I have to admit, my favourite guess about the detour was to rescue Grandma. That came from got2BaBabeFan. I kind of wish I thought of that, it isn't a bad idea!

I also liked Selene Aduial's prediction that Helen might cause problems. Luckily, Helen won't play a role in this detour.

I enjoyed reading all of the guesses. Hopefully the reality won't be too much of a let down after some of the great suggestions.

36. Getaway Detour

On Monday morning, Carlos handed me an envelope that held the details for our weekend getaway. Instead of using his mother's car, he wanted to borrow a car from a friend and spend Friday and Saturday nights at a very exclusive resort at Point Pleasant. I looked up from the envelope and said, "I'd have been happy with a motel Carlos, you didn't need to be so extravagant."

"I know, Babe, but I only want the best for you."

I grinned and said, "Maybe I can leave a little early on Friday and we can get away early."

Carlos nodded and said, "I've already talked to Papa. He says that as long as all of your assignments are caught up, we can leave at noon."

I grinned and said, "I'd best get to work then. I want to be able to head to Point Pleasant at noon on Friday."

Carlos winked at me and sat down at his desk. He had a few meeting with clients so he disappeared not long afterward. I had several client accounts to go through and before I knew it, the day was over. Carlos came down to at 5:15 and said, "Babe, it's time to leave now. There's no point working yourself to the bone just for a few extra hours later this week."

I looked up and said, "I just lost track of time. Are you and your dad heading home?"

Carlos nodded and said, "Mama asked if you'd like to join us for the evening. We're having a BBQ and Abuela Rosa will be there. She finally got clearance from her doctor and she'll be staying with my parents for the remainder of the summer."

I smiled and said, "Perhaps you should have a family evening tonight. I could come another night."

Carlos grinned and said, "Papa said that you'd say that. He insists that you come. The only way you can get out of it is if you are ill. Are you ill?"

I shook my head and said, "Do I have time to run home and change?"

Carlos nodded and said, "Papa will be waiting for you at your apartment building with the car at 5:40. That gives you about 10 minutes. You'd better hurry."

I gasped and hurried home. It took about 5 minutes to walk there, another minute to get to my apartment. That left me with 3 minutes to change and another minute to get downstairs. Despite hurrying, by the time I got down, Ricardo had been waiting long enough to get out and greet Johnny. I checked my watch and sure enough, I was 2 minutes late. Ricardo smiled and said, "Not to worry dear. Nobody ever died from dinner being a few minute late."

I stared at him in disbelief. My mother always thought the world would end if she served the roast even 30 seconds late. It was funny to imagine my mother's reaction to a late meal, one that she had no control over. Maybe that's why she didn't like to go out to eat. She had no control over what was done in the kitchen or at what time the food was served. That realisation made me smile. I hatched a plan to put my new insight into action at some point in the future.

Despite me being late, we arrived with 5 minutes to spare. Carlos and Ricardo went to change and I was dragged into the kitchen. The girls and Maria hugged me and told me that they were glad to see me. I offered to help and I was handed a pile of plates to go on the table. I walked into the dining room and helped Evie set the table.

I heard Abuela Rosa before I saw her. I also heard my name being spoken. Moments later, Rosa walked in the room and with the aid of a cane, walked over and wrapped me in a very tight hug. She spoke to me in rapid Spanish but I was at a loss to understand what she was saying.

Evie took pity on me and said, "Abuela says that she is happy that you and Carlos are going to try and stay together when Carlos joins the army. She thinks that the two of you will be very happy together. She sees lots of great grandbabies."

I laughed and said, "You can tell her that I'm happy to see her again."

Evie smiled and said something to her grandmother, but it sounded like a lot more than my greeting. I wanted to ask Evie what she said but I never really got the chance. The rest of the Manosos joined us moments later and we began dinner at 6:07. My mother would have been apoplectic to start dinner that time but Maria Manoso was very relaxed and happy.

We ate with a lot of chatter. Abuela Rosa talked a lot and each of the Manosos took turns translating. A couple of times, I was sure that Ricardo kept something back from what his mother said. I caught Carlos' eye and his expression confirmed that something was up. I didn't want to draw too much attention to myself so I waited until dinner was over and Carlos and I could spend a couple of minutes alone.

