Chapter 90: Some Wonders Never Cease
The Parking Lot, The Ramos Residence, Flex Court Ave, Baltiney, New York...
A long deep breath had been just what the doctor ordered as Ken Ryker found himself sitting in the driver's seat of his sports car with an equally nervous and pregnant Valencia Ramos sitting beside him in the passenger seat. She had been dressed quite formally and his gray suit had been enough with the distinct lack of wrinkles and heavy polish on his black dress shoes. He had not wanted to endure this little venture in the first place given the history her family had with him according to what Malcolm had told him about The Ramos family but with Valencia now confirmed to be pregnant even to his own family, he had little to no choice in the matter. He gripped the steering wheel as Dean Hudson once more came to mind as he had left him asleep following their morning romp and made his way to see the mother of his unborn child, who had gathered quite a bit of dangerous information regarding their association.
Ken had known better than to underestimate Valencia and as a result, fully committed to the idea that he'd be wed to her. She had given him her expressed permission to continue his association with Dean only due to his special circumstances but she wasn't to ever be denied no matter how he felt about it. Taking that all into consideration, Ken wanted more than anything to loosen his tie. He had not recalled much about his previous association with The Ramos family aside from Valencia being at the hospital and the widespread concern and disapproval. Now here he was in the parking lot just outside their home trying to fathom how he'd managed to get himself into such a reoccurring mess.
"It'll be okay, Ken," said Valencia placing a hand on his thigh as they sat in the car gathering their thoughts. "Let me do the talking and try not to get upset."
Ken nodded content to follow her lead as it were.
Valencia had phoned her mother before leaving her apartment to inform her of the engagement so that she'd be able to brace herself and possibly help smooth things over for the rest of the family which consisted of Valencia's father Hector Ramos, her younger brothers, and her little sister as well as a few aunts and uncles.
It had still been a daunting task for Ken given his disdain for family gatherings. He managed to keep his cool this time around after popping a dose from his meds and adhering to Valencia's judgment when it came to how best to approach the subject of their upcoming marriage and the new baby.
Slowly, Valencia and Ken exited the car after turning off the engine and he put the keys into his pocket. He didn't say a word as the pills began to take effect. Valencia moved toward him holding his hand as they rounded the front of the car and cleared it before approaching the front door.
It was Sylvia Ramos, Valencia's ever-caring mother, who had opened the front door to greet them although her expression had more to do with shock than disgust at the two of them being together unlike her husband Hector who'd been pouting in the kitchen.
"It's good to see you doing so well," said Sylvia greeting her daughter and kissing her on the cheek as she noted the glow that she carried about her. "It's also nice to see you too, Ryker."
Ken nodded in her direction although he knew it had been further from the truth as far as anyone else had been concerned. He leaned down and kissed Mrs. Ramos on the cheek in greeting as he would his mother despite his age. Valencia stepped inside and greeted her father in the kitchen as Ken entered the house behind her immediately drawing her father's ire upon notice.
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The Living Room, The Ramos Residence, Flex Court Ave, Baltiney, New York...
Valencia's little brothers Jorge and Carlos had not been so little anymore when she looked upon them unsure of how to tell them her news and what their reactions would be like despite knowing her father and the quiet judgment of her mother due to her choices leading up to this moment. Her baby sister Sophia had not been privy to the past association with Ryker and their father's disapproval of it. Valencia greeted her family with a warm and hopeful smile as she announced that she'd been in deed engaged to be married to Ryker Kennison and that they were expecting to have a baby.
Ken said nothing as Hector broke a glass he'd been holding at the mention of a baby. He glared at the older man with a look of outright disgust before being unable to voice his disapproval of his eldest daughter and Ryker not keeping his promise to let Valencia live her life that he'd made well before the accident.
"¡Qué clase de hombre es este que ella trajo a esta casa, un hombre que no cumple sus promesas y va a mis espaldas para estar con mi hija, eso es quién!" growled Hector. ("What kind of man is this that she's brought into this house, a man that doesn't keep his promises and goes behind my back to be with my daughter that's who!")
"Papa!" began Valencia attempting to salvage what little of the evening remained before tempers got the better of her intent.
"No quiero oírlo niña, no tengo tiempo, ¡te escapaste y te acostaste con este viejo bastardo rico sin siquiera considerar todos los problemas que te meterías al desperdiciar tu vida como lo has hecho!" growled Hector enraged at his daughter's gall. ("I don't want to hear it girl, I haven't the time, you ran off and slept with this rich old bastard without even considering all of the trouble you'd get yourself into throwing your life away as you have!")
