Chapter 126

After resting in their suite for a little over an hour, Olivia and Natalia had gone home to inform the kids that Isabel would be joining them for dinner. They explained to Emma that Natalia hadn't talked to her family in a very long time and Natalia and Rafe went for a walk around the pond and had a real heart to heart about the new situation they found themselves in. Rafe promised he would give Isabel a chance and apologized once again for getting so upset with his ma earlier that morning.

Olivia had decided that she would cook for their guest that evening. Emma and Ava volunteering to be her sous chefs. They chose to make Lemony roasted salmon with white wine couscous and corn bread crab cakes with lemon caper sauce for an appetizer. It was a favorite of Natalia's and fell perfectly in line with Olivia's diet. Having had Buzz burgers twice in the past three days, she knew it would please her wife if she went with something light and good for her health. They also chose to make Lemony coconut frozen yogurt with berries in waffle cone cups for dessert. Knowing it would pair well the meal and was also semi healthy, as far desserts go anyways. As Olivia and the girls worked away in the kitchen, Natalia and Rafe went to pick up Isabel. Olivia asking her wife to grab a bottle of White Pinot Noir from the Beacons wine cellar to go with their meal.

Natalia had wanted to give Rafe a chance to meet Isabel separate from the girls. Although their family had blended into a single unit with ease, Rafe had a different opinion of the Rivera's then the girls. Ava, being adopted and going through everything she had with Olivia, understood that huge mistakes made by family could and should be forgiven if both parties were willing to put in the work. Emma was just thrilled at having an "actual" aunt. "Not that auntie Doris isn't my aunt, it would just be cool to have a real aunt like Uncle Sam is my real uncle." She had said.

Rafe, on the other hand, still felt a little angry at his aunt. He had never met her and blamed her for it. In his mind, she had stood by and done nothing when his mother was kicked out of her childhood home and had done nothing to help her since. He was trying to let it go and give her a fair chance as his mother had asked, but he was having a hard time with it. She had hurt his ma, the only person that had ever been there before Olivia and his sisters came along, and he wasn't sure if he could let his resentment towards her go just yet.

Natalia pat his hand as they pulled into the Beacon parking lot. She turned to face him and squeezed his hand before releasing it. "It's going to be okay Rafe. I know this is hard mijo, but please try to remember, it's hard for her too."

"I'll try ma."

"That's all I can ask." She removed her hand from his and opened the car door, getting out and waiting while Rafe took a few seconds to breathe and calm himself before he too exited the car.

The two walked into their hotel, both putting on smiles for their staff as they made their way to the elevator and down to the wine cellar before going up to Isabel's room. As they neared the door, Natalia took hold of Rafe's hand and was relieved when he didn't pull away. She smiled at him as she knocked on the door and waited for her sister to answer and meet her son.

The door opened almost instantly, Isabel standing before them with a huge smile on her face. "Hey Natalia." She said, leaning in for a one-armed hug. As she pulled back she looked over at the young man standing next to her sister. "And you must be Rafe." She added, reaching a hand toward him.

Rafe shook her hand and gave a fake business smile, something he learned to do quite well from his other mother. "That's me."

"Well come in, have a seat." Isabel stood back to allow them in and shut the door behind them. Isabel and Natalia sat on the couch and Rafe chose the chair. "So…." Isabel started awkwardly. "How's your weekend going so far Rafe? Any plans for Saturday night?"

Rafe half rolled his eyes. "Um good. I'm staying at my sister's house tonight; we might invite our friend Ashley over. That's about it." He answered as if he was bored by the question.

"You're inviting Ashley over tonight?" Natalia asked.

"Uh yeah. Ava said she wanted to get to know her better and I wouldn't mind seeing her. Haven't really seen her since the trial. Well, except for lunch a couple times."

"You're having lunch with her?" Natalia was surprised by the news. She knew Rafe and Ashley had been talking more since her return to Springfield, she just didn't know they were getting so close. "Are you two…"

"No. Ma. Chill. We're just friends." Rafe was blushing when he cut his ma off. He did want to be more then friends with Ashley Wolfe, but he wasn't sure now was the time. He had so much going on at home and at work and Ashley was trying to adjust after switching schools.