Maria and Ricardo went into the kitchen to load the dishwasher and the girls went outside to play. That only left Abuela Rosa and she was currently in the restroom. I took the opportunity to confront Carlos. "What was Abuela Rosa saying during dinner that everyone was afraid to translate?"

Carlos looked at me for a moment before answering. "We were just trying to save you from embarrassment, Babe. We weren't trying to hide things from you."

"What could have been so embarrassing?"

"Abuela was telling me how beautiful our children would be. She was offering advice on how long to wait before we started trying to get you pregnant and she wanted to know if I was satisfied with our sex life."

I looked at Carlos and burst out laughing. Carlos grinned and he also started laughing. Abuela Rosa came in and looked at us laughing and spoke quietly to Carlos. He looked at her and then over to me and replied. He then turned to me and said, "Abuela Rosa has blessed us and wishes us well. She knows that we'll be happy and that we'll have a family one day."

After everyone else was out of the room, Carlos was able to stop playing translator as Rosa asked me about my family in English. After explaining about the 6PM deadline for dinner, she laughed and told me that flexibility is the most important thing in a relationship. Flexibility is needed for compromise and change. No relationship can survive without change. People change and the relationship must change or be left behind.

I heard what she was saying and realised that it made sense. I know I was a lot different than I had been a year ago. I'm more confident and willing to stand up for myself. I have made new friends and worked hard to make things better for myself. I was actually happy, truly happy for the first time in my life.

Isabel and Evie came in and the entire family joined in on a board game. Ricardo and Rosa teamed up and the rest of us played for ourselves. In the end, the game ended at a stalemate with Carlos and Ricardo the only two left in the game. Rosa gave up and went to bed an hour earlier, abandoning Ricardo to fend for himself. As it turned out, he was fine all alone and put up a pretty good fight. When we abandoned the game, Ricardo and Carlos were teasing each other about giving up.

Ricardo smiled and said, "I think you need to take Stephanie home now Carlos, it's getting late. Carlos agreed and I said goodnight to my second family and walked out to the car so Carlos could take me home. I really liked Carlos' family. They always made me feel at home and like they actually enjoyed having me there. I never felt that way with my family. Well, I guess I get indifference from my sister, nominal support from my father and contempt from my mother.

Carlos noticed my melancholy mood and commented. I explained how his family made me feel and how much I appreciated it. "They love you Babe, that's why they treat you that way. I know your family acts differently, but you're part of my family now. We'll make it official after my first tour and then you'll permanently be part of my family. And if Abuela gets her way, we'll eventually make a family of our own."

"Eventually Carlos. I want to have a life and see the world before I'm tired down with kids."

"That's not a problem Babe, we're both young. We've got plenty of time to have a life before we settle down for kids. I have the army to get through and you have a career to get off the ground."

"I'm glad we're on the same page Carlos."

Carlos smiled at me and our talk made me feel a lot better. I felt better about our relationship, I felt better about Carlos' family and most of all, I felt better about the unknown future and how I'd deal with Carlos being away for so long. I'd have his family and my friends for support. I'd also have Grandma Mazur, even if she would be even further away in Atlantic City.

It was 10:30 when Carlos dropped me off. He gave me a very nice kiss and then watched me walk inside before pulling away. It was pretty late so I decided to get ready for bed and read for a short time. I barely finished a page before my eyes started to droop so I put my book away and turned the light off. I got comfortable and thought about my evening for a few minutes. My last thought was that even though Carlos would be away, his family would still be around and would support me.

A shrill noise woke me up from a deep sleep. My cell phone was ringing so I reached out a very shaky hand and pulled it from my night stand to look at the display. It was an unknown number so I decided to let the phone to go voicemail. I breathed a sigh of relief when there was no notification of a message. I was just settling back in bed when the phone rang again. Once again, it was an unknown number. This time I answered it thinking that there might be an emergency somewhere.

There was nobody on the other end so I hung up and put the phone on silent. I didn't want to be interrupted again and it was clear that they were going to keep calling. I knew that Bobby and Lester were right. I should talk to Detective Carter. I fell into a fitful sleep and woke up the next morning feeling like I hadn't slept at all.

