Chapter 19

Later that afternoon, I went to Zach's to help him pack. He had already gotten a lot done the night before, and I felt a twinge of guilt that I was out on a shitty date when I could have been helping him and most definitely having a better time. Ugh, my head was such a mess.

Zach had organized things pretty well, so I just went where he pointed me. We were in his bedroom packing important papers when I came across a copy of a will on top of the power of attorney paperwork. It was jarring to see, especially when I saw his sister's name on the will. Then I remembered him telling me a while back that Allie had named him Cody's guardian if something happened to her.

I held up the papers. "Zach? Do you want these put in a special folder or something?"

Zach looked over at me from his closet, where he was pulling boxes off the top shelf. "Oh wow. Yeah. I think I have one of those plastic file folders in the living room where I keep my music."

I went into the living room and searched near Zach's keyboard for his music. I found the folders full of sheet music underneath the stacks of music books. Way at the bottom was an empty blue plastic folder with a clasp. "Found one," I said in triumph.

"Thanks," he called back from the bedroom. I went back and put the important papers in the folder and put them in the box with his other important papers. I'd just pulled over another box to pack when my phone vibrated with a call. I thought for a second it was my mother calling to complain about me not being there, but it was my cousin, Raphael. I looked at the time and realized it was early evening. "Uh-oh," I murmured as I answered the phone. "Hey, Raphael. What's up?"

There was a brief pause, and Raphael blew out a long breath. "So, we went to your parents' house for dessert."

"Okay," I replied, drawing out the word. "What happened? You sound like something happened."

"Evan and I were going to go by ourselves, but my parents decided to go with us because Luis and Elena were both at their respective in-laws' places this year." He paused to allow me to absorb that information.

I went over to sit on Zach's bed. "This sounds like it got complicated," I said cautiously.

"It didn't start out that way," he replied. "We even called ahead to make sure it was okay for us to stop by."

"What happened?" I asked again. I must have been loud because Zach turned to me with a questioning expression. I covered the speaker and said quietly, "My cousin, Raphael." To my cousin, I said, "Raphael, Zach is here, so I'm going to put this on speaker if that's okay with you."

"That's fine," he replied. "Evan wants to tell the story anyway because he says I'm too lawyerly. That's code for I'm not dramatic enough."

"Hush you," Evan said. "We got there just as dessert was being served. And damn, your mama makes great desserts."

"I know," I murmured. I scooted over so Zach could sit beside me.

"Anyway," Evan continued, "when we walked in, Carlos was drunkenly pontificating about something. Your sister looked embarrassed. She was also busy trying to corral your niece and nephew."

"Asshole," I muttered. I hastily added, "Carlos, not you."

"I figured," Evan said dryly.

"Your mother hurried over to greet us and Raphael's dad gave Carlos this epic side eye that shut him right up."

I heard Raphael say, "You're lucky if it's never aimed at you."

I'd seen Uncle Mateo give his side eye to Raphael a time or two. It had definitely stopped him in his tracks. "Okay, you're killing me here. What happened next?"

"So impatient," Evan murmured.

"Yes, I am."

"Anyway," he said, elongating the word, "we all sat down to dessert. Raphael and I took turns with the kids so Isabella could enjoy hers. Carlos kept glowering at us, and I knew he wanted to say something about us holding his kids."

"Tell them what you were wearing," Raphael said with humor in his voice.

"Hey, I was very nicely dressed," Evan protested.

"You looked wonderful, my love," Raphael soothed.

"Okay," I interrupted. "What were you wearing that clearly got under Carlos's skin?"

"A white suit with a pink dress shirt," Evan replied. "Oh, and a touch of eyeliner and mascara."

"I made him leave the feather boa at home," Raphael quipped. "In deference to the holiday."

I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing. "Oh my god. After all the hand-wringing about me wearing makeup, you sashay in there with all the gay. That must have been epic. I wish I could have been there."

"What did Carlos do?" Zach asked. "The way you were talking, something bad happened."

"Give the man a gold star," Evan said. He sighed. "In addition to all my gorgeous gayness, he apparently didn't like the amount of melanin I have in my skin."

"Oh shit," Zach murmured.

"Yeah," Evan said. "He muttered something near me in Spanish when no one else was around, assuming I wouldn't know what he was saying."

I dropped my head and let out an exasperated breath. "Seriously?"

"Yep," Raphael commented.

Zach looked confused. "Fill me in? I'm lost."

"Sorry, darling," Evan said. "My father is Jamaican. My mother is from Ghana. I've been multilingual practically from birth. I speak four languages, and one of them is Spanish because my best friend in kindergarten was a Spanish speaker, and I wanted to talk to him."

"What did you do?" I asked.

"I asked him to repeat himself," Evan said. "He thought he was being cute and repeated what he said very slowly, in Spanish."

I heard Raphael chuckle. "Evan fired back in rapid Spanish and verbally flayed the man. It was a thing of beauty to behold."

"How did my parents react?"

"They were shocked that Carlos would insult a guest like that," Raphael replied. "I guess he'd always played nicey-nice in front of them. He showed his true colors today."

"But there's more, isn't there," I said.

Raphael sighed. "Carlos didn't take it well. He started yelling and saying how we shouldn't be allowed near children and that Raphael's parents should be ashamed for having a gay son. Of course those weren't the words he used, and my father laid into him hard."

"Oh god," I said faintly. "I'm so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen."

"It's not your fault," Evan said. "We wanted to help. I think we did help reveal Carlos for what he is. Took the shine right off him."

"I am worried about Isabella though," Raphael said. "Carlos was so angry, he started yelling at her and the kids. He tried to leave even though he was clearly too inebriated to drive. I threatened to call the police if he got behind the wheel. Your mother sent Isabella and the kids upstairs. My father and Uncle Eduardo managed to calm Carlos and get his car keys from him." Raphael sighed. "But then he left anyway. He got a rideshare and took off."

"Damn it! I hate that man!" I squeezed my eyes shut to force back the tears that rose in my worry for my sister.

I felt Zach's hand cover mine. He leaned close and said, "Just tell me how I can help. I'll do whatever you need me to do."

"Thank you," I said quietly to Zach. "So, what now?" I asked Raphael.

"I don't know," he replied. "Isabella is staying with your parents. Your mother insisted. The kids were scared and crying, so I don't think Isabella argued with her."

I rubbed my eyes to get out the sting from wanting to cry. "Those poor babies."

"They're safe," Raphael said. "Your parents aren't going to let anything happen to them or Isabella."

"I know," I replied. "I just hope she doesn't go back to him."

"All we can do is support her, no matter what," Raphael said.

I blew out a sigh. "Yeah, I know. Thanks for calling to let me know. I appreciate it."

After they hung up, Zach lifted his arm so I could lean against him. He wrapped his big arm around me and just held me. "What's going on in that head of yours?" he asked.

"I can't help thinking this is my fault. If I had just gone along with what they wanted, it never would have happened."

Zach turned a little to look at me straight on. "Do you really believe Carlos wouldn't have shown his ass at some point, whether or not you stopped wearing makeup? You know as well as I do that it would have been something else after that. He'd have kept moving the goalposts. There's no winning with someone like him."

"I know you're right," I said, feeling myself choke up. "I just feel so bad for Isabella. This isn't what she signed up for. And Diego and Sofia are just babies. It's so unfair."

Zach's arm tightened around me. "Yeah, it is. But I'll be here for you. And for your sister if she needs it."

"Thanks, Zach. You're the best."