"I just don't understand," Maria replied as she stirred her coffee. "I mean, why did he blow up at me like that? I never said he couldn't see Hope."

Alex reached across the table and pulled the sugar bowl toward him. "What exactly did you say to him?" he asked.

Maria lowered her head and stared into her coffee cup. "Well, he got really mad when I told him Hope was his. And we started fighting. He was mad that I had you two lie for me. He said I deprived him of his time with Hope." Maria paused and looked at Liz and Alex. "One thing led to another...we were throwing shots at each other...and I told him that Hope didn't know him and didn't love him. I told him I had raised her and she was my daughter. I guess he took that as me saying he couldn't be with her."

Liz shook her head. "I don't know, Maria. I think you should give him a couple of days. I mean, you know he's always wanted a family. I guess when he found out that he had a family on earth already, rather than the one he spent most of his life looking for light years away, he didn't know how to react. Michael has always had a...unique...temper."

Alex chuckled at Liz's remark. "Nice choice of words."

Liz glared at Alex urging him to acknowledge the serious of Maria's feelings.

Alex looked into his coffee cup and immediately felt regret for making a joke at such a critical moment.

Feeling satisfied that Alex understood her glare, Liz continued. "Don't worry. He loves you and love always finds a way," Liz said struggling to convince herself, too.

"Yeah," Alex agreed trying to raise Maria's spirits. "Michael has always been the world's worst about jumping to conclusions. Once he has time to think about what he said - and what you said...he'll be okay."

"I hope you're right," Maria sighed. "I've never seen him so angry."

Alex looked at his watch. He hated to leave, especially when Maria really needed her friends. Still, he knew that if he stood up Isabel at such a crucial time in their relationship, then he would lose her forever. He was very excited to get her call late the night before and was even more elated when she told him she'd like to meet to discuss the latest turn of events. He figured things couldn't be too bad when she asked him to meet her at the little cafe where they'd found each other years ago.

Alex touched Maria's hand and said, "I know this is bad timing, but if I don't get going, I'll never make it in time to meet Isabel."

"It's okay," Maria said. "I understand. You certainly don't want to do anything to further upset her right now," Maria said raising her eyebrows.

"I'll walk you out," Liz said as she pushed her chair away from the table.

"Thanks for...everything, Alex," Maria said sincerely. She was grateful to have friends like Liz and Alex who would put their lives on hold for hers. "Isabel won't stay upset long. She knows what she'd be missing," she said matter-of-factly.

Alex smiled and walked toward the front door with Liz.

"Seņor Alex is leaving?" Lupe said as she entered the kitchen.

"Yeah," Maria answered. "He's got a lot to take care of," Maria said confident that Isabel would come around.

The phone rang and Lupe announced, "I'll get it." She moved to the wall and picked up the receiver that hung above the microwave. "Hello?" she spoke.

Maria watched Lupe waiting to learn who was calling.

"Hello?" Lupe repeated a little louder.

Maria stared at Lupe's questioning face. "Lupe?" Maria asked.

"Quien llama?" Lupe spoke ignoring Maria. When still no one answered, Lupe hung up the phone. She looked at Maria and said, "I think you may have a fan who's found out your home number." Lupe took the coffee cups from the table that Liz and Alex had been using.

"Hhmmm," Maria pondered. "I wonder if it's the same person who called yesterday."

"Si! I'm telling you M'ija, sometimes obsessed fans are capable of doing the most outrageous things. I heard on the news the other day that some man with acrophobia was willing to go parachuting for the chance to meet his favorite actress just once." Lupe shrugged. "At least they aren't doing anything harmful. Oh!!! And I also forgot to give you these," Lupe searched the coffee table where she had left the letters. She retrieved a stack of envelopes and dropped them on the table in front of Maria. "All these arrived this morning. No return address. Your caller may also be the person sending these letters."

Maria opened one of the envelopes and pulled out a homemade card. She opened the card made of red construction paper and read aloud the message inside. "Roses are red, violets are blue. Marianna, my dear, I think I love you."

"Strange," Maria replied. She shrugged and smiled. "I love fans."

"Maria?" Liz spoke as she returned to the kitchen. "The weirdest thing just happened."

Maria looked at Liz's ghostly white face. "Liz? Are you okay?" Maria watched as Liz shook her head and laughed.

"It can't be. It's just...weird," Liz spoke as she joined Maria at the table.

"What is, Liz?" Maria asked concerned.