Tuesday was a quick-paced day of meetings. Both the sales and marketing departments went all out and came up with a campaign for my pet project. Carlos, Ricardo and I sat through several presentations and by the time I left work that day, I was confident that Manoso Finances would benefit from this idea.

During our lunch break, Carlos and I went and sat together in the park. It would be the last chance I saw Carlos for the week. Tom was back at work but in order for Carlos to get the weekend off, he had to work a little extra during the week. We were both really looking forward to our weekend away.

That evening, I looked at my phone because I wanted to call Molly and Christie. I noticed that there were a couple of messages. I had left my phone on silent and had missed dozens of calls from unknown numbers and a few from my mother. There were several voice mail messages so I sat and listened. The first 6 were just dead air. The seventh was my mother complaining that I don't call. The 8th was dead air and the 9th was a whispered message that I listened to three times before I called Detective Carter.

After a brief discussion with the detective, I changed out of my pyjamas because he was on his way over. He wanted to listen to the message and then put a tap and trace on my phone so we could try and figure out who was making these calls.

Detective Carter arrived about 35 minutes later and listened to the message on my phone. He gave me a grim look and then started punching a bunch of codes into my phone. He used a notepad for reference. When he handed me my phone he said, "We will be able to trap any incoming phone number even if it is marked as unknown. We'll ignore anyone in your contacts list and only focus on the other numbers. We will also record all conversations with anyone that is not on in your contacts list. Hopefully we'll figure out who is calling you and put a stop to it."

I thanked the detective and once again put my phone on silent mode so I could get some sleep. I slept fitfully but woke rested on Wednesday morning. Work went by quickly and I found myself missing Carlos. I didn't see Carlos on Wednesday or Thursday but I did talk to him on the phone in the evenings. We never talked very long because it was late when Carlos called. Because of this, I never told him about the phone calls or Detective Carter. I figured I'd have plenty of time on the weekend.

It was good to hear Carlos' voice, even for only a few moments. He said the same about mine. Before Carlos called on Thursday night, I had spent the evening packing a small suitcase that Ricardo had once again lent me. I wanted to take it with me to work the following day so Carlos and I didn't waste any time coming back to my apartment to collect my things.

I spent a lot of time trying to decide what to take. In the end, I decided that I would take my more modest bikini because I'd rather wear that one when Carlos and I were more private than a resort beach. I also took modest pyjamas and one sexy pair. I didn't know what would happen this weekend but I wanted to be prepared. The forecast was favourable so I packed shorts and t-shirts. I also packed a hoodie and jogging pants just in case the weather turned bad.

Friday morning dawned nice and sunny. I only had one assignment to finish before 12 so I was confident that I could be ready to leave on time. At 11:30, my desk phone rang. It was Amanda and she said that Ricardo needed to see me. Carlos was upstairs as well. I don't know why, but dread filled me. As I made my way up to Ricardo's office, all sorts of scenarios were running through my mind. The only thing I knew for sure was that my weekend away with Carlos was about to be sabotaged.

Amanda waved me in to Ricardo's office. His door was open and he was trying to pack his briefcase as quickly as possible. He looked a little crazy. He looked up and saw me and waved me inside. He stopped what he was doing for a moment and looked at his watch. He indicated that I should sit down beside Carlos and explained what was going on.

"Maria just called. Lisa has gone into labour and we're taking the girls down to Miami. I know that you and Carlos had plans this weekend but it would mean a lot to Alex and Lisa if he was there."

Carlos looked at me with pain in his face. It was very clear to me that he was torn. I smiled at Carlos and picked up his hand and said, "Carlos, you need to go and meet your new niece or nephew. We can postpone our weekend. I will find plenty of things here to occupy my weekend."

Carlos nodded and then his face fell. Ricardo came over and said, "I think you misunderstood Stephanie. We want you to come as well. This baby will likely be your niece or nephew a few years down the road so it makes sense for you to be there too."

Carlos squeezed my hand and said, "Please Babe. If you don't go, I'll be miserable."

I looked between the two Manoso men and said, "I guess I do have a bag packed downstairs."

