Angel walked returned to the bar area to see that Isabella was gone. He walked out onto the porch and searched the courtyard. He saw her eating at a table with Bishop and the others. Even if he was a tad disappointed that she hadn't waited for him, he was glad to see that she was fitting in. He walked over to the grill and served himself a plate before joining them, sitting across from her.

For the remainder of the evening, they talked and partied, making Isabella remember all the times she had had fun with the others from Santo Padre growing up. Everything was different here than any place else she had been. A lot of times, everything was more upscale, here it was casual, and no one looked at you if you were a bit too loud or enjoying yourself too much. It was simple, easy, and everyone could be who they truly were. As Bishop had said, it didn't matter where you came from or the kind of life you'd had before, you were accepted, no questions asked.

"Hey mom," said Samuel running up to her. "EZ wants to take me for a ride on his bike. Can I go?"

"I'll be careful," said EZ to her. "He'll have a helmet and I won't drive fast. I can also bring him back to Maggie's."

She wasn't a protective kind of mother when it came to Samuel. She knew how hard the world could be and she had never hidden its atrocities from him. Sooner rather than later, he'd be alone in that world, and she'd have to trust that she had raised him right. "You're sure it's no trouble to bring him back? I'll be heading back soon."

"Nah."

"Ok, but not too late."

"Thanks mom, you're the best." He then turned to Bishop. "Thank you for having us, I had a great time."

"Anytime kid," he answered genuinely.

They watched as he and EZ headed for the bikes. "He's a good kid," said Bishop.

"I'd like to hope that I brought him up right."

"Seems that way to me."

Bishop spotted Alvarez come into the courtyard. "I have some business to tend to. It was pleasure, Isabella."

"Of course. It was a pleasure as well. Thank you for your hospitality."

"I'm sure we'll see each other around."

She nodded and watched as he stood, joined another man, and walked into the clubhouse.

Angel stood and walked around the table, placing himself in Bishop's spot. "Sorry about that. I didn't expect it to last that long. Far from me to leave you at Bishop's mercy."

"Don't worry about it. He was nice."

"Are you having a good time?"

"Actually, I am. I'm not saying I was worried, but I didn't really know what to expect."

"And?"

"Well," she said laughing, "it's just an adult version of a college fraternity or the group we used to hang out with in high school."

"You want to go for a walk before heading back?"

She nodded and both stood under the interested eyes of Taza and Riz.

"How long are you going to stay?"

"It's all going to depend on Mama's treatment and post-surgery care. I think it will be maybe a year, at least that's what I told my boss."

"And they're cool with you being away that long."

"I'm not on vacation, Angel. I'll be working just doing it remotely. I may need to travel a couple of times. I'm just hoping that it's not too long or too close to any of her chemo sessions or surgery."

"You know, you can count on me to help you. We can all help her."

"Thanks, but it wouldn't sit right with me."

"Why?"

"Because that's my job. That's how we were raised. Your parents take care of you and when it's their turn, you help them. It's the least that we can do for them after all the sacrifices they made."

Angel knew it was the truth. It was embedded deeply in Mexican traditions. Hence why a lot of families lived with grandparents, parents, and kids in the same home.

"I didn't ask what you do?"

"I'm a public relations specialist for a big financial company specialized in international investment. I handle all the communication toward the clients and external entities, like politicians, country organizations and law firms. I also manage the flow of communication with the media."

"You always loved to write," said Angel reminiscing. "I guess it doesn't surprise me much, you did write for the school paper."

"Parents didn't always like the subjects or opinions I expressed in my articles."

"Maybe, but they were pertinent." He racked his brain. "If I remember, the one about placing condom distributors in the girl's and boy's restroom was the one that gave you the most heat."

"Ah, one of my best works," she said laughing whole-heartedly. "You know, it's crazy to think we are more than twenty years later, and that subject is still taboo in most schools."

"Still, you stood by your opinions which were shared by most of us. I mean there was only one farmacia in all of Santo Padre and most of us were not always bold enough to buy a box of condoms from Mr. Ortega."

"You didn't care."

"I did but never showed it."

"Remember how you provided EZ with a box when he started dating Emily."

"Of course, I do. If EZ had waited for my Pops to buy him some, he'd be a dad by now."

"Do you know where Emily is?"

"She's still in the area," said Angel, not really wanting to bring up too much detail. "She's married and has a baby boy. We don't see much of her anymore."

"I guess we've all moved on."

"You and Emily moved on," replied Angel as he stopped walking, forcing her to do the same. "EZ and I didn't."

"Angel…"

She had dreaded this moment ever since she had set eyes on him, yet she had hoped it wouldn't come up so soon.

"It's true. You left and you never came back, Chabela."

She stared at him. Him calling her Bella was one thing, but Chabela, the nickname he used when they were together was too much.

"I didn't come here to talk about what happened back then," she said as she turned around and started to walk back toward the club.

He sighed and looked up at the starry sky. "Ah, shit!"

As Isabella reached the gates of the club, he caught up to her. "Bella, I'm sorry."

A few guys turned their attention to them, including Bishop who was back in his seat beer bottle in hand.

"Angel, I have enough things to worry about than you springing this on me. Don't make me out to be the bad one in that relationship."

"You left!"

"Yes, and you know why. I told you to come with me, but you refused to."

"My whole life was here."

"And I was a part of that life, remember. All that talk about being together and raising a family was all but a lie."

"No, we could have had all of that right here."

"You knew I needed to get away from here. You should have chosen me."

He stood flabbergasted as if her last words were an invisible slap to the face.

She put her hands up. "You know what. I can't do this." She fumbled in her jean pocket for her car keys and then headed for her car parked up a bit further than the club gate alongside the curb.

EZ's bike stopped next to the car as she reached it. "I dropped Samuel off."

"Thanks, EZ. I need to go," she said throwing one last pained look toward Angel. "Goodnight."

EZ nodded and drove up to Angel. "What was that all about?"

"Me. And my legendary way of fucking everything up."

"You're not even going to ask me what I did?" he asked seeing EZ unfazed by his previous statement.

"Nah, I have a good idea of what you did, I know you. If you ask me, not the time or the place to do what I told you to do."