Chapter Text
“Should we write vows?” Maria asked Tony as they ate their dinner.
Their wedding was planned for two weeks out. He bought her a ring it was nothing particularly glamorous a silver band and a small blue diamond. Apparently it cost one hundred dollars much to Maria’s surprise. She had told him it was far too expensive but he just smiled at her.
“Vows? If you want to,” Tony shrugged, picking at his Chinese food.
“I don’t know… I just want it to be perfect.” Maria ate a piece of broccoli soaked in soy sauce.
“It will be because we’ll be together,” Tony said, gently touching and squeezing her hand.
He was turning into such a sentimental person it almost made her laugh
She was only a couple of weeks into her pregnancy, but she felt as if she was about to burst out of all of her clothes. She was showing just barely; honestly, it looked like she had a big lunch. She asked Tony every other day if she “looked pregnant.” To which he would say “no,” to which she would stomp her foot and say he was lying.
The phone on the wall rang. Tony got up and answered it.
“Hello?” He asked.
Maria bit into an eggroll and smiled at the taste.
Tony tapped her shoulder, and she turned, mouth still full.
“It’s Judy,” He whispered and handed her the phone.
She took the phone,
“Herro?” She said, her mouth still full of eggroll.
Tony grabbed his fork and leaned over Maria’s plate; he took a bite of her lo main. She slapped her arm and scowled at him.
“Do you still want me to work on your wedding dress?” Judy asked over the phone.
Maria almost couldn’t hear her because of the vacuum in the background.
“If you have the time, Judy, that would be great! I bought a simple dress with Cynthia and Linda but I think it could look a little nicer.”
Cynthia and Linda were trying to get her to go to a bridal shop to buy her wedding dress, but she didn’t want something incredibly fancy. She wasn’t trying to look like Brigitte Bardot or anything. It was a white dress that cut off just below her knees. There was nothing particularly special about it, so she asked Judy if she could “work her magic.”
“I already started working on some sketches. I’ll come by tomorrow with my sewing kit and show you my sketches.” Judy said a little louder over the vacuum.
“Oh, Judy, that would be great! Thank you!” Maria squealed.
“Yeah, no problem. Listen, I gotta go. You know how it is here.” Judy said.
Maria did know how it was there; that was why she didn’t want to go back ever again.
“Okay, see you tomorrow!”
“Yeah, see ya.”
Maria hung up the phone. She looked at Tony, who was opening a fortune cookie; she sat on his lap.
He was breaking open a fortune cookie.
“Booker is letting me borrow one of his suits. I’m gonna get it after work tomorrow.” He said, kissing her cheek.
“Okay, good. The guys are going to be available for the wedding, right?” Maria asked him.
He nodded.
Maria ate a piece of the cookie, “what’s your fortune?”
Tony looked at it and rolled his eyes, “you can make your own happiness.”
“That’s not even a fortune! Just like advice, rip off.” Tony threw the tiny piece of paper across the kitchen table.
“I think it’s sweet,” Maria touched her stomach.
“You have to make your own happiness sometimes. A lot of people, I guess, are blessed with being in a happy situation, but some aren’t, " she said, looking back at him.
He looked at her and lightly stroked her cheek. She had the biggest brown eyes he had ever seen. It reminded him of a deer. He wondered if maybe that’s what she was in her past life. He was probably an alley cat.
"She's gonna be born in a happy house," Tony whispered, kissing Maria on her shoulder.
She looked at him, "she?"
"Yeah, I think it's gonna be a girl," Tony said.
"Hm, a girl would be nice." Maria sighed, resting her head against his shoulder.
She tired quickly now. It felt like all she had done recently was eat, sleep, and read. Daniel, a friend she had made through Cynthia, often brought her books; he was a librarian. In the past two weeks, she had read 1984 by George Orwell, A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, and Chess Story by Stefan Zweig.
He even brought her some children's books.
"The baby isn't going to be here for a few months," Maria had told him when she was looking at the copy of The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry with utter confusion.
"I read that reading to your baby helps with their IQ, so I thought I would bring them over to see if you were interested," Daniel said with a smile.
So, she read aloud to her baby (and also Tony) every night before bed. It was nice. She wasn't sure if it was actually making her baby smarter, but it did make her feel closer to her baby. Maria swore she could feel the baby grow with every passing day.
"I want another one already," Maria said, looking at Tony.
"Another fortune cookie?"
"No, another baby."
Tony's eyes almost bulged out of his head.
"Well, um, maybe we should have this one before we think of another one... we're already gonna have to look for a bigger apartment before the baby is born." Tony's cheeks tinted pink, and his ears grew red.
It was not often he was on the blushing side, so Maria always slightly reveled in his embarrassment. She peppered his pink cheeks with kisses, making him go even red, much to her enjoyment.
Later, they went to bed after reading a chapter of Stuart Little by E.B. White. Maria didn't particularly like this book, but Tony seemed to enjoy it quite a bit.
"If it's a boy, should we name him Stuart," Tony said.