"Mmmhmm."

"We are!"

"I know that look son. Your mother used to get the same one when she talked about me before we started dating. You are so not just friends."

"Ma, can we drop this? Please?" He all but begged as he glared towards his aunt. Making it clear this was not a conversation he would be having in front of a woman he just met.

"Fine. For now, but don't think we won't be talking about this later."

Rafe groaned. "Whatever."

Isabel was doing her best to hold back her smile. Her sister was right, if he wasn't dating this girl, he wanted to be. "Alright, no girlfriend talk. How about work? Where do work at Rafe?" Isabel asked, trying to fill the silence that had taken over the room.

Rafe rolled his eyes again. "Uh, here." He answered shortly.

"Oh. What do you do here?" Isabel was trying to make some sort of small talk for certain, but she really was interested in her nephew's life.

"I'm the general manager's personal assistant."

"Not just the general manager, but Olivia and I as well." Natalia added with a beaming smile. She was still so proud of how well her son was doing compared to a year ago and could never pass up a chance to brag about him. "He is such a natural. He took my place with ease. I actually think he's better than me. I only had to deal with Olivia. He has to deal with Olivia, myself, and Ava."

"Is that how you and Olivia met? You were her assistant?"

Rafe snorted at the same time as Natalia let out a small laugh. "Uh, no."

Isabel looked back and forth between the two who were still smirking at each other. "Did I miss something?"

"No, no. Just, Olivia and I, well, let's just say we didn't exactly get along when we first met."

"That's putting it mildly." Rafe added with a smile. "You two barely survived each other." He snickered.

Natalia reached out a playfully slapped his shoulder. "Oh, hush you."

"Sounds like an interesting story." Isabel said.

"Not sure that's the word I'd use." Rafe snickered again. "Their story has more twist and turns then a damn soap opera."

"Rafael!" Natalia chastised. "Language."

Isabel looked over at her sister fondly. "Well, I would love to hear it sometime, if you'll tell me."

Natalia gave a small smile in return. "Maybe one day. It's a long-complicated story."

"Are any of your stories simple and short. You said the same thing when I asked about Nicky."

Natalia shook her head a little. "The two pretty much go hand in hand."

Isabel looked confused for a minute, but shook it off, not wanting to pry on her sister's life. She knew their relationship was still a work in progress and she didn't want to push too hard too fast and mess it all up. "Well, when you're ready to share, I'll be ready to listen."

Natalia gave a half smile. "Well, why don't we get going. Olivia's probably close to finished with dinner by now." She stood from the couch and walked toward the door, Rafe trailing her and Isabel right behind them.

The three made it to the farmhouse just as Olivia and Emma were plating their meal. Natalia gave Olivia a quick kiss and moved to kiss Emma's head. "Hey sweetie. It smells good in here. Were you a good sous chef for mommy?"

"Hi Ma. I was the bestest. I listen to everything mommy said. I'm gonna be a five-star chef and a business mongrel, just like mommy."

"I bet you will be. You are so smart Jellybean."

Emma beamed at her ma's praise before she caught sight of the woman behind her. She quickly ran to the newcomer and wrapped her arms around her waist. "You must be Isabel, you're my aunt." She smiled up at the woman.

Isabel hesitated for only a moment before returning the hug with a smile. Emma's giddiness was infectious. "Yeah kiddo, I guess I am."

Emma pulled back from the hug and looked up at the women with her head tilted in observation. "You look like ma."

Isabel giggled. "That's because she's my big sister."

"Mommy has a brother and he doesn't look that much like her."

Olivia walked up behind her daughter and placed her hands on her shoulders. "That's because Uncle Sammie looks like my dad. But I do look like my sister Marissa, we both look like my mom, your grandma."

"Oh, yeah. I forget about her cause I never got to meet her."

A look of sadness flashed across Olivia's face but was quickly pushed away. "Go get washed up Jellybean. It's time to eat." With a pat to her behind, Emma scampered off up the stairs to wash up. "Rafe, could you go and get your sister please. She's out in her apartment getting some of her things put away."

"Sure, thing mom." Rafe turned and headed out the back door to get Ava.

