“Carlos tried to get into our parents’ house last night while we were all asleep.”
My stomach twisted. “How is that a good thing?”
“Mama and Papa have an alarm system, which alerted the police. He was caught and arrested for violating the terms of his bail and the restraining order. He’s back in jail.”
I pumped my fist. “Yes! That’s fantastic news. Do you think he’ll stay there?”
She sighed. “I don’t know. My lawyer said there’s a possibility he could get out with higher bail, but he would probably have to wear an ankle bracelet.”
“Ugh. Why can’t they just keep him in jail?”
“I don’t know. My lawyer said it’s complicated.”
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“I am,” she replied. “I’m going down to the house today to regain some semblance of normalcy for the kids. Mama and Papa will stay with me so I’m not alone.”
“That’s good. I’m glad you’ll be closer. I’ll get to see those babies more often,” I replied.
“Speaking of that,” she began. I groaned inwardly because her tone of voice warned me I wasn’t going to like what came next. “Mama and Papa want to meet with you tonight.”
That made me sit up in surprise. “Why?” I asked cautiously.
“They want to clear the air.”
“Clear the air,” I repeated. “I’m not sure what that means to them. In the past, it was code for them expecting an apology from me for speaking out against their ridiculous behavior. That won’t be happening today or any time in the future.”
“I know,” Isabella replied. “They know that too. Carlos’s behavior finally brought home everything you’ve been telling them and me for years.” Her breath hitched. “You warned me right from the start, but I wouldn’t listen because he was charming and handsome. I thought he’d give me and any children we had a good life.”
I felt bad for her because her life was about to get a lot harder. “I understand,” I said. “And I’m willing to talk to Mama and Papa as long as they understand where I’m coming from. I won’t be guilted into apologizing for something that’s not my fault.”
“I’ll make sure they understand,” Isabella assured me.
“Have them come to my place,” I added.
There was a pause before she answered. “I think they were planning to take you out to a restaurant.”
I shook my head even though she couldn’t see me. “No. I have to work until seven, and we were up late last night. I’m not up for going out again tonight. Besides, I want Zach to be there as backup.”
“All right, I’ll tell them,” she said.
“Why are you acting as a go-between?” I asked. “Why didn’t one of them call me?”
“I think they don’t know what to say,” she replied.
I rubbed my face in frustration. “Well, I hope they figure it out before tonight.”
After I ended the call, I went to the dining room to talk to Zach. We’d both expected a quiet night of takeout, beer, and Netflix. Some chill might have also been planned. Now, I had no idea how the evening would go.
I checked the time. Nearly two o’clock. I had to tell Zach about our change of plans for the evening. I made my way to the dining room, stopping along the way to check in with the front desk receptionist to see if there were any problems I needed to solve.
The dining room was full and lively, with the low buzz of conversation and clinking cutlery. The servers were moving smoothly from table to table, making sure our guests had everything they needed. I stopped by the host station, surprised to see Carrie there. “Where’s Robin?”
“They had a family emergency,” Carrie replied. “Their sister went into labor early, and there was no one to watch her other child. I told them to go home. I can manage a couple of hours at the host station. Family is important.”
“Preach,” I said. “Speaking of family, I have to chat with Zach for a few minutes. It won’t take long. I promise.”
She waved me in his direction and winked. “No problem. Give him a kiss for me.”