Ken had known an insult when he heard one and simply sighed as he took note of how upset it made Valencia knowing that it had not been good for her or the baby in the long run.
"No hay nada que puedas decir para arreglar este desastre, has hecho tu cama y ahora tienes que acostarte en ella, pero no esperes que te dé mi bendición cuando se trata de esta tontería" continued Hector insensed. ("There is nothing you can say to fix this mess, you've made your bed and now you have to lie in it, but don't expect me to give my blessing when it comes to this foolishness.")
"Héctor, por favor cálmate, después de todo está embarazada y esto no puede ser bueno para el bebé". Sylvia interjected attempting to allow cooler heads to prevail. ("Hector, please calm down, she's pregnant after all and this can't be good for the baby.")
Hector Ramos seemed even more annoyed that his wife had interjected on his daughter's behalf and reminded him of the worst possible outcome of Valencia's chasing after the likes of Ryker Kennison.
"No me recuerden, por supuesto, que ella solo está aquí por el bebé, un bebé que está teniendo con un viejo bastardo rico que, para empezar, probablemente no tiene ni una pizca de sangre latina, ¿qué clase de bebé son?" siquiera vas a tener?" growled Hector turning his attention to Ryker. ("Don't remind me, of course, she's only here due to the baby, a baby she's having with a rich old bastard that probably doesn't have an ounce of Latino blood in him to begin with, what kind of baby are they even gonna have?")
Ken's dark brown eyes met Hector's as he stepped in front of Valencia to meet the brunt of her father's raging insults.
"No me preocuparía tanto por los linajes y las diferencias culturales si fuera tú. Tu hija está embarazada de mi hijo, te guste o no, y yo no voy a ninguna parte". said Ken catching everyone including Valencia off guard as he spoke Spanish to her father's face. ("I wouldn't worry so much about bloodlines and cultural differences if I were you, your daughter is carrying my child whether you like it or not and I am not going anywhere.")
Valencia had been so stunned that she had stopped being upset in that instant.
"You can speak Spanish?" she asked as if for everyone else in the room.
"When I need to," replied Ken as if it had not been any big ordeal. "The perks of doing business abroad and the bonus of being mixed with Castilian as far as bloodlines go."
Hector had fallen silent as one of his biggest fears seemed to have been ebbed away.
"I suppose your promise to let her live her life meant nothing back then," he said finally in English as he addressed Ken.
"According to what I've been told I did just that," replied Ken in defense of whatever he'd made beforehand. "Kind of moot now with the baby being on the way, unless you'd like me to leave her and the child without aid and legal tenure?"
Hector sighed heavily.
It was rather pointless given that Valencia had been pregnant and Ken had been willing to accept responsibility for her and the baby, not to mention the money that could benefit them on Ken's end.
"What did your folks say about this...?" asked Hector with an arched brow. "I'll bet they didn't take too kindly to it either."
"They endorsed it as a matter of fact," replied Ken evenly. "Even had a recent engagement dinner at my parent's house, we just figured we'd do the same with you lot."
Hector seemed to consider this and finally gave in.
Valencia smiled as she rushed over to hug her father and he embraced her in return. She'd understood his concerns but she had loved Ryker Kennison and not even he would be able to stop it no matter how much they protested, he'd left her once before and she nearly lost him for good she wasn't about to take a chance of that happening again not for any reason.
Sylvia hugged her daughter as had her teenage brothers and younger kid sister. The family settled down and gathered for a meal in the kitchen, even Ken had been given a place at the table despite Hector greeting him as he entered the kitchen.
"Don't expect me to call you son," he said addressing the relative awkwardness given that Ken had been older than him.
"As long as you're not expecting me to call you "Dad" I'd say we're even," remarked Ken before entering the kitchen with the rest of The Ramos family.
Valencia had sat beside Ken and they all seemed to enjoy the meal and she spoke about the engagement party, leaving out details of course about Jeff and Dean in the process. Everyone seemed invested in her tales of doctors appointments and morning sickness and the evening seemed to pass by rather quickly before she and Ken had filed into his sports car and he'd dropped her back off at home.
He did a bit of driving himself before making his way back to his estate to check on Dean, Valencia had known all too well that he'd been intending to see the blond lad once more. Everything had turned out so well that she opted to keep his rather unseemly secret and went to bed blissfully once he'd been gone.