The lights were off, but neither of them was asleep.
Maria made a face and looked at him, "I'm not naming my son after a rat."
"He's a mouse, Maria."
"I don't care."
He laughed, and she smiled slightly.
"I think it's going to be a girl, though, as long as the baby is healthy," he said, yawning.
She nodded. His hand moved to touch her stomach. A short time later, he fell asleep. Maria stared up at the ceiling.
She wondered what she would be doing if she stayed in New York. Suppose Tony had just left by himself. She would be so lonely she wouldn't even be alive—just moving through life. If Tony weren't there, she would what? Be with someone else? The thought made her sick. The idea of anyone touching her, being with her, or sleeping beside her who wasn't Tony felt wrong. It felt like seeing the moon out during the day—unnatural and eerie.
She made the right choice, and she knew that. Sleep finally came to her, and she was relieved when it did.
The following two weeks went by faster than she had expected.
Multiple people came by the apartment, and various of the couple's friends dropped off food, flowers, and drinks. It was sweet how every single time someone dropped something off, they asked how she and the baby were. She swore she felt a kick while Booker, Javier, and Judy were over helping prepare food the night before the wedding. It took her by surprise, and she dropped the TV remote.
"You okay? Did you stub your toe again?" Tony asked, touching her arm.
"I felt a kick!" She said, smiling wide and jumping up and down.
"Really?" Tony got on his knees and touched her stomach.
There was a moment when he felt nothing at all, but just as he was about to get up, he felt it.
"Hey! There she is!"
"Oh, I wanna feel!" Judy said, rushing over.
Tony stood up, and Judy pressed her hands against Maria's stomach, which made her laugh.
"'She is.' Do you guys know it's a girl already?" Booker asked, taking a sip of his beer.
"Just a guess," Maria laughed, giving Tony a knowing glance.
"Oh no, it's a girl, I can tell," Judy said, standing up.
"How can you tell? The doctor said we wouldn't know for another month at least." Tony asked, confused.
"I have an eye for this kinda thing. Trust me, I can tell," Judy said with a smile.
"I'll bet you a nickel it's a boy," Javier said, pointing at Judy.
"You don't have any nickels to bet with," Booker rolled his eyes.
"Tony, loan me a nickel," Javier said, hitting him in the shoulder.
"Hell no!" Tony pushed past him.
"I'm good for it!"
"You're not. I've known you for almost a year now." Tony opened another beer and handed it to Javier.
Judy lit a cigarette. "You guys pick names yet?"
Maria shook her head, "We went down to city hall today, though, and got our marriage certificate!"
She rushed to the desk in the corner of the room and pulled out the certificate. Booker and Linda were their witnesses; it was all very diplomatic.
She showed Judy and Javier the paper.
STATE OF CALIFORNIA SANTA CLARA COUNTY
Maria Vasquez-Nunez & Anton Leonard Wyzek
The state of California now recognizes that WYZEK and VASQUEZ-NUNEZ are married and are granted the rights and protections all married couples receive in all 48 states of THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
SIGNED: Maria Vasquez Nunez Wyzek SIGNED: Anton Leonard Wyzek
"Ah, so you're a Polack now; congratulations." Judy smiled.
"They made me sign a lotta forms when they saw I was born in Poland," Tony sat on the couch, and Maria sat next to him.
She rested her head on his shoulder.
"Hm, a dirty immigrant you are, Tone," Javier ruffled his hair.
"Yeah, I'm ruining the country I am," Tony shrugged.
The news was playing. Javier and Booker commented on Douglas Edwards. Judy was humming to herself and finishing the last of the food for tomorrow's wedding.
The news discussed how the Vanguard TV3, the first U.S. attempt to launch a satellite, failed, with the rocket blowing up on the launch pad.
Maria looked at him and stroked his cheek. Tony looked down at her. His eyes were like sapphires. She could stare into them forever.
"Mi corazón es tuyo," Maria whispered to him in Spanish.
He brought her closer and kissed her forehead.
"Kocham cię z całego serca," He whispered back in Polish.
My heart is yours. I love you from the bottom of my heart.
Their wedding was small. Their friends, the priest, and an organ player were the only attendees. It was in a small but beautiful Catholic church with large paintings on the walls. It reminded Maria of the church she grew up going to back home.
Her wedding dress was the most beautiful thing Tony had ever seen. White with a lace and tule skirt that cut off just above her ankles. Her bouquet was made up of lilies and violets, her favorite flowers. He couldn't see her face for much of the ceremony, and when the time came to remove the veil, he almost fainted. It was like the first time he had ever seen her across that crowded and smelly gym. Everything washed away; it was just her; nothing else mattered in the whole world.
That felt like a lifetime ago.
Nothing even existed before this very moment for him,
Tony was sweating like he was about to pass out, but when it was time to repeat after the priest, he said it perfectly. He wasn't sure how he wasn't stuttering like a madman.
