Jean ignored the presence of four other people in the room as she embraced Miguel in a tight hug.
He hugged her back and pursed his lips returning her quick kiss.
"Come to the rectory tomorrow. I'll be working."
Miguel assured her he would.
The two men shook hands and their wives hugged. Miguel said goodbye to Jean's parents. Her dad was still upset over the situation, but he was rapidly warming up to having him as a son in-law.
He thought, "He's a good kid and he's stepping up and doing the right thing."
He regretted the black eye he had given Miguel, but he had been angry. It was just a few days before Miguel and he were in the backyard when Miguel said he had something he needed to discuss with Mr. Flores.
He remembered listening and all he could think was about the worthless man who had impregnated his sister and how he had left town. He immediately apologized after hitting Miguel who said, "I deserve it."
He liked Miguel's parents. They seemed salt of the earth types. Poor, but hardworking. He was familiar with the neighborhood they lived in as it was one that made the late night news, rarely for anything good.
He was upset with Jean, but mostly he was upset with himself. He mused, "All that education and didn't use a condom. Oh well, what's done is done. Besides, I'm the one that caused it."
Mr. Flores felt Miguel and Jean were too close so he decided to nip it in the bud and insist she date other men. He remembered the shouting match they had, but in the end he triumphed. She even found someone he knew to date, a policeman. He thought it would be good for her to be around a more mature male, someone she had known as a little girl. He knew his parents well. He had worried himself sick thinking she would get pregnant and drop out of school. She did get pregnant, but she said she and Miguel would figure out a way for her to get her degree.
He yawned and told his wife and daughter goodnight and headed to the bedroom.
The women told him goodnight.
Mrs. Flores told her daughter to have a seat at the dining room table.
"We have a lot to do and not much time to get it done. Your father and I have been talking. You will be married in the church. I've set a date with Father. You may invite some close friends. We will have the reception here."
Jean agreed to everything her mom said because she saw it as a small price to pay for the greater victories she achieved. She was pregnant and going to marry Miguel.
Jean did express remorse for the trouble she was causing.
Her mom told her not too worry as God takes care of everything.
"As for your dad, he's more mad at himself than he is at you."
Jean asked, "Why is he mad at himself? I'm the one who did wrong."
Her mom corrected her, "You didn't do anything wrong, Jean. You are just starting your family earlier than we planned. Miguel's a nice young man, perfect I think for you."
"Mom, I love him so much."
"I know. Equally important is how much he loves you. He's proven the past week he would take a bullet for you or at least a punch." She laughed at what she thought was funny.
Jean nodded her head in agreement, but since her mom hadn't answered her question she asked it again, "Why is he mad at himself?"
"Because it was his idea for you to date other men. You were strong enough to tell Miguel no, but no match for Leo. He was too old, too worldly. You wanted to please him. I told your father he was feeding you to the wolves, but he told me he was the man of the house and knew what he was doing."
Jean decided it best to not admit she was the one who wanted to experience other men, that her father's edict came at a great time in her relationship with Miguel because it seemed like he was the one pushing for her to date others.
Jean played innocent and told her mom, "You're right. I couldn't tell him no, but I don't love him, not like I love Miguel."
They returned to planning Jean's wedding.
Ten minutes into their planning her mom asked, "How come you didn't make him wear a condom?"
She didn't know if her mom was referring to Miguel, Leo, or Tommy so she covered her bets, "He said he didn't like them, that it was my responsibility to use birth control. He promised to pull out."
"But I bet you insisted Miguel wear them, didn't you?"
Jean quietly answered, "Yes."
Her mom had deduced Miguel wasn't the father and Jean had just proven she was right.
She didn't sound mad, but wistful when she squeezed her daughter's hand, "When it's feeling so good a woman forgets her convictions. She's lost in the moment."
Her words touched Jean so deeply she thought she might cry, "Thanks Mom. You really get it."
"Virile older men are hard to say no to."
Jean observed, "You were worried about me falling in love with Leo weren't you?"
Mrs. Flores answered, "I was. I also knew it would be a train wreck. You and he might make beautiful music together between the sheets, but you would be miserable as a married couple. He's not the marrying kind. He likes to play the field."
"So was it your idea or Father's to set me up with Tommy?"
Her mom said, "Mine, but it was Father who suggested the cage. He was trying to protect Miguel."
"And the job at the rectory?"
"Father's. He thought between school and work he could keep you away from Leo. I think it worked. Your obsession with Leo ended. Tommy went back to his ship. You ended up with Miguel."
Jean said, "I knew it was you. Someone like Tommy doesn't hang around rectories. It was too much of a coincidence."
Mrs. Flores smiled, "Tommy made you forget about Leo so I was right. And we prevented Miguel from sinning."
Jean eyes opened wide over her mom's last comment, but she thought it best to not tell her the truth and burst the image of Miguel as some sort of saint.