1990 (#27) - Tiny's rejection, Kate's birth and the feeling between Brock and Esther

Having returned to work in the Chancellor's estate, after the strong experience she had with Katherine to whom she obviously now feels much more attached, Esther lives some very happy moments. The approaching moment of childbirth, in fact, makes Esther dreamy and excited, as well as impatient to embrace her daughter. Despite all the good intentions of the woman, however, Brock seems very concerned about the lack of a male figure in her life, especially because the child will be forced to grow up without a father. Convinced by Katherine's support in his initiative, Brocke then decides to track down the child's father, Tiny, to inform him of Esther's pregnancy and of his right and duty to take care of his child, or at least to take part in his life. However, Tiny, a gruff man without many prospects to offer his son, refuses to recognize the unborn child as his own, which makes Esther, who has never really forgotten him, sad and literally infuriates Brock, who is unable to understand the man's choice. And not even a desperate attempt to convince the plumber by making him see Esther, with the excuse of a broken faucet, succeeds in making the man desist from his intentions. Resigned to living without a man by her side and to raising her unborn child with a male figure, Esther concentrates exclusively on the pregnancy, until the day her water breaks. Immediately taken to the hospital, the woman gives birth to a baby girl, under the bright eyes of Brock and Katherine. When Katherine herself asks Esther what name she wants to give her daughter, the woman genuinely admits that she hasn't thought about it yet; at first, Esther thinks of the name Tina to leave her daughter something of her father, but in the end, not seeming enthusiastic about the idea, she decides to pay homage to the most important woman in her life, Katherine, by naming her daughter Kate. The gesture inifinitely moves both Katherine and Brock, who is proud to know an extraordinary woman like her mother and Esther. It is with this one that Brock spends much of his time over the next few weeks, both to help the woman in raising her daughter and because of an obvious chemistry with her. The prospect of a possible relationship between them, also hoped for by Katherine, is however interrupted by the sudden departure of Brock, called back to India to continue his mission.

1989 (#5) - Esther's discharge, the job at Nina's and the night with Tiny

At the Chancellor house, things between Rex and Katherine couldn't be going well. The couple is serenely married and the two are more in love and close-knit than ever before; both with a tough and determined character, but also capable of having fun and luxury, are a couple that works in symbiosis. The only one who is not enthusiastic about the situation is the housekeeper, poor Esther, whose arrival of Rex has simply doubled the work. Busy with cleaning, housework and cooking, Esther doesn't have a moment to herself and is constantly forced to run to meet the demanding demands of Katherine and Rex, always hard and authoritarian with the woman. Moreover, Esther is also irritated by the fact that now Katherine, no longer being alone, no longer performs that important function of friend and confidant that on rare occasions had eased Esther's life. To notice the woman's condition is a regretful Nina, who tries to relieve her by encouraging her to date some man. When Nina then notices that Esther doesn't even have time for herself, let alone to let a man into her life, she proposes to go and work with her. Tired of being treated like a servant, and excited to live with Phillip Jr., whom she has been fond of since birth, Esther promises Nina that she will think about it. And so, at the umpteenth rude request of Katherine, an angry Esther decides to quit out of the blue, taking off the silly and ridiculous uniform that the woman forces her to wear under the astonished and dismayed eyes of Rex. At Nina's house, the woman is so happy to be able to hug Esther and welcome her in her new home: for Esther it is a real daydream! Moreover, the woman, at Nina's instigation, starts dating a few men. And so, after a brief flirt with the clumsy Miguel Rodriguez, the faithful chef of Victor's ranch, it is Tiny Goss, a rather gruff plumber, who wins Esther's heart. The two of them see each other only once, the time for Tiny to take Esther to bed; but it's enough to make the woman fall madly in love, and although Nina tries to make her understand that a man like Tiny is hardly the right one for her, she hopes to make herself heard by calling her back. However, just as Nina fears, the man will never show his face again.