"Isabel, would you like to have a seat? We can eat as soon as the kids get back." Olivia offered the younger woman who still stood beside the door nervously.

"Yes. Thank you. You have a very lovely home. Not something I would ever have pictured Natalia in."

"Well, it was actually Natalia's house first. We had a meeting here with potential clients when it was still up for sale and Natalia instantly fell in love with it. It took some convincing, but eventually she bought it. When she asked me to move in, I was not exactly thrilled at the thought of living out in the country, but I fell in love with the place just as much as Natalia in a very short time, although, I think maybe it was the house owner I fell in love with more than house." She smiled at her wife as she said the last part, lifting Natalia's hand and kissing the back of it.

Natalia blushed but smiled wide none the less. "In the name of honesty, I think it was more you and me in this house then the house itself that I fell in love with. My heart knew this would be our home someday, even if my head hadn't caught up yet."

Olivia grinned at her pink cheeked wife. "Well, whatever it was, I'm just happy you quit being stubborn and finally bought the dang thing." Kissing her chastely, Olivia stood from the table and moved to grab the wine that was chilling in the fridge as the kids all filed into the kitchen, each taking their usual seats. "Emma, would you please get your and Rafe's drinks?"

"Sure mommy."

"Thank you Jellybean." She poured herself and Natalia both some wine. "Ava, Isabel, wine?"

"Yeah mom, thank you." Ava said, holding up the wine glass in front of her.

"Yes, please. Thank you Olivia." Isabel said.

"Of course. Emma, would you please bring the crab cakes to the table." Emma went to the counter and retrieved the appetizers she and her mommy had made. "The girls and I decided lemon was the theme of the night. Here we have some corn bread crab cakes with lemon caper sauce. The salmon will be ready in just a few minutes."

After grace, Natalia leaned over and kissed Olivia's cheek. "Thank you for making dinner honey."

Olivia smiled at her love and then faced the rest of the table. "Ava, Doris called, she said she and Ashley would be home a little later. She decided to have a mother daughter dinner since Isabel is here and she and Ashley haven't had much time together since Ashley came home."

"Yeah, Ash text just before I came in."

"What's the plan for the night? Is Ashley going to be staying the night?"

"Um, we're not sure yet, figure we'll just see where the night takes us. I know Emma wants to play some board games, after that, we figure we'll just play it by ear."

"If she does stay the night, I assume she'll be in the guest room, alone." Natalia stated, looking pointedly at Rafe.

"Yeah ma geez. I told you, we're just friends, and even if we were more, I wouldn't do anything at my sister's house, and with Emma there. Come on ma, give me a little credit."

"You're right Rafael. I'm sorry. I know you would never do anything to be disrespectful like that."

"It's okay ma."

"Okay. Time to grab the salmon Ava." As Ava brought the main dish to the table, Olivia moved onto a safer topic. "So, Isabel, what is it that you do?" She asked, wanting to stay away from the topic of her son and her best friend's daughter. Rafe might be an adult, but she did not want to think about what he and the mayors daughter may or may not be doing behind closed doors.

"Oh, um, I work in behavioral health."

"And what is it that you do in the behavioral health industry?"

"I'm a behavioral health integration executive at WestCare." At the families blank stares, she explained. "Basically, I expand on health services throughout healthcare organizations. I meet with a lot of people and come up with ways to improve on existing services as well as help develop new ones."

"Wow. That's amazing. I'm so proud of you Isabel." Natalia beamed at her sister.

"Thanks." Isabel blushed as she looked down at the plate in front of her. "This is really good Olivia. Is what Emma said true? Are you an actual chef?"

"In another life I was, yes. Now I rarely cook. Natalia didn't even know I could until recently."

"Why did you stop cooking? If you don't mind my asking."

Olivia glanced at her youngest child before answering. "When I came to Springfield, I decided to try something new. I meddled in a few things here and there, most of them in the business field, and I fell in love with it. When I bought the Beacon, it became my baby. I poured my heart, soul, blood, sweat, and tears into that building. Once I got a taste of the business world, I dove in headfirst and never looked back."

"Oh, well, you are still a very talented chef."

"Thank you. It's still something I enjoy. Since meeting Natalia and finding joy in my life again, I've started cooking a little at the hotel, but there's just not a lot of time for it anymore."