Ricardo laughed and said, "Great. Maria is trying to get us all on the next flight out. We need to leave as soon as possible."

I stood and said, "I'll go shut down my computer, grab my suitcase and meet you at the car."

Carlos came with me and less than 10 minutes later we were driving out of the parking garage. Ricardo let Carlos drive so he could talk on the phone. Maria was able to book 7 tickets on the next flight. Their conversation switched into Spanish so I assumed that there was some sort of a problem. Carlos looked at his father briefly before returning his focus to the road and traffic. I'd ask him about that later.

When we got to the house, Ricardo rushed inside to help Maria with their packing. The girls were lugging their suitcases down the stairs so Carlos and I helped them. We got their cases loaded into the trunk of the car before I had the opportunity to ask Carlos what was wrong.

He smiled at me and said, "I don't really know. Papa was saying something about the seats not being together and that my sisters would prefer to sit together. I don't know what the outcome will be. We'll find out soon enough."

Moments later, Maria was hurrying to the car and Ricardo was carrying two small suitcases. Rosa appeared behind them moving faster than I'd seen her move since I met her. They loaded the cases in the car and then we realised that we couldn't all fit into one car. Carlos had already called his friend and cancelled the borrowed car so that meant that he would have to drive Maria's car. Carlos and I followed Ricardo, Maria, Rosa and the girls to the airport. We parked side-by-side and then went inside to check in. Maria didn't want to wait when we got to the airport so we all carried our small suitcases onto the plane and headed to security.

Once we got to the gate, Ricardo and Maria spoke for a few moments before Ricardo went forward to talk to the person manning the gate desk. A few minutes later, he returned and handed Evie and Isabel new boarding cards. He also reached out and handed me and Carlos new cards as well. I looked down and saw that I now had a seat in first class. I looked over at Evie's ticket because she was sitting beside me and saw that she still had an economy seat.

I looked up at Ricardo and he laughed before saying, "I knew that you guys had plans this weekend and that this trip has sabotaged those plans. Because we booked so late, we were unable to get seats together. I just managed to convince the woman at the desk that the girls needed to sit together. She also offered to move Maria and me to first class so we could sit together.

"I decided to give those seats to the two of you. Your time together is limited and this weekend may not be what you originally had planned, but I'm hoping to make up for some of it. These seats are the first step."

I looked over at Maria, who had tears in her eyes. I then looked over at Carlos, who had a shocked expression on his face. I stood and looked Ricardo in the eye and said, "You and Maria have done nothing but encourage and support me since I came into your lives. This has got to be the most generous thing that anyone has done for me."

Ricardo wrapped me in a hug and said, "You deserve it dear. Maria and I get to sit together as well, just closer to the girls and Mama. I think it'll be easier on all of us if the girls have some supervision."

I walked over and hugged Maria and thanked her for her support as well. As usual, she passed it off as nothing a normal person wouldn't do. Unfortunately for me, nobody in my life had ever really supported me that way, nobody except Grandma Mazur. I suggested that Carlos and I could keep an eye on the girls but Maria and Ricardo insisted that Carlos and I sit up front. It would give us a little time together before the chaos of the weekend began.

When we were boarded and seated, I turned to Carlos and asked, "What did you mother mean when she said that there would be chaos this weekend? How could one little baby cause so much chaos?"

Carlos laughed and said, "It won't be the baby the causes the chaos. It will be my siblings. You still haven't met Celia and Daniela. Those two are the epitome of chaos. Celia has 2 little terrors already and I'm sure they'll come, along with her husband. Daniela will probably bring her fiancée. He's a bit of a laugh. He's the typical surfer type."

I looked forward to meeting the rest of Carlos' family. It sounded like it was going to be a busy weekend and I was disappointed that we weren't going to Point Pleasant, but Carlos and Ricardo both assured me that we would get some time at the beach. I was doubly grateful that I packed my modest bikini. I would feel funny wearing it around the girls but it would be much better than my other bikini.

The flight staff was very attentive to our needs. As soon as we sat down, we were offered champagne. Carlos smiled and said, "We're underage. Do you have anything non-alcoholic?"

