~~~~~~~~~~
Raisa woke up with the light of day. She looked at the woman that lay half on top of her and leaned down and smelled her hair and as she did her arms tightened around the woman in her arms.
She had always woken alone whenever she was at Virago. Now that would change. She finally had all she wanted. She knew that as she knew that she had Carolyn now here in her arms. Nothing would take what belonged to her from her. Nothing and no one. She would be ready.
~~~~~~~~~~
Carolyn woke up alone. She missed something. She was sure that Raisa had held her during the night. It had all become such a blur. She sat up in bed and looked to see she lay naked under the sheets. Now she was sure Raisa had been there. She could still feel her arms around her body and the air was still filled with her perfume.
She noticed a pair of slacks and a blouse lying on the bed along with other essentials. She could hear Simon's laughter coming from outside the window. She wrapped the sheet around herself and walked to look outside.
She could see Simon laughing. He sat in front of Raisa on a black powerful looking horse. Raisa was also laughing. No aloofness in her manner; just plain joy could be seen in her features. Carolyn just watched from the window and listened.
"That was great, can we do it again please?" Simon begged with excitement.
"All right. Are you ready?" She asked, as excited as he was.
"Yes, please, I'm ready."
Carolyn stared as the black horse took off in a gallop. She became terrified. Suddenly, both horse and riders turned and headed back towards the house in a full gallop towards a fence. Carolyn's breathing seized. The black horse flew over the fence with ease, but Carolyn felt her the room close in on her.
She then ran out of the room sheet and all.
Raisa and Simon were still laughing when she came face to face with them. Raisa smiled broadly as she took in Carolyn's attire.
"Are you crazy!" Carolyn shouted. She was furious.
Raisa became serious and Simon stopped smiling.
"How dare you endanger my son that way!"
"Mommy..." Simon tried to say.
"Get down from there Simon! Get down from there this instant!"
Raisa helped the boy down the horse without so much as a word.
"But, Mommy, it wasn't her fault. I asked her to jump," Simon said trying to diffuse the situation.
"Simon, you are a little boy. You don't know any better," she said to him and then went back to Raisa who looked moodily at her in silence.
"How could you be so irresponsible!" Carolyn demanded. Raisa stared and said nothing. She then turned her horse and galloped away.
Carolyn just stared as she rode away. She stomped her foot down in frustration and started walking back to the house with Simon in tow.
"Mommy, don't be mad at her, it was my fault," the boy said pouting.
An elderly looking lady waiting at the door interrupted the procession.
"Buenos dias," the woman said with a smile on her face.
"Oh, buenos dias." Carolyn then realized that she had run out with only a sheet around herself.
"I'm sorry, I don't speak Spanish very well."
"I will try to speak English," Nona said to her.
"Thank you," Carolyn said with a smile.
"You go and get dressed and I will bring you up your breakfast," Nona said with a smile trying to hide the amusement of the sheet.
Carolyn looked down and smiled too. "Thank you."
~~~~~~~~~~
Simon was sitting on her bed as she spoke with him from the bathroom.
"You have to use better judgment Simon. You could have been killed!"
"Oh Mom...Raisa is a great rider. She won awards and everything for it." The boy tried to assure.
"How do you know all that?"
"She told me. You should see all the things she can do on a horse," he said excitedly.
"Well, that might be true, but she should never have taken you for a jump like that!"
"Oh Mom..."
They were interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Come in," Carolyn said from the bathroom.
Carolyn stuck her head out and saw Nona with a tray. She immediately walked out and took it from her.
"Here, let me help you with that," Carolyn said as she set the tray down.
"I am Nona, I am Raisa's Nana."
Carolyn knew that this person had been important to Raisa and possibly could be still. "Please, won't you sit?"
Nona sat down with a smile.
"Mommy, can I go outside and play?"
"Yes, but Simon, no more adventures okay?"
"Okay, okay," said the little boy with a disappointed look on his face.
Carolyn sat and smelled the fresh coffee. "Mmmm... that smells wonderful, thank you. Won't you join me?"
"Yes, thank you." Carolyn poured two cups.
"You are important to Raisa," the old woman stated bluntly and she noticed how the pot shook for a brief moment in Carolyn's hand as she poured the coffee.
"Am I?" She asked with a smile avoiding making eye contact.
"Yes, you are."
Carolyn continued to pour as she smiled.
"You reprimanded her and she said nothing. No one does that to my little girl and gets away with it," Nona said with a giggle as she took a sip of the coffee.
"I'm sorry, I was really frightened for Simon," Carolyn tried to explain.
"Oh, don't worry about it, my dear," Nona said as she patted Carolyn in the hand. "My Raisa is used to getting her own way and sometimes she gets carried away. But, she is a good rider. Your boy was safe. However, she should have asked you. Not frightened you like that."
"I have never met anyone like her." Carolyn surprised herself by how honestly she spoke to this woman.
"Yes, my Raisa is unique." Nona added.
Carolyn smiled at the doting woman. If you only knew, she thought to herself. This is the way it would always be if I were with Raisa. Never knowing what to expect.
"You are like my Raisa, always thinking too hard."
"Yes, sometimes. But Raisa, she just seems to be able to fight the whole world and keep on going."
"It may seem that way. But, she has a heart bigger than anyone I have ever known."
Carolyn looked at her for a moment and smiled with a nod. She wasn't sure if they were talking about the same woman. The Raisa she knew was no softy. The Raisa she knew was temperamental and moody. She was egotistical and aggressive and passionate to a fault. Yes, she knew all about Raisa's passion. She suddenly felt embarrassed and blushed as she looked up to meet the old woman's eyes.
"I know that she cares for you and your son very much," Nona said trying to read the reactions on Carolyn's face.
"How can you tell?" Carolyn asked softly looking down at her cup.
"Because, she brought you here," Nona, said as she placed her hand over Carolyn's.
Carolyn looked up, smiled shyly and looked down again.
"She has invited people to Virago many times but they have never stayed in her private part of the Hacienda. That is how I know."
Carolyn got up quickly and set the cup down on the tray. She felt nervous and she felt fear seeping in.
"Raisa is hard to know. But, she is so much more than people see."
"Yes, she is. She is a world all to herself."
"Well Nona, have you told her all my secrets?" Raisa said half seriously, half teasing from the door.
Carolyn turned around and their eyes locked. Nona looked from one to the other. They are like... Nona thought. She was about to think they were like lovers facing each other. But, of course that was not possible.
"Ah, Cara Mia... come in and make up with your friend. I have things to do," Nona waved her into the room.
"I think she is mad at me Nona," Raisa said to the old woman with a smile but her eyes said something differently.