"Olivia is fully in her element in the kitchen. I love to watch her work. Our staff is like a well-oiled machine when Olivia takes the reigns. I swear, she can take the simplest of ingredients and make a masterpiece." Natalia added, smiling at the love of her life before leaning in for a quick kiss.

"Thank you my love, but I still enjoy your cooking and no one can beat your chicken and rice."

Natalia's face flushed at the compliment. "Oh, stop you."

"She's right ma. Mom's like a really, really, really, good chef, but she tried to make your chicken and rice in the hotel kitchen once, it so wasn't as good as yours. No offense mom." Rafe said with a smile. "And she can't make tamales, or pastelis like you either."

"Why thank you Rafe, for pointing out all my downfalls with cooking." Olivia said dryly.

"Oh mom, you know I love you're cooking. There are just some things only ma can make."

"Yeah, yeah." Olivia threw a playful smile to him, making sure he knew she wasn't offended in the least. She loved her wife's cooking and was very happy there were somethings only she could make. "Do you cook Isabel?"

"Um, not really. A few things our abuela taught us when we were growing up, and mama taught me how to make her enchiladas, but cooking isn't really my thing. Natalia was the one who was always in the kitchen with mama. Every Sunday, after church, mama and Tali could always be found in the kitchen. Usually making some sort of dessert to go with dinner. Javi was usually in there getting hit by mama when he stuck his fingers in the dough or batter of whatever they were making."

"Mommy does that, but ma doesn't hit her, she usually pretends not to see it and then distracts her with yucky kissing so she doesn't eat it all." Emma stated.

"Hey, my kisses aren't yucky." Olivia countered, leaning over to pepper Emma's face with kisses.

"Stop, stop, mommy." Emma said through her giggles. When Olivia finally stopped, Emma wiped her face with the sleeve of her shirt and went back to talking to her aunt. "Ma makes the best cookies in the whole world. They even helped daddy feel better when he was sick."

"Her cookies are pretty amazing. I remember when I was a kid, if I was sad, Tali would whip up a batch of my favorite cookies and I always felt better." Isabel agreed.

"You always were a sucker for anything sweet. Javi and I got out of so many chores when you were little. All we had to do was bribe you with our Sunday dessert and you would do whatever we asked."

Before Isabel could respond, Emma chimed in again. "Who's Javi?"

Natalia looked at Olivia, they were yet to have a chance to really talk about Natalia's family. She really wasn't sure how much she should tell Emma and Ava before speaking with Olivia, but Emma had asked the question and she wasn't going to lie to her. "Javi is my older brother, Javier."

"I have another uncle like Uncle Sammie?" Emma exclaimed. "When will we get to meet him? Is he tall like Rafe? Does he have curly hair like you ma?"

Olivia watched as Natalia tensed. She had spoken with Emma about not asking too many questions about Natalia's family, but since she hadn't known that Natalia had a brother, she wasn't able to prepare herself or Emma for that. She really couldn't blame her for being excited, Emma loved pretty much everyone she met, and even though she hadn't met Javier, in Emma's mind, he was family because he was Natalia's brother, and that meant she already loved him. Although she wasn't upset with her daughter, she didn't want Natalia to feel uncomfortable, so she did her best to stop Emma's questioning before it went any further.

"Em, remember what we talked about before Isabel came over?" Olivia asked her, more as a reminder then a question. Emma nodded and looked down at the table with a sunken expression on her face. "Good. Ma and I will t-talk to you more about this later. O-okay."

"Okay mommy."

"Good, now, why don't you and you siblings," she made eye contact with Rafe and Ava, "clear off these dinner dishes and bring out d-dessert."

All three children stood and muttered a "yes ma'am" as they began to clear off the table."

Natalia put an arm around the back of Olivia's chair and leaned in close so she could whisper in her ear. "Are you okay honey?"

"Yes, I'm fine." It came out a little more agitated then she had meant it to, but she was really tired of finding out about Natalia's family by surprise. She knew that they just hadn't had time to talk yet, but it still bothered her.

