It was a damn good thing he hadn’t been drinking, because he would have spewed liquid all over the dashboard. Of all the ways to describe the news,greatwasn’t anywhere on his list. After a shell-shocked moment or two, he scrambled to find his voice. “Are you sure you want to travel during the holidays? The airports will be a mess.”
“I know; that’s why we’re driving.”
“We?” His stomach dropped. This was getting worse by the second. “Who’s we?”
“Stephanie and Sadie are coming along.” Her voice bubbled with excitement at the mention of Pinto’s sister and her seven-year-old daughter. “I’m taking them to Disney Land!”
He almost corrected her about which Disney theme park was located in Orlando but held his tongue because it would only piss her off. “The parks are going to be even worse than the airports. Maybe you should wait until spring.”
“Nonsense, it’ll be fine. Disney’s always busy, so what does it matter? At least this way the weather will be nice, and we’ll get to see the place all decked out for Christmas.”
It felt as if the walls were closing in, but he wasn’t quite ready to throw in the towel. “Won’t you miss seeing the rest of the family over the holidays?”
“I’ll see them as soon as we’re back. This Christmas, I want to see my son.”
The tone in her voice made it perfectly clear that there’d be no talking her out of this.
Resigned to his fate, Pinto slumped against his seat. For better or for worse, he loved his family, though he preferred to express that love from a comfortable distance. Living in Florida provided a buffer against the family drama, the stupid fights over petty bullshit, and his mother’s not-so-subtle pressure for him to marry a “nice Italian girl” who’d be open to giving her tons of grandkids.
To this day, and despite the circumstances, his mother hadn’t forgiven him for breaking up with Gina. A large part of that was on him. He should have known better than to get involved with the daughter of a longtime family friend. But he’d been young, dumb, and recklessly in love, too blind to see the warning signs flashing right in front of his face. And now that he understood the error of his ways, he’d never make the same mistake again.
“Where are you planning to stay?” He hoped to God the answer wasn’t his one-bedroom apartment. Worst-case scenario, two of them could sleep in his bed while the other crashed on the couch, but he wasn’t thrilled with the prospect of bunking on the floor for the duration of their visit. Not to mention, he didn’t want to even think about the logistics of sharing a single bathroom with three females. Knowing them, he’d have to drive to Walmart every time he needed to take a leak.
“We booked a hotel near the parks,” she replied, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
Okay, he could handle that. He’d work during the day while they enjoyed the parks, and then he could drive out to visit them over dinner. And on Christmas Day, they could come to his place, which meant he should probably buy a tree…and ornaments. And a few gifts. To save on postage, he normally emailed gift cards, but if they were driving down to visit, the least he could do was drag his ass to the store and put more thought into their presents.
It looked as if his to-do list just got a whole lot longer.
“When are you coming?” he asked, wishing he hadn’t tossed his medical bag into the trunk. The way his stomach was churning, he could use an antacid or two.
“We’re leaving Sunday morning after church. North Carolina is the halfway point, so we’ll stay the night there and make it to Orlando the next day.”
“Sounds great.” He started his car. As soon as he got home, he planned to call his sister Stephanie to get the scoop on why his mother was so insistent on visiting him. “Call me when you’re all settled in, and we’ll make plans from there.”
Chapter 4
Moviedayswerethebest, especially during the week before a holiday break when the students were one step from climbing the walls and their attention spans were shorter than a Chihuahua that chugged a can of Red Bull. The only challenge was finding a movie that would hold their interest while teaching them a thing or two about science.
Today’s selection, one of Fiona’s personal favorites, focused on the women who worked behind the scenes at NASA during the height of the Space Race. Judging by how well the kids paid attention, the movie had been a hit. She’d find out for sure tomorrow after they watched the final installment and had a discussion on several of the movie’s key points.
With the workday over, Fiona headed for home, her briefcase much lighter than usual because the only papers inside were from recently turned-in past due assignments. She parked in front of her building, ignoring the tug of disappointment when she didn’t see Joe’s car in the lot. On the bright side, she didn’t see Dennis’s car either. She counted that as a win.
As she climbed the stairs, she felt a sense of déjà vu when she found Liz waiting at her door. Today her friend wore a shiny blue blouse over skin-tight jeans and black leather boots with heels that could double as murder weapons. No wine this time—the half-full bottle from yesterday was in the refrigerator—but she carried a small, brightly colored gift bag, which she handed to Fiona.
“What’s the occasion?” Fiona slid her key into the lock. She hoped Liz wasn’t giving her an early Christmas present, because the gift she’d ordered online a few weeks ago hadn’t arrived yet.
“No occasion. I just wanted to give your place a little holiday cheer.”
Fiona inwardly cringed as she entered her apartment. Wanda lounged on the recliner, her tail flicking in acknowledgment of their arrival. Fiona lightly stroked the cat’s fur as she passed and set her school bag in its usual spot.
Buying Christmas decorations was on her list, but things had been so hectic at school she simply hadn’t had time to go anywhere beside the gas station and grocery store. Not to mention, her finances were tight. Nobody went into teaching for the money. It was going to be a few more days until her paycheck landed in her checking account and she’d have a little breathing room for anything aside from basic necessities.
And, to be honest, she wasn’t in much of a mood for celebrating. Overall, it hadn’t been a good year. Her love life had taken a dive, she barely earned enough to pay the bills, and her car was making a noise that would likely put skid marks on her credit card. Hopefully, next year she’d feel less like Scrooge and more like her usual Christmas-loving self.
“I’m usually not this Grinchy about the holidays,” Fiona said.
“I know.” Liz’s heels clicked against the tiles on her way to the fridge. “It’s not your fault your ex is a douche. Now open your present while I pour the wine.”
