Caray, Caray!

We pick up our story just after a worn down, weakened, and ill Esperanza has told Ernesto that she is ready to throw in the towel, that she just cannot deal with her situation anymore and he has begged her to keep fighting and not give in: just do it please for her children.

(WARNING: the unifying theme of this episode was TEARS!!!!!!!)

Ricardo, Cristina and all of the kids are leaving the church (Pámela is on his back) after setting the date of the wedding. Ricardo is chanting: two weeks!!! (To the wedding) The kids and Ricardo want to go celebrate by going to the movies. Cristina is all poopie at first saying they just were at the amusement park but gives in.



Pato finally sees Luca at work and tearfully fills him in on Tracy, Ernesto and the "La Sombra" fiasco.

At the movies, Ricardo is reminding Cristina about "two weeks" and has to be shushed by the kids. They all have popcorn and Cristina and Ricardo make out like two teenagers while his own son Rodrigo looks on, says they are like kids and shakes his head.

Pato is still moaning to Luca and does not know what to do. The "La Sombra" fiasco was the worst event of her life and her father caused it. Luca is also very disappointed. Ernesto is capable of such goodness but also capable of the other extreme, too. They really don't know him.

At home,a visibly weak Esperanza tells Ernesto the day she is no longer able to go teach will be the day she dies. He leaves and tells her not to move.

Montserrat Felix's mother Montserrat is pulling on him to take her to the doctor but he has an emergency. She falls on the floor calling for the doctor and makes herself the emergency.

At the hospital, Kiko arrives walking slowly and painfully with a walker. They all wait for news on Salma and the baby. Salma is in the operating room and things are not looking too good. Salma goes through all of her pregnancy memories. She wants her daughter.

Napoleón has news for Silvana at their place. The person who is buying the baby is going to give them one million pesos for the baby. They have been given 100,000 pesos up front; the rest when the baby is turned over. If they do not deliver the baby they will owe him this money with interest or he will kill them.

News from the doctor as she comes into the waiting room. Salma is just fine but she lost the baby. Tears all around.

At Cristina's, they put Selena and Abril to bed. The two girls agree they can call each other sister. Ricardo is talking to Cristina and remembering something that Tracy said: Ernesto had put out a hit on her.

Ernesto has taken the next step since Esperanza's legs are weak by bringing her a wheel chair so she can go to work.

Luca gets a phone call that Salma is okay but that the baby was lost. Luca and Pato are going to the hospital.

At the hospital, Margarita and Félix talk about how strange life is, it's incomprehensible lessons, and how we cannot question God's plans. The adoptive parents were going to name the baby Andrea Mireya, Salma wanted to name her Margarita. They all want to be able to help Salma.

Napoleón and Silvana toast to their 50,000 pesos apiece. The celebration is short. Silvana calls Margarita and gets Montserrat on the phone. She finds out there is no longer a baby to be sold.

Back at Esperanza's the talk turns back to the "La Sombra" fiasco. Esperanza tells Ernesto that maybe in time his kids will forgive him but she does not know if she can. Pato comes in and refuses to call Ernesto "father". He leaves.She wants to know why Esperanza is still talking to him. Right now Esperanza tells Pato that she needs peace for her health and no more arguments. On his way out, Ernesto runs into Pedro and decides to clear the air with him, too, and tell him the truth about the "La Sombra" fiasco.

Anya is still working out with the punching bag in her room trying to memorize anatomy terms but she keeps thinking about Pedro and really does not want to like him. Why does she? She wonders.

At Esperanza's house, Ernesto is now getting it from Pedro for the "La Sombra" fiasco. Ernesto apologizes and says he has changed. Pedro will never trust him again nor will Pato. If his mother were not sick he would throw him out on the street. He better not disappoint his mother. Ernesto looks like hell.

Ricardo and Cristina are discussing Tracy kidnapping Adrián. According to Ricardo, Tracy risked too much in the kidnapping. It was too sophisticated of a plan just to be the revenge of a mad woman. Maybe Ernesto really did try to kill her. Enough of that for Cristina. They decide that Ricardo is going to teach Cristina to talk with her mouth without using words. Ewww! Kissy kiss time!

The next day, Salma is still in the hospital. The whole family comes to see her. She wakes up and asks how her baby is. Mario has to tell her that she lost the baby. Salma just cries.

At school, Ricardo runs into Esperanza in her wheelchair being pushed by Pedro. She says her legs are weak but it is just a temporary side effect from the chemo. When Ricardo leaves, Pedro asks is she saw the expression on Ricardo's face. Esperanza says it is not easy seeing a person you once loved in a wheel chair. Pedro jumps on the "once loved" as if Ricardo does not love her any more. Esperanza sees no point of getting into that discussion. She just wants Pedro to push her to class. The bell has rung.

In Cristina's office, she tells her secretary Quintina that she is engaged. Killjoy Silvana comes in to clean and hearing the announcement reminds them that 60% of all marriages end in divorce and marriage became an invention when life expectancy was only 35 years. Cristina wishes her a "good" day. For Silvana the day is depressing and frustrating. Cristina asks if there is a reason for such bitterness. It is just that a few months back she occupied this very office and now she is picking up the garbage. Her final comment is: Wasn't Ricardo in love with Esperanza back then? She excuses herself. In the hall she admits she isn't even good at cleaning and now she has to return all of that money.

