is living these days. He’s surprised to see her there, and she catches him up: Daddy is ex-Padre Cris, and there’s a bonus granny thrown in! Emo is delighted. Know what’s even better than her escape from the abbatoir, though? He’s getting divorced! Now they can get together again! Paloma isn’t jumping ships quite so fast, and turns away. Forget that painter punk! Ditch him and let’s get it on!, enthuses Emo. Paloma says nothing and looks at him with Great Conflict, because she is a Tragic Soul.

Paloma finally says she is Gabriel’s novia now. Emo asks if she feels the same way about Gabe that she does about him. No, she says, it’s different, but this is what she has decided. How can she do this if she still loves Emo, he asks. She reminds him that he loved her when he married Romina. Arguing about how this is different gets Emo nowhere, so he tries sliding up closer and fondling Paloma while talking about their smoochfest days of yore in his best Harlequin Romance voice.

Romina returns home to find Néstor, Emiliano’s lawyer, waiting for her with divorce papers. She tells him not to waste his time. She’ll never divorce Emo. He tells her she doesn’t have a choice.

Emo leans in to kiss Paloma, but once again she steps back and away from him. So what if he says he’s leaving Romina? She’s only interested in facts, not words and dreams. So, she’s going to stick with Gabriel, even though she totally really loves Emo, for sure. Emiliano wants to fight for their love, of course. Forget it, she says.

Romina refuses to accept the divorce papers. Néstor tells her the papers are just a formality. The divorce is a fact regardless. The only thing her attitude will affect is how much of the community property she gets to keep.

Camila tells Mónica that she’s selling her share of the ceramics business to Rafael and Joel, which of course Mónica already heard from Joel. Cami said when she was talking with Rafa she realized she still has feelings for him, but she hopes it’s just because she’s mad at Orlando, and not that she made a mistake in marrying him. Mónica knows that trying to find logic in Cami’s romantic decisions is futile, so she just nods patiently.

Luz and Rafa meet with the adoption lady. She tells Rafa he doesn’t need to be there. Since Luz is adopting alone, the psychologist and social worker will only need to talk to her. Way to care about the entire home environment, social worker. Luz wants Rafa to stay anyway, but he leaves. The lady asks Luz if she’s sure she doesn’t want to include him. No, she’s in a hurry to adopt Xochitl.

La Loca stalks her prey Cris in the rectory. He asks her what she wants. She wants Paloma. No one else can watch over (velar) Paloma, only her.

Paloma breakfasts with her abuelas and tells them she’s worried about her future. They tell her Cris hasn’t decided whether to be a priest again because he wants to stay with her and protect her. Paloma says she doesn’t need protection. Madeleine says they will never lack for money, anyway. She’s got oodles, and if Cris goes back to the church, Paloma and Rufi will be her only heirs. Rufi is surprised. Why her? Because I want to, and I like you, says Madeleine.

Another intense Carlota-Cris faceoff:
Carlota: Gimme my abused little birdie Paloma back.
Cris: Over my dead body.
Carlota: If that’s how it has to be.
Cris: I know exactly what you are capable of. Your masks have fallen off one by one, and now you’re naked. God and I see the truth. Your hate and envy of Macarena have finished you.
Carlota: Me?! Jealous of Mac?! Never!
Cris: Of course you are jealous! She was more beautiful and more of a woman than you! Do you realize you could have found another man, had children, been happy? But no! You had to cling to the impossible! (Afferarse = to cling, to insist, to hook together). Now you’ve lost.
Carlota: You think so? He who laughs last, laughs best.
Cris: You won’t be laughing. Good always wins, and people like you are punished.
Carlota: Make Paloma come back to me, or you will regret it.
Cris: Enough threats. I am not afraid of you. You are ruined. The end has come.
Carlota: We’ll see about that.

Whew! Yes, we will see about that, o crazy one. It’s why we tune in.

Gabriel gleefully tells Eugenio that he proposed to Paloma. They laugh and embrace. Didn’t they have this conversation yesterday, before Eugenio went to see Carlota?

Cris fervently prays for protection for the whole gang. A slightly threatening tone starts to drown out the holy monk chants.

Emiliano moons over a photo of Paloma and wonders aloud why she doesn’t want to be with him if she still loves him. He ignores his buzzing phone.

Romina leaves a ranty message for Emiliano demanding some face time. Liliana overhears and of course can’t help taunting her. That Karma is such a mean girl, isn’t she? Romina continues to insist that Emiliano is HER husband. “Oh, whatever. He’s trying to get back together with Paloma,” says Lili. “WHAT?!,” says Romi. “Yeah, but I don’t know if she’ll accept. Gabriel also proposed to her!” Romi looks furious. “Tough to choose between two such great guys, don’t you think? Careful with that karma! Ta-ta!” Lili flounces away, leaving Romina stewing in her own bile.

Paloma is at Gabriel’s place for a “painting lesson.” This involves him wrapping himself around her like an overcoat and helping her hold the brush. Well, okay, it can’t make her paintings any worse. She turns around to tell him about her encounter with Emo. He’s surprised and happy to hear that she didn’t go running back to Emiliano and wants to stay with him instead. Paloma admits that she still loves Emiliano; she can’t stop all of a sudden, but she also loves Gabriel and she’s chosen him. “So will you marry me?” asks Gabe. Paloma isn’t ready to commit to that. One day at a time. He appreciates her sincerity. They go back to the tandem painting.