Less than a minute later, the woman returned with two glasses of sparkling cider. She introduced herself and told us to contact her at any time. The flight was only about 3 hours so they didn't serve a full meal, but they went around constantly with drinks and snacks. By the time the captain announced that we were making our approach for landing, I was stuffed full of peanuts and candy coated pop corn.

Because we were sitting in first class, Carlos and I exited the plane through a different door than the rest of his family. We were a bit worried that we wouldn't find them easily, but we didn't have any problems. Ricardo spotted us a few minutes later and we exited the airport to find Celia's husband Brandon waiting for us in front of a large van.

Ricardo and Maria greeted Brandon and introduced me. We then all piled into the van that had room for us all. Carlos, Evie and I sat in the very back. Ricardo, Maria and Isabel sat in the middle and Abuela Rosa was helped into the passenger seat.

"So, Lisa hasn't had the baby yet. She was only 5cm dilated when I left to pick you up, so if we're lucky, we'll be there before the birth. Celia is annoyed that Lisa and Alex never found out the sex of the baby. She wanted to get them a special gift but she had to settle for a unisex thing in green and yellow."

Maria smiled and said, "I like green and yellow. I'm sure Lisa and Alex will be thrilled no matter the colour of Celia's gift."

Twenty minutes later, we pulled into a parking garage and followed Brandon into the hospital. He led us to the maternity waiting room. Celia greeted her family and then noticed me. Carlos said, "Celia, this is Stephanie, my girlfriend."

Celia took my hands and said, "It's nice to meet you Stephanie. Mama and Papa have told me a lot about you."

I was getting to know Celia when a nurse came in the room and asked, "Which one of you is Maria? Lisa is about to give birth and she would like you to be present."

Maria stood and followed the nurse. The rest of us sat down and tried to pass the time. Maria came out about 45 minutes later beaming. She walked up and said, "There were a few complications and they ended up doing a Caesarean. Lisa and Alex have a little girl and they've called her Amelia Rose. Amy for short."

Everyone clapped and then the nurse joined us. She said, "Lisa is going to be out of it for a little while but you are all welcome to go and see the newest Manoso. Alex is already with him at the nursery. He's a few weeks early so he has to be kept in the NICU for a few days just to make sure that she's healthy and her lungs are fully formed. Follow me and I'll take you to them."

Ricardo helped his mother to her feet and then the rest of us followed them and the nurse. We stopped in front of the nursery and saw Alex holding his baby daughter. He carried her out to the hall and first lets Rosa hold her great-granddaughter. Rosa looks into Amy's face and says something in Spanish. She then passes the baby very gently over to Ricardo. He looks at his granddaughter and kisses her forehead. Amy is passed around the rest of the aunts.

Finally, it was Carlos' turn. He looked very awkward and scared when Celia placed Amy in his arms. As soon as she was resting, she turned her little face up at Carlos. He took one look at his niece and melted. Everyone in the room witnessed his reaction and it would be used to tease him at opportune moments in the future.

I was standing to the side and happily watching the Manoso family greet their newest member. When Carlos reluctantly handed the baby back to Alex, he looked my way and held out his arms. I wasn't sure what to do. I'd never held a baby in my life. My friends did loads of babysitting growing up but I avoided it at all costs. I didn't want to be rude so I allowed Alex to place Amy in my arms.

He adjusted my arms and then stood back so I could meet his daughter. She was a very sweet baby. Maria came over to stand beside me and whispered, "Are you OK dear?"

I nodded and said, "I was terrified when Alex first handed her to me. I've never held a baby before."

Maria smiled and said, "You could have fooled me. You look like a natural."

I looked around the room and saw that all eyes were on me. I laughed and said, "Don't get your hopes up. I think I'm a bit young for one of these. Besides, I want help to raise a child. Carlos will be who knows where for the next few years and I don't want him to miss out on things like that. We have plenty of time to worry about babies in the future."

Carlos came over and kissed my forehead and said, "Well said, Babe."

I smiled at Carlos and then handed Amy to Maria. Once my arms were free, I wrapped them around Carlos and said, "I mean that Carlos. If we are to have children someday, I want you there with me, every step of the way."

"That works for me Babe."

At least it was a happy detour. More to follow next week.