Caray, Caray!

Yep, Val's knocked up.  And it's all big bad Cris' fault 'cause of that time he got drunk and she kidnapped and raped him.  Cris says there's no way!  But he agrees he doesn't want her to have an abortion.  He's going to be there for her, and take care of the child…but if she thinks he's going to marry her, she's got another thing coming!  And a great cheer goes up from the patio!  However, since we weren't there to defend him, he got slapped in the face for saying that.  She's busy flouncing off the balcony when she runs into Cande, who I'll never believe wasn't lying in wait to make this entrance.  Cris gives Cande the news that Val is pregnant, but he tells her if she wants details--ask Val. Oh, I'm sure Val would give a truthful account…NOT!  Cande ponders her impending grandmotherhood.  I ponder whether this entire scene was set up to happen on the balcony just to for that last image of Cande rocking the full-on Evil Queen vibe with the braids and the collar and the lipstick.

No, Irma doesn't think Lola took the money.  Uriel asks who else could have done it.  Last time, it looked like Lardo was the one who stole money…since it can't have been him this time, maybe both times were Lola.  And if her crime made Lardo look bad, he never wants to see her again.  "Who else had access to your purse?"  Oh, let me think…sitting behind the counter…with the door wide open…and she and Lola in the back, not paying attention…that would be…THE ENTIRE TOWN!  Irma can't think of anyone.  Uriel advises her to confront Lola and watch her for signs of lying.



Pru has no intention of getting divorced!  Especially to marry Tomas.  She's perfectly happy like this…or she's happy being unhappy…look, with Humberto, she has something to complain about all day, and she can make his life a living hell, and use his credit cards, and make him pay!  That's the only way she can be happy.  Tomas wants to make her happy a different way, but Pru would rather have a rich guy she can manipulate.  All she wants Tomas for is…well, you know.  "I'm not just a sex machine!"  Pru knows, 'cause right now he's totally killing her sexi feelings.  Too bad, so sad.  He tries to convince her with necking and pouting and tears….

Cande tells Val she can't make up a pregnancy!  Val says she's not making it up.  But Cris wants her to be a single mother!  The horror!  Val claims to have just peed on the stick today, but not confirmed it.  Cande's going to make Cris forget about Aldonza and marry Val.  She whines that she shouldn't have [kidnapped and raped him] that night.  She never could have imagined this would happen.

Our country mice have made it to the city.  They stand out in front of Renato's house waiting for someone to let them in and talking wedding plans.  Aldonza doesn't want to invite a bunch of people to the wedding because she wants to get married already.  A great "THEN DO IT ALREADY!" goes up from the patio.  Renato's dad drives up as the maid comes to answer the door…he apologizes for not being there to greet them and then asks them to go on inside and he'll be there in a minute to talk about her errands, including buying a wedding dress, as Lola giddily announces.

Humberto has a sad because he misses Emmanuel.  Padre J tells him maybe if he'd tell Em the truth about who his parents are, maybe Emmanuel would have the answers he's been looking for, and maybe that would bring him home.  Humberto admits he's made mistakes, and he wishes he could forget what happened that night.  He admits he helped Severiano take Roberta's newborn baby.  They came up with a lie that keeps getting harder to keep up every day.  Hum has tried to make up for his mistake, but he's never been able to.  Padre J tells him that until he confronts his memories, he'll never be able to get them out of his head.  The lie is like knives, and it's going to cut him apart.  Sooner or later, he's going to have to "enfrentar" (face) what happened…and there's no reason to put it off.

Cris tells Cande that he thinks Val is lying.  The timing is too much of a coincidence.  She's telling him she's pregnant NOW when he's about to get married?  ("YOU'RE ALREADY MARRIED!")  And she just happened to get pregnant on the night he was so drunk he doesn't remember what happened?  Cande says the point is, Val is expecting his baby.  "Bueno ¡que me lo pruebe!"  (OK, then she can prove it to me!)  Even if it's his baby, he's married to Aldonza and he's going to stay married to her.  He's going to give his name to the child and he'll even raise him or her, but he's NOT going to give up Aldonza.  He wants the best for his child and that is NOT having parents who are together, but detest each other.  He's not going to follow his parents' example.  He's not going to keep up a rotten relationship to keep up appearances.  It would make him, AND Val, AND the child miserable--and none of this is the child's fault.  Cande using her own special brand of logic, the kind that's not, says "Exactly, none of this is the child's fault, so come to your senses and think with your head for once."  She leaves and Cris makes his thinking face.  Stay strong, Cris!  Stay strong!

