“You were confused, son.”
Daniel denied it.
“No.”
He took a deep breath.
“I was afraid to confront her in front of everyone.”
That confession produced in me a mixture of relief and anger.
Relief because he finally acknowledged what had happened.
Anger because he had allowed his mother to remain in the mud while he tried to avoid an argument with his wife.
“Why did you hug her?” I asked.
Daniel closed his eyes.
“I thought that if I could calm her down, she would apologize.”
Margarita watched him.
“And what did he say to you?”
My son started to cry.
“If I hadn’t been on his side, we wouldn’t have gotten married.”
The silence was absolute.
I looked towards the stage.
Vanessa continued arguing with her father.
The guests were talking amongst themselves.
Some had begun to leave.
The decorations continued to sparkle under the lights.
But that wedding no longer seemed like a celebration.
It seemed like a place where, suddenly, everyone had discovered something they didn’t know how to deal with.
“Daniel, I need you to stop thinking only about how to prevent Vanessa from getting angry,” I told him.
My son lowered his head.
“I know.”
“Your mother needs attention.”
Daniel nodded.
“I’m coming with you.”
Before I answered, I heard Vanessa’s voice.
“¡Daniel!”
It was approaching rapidly.
Her white dress brushed against the damp grass.
“What are you doing?”
Our son stood up.
“I’m going to accompany my mother.”
Vanessa stopped.
“You can’t leave!”
Daniel watched her.
“Mom is hurt.”
My daughter-in-law rolled her eyes.
“You’re exaggerating!”
I felt my blood burning.
But before I could answer, I heard Margarita.
“Vanessa.”
My wife had raised her head.
Her voice was soft, but firm.
“You pushed me.”
My daughter-in-law remained silent.
Margarita continued.
“I didn’t trip.”
Tears began to run down her cheeks.
“You put both hands on me and threw me down.”
Vanessa pursed her lips.
“It was an impulse.”
Daniel stepped back.
“So you recognize him?”
My daughter-in-law seemed to understand what she had just said too late.
“I didn’t want her to fall like that!”
I felt a chill.
It was not an accident.
He had decided to push her.
Perhaps he didn’t calculate how it would fall.
Perhaps he never thought about the consequences.
But he had used force against a woman who needed a walking stick.
And then he had laughed.
“Vanessa, stay away from Margarita,” I said.
My daughter-in-law started to cry.
“Everyone is against me!”
Daniel took a deep breath.
“Right now, this isn’t about you.”
That sentence left Vanessa frozen.
It was the first time I had heard our son speak to her like that.
“My mother needs to be taken care of,” he continued.
“I’m going with her.”
Vanessa looked at her father.
Ricardo approached immediately.
“Daniel, you can’t abandon my daughter during her wedding.”
My son lowered his head.
Then he slowly raised his gaze.
“Ricardo, my mother is injured.”
The man remained silent.
“And I have to go with her.”
Margarita started crying again.
He looked at me.
For the first time that afternoon I saw something different in his eyes.
Hope.
But then the estate manager appeared.
His name was Esteban and he had coordinated part of the celebration from the beginning.
He gave me a discreet signal.
“Mr. Montes, can we talk?”
I nodded.
I stepped back a few paces while Daniel remained with Margarita.
Esteban was carrying a folder.
His expression was serious.
“I’ve been informed that he wants to suspend services.”
I took a deep breath.
“Yes, those that have not yet been loaned and can be cancelled according to the contracts.”
The man nodded.
“We need to review what they are.”
“I understand.”
“Some amounts are already committed.”
“I know.”
He remained silent.
“But we also have additional applications that were processed this afternoon.”
I frowned.
“What requests?”
Esteban opened the folder.
“An expansion of the beverage service, guest transportation, and an extension of the music.”
I felt my heart beating strongly.
“How much?”
The director consulted the sheets.
“Almost one hundred and twenty thousand additional pesos.”
I remained motionless.
“I haven’t authorized any of that.”
Esteban looked up.
“That’s why I wanted to talk to you.”
I took a deep breath.
“Who requested it?”
The director pointed to a section.
“Vanessa Calderón.”
I felt a deep sadness.
Margarita and I had paid for practically the entire wedding.
We had accepted expensive flowers.
Lightning.
Decorations.
And a banquet for almost two hundred people.
But Vanessa still wanted more.
Even after pushing my wife, there was still an increase in expenses that we were unaware of.
“Who is listed as responsible for the payment?”
Esteban remained silent.
Then he showed me the sheet.
My name was there.
Below was a signature.
