"I left something in the dryer."
She escaped before he could respond. It was true. She did leave something in the dryer and it should be removed before the wrinkles set in it. What she needed most was a chance to cry. The tears started in earnest as she reached the laundry room. She pulled Destiny's dress out and hung it while tears coursed down her cheeks. Grabbing a rag, she exited the laundry into the courtyard. There she sank to a bench and released her emotions. Covering her face with shaking hands, she sobbed her heart out. She was thus occupied when Alex joined her. He sat down beside her and put a comforting arm around her shoulders.
"Carmen," he said softly, his voice unsteady. "I'm sorry. It's just that ... I have something pressing ..."
What could be more important than their marriage? She swallowed a sob, wiping her face with the rag.
"What?" she finally managed to say.
"I was trying to tell you that when I was in Texas, Morino told Father and me that he has cancer."
Carmen dropped the rag and stared at him.
"Cancer? How bad?"
He started to speak and then cleared his throat.
"Terminal," he finally said.
Carmen continued to stare at him. So this was what he had been struggling with. Morino was his lifetime friend.
He cleared his throat again. "He didn't want us to tell anyone. He wanted to spend the last ... all the quality time he could with Alfonso. He didn't want him to know about it."
"How awful," Carmen finally managed. "How long does he have?"
Again he started to speak and then stopped. He finally shook his head, his voice breaking as he answered."
"He died this morning."
He covered his mouth with a shaking hand, blinking back tears. Nothing she had gone through in the last month had been more painful than watching him struggle to regain composure now. Alex was hurting, and even though she wasn't the cause, there was nothing she could do to help.
Of course he had been acting strange lately. His friend was dying and instead of getting the support he needed from his family, he had been sworn to silence. It was understandable on Morino's part, but it must have been miserable for everyone else concerned.
Carmen put an arm around him. "I'm so sorry."
For a moment he clung to her. Finally he continued in a constricted voice.
"At first I thought Alfonso would have an opportunity to prepare for this - I mean, it wouldn't be like waking him up to tell him his parents had died in a plane crash."