One of the other renters didn't sign the agreement, so Aldonza has to go back to…the realtor's office?...tomorrow.  Lola suggests a trip to a strip club.  Hello!  Bachelorette party!  Aldonza suggests the zoo instead.  I glare in her general direction.

Uriel is frustrated because Adriano is in a coma and he can't rat out Sev.  "Roberta Lozada was right to hate that guy!  She was the first one to discover who he really was.  And no one believed her!  Hopefully it never gets too late to open everyone's eyes and show them who Severiano Mendoza really is!"  The cop can't get a word in edgewise, but who cares!  I imagine Roberta in a fabulous red dress with a leopard belt, a cigarette in one hand and a brandy snifter in the other, saying "I told you so."

Sev drops Nava off back in town and says he'll transfer the money he owes him later.  Now they just wait and "dejar que las cosas caigan por su propio peso" (let things fall from their own weight; let it take its course).  They smirk over how an accusation like this is the worst thing that can happen to a priest.  So, just to clarify…Nava is not ok with murder happening right in front of him, but he is ok with bribery and slander.

Dominga sees Flavia in town.  She tells Dominga what happened.  She had everything and she threw it all away.  Joaquin won't listen to her.  He'll never forgive her, and he's right not to.  She doesn't even dare go near Ray or he'll see the shame in her eyes…or worse, she'll find out that he's already attached to Adelina and doesn't even remember her anymore.  Dominga says she's Ray's mom and he's always going to love her, even if she's the worst woman.

Adelina finds out from Joaquin that Flavia is out.  She's living in a hotel.  I need to pause this for a second as Adelina asks what's going to happen to her, because I'm disgusted by the vibe I'm getting--that she's more concerned with whether she and Joaquin are going to keep dating vs. him getting back together with Flavia.  What the hell have they done with this character!  Anyway…Joaquin says she'll have to figure it out on her own because he's sticking with Adelina.

Cande and Val plot.  Val needs a proper pregnancy test, so she can prove to Cris that she's really pregnant.  Humberto's not going to be happy…maybe Cande can soften him up first?

The water problem is still on…but Joaquin says "they" can solve it.  For themselves, at least, by carrying out Raymundo's old plans to use the water from El Santuario to irrigate the fields and supply the house with water. *cough*rentalcontract*cough*

Sev gets the news about Val.  He says she planned it really well, but naïve Cande says they got lucky.  The baby has been sent from heaven to separate Cris and Aldonza.  And right there, with the doors to Sev's office open, not bothering to lower her voice at all, Cande says that Cris would never turn his back on his child, "The way you did with Emmanuel."  Sev reminds her she was equally responsible.  And it was her idea to steal the baby and tell Roberta it was dead.  Cande breaks it to him that Cris refuses to marry Val, but they're going to MAKE him.  She doesn't want Sev to go to him now…he needs to get his thoughts in order first.  Val arrives, all ready for her official pregnancy test.  Sev offers to drive her.  Ew!  I mean, there was nothing in his look or anything, but.  Ew!

Aldonza calls home asking if anyone's done anything new to try to keep them apart.  He says nothing will keep them apart, but he sounds shaky.  Lola fondles a red poofy wedding dress that Roberta would have loved.

The woman Sev paid off shows up with the girl to tell Padre J he'd better get out of town or they'll tell the "truth" about the baby her granddaughter Angelina is expecting.  Padre J tells her to get out, but she says he got her granddaughter pregnant.  If Padre J doesn't leave town, his career as a priest is OVER.  She's giving him a chance to leave before that happens.  Angelina looks very unhappy about all this and Padre J looks very confused.  I'm calling this horrid woman Evil Grandma until we find out what her name is.  Although I could think of worse things to call her.  Padre J says she'd better leave and not show up again or he'll turn her in.  She smirks that he has more to lose than he does…she'll give him a little time, but then she'll unleash the biggest scandal of his life.  What a jerk!

Irma calls Lola and asks what happened with the money from her purse.

Mari goes over to try to seduce Pato.  Her posturing is gross and I think it tips Pato off.

Lola is upset that Irma is accusing her and blames it on Mari.  Irma denies it, then wonders if maybe Lola borrowed it for her trip?  But Irma knows Lola wouldn't do that.  She says she believes Lola and apologizes.  They'll talk when Lola gets back.  They end the call, but Lola is still angry.  Aldonza brushes it off.

Pato was not tipped off.  He goes to the movies with Mari.  They've got kind of a nice movie theater in Santa Lucia, with the rocking seats and the big cup holders.  Pato goes to turn off his cell phone….

Just as Lola is trying to call him.  "Quack, quack, you're calling Pato's cell," Lola quips, bitterly.  Well, whatever, Aldonza's going to try on dresses now.

