Caray, Caray!

FYI: We will be at the midpoint of the novela tomorrow night. Back to the story!

Toño and Verónica go into the other room to argue. Toño thought he was going to be sleeping on the couch not that he had to be out of the house. She says that they had decided to talk about this calmly. He doesn't know how to do that. The only thing missing is for her to ask him for a divorce. She is not asking for a divorce but she just can't continue living with him in the same house as if nothing is wrong. She offers to take the kids with her. He informs her that he is going to look for a place nearby and that he is going back to work. Verónica isn't happy. Toño explains he is going to have to pay his rent and expenses. He then tells her he may be getting a job again at Logatoys. She sarcastically says that is just wonderful. When they come back out to the kids, they are all asleep on the sofa. Verónica tells Toño that they can continue talking again tomorrow but when all is said and done, she wants him out in a week. They move the kids to their beds.

It is the middle of the night. Anifer is awake and decides to have a conversation with her Barbie. She brings Barbie up to date on Renée and Mauricio being novios, manufacturing and designing toys, etc. Eventhough her mother is in heaven, she has a family with her dad, Renée and Barbie.


At 4:30 a.m., Lili is awake checking the time. She is fully dressed. She gets up, grabs her backpack and leaves Valentina sleeping peacefully. Pablo is waiting outside. He asks if she is really sure about going with him. She kisses him, he grabs her hand and they are gone.

Later at breakfast, Jorge, Baldo, Valentina and Samuel are all at the table. Jorge finally breaks the silence asking where Lili is. Nobody seems to be sure. Jorge calls out to her. There is no response. Baldo goes to check on her but can’t find her.

At Logatoys, Mauricio is looking at the envelope with the DNA results. Fabián comes in. Mauricio asked him to come early so they could talk alone, just the two of them, without anybody around. Fabián wants to know what is wrong. Mauricio has a list of requests. Number one: he wants Fabián to leave Logatoys ASAP. He does not want to see him around the company again. All Fabián can ask is if he is being fired.

Jorge calls Lili. There is no answer. Samuel looks outside and she is nowhere to be found. Valentina says that a couple of days ago Lili told her that if circumstances were different they might have been good sisters. It sort of sounded like she was saying goodbye. Baldo tells Jorge that a lot of Lili’s stuff is gone along with her backpack. Valentina asks where could have she gone and with who. Jorge answers “the Guatemalan”. He and Baldo leave to search for her.

Pablo and Lili are on the bus. She has never been on such a long bus trip before. Pablo’s plans become clear. Lili will cross the border by herself with her passport and visa at Tijuana and he will cross the border with the smuggler in the desert and meet up with her on the other side. She suddenly isn't so sure about crossing by herself. Maybe she should cross with Pablo without her passport. Pablo does not think that is such a good idea. It would also cost more money. He says they will make up their minds when they see the situation. Lili is upset.

Back at Logatoys, Mauricio tells Fabián to go back home to be with his “stuff.” Fabián thinks this is one of Mauricio’s “super jokes” and he has to tell him that it is really a good one. Mauricio says no. This is no joke. His time at Logatoys is over. Fabián does not understand why he is being fired. Mauricio says it is like the seasons of life. Things begin and things end. Mauricio starts to say he is grateful for . . . when Fabián interrupts him. So what if Mauricio is grateful. Fabián did everything he could to push the company forward and Mauricio knows that. Mauricio agrees. Fabián says that he sacrificed his whole life so he could help Logatoys survive. Mauricio remarks that a lot of good that did them and with his hands creates a plane that is crashing. Fabián wants to know if he is being blamed for that. He tells Mauricio that all Mauricio did was go from trip to trip and party to party while he was the one at Logatoys working constantly. This does not seem fair to the finger-wagging Fabián. Mauricio says again that he was grateful but he really doubts that Fabián always wanted the best for the company or for him, for that matter. Fabián says if Logatoys is a mess it is due to the decisions that Mauricio’s father started to make. Mauricio adds that so many decisions were made by Fabián when he was not there or that he did not know about. From the time they were little kids, Mauricio always considered Fabián a part of his family; like a brother. Fabián let him down and that is why he is now out and that is why Mauricio does not want to see him again. An angry Fabián silently heads to the door and then turns around.