Natalia knew something was upsetting her wife. Even without the couple of stutters that were a sure sign Olivia was either, tired, stressed, or upset these days, she could tell by her wife's voice and body language. She decided it was best to leave it be until later and simply kissed her cheek. "Okay baby, I'm gonna help the kids bring dessert over." She kissed her cheek one more and stood to help the kids.

As they ate dessert, they continued to talk about this and that, mainly small details of Isabel's life and a little about the Spencer-Rivera's. Mostly about the hotels. Once they finished, Isabel offered to help with the dishes, but was shooed from the kitchen by Olivia who insisted that she and Ava could wash them, sending the rest of them to the living room.

When the kitchen was cleared of everyone, Ava leaned into her mother as the two washed and dried the dishes. "You alright mom?"

"Yeah, I'm fine sweetheart."

"You sure? You seemed a little upset when ma's brother got brought up."

Olivia gave her daughter a sideways glance. "Picked up on that did ya?"

"It wasn't super obvious, but I could tell you weren't very happy."

"Yeah, your ma picked up on that too."

"So, what's up? Did something bad happen with them or something?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" Ava asked, furrowing her brow.

"I mean, I don't know." Olivia almost shouted. She realized she had become louder then she had meant to and lowered her voice. "Natalia's never talked much about her family. She told me what happened with her parents when she got pregnant with Rafe, but other than that, nothing. I didn't know about Isabel until she called the other d-day, and I didn't know about Javi until just now."

"I'm sorry mom."

"I understand why she doesn't like to talk about them, I just wish she would tell me a little. Ya know? Just enough that I'm not shocked when her estranged sister calls or when her older brother gets brought up at dinner. I just, it never bothered me before, even though I told her e-everything about my past, I understood she needed to distance herself from them. I just, I figured she would eventually tell me. Then, after Isabel called, I know she needed time to process, but I wish she would have told me she had more s-siblings, I don't even know if Javi and Isabel are the only ones. For all I know another brother or sister will be brought up before the night e-ends." Olivia was holding back tears and trying desperately to stay calm.

Ava brought her mom into a tight hug. "It's alright mom. Calm down okay. I'm sure ma will tell you everything after Isabel goes back to Chicago. She just needs some time mom. It's been twenty years since she's seen any of them, it has to be hard. She needs time to figure out how she's feeling about it all. I know she'll talk to you when she's ready, and I know she won't make you wait long. That's what's so great about you and ma, you two always talk about everything. You figure everything out together. Just give her a little time."

Olivia nodded against her shoulder, squeezing once more before pulling back and wiping the tears from her eyes. "I know, you're right. You're right. Thank you baby."

"Any time mom. I love you."

"I love you too my darling daughter."

Ava smiled at her mom's unique way of referring to her. "You ready to go out there now?"

"Yes, I think I'm okay now. Let's finish up the dishes first." The two finished washing, drying, and putting away the dishes fairly quickly. When they were done, Olivia took Ava's hand and the two walked into the living room together. Olivia going to sit on the arm of the couch beside Natalia, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and kissing the side of her head.

The six continued to share in light conversation until Isabel received a phone call and excused herself. It was nearing seven o'clock and Doris had text that she was on her way with Ashley. Olivia sent Emma to get what she needed to sleep over at her sisters. Figuring once Doris arrived, the kids would retreat to Ava's apartment.

Once Doris and Ashley arrived, as predicted, Emma and the three young adults retired to Ava's apartment. Natalia began to worry about her sister since she still hadn't returned from her phone call so she stepped outside to search for her, leaving Olivia and Doris alone for a few moments.

"So, how's it going with the little sister?" Doris asked

"It's, it's okay, I think. To be honest, I'm not really sure. I can tell Natalia is still uneasy about her."

"Blake said there was a little upset at Company this morning."

Olivia let out an exasperated sigh. "Of course, she did."

"Well, what was it about?"

"Natalia and Isabel just had some things to work out. It's been twenty years Doris. I can't imagine what they're going through right now."

"Nor can I, but I know you two will get through this, just like you do everything else."

"We will. Thank you Doris. Thank you for always being here for me, for all of us. You truly are the best friend I could ever ask for."

Doris blushed. Friends were a new concept to her and she was still getting used to it. "So are you Spencer. I've never had a best friend before, but, even if I had, I'm sure they wouldn't hold a candle to you."

