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“Hey, are you okay?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said firmly. “Your dad seems to think that Pauly will be put away this time. Then it’s just a matter of what Alex will do. Your father doesn’t think he’s quite the tyrant that his dad is, so he’s hopeful for a peaceful resolution.”
“That’s great!” I said. My voice sounded high-pitched and hollow.
Was it great, though? If Alex was really leaning towards being out of the business, wouldn’t Warwick have told me? Sure, he had hinted at it, but this was big news. It was news that might change how long I had to remain isolated and away from my family.
“It sure is,” she said. “Then maybe your dad will also get out or go legit or whatever they call it. I’m over all of this. And I think he is, as well. This has been a real eye-opener for him,” Mom said.
I rolled my eyes before responding. “Eye-opener? He was literally born into this. He knows more than anybody what it can be like.”
My mom jumped to his defense. “That’s true, but he didn’t expect Pauly to get as irrational as he did. Remember, they’ve been friends for a long time. They went to school together.”
“I know, Mom. All of those kids went to school together,” I snapped and then softened. “Look, I’m sorry. I’m still angry about being forced into hiding over this. It’s not totally Dad’s fault, though. I know I could have said no to the whole wedding.”
“Are you feeling okay?” my mom asked. Trust her to change the subject.
“Yeah, I’m okay. I miss you, though.”
“I miss you too,” she said. “Are you eating well?” I thought about the pasta I’d made the night before, and my stomach rumbled.
“Yeah, I am. In fact, I should go eat now. I’m hungry!” I chuckled.
It was true, suddenly I was starving.
We said our goodbyes and hung up. I went down to the kitchen and made a massive plate of bacon and eggs. As I stood to do the dishes, I glanced at the clock. It was one in the afternoon already. What time did Warwick say he would be back? Did he even tell me?
I pushed the thought out of my mind. I knew I could trust him. He’d earned it over the course of the weeks I’d been here. If he wasn’t trustworthy, why wouldn’t he have cut me loose one of the many times I’d taken off?
Warwick came home around three in the afternoon in a better mood than I’d ever seen him.
“Did everything go well? I asked.
“Yeah, looks like a couple more weeks or so and you should be okay to see your parents,” Warwick said.
“Really?” I asked.
“Maybe longer, but yeah. Alex is considering the legal route. I’m just not sure I trust him yet,” he said. “Do you mind if I head out to the pool and have a drink with Kevin? I feel like all of us need to decompress a bit.”
“I don’t mind.”
I watched him and Kevin with envy. The two of them were in front of the pool. Warwick smiled and joked as they sipped on Scotch and Kevin smoked a cigar. They seemed so carefree, a feeling I craved but felt none of in my current situation.
Maybe I should join them.Or is this a boys-only club?
I quickly made up a tray of sandwiches as a plan.
I pushed open the door with a tray of food. I’d gauge how welcome I was by the way my snacks were received. I stopped short when I heard the seriousness of the conversation. Were they discussing the war with my dad and Pauly?
I quietly walked around the side of the patio and craned my neck to hear better.
“So, Alex is bringing the family legal?” Kevin asked. He grinned at Warwick and clapped his hand on his shoulder. “That’s great. He was never a bad kid! Not till Pauly got his hooks into him anyway.”
“Yeah, it’s great,” Warwick agreed. “Soon we’ll be able to go back to normal around here. Sarah can go home as soon as it’s safe. Or when I deem it safe anyway,” Warwick said and both men laughed.
What did that mean, when he deemed it safe?
“Joking aside, when are you going to tell her she can go?” asked Kevin. I craned my neck and tried to see the expression on Warwick’s handsome face.