Jorge and Baldo are at Flor and Nerón’s house. Baldo is like an attack dog with Nerón trying to get info on Pablo. All that Nerón knows is that Pablo left really early and very quietly that morning. Jorge takes over and says they just want their help. Lili is gone and Pablo took her with him. Flor and Nerón are shocked. Nerón tells Jorge about Pablo wanting to cross the border at Tijuana and isn’t that where his daughter Lili is from. Now Nerón starts asking Jorge what did he expect when Jorge was going to turn him in to the police, etc. Jorge says now he is going to file charges against Pablo for kidnapping a minor. Nerón tells him if anything Lili amd Pablo are the same age. He is also sure that Pablo did not force her to go with him. Nerón wants to know why he is so sure Lili went with Pablo anyway. Jorge shouts because they are in love and says it again for emphasis. Jorge is going to go to Tijuana and he is telling them that when Pablo is found he will have him deported. Baldo starts arguing with Jorge about wanting to go, too. Flor has had enough and tells them both to respect her in her home. The only ones who can shout there are her and sometimes Nerón. Nerón tells him to think with his head and not to let his emotions get the better of him. Jorge thanks him for nothing and leaves in a huff with Baldo. Nerón comments about what a mess Pablo and Lili got themselves into. Flor remarks that it happened because they have the hots for each other if Nerón can remember what that is like. . .

Back at the office, Fabián is now walking back to Mauricio and blaming all of this on the fling with Kika. Mauricio could never forgive him. He apologizes again and asks what else he can do. Mauricio repeats that Kika is part of the past. Fabián knows him by now. Problems with the ladies would never force him to make such a decision like this. Fabián wants to know when he started having a problem trusting him. Mauricio is having a very hard time talking to him having discovered what Fabián did. He imagined the worst and he was right. Fabián begs him to just tell him once and for all what is going on. He tells Mauricio that he cannot fire him without telling him the exact reason. Mauricio asks him if he found out anything about Juan Pérez or if he was another nothing, too. Wasn’t Fabián going to pull certain strings to be able to talk to him? Or was he just blowing smoke? Fabián says he looked for him but he did not find him just like he told Mauricio. Why has the topic changed? Why is Mauricio just going around and around? What does he really want to say to him?

At Mauricio’s house, Anifer asks Renée if she is still going to go looking for her dad. Renée does not know. Renée's father may not be that easy to find. Anifer asks how she would feel if he had other children. Renée thinks it would be great to have brothers and sisters. Renée asks why Anifer is asking. Well, Anifer is thinking that if Renée and her dad are living together maybe she will have some little brothers and sisters. Renée says they are barely novios. Anifer asks if Renée wants to be a mother. She thinks it would be marvy to have children but not having any is okay, too. Before women felt very incomplete not having children but that is not how it is now. Anifer says her mother said that at first she didn't want children, but then she changed her mind and had her. Having to get to school ends the conversation.

Toño is getting his kids off to school and Anifer joins them. Toño asks Renée for a favor. Can he rent the room at R y R’s house that she is staying in unless it would be too big of a deal for her to return to Mauricio’s house? She does not understand what he is getting at. Why does he want to rent a room? Toño tells her it would probably be better is she asked her “dear friend” what is going on. He finally realizes he has to leave to get the kids to school. Rafael arrives on the scene. He is so happy for Renée and Mauricio.