"I guess I'm just paranoid or something," she began trying to dismiss the idea. "I saw this guy parked in a car outside. And he looked...he looked like Jackson."

"What would he be doing here?" Maria asked.

"I don't know," Liz answered. "But then, I started to say something to Alex, and when I looked back...he was gone."

Maria looked at Liz questionably.

"I mean," Liz said. "The car was still there...but the guy wasn't."

"Nah, you probably just thought you saw him," Maria said waving a hand in the air to banish the subject. "Check these out!" she exclaimed pushing a few letters towards Liz.

"What are these?" Liz asked.

"Fan mail," Maria smiled.

.........................................................

Maria rolled over in bed and tried to focus on the red numbers glaring from her bedside table. "I cannot believe this," she grumbled. Maria had been unable to sleep all night as lyrics and melodies coursed through her head. Finally, she surrendered to the unexplainable forces that were shouting for her to write. She crawled out of bed, took her robe from the closet, and made her way through the dark hallway.

She stopped outside of Alex's closed door and listened for his breathing. She could hear none. She tapped lightly on the door so as not to wake Liz in the neighboring room or Hope at the other end of the hall. When Alex, generally a light sleeper, did not answer, she pushed his door open. She smiled at the fully made bed. "I guess he and Isabel worked out some things," she thought.

When Maria reached the bottom of the stairs, she switched on a lamp, took a pen and pad from a drawer in the desk she'd gotten last Christmas, and plopped onto the couch. She placed the capped pen in her mouth and tried to make sense of the lyrics that had been haunting her all night long.

My heart feels like crying
And my soul concedes
I've felt the solace more than once
Dwindling what little strength I have left

I wait for the echo of pain
As my dream bubble bursts
And vulnerable I become
It'll soon be over and our souls shall be one

I'm drowning in an abyss
I can't see the sun
But I know it's there
It'll soon be over and our souls shall be one

Suddenly, the phone rang and startled Maria. She lunged for the phone in the kitchen hoping to reach it before it rang again and woke everyone in the house.

"This better be good," she whispered into the receiver. No one answered and Maria assumed it was the same caller as before. "Look," she spoke. "I don't want to be rude, but either talk or quit calling." Maria waited a second hoping the person would speak. "Okay," Maria said impatiently. "I'm going to hang up now. Please quit calling, and especially not this late." She said sternly and hung the phone back on the hook.

As she walked back to the couch in the living room, movement outside the window caught her eye. Maria slowly made her way to the window to investigate. She pulled the sheers aside and peered through the blinds. "AAAHHH!" she shouted and jumped backward. She stumbled over the recliner and landed on the floor. Her wide, frightened eyes lowered and she laughed quietly at herself. "Dumb old cat," she whispered looking at the black cat that sat on her window ledge.

Maria pushed herself off the floor and returned to her pad and pen at the couch.

So my heart is now broken
Without sympathy destroyed
From the very first laughter
To the very last tear drop

I'm drowning in an abyss
I can't see the sun
But I know it's there
It'll soon be over and our souls shall be one

So save me now
Before it's late
Don't let me drown
And lose our fate

A loud crash outside alarmed Maria and stopped writing and looked around. She froze in her seat as fear took control. She shook her head and called, "Hope? Lupe? Is that you?" Maria figured the two had seen the light from the living room and were playing a joke on her.

When no one answered, Maria decided to go check on the others in the house. After opening each bedroom door and fining everyone asleep, Maria returned to the living room. She lounged in the chair writing.

I'm drowning in an abyss
I can't see the sun
But I know it's there
It'll soon be over and our souls shall be one...

A shadow moved across her wall and Maria sprung around to see what caused it. She stared at the large picture window across the room. The room, which was barely lit, suddenly seemed cold. She took deep breaths and tried to reason with herself. "What is wrong with you?" she asked herself. "It's probably just the wind blowing the trees."

The room went dark. Maria gasped. "Great time for the power to go out," she said sarcastically. She forced herself to stand and walk toward the stairs. Just as she reached the bottom step, Maria took off in a frightened sprint and ran to the top of the stairs. When she stood at the top, she slowed and looked back down into the dark living room. Silence hung in the night air. "What, are you afraid of the dark now?" she asked herself.

Maria felt her way throught the hallway toward Hope's bedroom. She knew that if Hope awoke without her nightlight, she would be frightened. She pushed through her door and stumbled over a Barbie doll. "Hope," Maria scolded as she caught her balance. "I told you to put your toys away at night."