Joaquin comes home to find Flavia waiting for him.  She wants to talk.  She wants to ask forgiveness.  Joaquin says he can't forgive her and nothing is going to go back to the way it was.  Flavia says she's sorry and everything that happened reminded her that she loves him.  She needs him.  Joaquin doesn't believe her.  If the cops hadn't caught Adriano, she'd still be with him, right?  And when she came back last time?  She only wanted to take Ray.  So he doesn't want to hear how she loves him…she's only here because that guy's in a coma and she can't get back together with him.  She begs for another chance, but he says he doesn't love her anymore.  He wants to start a new life with Adelina.  She wants to see Ray, but he's at a party at a friends' house.  Flavia asks him to tell Ray that she loves him.  She's not my favorite person, but I would like to point out that she got through that entire conversation without calling Adelina any names or even inserting too much sarcasm when she called her Joaquin's "novia."

Silvia is working, because somebody has to.  Lola calls her, with Aldonza in the background trying on dresses.  I say "yes" to the lace, but "no" to the way the front of the dress has that panel without the ruffles.  Either go big on the ruffles or don't go there.  Oh, the phone convo--where is Pato?  At the movies, oops….

It's a scary movie.  There is screaming and grabbing.  The recapper fumes.

Somehow, Padre J found out that Evil Grandma's name is "Nazaria."  As he explains to Renato and Silvia, she is right.  He has far more to lose than she does.  "But you're not going to give in, are you?"  Padre J isn't going to give in, but he would like to avoid a scandal.  Silvia says they have nothing to go on right now--her last name, where she lives, whether her name is even "Nazaria."  "We do know one thing.  Severiano Mendoza sent her."  Oh, Ren, what do you mean "How can you be so sure?"  Because he watches the show, Ren.  He's sure it was Sev because he dropped the forgery charges, probably because Cande or Cris pressured him into it…but he didn't actually forgive him.  Silvia says they need proof.  Nah, says Padre J, Sev wouldn't have left proof, that coward!

Domingo, Melesio, and Adelina have coffee and get all excited at the thought of having Cris and Aldonza under one roof, and them having babies.  Mel is sure they'll have a gorgeous little princess.  Dominga thinks they'll have a little Cris.

Silvia wonders if that woman even knows that extortion is a crime.  Maybe if they talk to her and tell her that she could go to jail if she goes public with the lie.  Maybe that will get her to give up.  Padre J agrees, but they'll have to find her before she goes through with it.  Padre J suddenly thinks of a way to find her address.

Val is back from town, the test was positive, but she won't get the written results until tomorrow.  She wants to go rest, but Cande wants to quiz her about how far along she is.  She can't wait to go to the doctor with her and find out!  And they have to find out how much longer before Val starts showing.  Cande allows her faithful subject to go rest.

Mel and Dominga haven't decided about going to the parish house.  And Renato offered Mel the job of managing the livestock for Mis Planes.  Adelina would rather they stay at El Santuario, but Dominga doesn't want to cause any more problems for the kids because they're living there.  Mel reminds Adelina that Sev never forgives an offense.  He'll bide his time and then spring his vengeance on him.

I have no idea how we got to this point, but Tomas is up on the bell tower of the church, looking like he's going to jump.  A crowd has gathered, and Lulu is screaming at him not to jump.  The maid brings Pru a note from Tomas…"Novia mía, I'm on the bell tower, if you don't come for me before midnight, I'll throw myself off."  Pru rather comically shuffles off to her closet.  What does one wear to prevent a suicide?

Cande's maid brings her a letter.  Because it's addressed to Cris.  And Cande instructed her to bring ALL OF CRIS' MAIL to her.

Don Camilo brings Adelina a letter.  Rather than open it, she calls Aldonza.  She hasn't found a wedding dress yet.  The courts sent Aldonza a letter.  Adelina opens it and it's about her first court appearance.  Aldonza says that Renato told her that she and Cris just have to show up and say they don't want a divorce , and that's it.  She asks Adelina, if she sees Cris, to tell him that she loves him and can't wait to come home and marry him.

Cande goes into Cris' room to confirm that he will NEVER have any privacy while he lives there because his MOTHER (and, yes, I'm saying that like there's supposed to be something after it) opens his mail.  He rips up the letter and says he's not getting divorced.  "And how do you think your wife is going to react when she finds out Val's pregnant with your baby?"  Cris tells her she'd better not dare tell Aldonza.  That's not for her to do.

Padre J visits Sev to tell him that his attempt at blackmail was a total FAIL.

Labels: sombra