Fabián is still pleading trying to explain that he is Mauricio's life-long friend. Without emotion, Mauricio repeats that he has already told him it is all over. Their friendship is gone. He does not want to ever see him again. Fabián sits down and insists that Mauricio tell him why this is happening. Juan Pérez? Falcón? What does he have to do with those two? Where is all of this coming from? Mauricio finally agrees to tell him the real reason. Mauricio says they will have to go back in time and asks if Fabián remembers his wedding day. Fabián flippantly asks what did he do that day. Mauricio tells him. Fabián left running looking for the man who had dropped off Anifer but he never found him. Fabián cannot see what that has to do with anything. Why did he wait now to complain? Mauricio pinpoints that event as when it all started. Mauricio tells him the problem is not that he didn’t find anybody, he never even looked. Next, how is it that Anifer arrived at the wedding just as it was taking place. How did María know about that?. He is sure she wasn’t reading the society pages. Fabián complains that he is being blamed for things beyond his control. He cannot control that Mauricio had a daughter who appeared out of nowhere. Fabián still does not get it. Mauricio asks if he is sure it is not his fault? The wedding was supposed to save the company and “somebody” wanted to stop it by putting Anifer in the mix. Somebody with bad intentions did it. Fabián tells Mauricio that he is not well because he understands nothing that Mauricio is talking about. Why is he blaming him for everything that went bad for him in his life? He had nothing to do with any of it. Mauricio says okay amd throws the DNA results to Fabián saying he must surely have an explanation for this. Mauricio tells him that he was never Anifer’s father and that Fabián always knew that.

At the tire shop, Nerón is telling his new assistant that he is very worried about Pablo. Nerón gets a bad cramp in his back and thinks that this is just a sample of the agony that awaits him. His assistant tells him it is just a muscle cramp while Nerón sees it as a sign that he has to get things in order for Flor and his daughter for when he is no longer with them. He sends his assistant to get Robert's business card.

Still in the office, Mauricio confesses to Fabián that he has never liked confrontations that might end up in a disagreement especially with Fabián. It just hurts a lot. It was really hard to understand his motives, that he had lied to him and he still does not understand. Fabián denies it all. Mauricio tells him the whole thing is pathetic. At first he thought of it as a joke but it is not funny. Fabián goes to leave but Mauricio reminds him he was the one who wanted to talk so he still wants to talk. Fabián in exasperation start spilling the beans. Yes, introducing him to Anifer was part of the plan. He did it to get Mauricio grounded and look what has happened. Mauricio is a better person, a better empresario. He has benefitted from the situation. Mauricio cannot believe that he is supposed to be grateful for everything that he did for him. Mauricio cannot believe that Fabián can look him in the face and tell him that. Fabián turns to leave declaring he has nothing else to say. Mauricio starts to list the secrets that Fabián still has. Who is Anifer’s biological father? He wants to hear it out of Fabián’s own mouth. Fabián is not putting up with such stupidity and turns to leave again. Mauricio closes the door that he opens and grabbing him by the shoulders pushes him back in the office as Fabián warns him not to touch him. Mauricio next shows Fabián both of the “M” necklaces and explains he gave one to Kika and another one popped up on a woman he had never seen in his life. Then there is the one Anifer arrived with and Mauricio has no idea what María even looks like. He goes on to inform Fabián that he has concluded that somebody must have had the necklace reproduced somewhere else; somebody who must have stolen one of the necklaces.

Rafael and Renée talk about her being so excited and happy to go live with Mauricio again. He supposes she will be telling Mauricio about donating an egg to them. She says she will eventually. As they go through her boxes, they find some of her mothers photos. One is a photo of her mother with other employees from Logatoys. Renée wonders why her mother never told her the truth. Why did she keep so many secrets? What would it have cost her to tell her who her father was?

Fabián tries to leave again as Mauricio grabs him again. As he wrestles himself free, he warns Mauricio not to touch him again. He didn’t do anything to him. He threatens to sue him. Mauricio promises not to leave him in peace until he finds out who Anifer’s biological father is. Fabián in disbelief asks him if he really has no idea. Mauricio must be an idiot or is he afraid to face reality again. Mauricio asks the question again saying there is an idea that keeps going around and around in his head. Fabián wants to know then why he is asking him if he already knows the answer. He calls Mauricio an imbecile to boot. With a smirk on his face Fabián informs Mauricio that María was his girl and he is Anifer’s father. Mauricio is left shaking his head.