Maria spoke softly and with the grace expected of her. Truthfully, though, her feet ached, and she was tired. She felt more pregnant than she had ever before, even if it had not shown on her face. She clutched Tony's arm, and he softly ran his thumb up her knuckles.
In a way, it was him saying; I am here. I will never let you fall or be alone.
When they finally kissed, the church lit up with cheers and clapping, almost making her out of breath. She was his, and he was hers—forever.
Not even death could part them. They were intertwined in every possible way.
It was impossible to say where Maria Vasquez-Nunez ended, and Tony Wyzek began.
The party at their apartment was loud. When Abe, their landlord, stopped by, the couple thought they were getting in trouble, but he handed them a bottle of champagne and gave Tony a firm handshake and Maria a kiss on the cheek.
Frank Sinatra's In the Wee Small Hours record played while their guests drank and ate and smoked and drank more.
Booker had given Tony a tight hug at the party. Tony hugged him back, and they stayed like that for a couple of moments before Booker whispered something to Tony. It made both young men cry. They gave each other soft smiles.
Tony and Maria stood on the balcony of their apartment.
"I never told you... how happy I was that you decided to come with me that night." Tony said, lighting a cigarette.
"You didn't have to tell me I was happy to come with you," Maria said, her hands on her growing stomach.
"I felt Bernardo there at the church," Tony said, looking off.
Maria blinked.
"I felt him. I know that's stupid and sick to bring up, but... I love him in a way, I think. Because he is your brother, and so he's my brother too, and God, I have two dead brothers." He put his face in his hands, and a sob rattled through him.
Maria wasn't sure what to say. She hadn't thought of Bernardo in months, not because she didn't want to, but because she really had no time to think about what had happened that night.
"I don't think he would have ever liked me, but I wish I had the chance to work for his respect... I'm sorry I... I love you, and I love him, and I love Anita, and I love Chino and your mother, your father, and every person you love. I love you." He took a drag of his cigarette to try and calm himself down.
They stayed silent for a few moments before Maria spoke.
"My love for you is stronger than anything else in me... if we had never meant, I don't think I would be... be who I am. You give me... something I never had before."
Tony looked at her, his eyes red. From the cigarette smoke? The cold air? The crying?
"What?"
"Freedom. You see me. No one has ever seen me before."
They embraced each other. When they pulled away, Maria laughed.
"What's so funny?"
"We're married," she said.
He laughed and nodded, and he kissed her face multiple times. When he pulled away she brought his face down and gave him sweet kisses that left red stains all over his face. He didn't mind.
They went inside together, hand in hand. One hand, one heart. They always and forever will be,
Together.
EPILOGUE
Valentina got down from the latter and wiped the sweat off her brow. The summer was taking its heat on her. She grew up on an island but had never enjoyed the heat. It was punishing you for just being alive. The new construction had finally finished, and she was getting more customers than she had ever had before. She had to hire three people to help her run the shop.
None of them were as good as Tony.
She sighed and drank her coffee. It was early in the morning, and the shop would not open for another thirty minutes. It was quiet, which she liked, but sometimes, she swore she could hear Tony humming to himself down the stairs.
Old age is playing cruel tricks on her.
Mail got stuffed through the letterbox. She sighed and walked over and picked it up from the floor.
Bill.
Bill.
Bill
She paused.
A letter.
No one ever sent her letters. Especially not random people from California; the name was no one she recognized.
LINDA MORENO
She thought for a moment. Could it be a mistake?
No, it had her name spelled perfectly, and the address was for her.
She opened the envelope. She began to read.
Dear, Valentina
I am writing to you because I miss you. I always think of you, and I have stopped myself from writing to you multiple times because I did not want you to worry or to get you in trouble. You have always protected me, and it is now my job to protect you. I'm not good with words you know that if I was there I would be able to tell you so easily but writing it I feel like I have forgotten everything to say.
I love you.
I miss you.
Maria sends her love as well. We got married in a CATHOLIC CHURCH. The priest spoke Spanish and everything. You would have been proud. I wish Doc was there and I wish you were there more than anything.
In this envelope is the money that you gave me a year and four months ago to go to California. I have also added forty-five dollars I wish I could give you more.
I would give you everything if I could.
Maria got a job at a new Spanish station. She's not on the news, but she's basically the boss!
(This is Maria: I am not the boss he is being generous. I do write the cue cards and also make sure that reports are accurate)
I work at a construction company. we started building a whole neighborhood for rich people you should see the size of these buildings Valentina they're the size of a city block I swear.
(This is Maria again: he is being dramatic they arent that big they're also kind of ugly.)
I thought I had more to say and I think i do i just don't know how to say it.
Sorry if this is messy.
Thanks again for... for everything.
Yours, Tony and Maria
P.S. I told you I would name all my girls after you...
On the back of the letter, attached with a paper clip, was a picture of Tony and Maria sitting in the front of their car with a baby in a pink and yellow sundress. The text read:
BORN JUNE 12, 1958
VALENTINA CARMEN VASQUEZ NUNEZ WYZEK