Back at the hospital, Salma is inconsolable. Everyone is commiserating with Salma. Viviana tells her the cause of the miscarriage/spontaneous abortion was a detached placenta. It was nothing she could have prevented. Salma decides she is not going to calm down. No, things are not going to get better for her. From now on, she is going to do whatever she feels like. (Uh, oh: isn't that what got her pregnant in the first place?)

Kiko, now on crutches, talks to Esperanza in the classroom. She tells him she finally knows what his time in the wheel chair was like. Esperanza notices how sad Adrián, Kiko and Estrella are. They tell her about Salma losing the baby. Esperanza is going to try to talk to Salma even if it is only on the phone. After a couple of coughs, Esperanza decides to start class: essay revisions is the topic.

In Ricardo's class, the students are working but he notices something is not right. He gets up and starts walking around the classroom when he sees silent communication between his daughter Selena, Abril and Pámela. He asks what is going on. Nothing. So he then asks for them to all bring their papers up to his desk. He wants to see their drawings. It turns out they were making invitations for the wedding so he could pick out the one he liked the best. He thanks them so very much but they cannot do this on school time. They remind him there is so little time to finish the invitations and get them printed and send to all of the guests. He is going to hang on to their drawing and give them back after their work is done. Pámela tells him not to get angry so he does not get all wrinkly.

Esperanza is sitting in her wheel chair in the rest room looking very very tired. Estrella comes in and Esperanza asks her how things are going with Adrián. Esterlla feels sorry for him because he has been through so much. Esperanza says sometimes life gives us tests. Estrella thinks Adrián has learned a lot. Esperanza reminds her Adrián has come out ahead in everything. He is now all bummed out about Salma losing the baby. Cristina comes in and asks how Esperanza is doing. Just fine. All Esperanza can see is the engagement ring and Cristina notices.

Back at the hospital, Margarita, Mario and Viviana find out from the doctor that Salma is going to get sprung later that afternoon. Mireya and Adrián come by to see her and bring her a little stuffed dog as a gift. Salma seems to be back to her pre pregnancy nasty self asking if that is supposed to be a substitute for her dead daughter. She sees their presence as a reminder that she lost her daughter, their daughter. She only wants to be left in peace. Left in peace: dammit!

Back in the restroom, Esperanza asks Estrella to wait for her outside. Esperanza states that Cristina and Ricardo are getting married. Cristina corroborates that fact and adds they were just at the church yesterday and the wedding will take place in two weeks. Esperanza congratulates her. Cristina says that the news of the marriage did not seem to go over very well with her. Esperanza asks why would it not go over well since she is going to marry Ernesto. Cristina (who never learned to shut up and just has to dig it in) adds that she was wondering because of Esperanza's expression when she saw the ring. Esperanza says even if she did not like the news, what is she going to do? According to Cristina, this very fact that it is important to her that she and Ricardo are going to get married changes everything because then Ricardo is right: Esperanza still does love him. (how horrible for Esperanza knowing she was being talked about by those two like a side of beef). Cristina goes on that Esperanza distanced her self from Ricardo and sacrificed herself so he did not have to live her illness with her. She reminds Esperanza how much she loves Ricardo and that she is going to fight for her family and for their love. All of this goes on while Esperanza looks weak and about to collapse in her wheelchair.

Next thing, Cristina is at home with Ricardo. She is busy on her laptop looking at venues for the wedding reception. Abril, Selena, Rodrigo and Pámela come in to each present their wedding invitations they drew. They want the two of them them to choose the final design (how??? ) Cristina and Ricardo review them and make the best choice of all: they are going to use all four drawings on the invitations.

Later that night, Esperanza is in bed and Pato comes on by to complain about the "La Sombra" fiasco. Esperanza looks like hell and is visibly weak with plenty of racoon makeup on, but Pato has to go on and on with her harangue. She cannot believe that her mother is defending Ernesto. Esperanza agrees that what he did has no justification. He put Pato's life and everybody's life into danger. Pato wants to know why she is still with him. Esperanza tells her it is because Ernesto has changed. That does not sit well with Pato and she goes on and on and on as Esperanza looks like she is at death's door. Esperanza calls Pato on shouting in the middle of her rage. Esperanza who sounds like she can barely get up the strength to talk says that what he did was terrible but his end was noble: he wanted his children to love him. So, the end justifies the means? asks Pato. Finally Esperanza has to tell Pato if she keeps shouting it is better if she goes to her room and comes back when she is more calmed down. Pato does not get the message and keeps plowing ahead. Is it because Ernesto is taking care of her? Esperanza says that is not fair. Pato comes back with lying/hiding things is never justified. Esperanza is the one who taught them that. Esperana croaks out that if that is the case, she should be angry with Pato for hiding things from her: namely her night with Luca.
Esperanza has caught her. Pato cannot get out of her own trap so she blames Esperanza for getting the conversation off track because they ae talking about Ernesto. Esperanza says yes but she is done talking with Pato about anything. They do not shout at each other. She prefers that Pato go to her room and leave her alone. Pato leaves Esperanza who just sinks into her pillows.

Labels: sda