Jorge and Baldo are at the airport. Jorge talks to Gladys about his emergency trip to Tijuana. He has Baldo continuing to try calling Lili. Jorge prays to God to watch over Lili for him.

Mauricio is still not done and tells Fabián that the worst thing is that he is Anifer’s father. Fabián laughs and jokingly apologizes for not pleasing his “brother”. Mauricio wants to know why he went through with such a twisted plan. How could he use his own daughter like this? What does he have in his head? Weren’t they “brothers”? Why did he do all of this? Fabián has all of the answers. He did it to get back what was his. He always worked for Logatoys harder than anyone. He deserves Logatoys not Mauricio. When all was said and done, Mauricio was going to be responsible for running Logatoys into the ground so he had to rise up as the savior of Logatoys when it finally ended up bankrupt. Mauricio cannot believe that he put on this circus for money, for shares. He does not believe him. Smiling, Fabián makes sure that Mauricio understands that he did not do it for the money, he is in it for the power that money gives you. Does Mauricio know what makes the world go round?: power and money together.

Pablo and Lili are still traveling north on the bus. They are a far way from Mexico City and have a far way to go to Nogales. Pablo reminds Lili that when they arrive in Nogales, she is going to be continuing to Tijuana by herself.

Mauricio tries to get his head around how friendly Fabián was all those years calling him “bro” giving him hugs . . . Fabián finds Mauricio just unbearable. Mauricio explains that he just wants to know the truth and will beat it out of him if necessary. Fabián laughs and says Mauricio was always fighting even way back in elementary school. He was always so afraid and basically useless. Fabián does admit that he was surprised that Mauricio was suspicious of him and that he could not put together what he had sniffed out. Mauricio asks how he could have any bad thoughts about somebody in his family. Fabián asks what family? The only thing Mauricio needed him for was to take care of all of the stupid things he did. Mauricio never really made him apart of his world which he kept for himself. Mauricio says he was more of a boss at the company than he ever was. What about the binges and the partying? Fabián says he always made him feel like his helper, his “boy”, the guy who fixed the messes he got himself into. He never considered him his friend and much less his brother. Mauricio disagrees saying Fabián was his partner, his trusted confidant, his right hand. Fabián is sorry but Mauricio didn’t do a good job choosing his right hand. He quotes Mauricio saying it is “too late” and goes to leave. Mauricio cannot believe that he has invented all of this because of envy. Was he so insecure in his masculinity that he felt he couldn’t get women on his own? Like María? Fabián smiles as he remembers María. He met her at one of those over the top birthday parties that Mauricio gave himself way off in the jungle in Chiapas. That is where it all began.

In a flashback, we see a drunk Mauricio trying to get Fabián more into the partying and dancing mood. Fabián wants to go because he has to work tomorrow. Mauricio still tries to get Fabián to drink and interested in the women. Mauricio takes out an “M” necklace being sure it is going to go to some woman since he is going for "a record." Mauricio leaves him with his “joyful” face. Fabián sees the necklace left on the table and calls Mauricio back to give it to him but then changes his mind and keeps it instead. Juan "the waiter" asks if it doesn't belong to his friend. He says no, tips him for the silence and pockets the necklace. He runs into María who is looking for Mauricio and Fabián assumes Mauricio’s identity.

Back in the present, he tells Mauricio that was how he met María and that is why she always thought that he was Mauricio. Mauricio does not remember a thing. Well, Fabián took care of that with the assistance of their great friend Juan Pérez. They put something in is drink. Mauricio concludes that they drugged him. Mauricio wants to know how María fit in. Fabián tells him. She had come to the party very upset because of the crazy mess his party was causing in an historical and cultural conservation zone and was their to inspect the premises. That is how she met the fake Mauricio. Mauricio says a "fake Mauricio" from Region 4 (geographical region north of México City) Fabián adds that if anybody had learned the art of "seduction" from the real Mauricio . . .it was him.