Olivia studied the floor for a moment before meeting her friends eyes. "Not so much lately. I'm so sorry Doris. I've been so wrapped up in everything going with my family, I haven't been a very good friend to you."

"What are you talking about Olivia?"

"Doris, come on, we haven't talked about anything other than my problems in, well, I can't remember the last time we talked about anything else." Olivia looked away guiltily.

"Oh, stop it Spencer. You have not been a bad friend to me. You and your family have been dealing with so much, you needed to be here for your family and I needed to be here for you. Whatever's going on with me is far less important than the problems you have been dealing with."

"Not true Wolfe. No matter how small your problem may be, it is no less important than mine. So, tell me, what's going on with you?"

Doris chose to allow Olivia to turn the conversation and shook her head a little. "Oh, you know, the usual, crooked politicians and all that."

"How are things with you and Jamanda?" Olivia asked, knowing Doris wasn't going to give her anything without being prompted. She was grateful to Doris for being there for her family, for keeping her own troubles hidden and focusing on the Spencer-Rivera family, but she really did want to be there for Doris as much as she had been there for her.

"Things are okay, good even."

"Oh, come on Wolfe. We haven't seen her since she stayed over and you barely even talk about her anymore. Not to mention a certain redhead let slip that you are spending far more of your lunches at Company then at Towers. What's really going on Doris?"

"Alright, alright, since Blake has a big mouth. I'm not sure Jamanda and I will be seeing each other much longer."

"What? Why? Did something happen between the two of you?"

"No, not really. I think that's the problem. Nothing is happening with us. Besides not hiding anymore, our relationship is the same as it's always been. I mean yeah, there is a little more than just sex now, but not much."

"And you want more?"

"Of course, I want more Spencer."

"What exactly is it that you want Doris?"

"I don't know, I just, I want more then what she and I have. I guess, I guess I want a real relationship. Now, I know I'll never find what you and Natalia have, that kind of love is rare and hard to come by, but I would like to find something close I think."

"Oh Doris. You can have what Natalia and I have, you just, you have to find the right person, and, if I'm honest, I never thought the fetus was that person for you." Olivia held up her hand as she saw Doris getting ready to lay into her. "I'm talking about more than her age Doris, or the fact that she's a bar tender and you're the mayor. I'm talking about the fact that you two never seemed to really click to me. You two seem to be headed in different directions in your lives and I just never saw a way for those paths to really cross, let alone somehow become the two of you walking down the same road."

Doris's shoulders slumped forward. "Yes, I know. When I first decided to actually date her, to be more than just sex, I thought at some point we would decide on where our future was heading together. However, that conversation never came. Every time I tried to ask her where she thought we were headed; she would change the subject or simple jump my bones. I started to realize that she didn't see much of a future for us, and as time passed, I realized that I didn't see one either."

"So, you broke up with her?"

"Not yet. I'm not sure how to go about it. It's not something I have much experience with. At least not with someone I actually care about. And I do, I do care about her, I just don't love her. I don't see myself building a life with her, and I want more for myself. I want someone to build a life with, someone to create a future with."

Doris got a faraway look in her eyes as she seemed to disappear into her own mind. "I want someone that I can talk to for hours about everything and nothing. I want someone I can just sit and be with without any words. I want someone who smiles a smile that's just for me when I walk through the door. I want, I want someone to love me, really love me, and I want someone to love."

Olivia smiled at her friend. She thought back to her conversation with Blake, the way she smiled when she spoke about the mayor. She knew there was definitely something between the two of them, and she hoped that they wouldn't be as stubborn and stupid as she and Natalia had been. "Do you have someone in mind, someone that maybe makes your pulse quicken and your heart speed up just thinking about them?" She asked with a knowing smile.

"What? NO! I don't, I'm not…" She stumbled over her words, not really sure what she was trying to say. "Has someone said something?"

"I think you were a little quick with that 'no' there Wolfe. Come on, spill. Who has madam mayor so frazzled she can't even string together a sentence?"

"No one." Doris stated firmly, yet she was unable to meet Olivia's eyes.

"Alright, I'll let it go for now, but don't think for a second this is over. I will get you to tell me. Now, when are you going to tell Jamanda?"

