“You’re such a good girl,” she told Betsy, continuing to spoon another glob of cold jelly into her mouth before opening her mouth again to offer her treat. The dog was a Rottweiler weighing nearly ninety pounds, but she was still a lap dog to Nancy.
Later that night, Miss Nancy took Betsy to her bathroom, where she washed her mouth with her personal toothbrush and toothpaste before brushing her dog’s teeth with the same brush. Brushing Betsy’s teeth would make her salivate more than usual, causing slobber to splatter and drip down Nancy’s face in bed for the rest of the night.
Meanwhile, after burying the bird and cleaning himself up again, Antonio got into bed next to Camille. He reached for her and told her about Miss Nancy’s request, asking her to send her an invite out of politeness. Camille never liked talking to most of her neighbors either. The invitation had only been extended to one or two people down the street, mostly close friends and family.
“I am sorry, honey, but I will not send her an invite. We don’t need her in our business; she’s nosey enough,” Camille said.
“Okay, whatever you wish. Is everything ready for the party?” he asked.
“Yes, we should expect everyone here by six p.m.”
“Okay, honey. Get some rest. I love you.”
“Love you too. Good night.”
They both turned away from each other as they got comfortable, and Camille quickly fell asleep. Antonio had a hard time drifting off; all he could think was the incident from earlier that day. After hours of tossing and turning, he finally closed his eyes for the night.
The next day, Camille finished the preparations for the party while Antonio kept busy tending the flowerbeds. It was very important for them and their neighbors to keep the yards looking as clean and neat as possible; they couldn’t risk being shunned. Once someone began to slack on their yard duties, Miss Nancy would gather notes from herself and others.
Threatening letters or calls about city ordinances would start to pour in until the city showed up at someone’s doorstep to end the dispute or issue a citation. Those neighbors never lasted long. Luckily, Antonio and those they went to school with always managed to keep their yards perfect.
He had flowers for every season and never wanted to miss an opportunity for a good bloom. He would start the year with hyacinths, tulips, and daffodils. By mid-spring, irises would begin to bloom, followed by daylilies. For summer, he had Rose of Sharon shrubs, and for fall, mums. Antonio especially took pride in his rose bushes; he loved red roses. Alongside his seasonal flowers, he always made sure to plant evergreens for continuous greenery. Hisgreatest annoyance, besides Miss Nancy, were the squirrels.
Those little guys continue to multiply every year, from two to four roaming around to six to eight. Their numbers kept going up year after year. At first, he didn’t mind, but as time continued, he kept having to weed the flower beds frequently due to the squirrels burying their nuts and seeds in them. It was just a matter of time before he had to think of something to ease the constant stress, but not just yet. After being done with the garden, Antonio headed back inside to help Camille with the rest of the decorations.
“Have you noticed how many more squirrels we have now in the trees?” he asked as he walked in.
“Uhmm, not really. Squirrels are good, they aren’t bothering anyone but you,” she laughed.
With a kiss on the cheek, he asked her what else she needed him to do. Camille asked him to inflate some pink balloons and to take some ham and turkey sandwiches from the refrigerator, placing them next to the Funfetti cake. Antonio, loving baked goods, nearly drooled when he saw the cake.
Soon after, the house filled with loved ones, laughs and music became too loud to hear each other clearly. Everyone ate sandwiches before cutting the cake; Antonio was thefirst to get a slice. Camille, visiting with friends and receiving gifts for the baby, noticed everyone eagerly trying to feel the baby kick. As their hands kept reaching out to her, she quickly grew anxious. She longed for some personal space amid the overwhelming attention.
“Have you guys picked a name yet?” a friend asked.
“Yes, actually, her name is going to be Belinda,” Camille replied.
“Oh, a Spanish name like her daddy. It’s Beeeautiful.”
Camille felt a slight annoyance by the word “Beautiful.” She found the word, especially in that context, to mean “different,” particularly in a place like Warren, Connecticut, with a small Hispanic population. She smiled politely and excused herself, stepping out the front door for a moment of quiet.
When she opened the door, a medium-sized box sat on the steps. A neatly placed box with a gigantic red bow tied on top, no person in sight. A note sat on top of the white box, but it had flown away the moment Camille picked up the box. After bringing the present inside, Camille placed it with the rest of the gifts she was about to open in front of her guests.
After gathering everyone around for the showcase of presents, she sat on a large stool while Antonio stood next to her, handling the presents and removing themaway as she finished showing each one. When they reached the unlabeled box, she opened it and retrieved a gorgeous porcelain doll. It was carefully laid on a cushioned white satin pillow and covered in black tissue paper. Her carmine velvet dress was perfectly arranged. The doll’s long, raven-black hair had straight bangs on top and wavy, flowing ends. Her dark brown eyes, with long eyelashes, were glued onto the top lids. Her rosy cheeks were shiny, and subtle cat-eye eyeliner accentuated the corners of her eyes.
“Oh wow, who is this from?” Antonio asked.
“Not sure, it was left outside, but the tag blew away. Maybe Miss Nancy?” She replied.
Both Antonio and Camille felt overwhelmed with guilt. They put the doll away and continued to unwrap the rest of the presents. Between diapers, wipes, clothes, and blankets, they were grateful for their friends and family.
Once the party was over, they cleaned up and stocked the unfinished baby room with the new presents. Most of the items went into the closet, but they left some of the toys along with the porcelain doll on top of a dresser on display. They promised to finish the room soon, then they closed the door and walked away.
Chapter Two - New Beginning
Things were going great, the baby room was finished, and the crib was put together. Camille’s due date was approaching rapidly, and anxiety began to take hold in their home. While counting the days until Belinda’s arrival, Camille put together a hospital bag, and Antonio had already set up the baby carrier in their family car.
Camille had grown so large in her last trimester, that she could no longer see below her pelvis while standing. With her center of gravity drastically shifted, she became wobblier and was always losing her balance. Mild depression set in after she entered nesting mode, and she no longer kept up with some of the housework. Antonio helped where he could around the home, but his wife remained alone for most of the day.