Fabián thinks back to the past and we see him in action with María as she makes her complaints and concerns known. She is a part of an independent watchdog group. He assures her that he will solve any problems resulting from the party of one of his underlings. He asks for her number so he can inform her that everything has been taken care of. She gives him her number and tells him that if she does not hear from him, she will track him down. He would like nothing better but for now he will call her before he returns to Mexico City. He tells her that the next time they meet he hopes she has lost that angry expression. She smiles as he flirts on.

Back in the present, Fabián admits to having seen María a couple of more times. Since he was used to cleaning up Mauricio's party messes, he turned into the “junior apologizer”. The truth of the matter is that he followed all of Mauricio’s methods and became a much improved version of Mauricio. Fabián lets it be known that María was very liberal and it didn’t take much effort to get her to spend a night of passion with "Mauricio López Garza".

We are transported to the past where we see Fabián meeting with María who was afraid that he had stood her up. He tells her he would never miss a “professional” date with her. She is pleased! It is tequila time! He sweet talks her. She likes what she hears. A few kisses later, they are in bed just having had sex. He has the “M” necklace on. She is ready for more good times but knows he won’t be around much longer in San Crispín. Fabián wants to leave her a souvenir of this unforgettable night. He takes off the “M” necklace and gives it to her. He tells her the “M” is for María. They kiss. Later, he says goodbye to her and leaves her his business card with all of his information. She should feel free to call him for anything. He kisses her one last time and is gone.

After passing for “Mauricio” the first time, Fabián discovered it was a lot more fun being Mauricio especially with women. Mauricio does not understand how he pulled it off when he is so well known in the magazines . . . . Fabián bursts Mauricio's bubble by telling him that Mauricio is not as well known as he thinks; maybe the name but not his face. Fabián made a point of going to places where Mauricio didn’t go and he used a little money from the company. But then, there was the bankruptcy and he thought why not take ownership over Mauricio’s name so he could end up with Logatoys. That was why he had to break up Mauricio's wedding because his bride was going to get his life and company back on track. Fabián could not permit that so he took care of ending that. Then, María just happened to call. She was in grave danger and needed his help. He told her she could count on him. She told him about Anifer arriving nine months after their interlude. He asked if “they” had a daughter. She made it clear that “they” did not have a daughter since it was a decision she took on her own. She did not want his money. She did not want him responsible for anything. The reason she was asking for his help was because she was desperate and could not take care of her. He offered to send a driver to her house for Anifer so he could keep her until she could straighten things out. Yes, he would do this for her. She might not believe it but he was so pleased that he had a daughter and especially with her. She thanked him and told him it would be only for a short time. She had no family. He told her that she could count on him. He thanked her for giving him the best moment of his life. She had no idea what pleasure it gave him knowing that he had a daughter. He wanted so much to meet Anifer.

We then see Fabián giving Juan the directions for picking up Anifer and and taking her to the wedding he had mentioned. He tells Juan to make sure that there is nothing in any of Anifer’s belongings that could identify him as her father. Next we see Anifer all packed up and ready to go with Juan. She tells him she does not know her father. He shows her a picture of her father and it is Mauricio’s. As Anifer runs out to the car, Juan goes through her things and finds a white envelope. He opens it, reads the content and pockets it. The next thing we see is Anifer and her backpack being dropped off where Juan tells her that her father is getting married. He tells her not to worry because he is going to just love seeing her. He is going to be so happy that she is coming to stay with him. She asks if her mom is going to be coming back for her in a short time. Juan answers yes! whole heartedly. Juan is sure that her father is waiting for her. She waves as Juan drives off. She runs to find her father.

Back in the present, Mauricio is incredulous that Fabián would do all this just to avoid saving his father’s company from going bankrupt. Mauricio does not know what is wrong with Fabián. He used a child. He is mentally ill. He is talking about his own daughter. Mauricio then asks Fabián if María is really dead or was that a lie, too. Fabián smugly smiles.

Labels: papa