"I get that. You'll be with him soon enough and can get busy living."
"I can't wait. How're you holding up with Austin in spring training?"
"It's fine. The team is playing three games in Fort Myers this week. I just miss him when he's away overnight. I've gotten spoiled having him home all winter."
"I'd offer to keep you company, but I'm working tonight and tomorrow night and flying to Phoenix Sunday morning."
"Don't worry about me. I'm fine. Austin will be home late tomorrow night. Everly and I will try to come in for dinner tomorrow when you're working."
"I'll look forward to seeing you both."
"Send me that picture."
"I will. Thanks again, Mar."
"Anything for you. Love you."
"Love you, too."
As always, my older sister makes me feel better about whatever is weighing on me. It's always been that way with us. While other sisters we knew fought like she-cats, we never did.
I find my favorite picture of me and Wyatt, a selfie I took on the boat last weekend, and send it to Maria. He's shirtless, with his gorgeous chest and tattoo on display, and I'm in a cute bikini top. Anyone who sees that picture will have no doubt we're happy and in love.
It pains me to think of hurting anyone, especially Marcus, even after what he did to me, but he needs to know there's no hope of reconciling with me. Maria is right—a post on her Facebook will shut that down pretty quickly.
I don't have any time to waste on the past. Not when my present and future are looking so damned perfect.
At three, I head over to check on my parents before my waitressing shift. I find them in the family room, sitting in side-by-side recliners and holding hands while they watch TV. They're so damned cute, and all I want in this entire world is to be their age someday and still holding hands with Wyatt while we watch TV.
"Hey, honey," Dad says. "I just talked to Vincent, and he said your first training session went great."
"Glad to hear he thought so." I kiss them both and sit on the sofa.
Dad turns off the news.
"Did you think so?" he asks.
"It was good. I have a lot to learn, but I've got time. It's an exciting challenge, though. How're you feeling, Mommy?" I've already texted both of them today, but I still have to ask.
"I'm fine. Nothing to worry about. I have a checkup the week after next."
"I'm sorry it's been such an ordeal."
"It is what it is. I'm staying focused on all the positive things in my life, such as the happy glow on my youngest daughter's face because she's found love again."
I can't stop the smile from stretching across my face at the mention of Wyatt. "I really have. He's amazing."
"He seems like a special young man," Dad says.
"He is. I'm going to Phoenix on Sunday to meet Wyatt's parents and drive back with him. I'll be gone about a week. Carmen promised to help out if needed, and Maria said she could do extra, too, especially since Austin is traveling with the team."
"Don't worry about us, honey," Mommy says. "Go have a wonderful time with your Wyatt. You deserve a break. You've been working and taking care of us for months. We'll be just fine."
"You promise?"
"I promise," she says, smiling. Being sick has softened her rough edges, made her sweeter and more loving than she's ever been, even if she was always a wonderful mother.
"We've been doing some talking, too," Dad says, "and we're going to sell the business."
She's a lawyer, and he's an accountant. Their firm provides legal and financial services to hundreds of other local businesses. They're self-professed workaholics, so this is somewhat shocking news. "This is a big deal."
"It's time," he says, sighing. "Duncan and Gloria have done a brilliant job running the show since your mother's illness. We're negotiating a deal for them to buy us out over ten years, which will give us guaranteed income for the next decade. After that, we'll be able to tap into our 401(k), and Social Security will kick in."
I'm surprised by how far along they are in planning this, and it's the first I've heard of it. "Sounds like a good idea." All this change is a lot to absorb. "Do you think you'll miss it?"
Dad smiles. "If you'd asked me that six months ago, I would've said there was no way I could be away from it for this long. But now…" He looks over at Mommy, who gazes at him with love and affection. "Now, I couldn't care less about the business, which tells me the time is right to step aside. With Vincent and Vivian doing the same, we're hoping to do some traveling together."
"That sounds wonderful. I'm happy for all of you. You've worked hard your entire life. It's time to play."
"That's right. As soon as your mom gets the all-clear from the doctors, we're outta here."
I just hope she gets that all-clear sooner rather than later. I leave them to head to the restaurant for one of the busiest nights of the week. It's not unusual for me to make as much as three hundred dollars in tips on Friday and Saturday nights.
On Saturday night, I work on the Cuban side of the house, which I requested to see what's up with her and Mr. Muñoz. As I do my prep work before the rush, Abuela comes to help me roll silverware into linen napkins.
"Thanks for the help."
"No problem."
She's had her hair done, as usual for a Saturday, and looks particularly lovely in a champagne-colored dress. I take a closer look and notice she's wearing eye shadow that matches her dress.
"You look beautiful, Abuela."
"Oh, thank you, honey. I do what I can with what I've got left."
She makes me laugh every time I talk to her. "You've got plenty left."
We work together in contented silence for quite some time before it occurs to me that contented silence isn't Abuela's thing.
"What's going on with you?"
She looks up at me, seeming startled by the question. "What? Nothing is going on."
"Something is. You're quiet."
"All this talk of change has me unsettled," she says after a long pause, during which I'm not sure if she's going to tell me what's on her mind. "Vincent told me to think of something I've wanted to do while I used work as an excuse not to do it. I just have no idea what I'd do if I didn't have this place to come to every day."
"Maybe you should accept Mr. Muñoz's offer to join him for dinner. Although the poor guy would probably die of shock if you said yes."
Her face flushes with a blush that's adorable and shocking. "Hush."
"Abuela." I wait until she looks at me. "Do you like him?"
She shrugs. "He seems nice enough. He sure is persistent."
"He's been asking you out for how long again?"
"I don't know. Four years, maybe? Since about a year after his wife died."
"Have you heard of him going out with anyone else in that time?"
She thinks about that for a second before shaking her head. "I don't think so."