Please read Chapter 3 of Revenge, and this will make more sense.
Special thanks to kenjisato for the editing, whom I cannot recommend enough.
**
"Is that him?"
"We've never met, but he's the right age and he's holding the right sign," Maria replied.
Just then, the man saw her, stared momentarily, and waved the sign at her. She nodded, held up her index finger, and turned to Marcie, the flight attendant who had been so kind to her on the flight.
"You'll be okay from here?" Marcie asked.
Maria nodded and grinned.
"Thank you for everything, Marcie," and the two embraced.
"Don't mention it. Now, you've got my number, if you're interested in the spare bedroom, just let me know, and I'll text you my schedule so we can meet up and I'll show you around, okay?"
"Okay," she replied, glancing over her shoulder, ensuring the man was still there.
"Off you go," Marcie smiled.
Maria nodded, took a deep breath, and headed toward an elderly man holding a sign that read ROSARIO.
"Chito?"
"The one and only," he grinned.
"And you have to be Maria. My goodness, the resemblance to Bertie is extraordinary. Is this all of your luggage?" he asked, indicating her one, large suitcase.
She nodded, and they headed for the exit.
Chito was five-nine and very thin, seventy-three years old, with a full head of hair the color of snow that made his tan skin look very dark.
It was the second day of July, the temperature above ninety degrees, the humidity heavy in the air, hitting them like a wall as they exited the terminal.
Maria turned toward the sun, closed her eyes, and tilted her head back.
Chito was grinning when she turned back to him.
"Like home in the dry season, yes?" Chito asked, mopping his forehead with a handkerchief.
Maria nodded.
"I have been here too long, the humidity this time of year does me in," he said, scanning the area, then waving as a gray minivan approached.
"Your chariot awaits, my dear," he smiled, opening the door, an arctic blast enveloping them.
"Get in, get in," said the man behind the wheel.
"Keep your shirt on, Pookie," Chito replied, ensuring Maria was settled before closing the door and climbing in front.
"Charles, meet Maria," Chito said.
"You said her name was Rosario."
"Well, it is, kind of," Chito replied.
"Well, it either is or it isn't. Dear, what should we call you?" Charles asked, their eyes meeting in the rearview mirror.
"Rosario is probably best."
Charles nodded. "Then Rosario you shall be."
He closed his eyes and mumbled something, then met her gaze in the mirror.
"Bienvenida a los Estados Unidos," he said, very slowly and precisely.
"Thank you," she replied in English, smiling at him.
"How was that? I practiced for hours and hours."
"More like twenty minutes," Chito said.
Rosario laughed. "It was excellent," she said, slapping Chito's shoulder lightly.
Charles laughed and stuck his tongue out at Chito, giving Rosario a high-five.
Chito chuckled and turned to look at her. "We thought we would stop at the house, where you can freshen up, then we have dinner reservations in, let's see, three hours," he said, glancing at his watch.
"Will that be okay, or do you need to eat sooner?"
"No, that's fine, I ate on the plane. Thank you," she replied, her eyes trying to take in everything.
"We'll be home in about forty-five minutes, so sit back and relax," he smiled at her.
Rosario nodded and watched a world she barely recognized slide by her window.
**
They pulled into a small, single-family home with a large front yard, and similar-looking homes all around them; Rosario had never seen anything like it.
"Home sweet home, dear," Charles said.
They gave her a quick tour of the house and stepped out back, a heated, inground pool taking up much of the space. A large pool house sat beside it, and Charles and Chito led her inside.
"We thought this would be perfect for you," Chito said.
A bed sat in one corner, a small kitchen and bathroom at the opposite end, with a sofa and TV in between.
"It's lovely. Thank you," she said, her eyes wet.
Charles rubbed her back, smiling kindly.
"You're welcome, dear. We'll let you get settled; be ready in an hour?"
She nodded and they left.
Rosario called home and spoke with her parents while she unpacked, wishing she owned a bathing suit.
**
Dinner at Carmello's in downtown Manassas was wonderful, and then Charles excused himself to do some shopping, leaving Chito and Rosario alone.
"He's very nice," Rosario said.
"He is, isn't he?" Chito grinned.
"It's an interesting story I'll tell you sometime, but we've been together about five years now, and the last couple we've been spending quite a bit of time down in Charlottesville, keeping tabs on a certain woman named Debra, as a favor for Esmy and Bertie," he added.
That got Rosario's attention, and she leaned forward, her eyes boring into his.
"Tell me."