Romina throws the papers at Emiliano and says she’ll never divorce him. He says what she wants doesn’t matter. What she did was so egregious that the divorce will be granted anyway. Romina snits that he thinks she is a golfa, but Paloma is the real slut! She’s already been with Iñaki, and now Gabriel! And Gabe has asked her to marry him, so forget about her loving you forever, chump!

Natalia calls Eugenio and tells him that Paloma told her that the day Alonso died, Carlota was out of town. Coincidence? She thinks not. They know Cruel tried to kill Doc B, so it’s not hard to believe she also tried to kill Alonso, and succeeded. Eugenio agrees, and will look into it. Doc B lies in the background, still comatose.

Romina calls Germán and demands his help. “Are you crazy? After the way you treated me?” he says, but his bizarre addiction to her prevents him from hanging up. “You have to make Emiliano not divorce me,” says Romi. “How? He hates me as much as he hates you.” Romina doesn’t care. He must find a way to do it, because if Emiliano doesn’t want her, no one else can have him, including that slut Paloma. “I don’t care if Emiliano divorces you. Deal with it yourself,” says Germs. Romina is incensed.

Emiliano paces around Gabriel’s house until Gabriel walks in from the other room. Did he let himself in? Telenovela people are always stunningly bold that way. He doesn’t waste time with pleasantries, he goes straight to menacing (well, he’s trying to be menacing, but doesn’t quite have the gravitas) warnings against marrying Paloma.

Paloma encourages Cris to return to the priesthood. “But how would you handle having a priest for a father?” he asks. “Very proudly,” she says. He worries that narrow-minded people might not approve, but she says that’s their problem. Cris also worries that they wouldn’t have much of a family life. His time would not be his own, and he wouldn’t even get to decide where he lives. She says she will visit him wherever he goes. She just wants him to be happy, and serving as a priest is what makes him happy. She’s never been like the other girls so she doesn’t care that she’ll be different, she is just ecstatic to finally have a father. Happy hugs. They argue about who loves the other more.

“I am not your enemy,” Gabe tells Emo. “Yes, you are! You can’t take Paloma away from me! She loves me!” “That is her decision to make.” Gabe goes on and on describing the life he intends to have with Paloma, to Emo’s great irritation. No, no, no, Emo stubbornly argues. He will NOT permit Gabriel to mock him! Or to end up with Paloma! Gabe gives Emo a sideways look as Emo vamooses, probably wondering what Paloma sees in him.

You know, it’s really hard to see the difference between Emiliano and all the obsessed, selfish, stubborn villains. I guess it’s that Paloma has said she loves him, but still. That doesn’t mean she’s given up her freedom and belongs to him.

Rufi shows Madeleine Paloma’s engagement ring from Iñaki, which Iñaki said was very valuable and Carlota claimed is worth nothing, and the copy she found in Carlota’s desk (she has both now). Hmmm, very curious, says Mad.

Germán finally takes the papers about the changed will to Eugenio. Eugenio asks whether he’s had further contact with Carlota, and Germs says no. She asked him to find out what happened to Doc Bermúdez, but he hasn’t learned anything. “Hmm. You may go,” says Eugenio. However, Germy has the gall to ask for a recommendation, so he can get another job. “Are you freaking kidding me?! You are corrupt,” says Eugenio. Germs says he’ll be a good boy from now on. “Some people don’t change, and I don’t think you regret what you’ve done. You’re just sorry about the results. You only came to me to get revenge on Carlota,” retorts Eugenio. “Please, please, please,” whines Germy. “No. I’ll pay you for your services and that’s it; we’re done. It’s a shame someone as smart as you took the easy route. You ruined your life.”

Carlota goes home and finds an envelope slid under the door. It’s another pasted-letters note:

I am so close to you that I can see that you are dressed very nicely today. Bermúdez.

“No! You’re dead! You’re dead!”

Cris is telling Paloma he knows she loves Emiliano, but there have always been obstacles in their way. “Yes, but now there’s also Gabriel, and something tells me I want to be with him,” says Paloma. “That something, is there revancha?” asks Cris. (Help, someone?) Anyway, Cris seems to want to be sure that Paloma really loves Gabriel and doesn’t just feel sorry for him because he is supposedly dying. No, she says, she loves him, and the thought of leaving him for Emiliano is really upsetting to her. “Well, there you go then; you have the answer in your hands,” says Cris. Paloma actually looks at her hands to find her answer, and Cris smacks her teasingly.

Luz is filling out the paperwork and telling the adoption lady she’s worried about being a good mother. The lady says love and desire to be a good mother are the most important, but you have to learn on the job. Xochi is brought in for a visit. Luz is all squeals of happiness.

Carlota leaves her house and looks around suspiciously. Música de suspensa.

Orlando and Angélica are in a restaurant for a super awkward dinner. Orly asks whether she wants wine. Ange says no. Last night she had enough for the rest of her life, thanks. Orlando kind of suggests they just forget about what happened. Ange says even if they try to erase it, it did happen, and she feels terrible. Orly says he feels terrible, too, but he doesn’t sound at all upset, while Ange is trembling and on the verge of tears. Camila is her friend! How could she betray her like this?! Orlando doesn’t think Camila needs to find out; it would just be unnecessarily rude to mention it. Ange wails that she’ll never be able to look Cami in the eye. She cannot live such a lie! Orlando looks confused.

Emiliano is at the hospital, and the doctor tells him that Romina wants to put Bernie up for adoption. QUÉ??? The doc is worried that the baby’s health will suffer if Romina does that.

Avances: Romina asks Gabriel to paint her nekkid, and doesn’t wait for him to agree before starting to drop her dress. Paloma walks in and is impactada.

Labels: amor