Chapter 6

"Good thing you really cracked down on not letting Mac go to that party, PL," Brian said on the phone later that night.

"Oh yeah?" Paul asked. "Why not?"

"Bev didn't tell you and Montana? There was just a big drug bust over there. Weed, booze, crack, ecstasy, you name any cocktail, those kids had it over there."

"Fucking hell," Paul sighed, "and to think Mac said she hated me for not letting her go. So how did this all go down?"

"You know about Old Lady Kleto down the street, right? The one with six thousand cats that's always yelling at Leif to stay out of her yard?"

"Yeah. What about her?"

"Evidently there was a bunch of noise at that party or whatever the hell it was and she called the cops. They showed up and I guess they found a bounty of drugs all over the place. Next thing we knew, the paddy wagons showed up and they hauled a bunch of kids out of here, including Mac's bosom buddy Tonya."

"Holy shit!" Paul cried.

"There were some news trucks down there too. It might be on the eleven o'clock news if you want to check it out."

"Jesus. Good thing Mac didn't do anything stupid like insisting on going or sneaking out. Sabes que, the last thing I need is my kid involved in a drug bust on the news"

"You aren't kidding. Judging by the number of the kids they dragged out of that house, it looked like half of Mac's class."

Just then, Kira burst in the door from visiting Brady across the street. "Papi, did you hear about–"

Paul stopped her. "Brian's telling me all about it now."

"Sure sucks to be that stuck up druggie wench Tonya now," she said with a snicker, and then went upstairs.

Paul shook his head before going back to his phone call for a few more minutes before they hung up. He then sighed with relief, thinking how much worse this evening could have turned out, and how glad he was all four kids were home safe with him and Montana.

A little bit later:

"Papi?"

Paul turned around, seeing Mac behind him.

"Hey," he said. "What's up?"

"Kira told me about the bust," she replied, sitting down beside him. "I guess you really did make me stay home for a reason.."

"Now do you see why I'm strict about things sometimes?"

Mac smiled and nodded. "Yeah. And I'm sorry for saying I hated you earlier. I really don't."

"I know, princesa. Sometimes we say things we don't mean when we're mad."

"Papi?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm glad you didn't let me go tonight." Mac then gave him a hug."I love you so much. You're the best papi in the world!"

"I love you too, baby. Sometimes your mami and I may not seem like we do, but we wouldn't be so hard about certain things if we didn't love you girls and Mikey. Got that?"

"I do," Mac nodded, looking up at him with a smile. "Sometimes I have to wonder if you're psychic, though."

"All part of being a parent, hija," Paul replied with a chuckle.

"There is something else I wanted to ask, though."

"Oh God."

"I was wondering if I could go flying with Josh and his parents tomorrow."

Paul perked up. "The Mormon kid? He's a pretty nice boy."

Mac couldn't help but chuckle. "Yes, Papi, they're Mormons."

"Ahhh, I think you're pretty safe in that case. Sure, no problem. Now those are the kind of kids you should be hanging out with."

Mac kissed his cheek. "Thank you. So what's good on TV?"

"Turning on the news in a few and then maybe pop in a movie if you want to hang out with your old man."

Mac cuddled up to her father. "After what I've put you through earlier, right now, I can't think of a better person I'd rather be with."