Complicado (Queen of the South, My Season 6)

Part 2 - You Think It Would Get Easier?... And The Scary Part...It Does!

Just as Teresa found her voice to say "Hello, Marcel", a flight attendant who had made her way behind her, gently touched her on the shoulder and asked her to take her seat, then added that the seat belt sign was on while looking straight at Dumas.

His eyes shifted from Teresa to James for a brief second, then he shook his head, and turned back to his seat at the front. Teresa, visibly pale and shaken, slumped heavily in her seat. The flight attendant thanked her and moved forward, when she found her hands shaking so badly that she fumbled to fasten her seat belt unsuccessfully and James had to take over and do it for her.

"Who was that man and what was this all about?" Tony's curious voice came from above and behind their seats.

"Nobody", James said hastily, not being eager to engage in a conversation with his son right at this moment, but forgetting that after Tony's attack and his own jail time, his son had gotten the experiences and the mindset befitting a much older person than his 16 years of age.

"He's not a nobody!", Teresa managed to say in a shaky voice. She turned her head sideways as much as possible and said to her son: "He's someone...a friend from the past...who I betrayed...and who doesn't know I'm alive." Her voice shook slightly but she was able to take control over it as Tony noted: "Whoever he is, he seemed shocked to see you...you both...he kept staring at both of you! Are we in danger?"

The last words made James look up and interrupt firmly: "No, we are not. Nothing will happen. Just ...ahh...a reunion that we didn't need quite now!" his voice betrayed both fear and apprehension.

"I always knew the past would catch up with me...someday", Teresa said looking at him with worried eyes.

"I don't want you getting distressed and upset...neither for Dumas, nor for anyone!" he told her taking her hand in his. Then he added: "I assume he'll wait for us at the exit. You left him a fortune...that should have paid off ...for what you did...Pote said he took it all and was happy...he better still be!" And James turned towards the window and stared at the clouds outside, without even registering what he was seeing.

===

After all the first class passengers had trickled out of the designated exit, Teresa and James walked out, pulling their hand luggage, the two children following them closely. No one asked questions or made comments. The mood was heavy, and they all felt it deeply.

Teresa could hear her heart beat in her chest and tried to breathe deep as she kept putting one foot in front of the other along the disembarkation sleeve. Right before the exit came into view, she made a few faster steps to catch up with James and go before him saying: "As much as I would love that you walk out first...I know he'll be waiting at the exit...and it's me who has to...ahh...", she didn't finish as the words just weren't coming out.

"I know", James said walking alongside her, then letting her take the lead: "I also know you did the best you could...he better had forgiven you!", she heard him say behind her.

As expected, Marcel Dumas was waiting for them at the exit but he wasn't alone, which not only surprised Teresa, but also gave her a jolt of positive excitement. Chicho was standing right next to Marcel, also clean shaven and looking way more relaxed than his companion.

Before Teresa could come up with anything to say, Chicho, whose eyes had watered visibly, took a few steps and hugged her tight while repeating: "I knew it, Jefa...I pinche knew it!" Then he pulled back, looked at her and said: "I'm so happy to see you...both!" and his eyes moved over to James: " And you, cabron! For sure! No puede ser!"

Chicho moved to hug James and pat him on the back, which hug and pat were eagerly reciprocated. The tension in the air seemed to have dissolved as James introduced Tony and Suzie to Chicho who shook hands with bith and kept making remarks who each child resembled more. James was telling Tony how Chicho had had been his brother in arms for a short period of two months back in the day when Teresa's business had been at its hiatus. Chicho couldn't have been more surprised with the ease with which James talked to his son about his past, even the presence of the much younger daughter didn't bother him.