Doris let out a breath of air. "I don't know. I wanted to tell her last night, but she got stuck at Towers late and cancelled on coming over. I'm not even sure what to say or how to say it."

Olivia reached over and squeezed her friends hand. "It's going to be okay Doris. You just need to sit her down and tell her the truth. Nicely. Just tell her that things aren't working between you two and you think it's best to end things now, before things go any further."

"So what? I just ask her over and tell her we're done. Things aren't working and I'm out."

"Maybe not like that. And maybe not at your house, you never know how break ups will go and you wouldn't want that pristine house of your destroyed. But yes, that is what you do. You ask her to meet you somewhere, and then you just break it off. I'm not saying it's gonna be easy, but I think a direct approach will be best."

"I know, you're right. I'll just, I'll ask her to meet me tomorrow evening after work and I'll let her down as gently as possible."

"I really think that's for the best, just get it done and over with. And I'll be here with a bottle waiting when you're done." She smiled at her friend and bumped her shoulder.

Doris smiled back. "Thank you Olivia."

"Anytime Doris. Anytime."

Natalia saw no sign of her sister from the porch so she stepped off and walked toward the side of the house. As she neared the corner, she could hear her sisters voice. She was talking low to somebody. Natalia knew she shouldn't be eavesdropping, Emma got in trouble for it on a regular basis, but she couldn't help herself when Isabel was obviously trying not to be heard. It made her question if Isabel was truly just wanting their relationship back. She needed to know; she couldn't risk getting hurt by those who were supposed to love her again. She edged closer to the corner of the house and listened.

"I'll be home in a few days." Isabel was saying. There was a pause and then she continued. "Does it really matter where I am. I'm allowed to leave without your permission. I'm thirty-four years old for crying out loud." Another pause. "No mama, I didn't, I wasn't trying to be disrespectful, I just, I need a few days. I have some things to figure out."

Natalia gasped when she realized Isabel was on the phone with her mother. It didn't sound like Isabel had told her mom she was visiting her and she was grateful for that. Isabel was one thing, but her parents, she really wasn't ready to talk to them. She didn't know if she ever would be. She was drawn out of her thoughts as Isabel's voice rose.

"Mama, I'm fine. I'm not doing anything stupid; I just needed some time away… Yes, mama, I'm eating, really well in fact. I just had a five-star meal prepared for me…No mama, I'm not with a man…. No, I'm not in the city. I told you, I needed to get away….."

Natalia had inched closer and could hear a booming voice coming through the line of Isabel's phone. A voice that was certainly not her mothers.

"Isabel Rivera, where on god's green earth are you. You know better than to worry your mother like this." A loud male voice all but shouted.

Isabel had pulled the phone back from her ear at the loudness. "Papa, I just left town for a few days, it's no big deal…No, papa…"

"Did you go down there Isabel? Did you go to see her!?" Her father did scream this time.

At Isabel's silence, Louis Rivera became livid, Natalia was sure they could hear him in the house. "GET BACK HERE NOW ISABEL."

"Papa…"

"NO, ISABEL. I EXPLICTLY TOLD YOU NOT TO SEEK HER OUT. She made her choices, now she must live with them."

"Papa, that man, he….."

"I DON'T CARE ISABEL. YOU ARE TO COME HOME AT ONCE. She obviously learned nothing from her first mistake. Still living a life of sin."

"Papa, just because you don't care about her doesn't mean I don't. I am an adult and I'm staying." As tears leaked from her eyes, Isabel hung up on her father. She knew hanging up on him and disobeying his wishes wasn't going to end well, but after twenty years, she wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. She refused to abandon Natalia again, no matter what the price from her parents would be.

Natalia had meant to go inside, to not her sister know she had heard, instead, she found herself rounding the house and taking Isabel into her arms. "Thank you. Thank you for standing up to him for me." Natalia had tears of her own as she and Isabel stood in the cold air clinging to one another. Natalia pulled back slightly and kissed her sister's cheek before embracing her once again. This kiss was a thank you for doing what neither of them had the strength to do all those years ago. It was I forgive you and I want to move on. It was please never leave me again and I won't leave you.