"You're in a foul mood, this morning," said EZ as the prepared all their things at the clubhouse for their trip to Arizona.
"You blame me?"
"Why don't you just go talk to her?"
"I did that and look where it got me," replied angrily Angel.
"So, go apologize. We're going to be gone for two days, you need to be focused on the mission, not her."
"Easy for you to say, considering all you think about is Emily."
"I'm not going to Emily and rehashing the good old day and how we fucked up our relationship. Nor am I putting any blame on anyone."
"Because you were to blame. You were sent to prison," stated Angel.
"And yet she's never pointed a finger. Things are never just black or white, Angel. Think about what you're responsible for instead of putting all the blame on her."
"What are you two talking about?" asked Coco as he arrived to take care of his things.
"Isabella," replied EZ.
Seeing Angel's nasty look at him, EZ shrugged. "Come on, you made a scene in front of the entire club, it's no secret."
"I saw her last night," said Coco out of nowhere as if it was normal information.
"Where?"
"She was at the school playground."
"Alone?" asked Angel suddenly worried.
"Nah. That's the thing, she wasn't alone."
EZ and Angel exchanged puzzled glances at his retort.
"She was with Jefe."
"Bishop?" said Angel narrowing his eyes. "What were they doing?"
"I don't know. It looked as if they were just talking."
Coco walked away and Angel eyed EZ. "Why would Bishop be with Bella? She was supposed to be going home."
"Maybe they just ended up running into each other."
"I saw Isabella alone on the playground as I was going home."
Both turned upon hearing Bishop's voice behind them.
"I stopped to make sure she was OK and safe. We talked a few minutes then she went home."
"She was, OK?" asked Angel.
"Yeah," replied Bishop. "Seemed as though she needed some time to herself before heading home."
"Thanks for doing that," said Angel.
"Alright, so guys be careful out there. Keep your ears and eyes open and look out for one another. Taza has all the details for the drop-off. A room was booked for you at the casino, I don't want you driving back in the middle of the night."
"Thanks," replied EZ.
"Yeah, now get out of here and head over to the dress factory, Galindo is waiting for you."
"So much for me having time to talk to Bella," said Angel as they walked over to their bikes.
"Look, I'm sure it will take a bit of time to pack up the goods. I'll cover for you, go talk to her," replied EZ.
"You sure?"
"Yeah. Just don't mess it up this time."
"I can't promise that it's me we're talking about," said Angel as he put on his helmet.
When they passed at the intersection that led to Maggie's house, he turned into the street while the others kept going.
He rang the doorbell and waited as he shifted from one foot to the other.
"Hey Samuel," he said when he opened the door. "Is your mom home?"
"Yeah, she's out back. But keep it quiet, abuela is sleeping."
"OK," he said whispering back to Samuel as he walked inside the house.
As Samuel headed upstairs, Angel walked quietly through the house and let himself outside. Bella was sitting on a garden chair, smoking a cigarette.
"Bella?" he said as he neared her.
She turned and looked at him and if the simple fact that she was smoking, thing he knew she only did when she was worried, or at least when they were younger, her eyes were red.
"Is everything OK?" he asked as he went around her chair and squatted in front of her.
"Mama had her oncology appointment early afternoon, and the cancer has gotten more aggressive. At least that's what her latest tests and imaging shows" she said.
He placed his hands on her thighs. "She's strong, she'll fight it."
"I don't know, Angel. She's already so tired and now she's going to have chemo before the surgery as well."
She put out the cigarette and placed it in a makeshift ashtray before standing, forcing Angel to remove his hands and do the same.
"I can't lose her too, Angel. Not now, not like this."
He placed his hands on her cheeks and wiped away the tears. "I know. I could tell you it won't happen, but it would be a lie."
"I'm not even sure I can be strong for her. I'm a mess, just look at me."
"You don't need to do this on your own. Lean on me. Let me help you get through this," he said as he placed his forehead against hers and stared into her eyes.
"Angel…"
"Look, I'm sorry, it was wrong of me to ambush you and talk about what happened between us like I did. I'm just trying to make sense of all these feelings that are resurfacing."
"And you think I don't feel the same way? I loved you."
"And I loved you," he replied. "I need to go to Arizona for a couple of days, but I'll come by when I'm back."
She nodded when he pulled back before walking away.
"You're late," said Miguel when Angel walked inside.
"Sorry, forgot my phone at home," he answered as he shot a glance at EZ who was helping pack the drug packs in the dresses.
"Get to work, you need to be on the road in thirty minutes," added Miguel.
"On it," said Angel as he walked over to the table and helped EZ.
"How did it go?" whispered EZ when he knew no one was withing earshot.
"Okay, I guess. She was a wreck, man. They got bad news about Maggie's condition. But I apologized."
"Good. Maybe being gone for a few days will do both of you good."
"Yeah," replied Angel hopeful. He hadn't been lying when he had told her that all he was having a hard time dealing with his feelings for her. He had been with other women since her, but he had never felt the love he had for her with anyone else. He knew that love, he had tucked away deep inside him all these years, was resurfacing and he wasn't sure he would be able to ignore it.
"Hola Senor Ortega," said Isabella as she entered the pharmacy.
"Hola Bella," he replied from behind the counter.
She handed him a piece of paper. "This is mama's prescription."
He looked at it and frowned. "Ah, Bella I don't have any more in stock."
"How long before you can get some?"
"Maybe a day or two. But if you want there is another pharmacy forty minutes away in Las Madrinelas, they might have some. You want me to call them, and see?"
"Would you mind? The sooner she starts taking this the better."
"No worries, I'll be right back," he said disappearing in the back of the pharmacy.
She looked around the different array of beauty products on a nearby shelf as she waited patiently.
"You're in luck," he said coming back with the prescription. "They still have some in stock. I asked them to put aside for you." He then looked at his watch. "They close in an hour so you should be able to get there before they do."
"Thanks, I appreciate it."
"Tell Maggie she'll be in my prayers," he said handing the prescription back to her.
She nodded. "I'll tell her. Thank you." It was no surprise, being a pharmacist that there weren't too many reasons why Maggie needed that medication.
