When You Least Expect It (41 page)

             
“Fine, but I’m coming with you!”

             
Amanda laughed.  “No. You’re not.”

             
Blossom sighed. “What are you going to tell the family?”

             
Amanda guffawed, “Nothing.  They don’t need to know.”

Blossom choked on her own spit.  “What?  Oh yes you are telling them, Missy!  You’re not going to let me be the only one in our family to know that you’re going on this crazy trip! Mandy, you’re being immature and irresponsible all rolled into one! Why can’t he go to El Paso?”

              “Because you have freaked me out so much about Ray being an axe murderer, that I’m afraid to bring him around my kids; just in case.  But, in my heart of hearts, I don’t believe that.  I promise to tell the family when I get back, and I’ll call you from there.  Just trust me, Blossom, please!”  Amanda was so tired of asking people to trust her.  Why is it people just didn’t?

             
Blossom conceded.  “Fine.  But, I’m going to hunt you down and kill you if things get out of hand over there in Maine.  You’ll get no sympathy from me, and you better believe you’ll call me, everyday at a designated time, and if you’re late, I’m calling the family.  I want his phone number, too, just in case!”

             
Amanda wished she could come through the phone and smack Blossom.  She was being so damned unreasonable.  “Fine.”

             
“Good.  Now I’m going to go find my hidden chocolate supply.  You have stressed me out to no end.  Call me before you go.”

             
Amanda clicked off without hanging up the phone.  She was still angry; where did the people in her life get off thinking they could dictate her every move?  She dialed Kara’s phone number, dreading it.

             
“Hello?”

             
“Hey Kara, it’s me, Mandy.”

             
“Hey, stranger; long time no hear from.  How are you?

             
“I’m fine.  How are you doing?”

             
Kara went on about her husband, job and girls.  They hadn’t spoken in a while; they had some serious catching up to do.  Amanda caught her up on her life, and the kids, and finally, her love life.

             
“So hey, do you ever hear from Mr. Wonderful?”

             
“As a matter of fact, yes, and that’s the reason I’m calling.”

             
“Why, are you getting married?”  Kara laughed.

             
“No, but I’m flying to Maine in three weeks to meet him.”

             
“Wow, that’s great Mandy!  I’m excited for you.”

             
There was a long moment of silence, but this time for a different reason.

             
“Mandy?”

             
“I’m sorry Kara. I’m just shocked at your response.  I was waiting for you to call me crazy, and Ray an axe murderer.”

             
“Why would I do that?  I trust you.  Yes, we’ve done some crazy things in our lifetime, but you wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize your life, or leaving your kids orphans.  If you feel this is right for you, then go for it.  I’m behind you all the way!”

             
Amanda was crying.  “Thanks Kara.  I love you for this.  You’re the only one who has actually been there for me, and has understood me.  I’ll call you when I get back from Portland.”

             
“Go get him, Mandy.  Good luck.”

             
Amanda was elated!  She felt so good knowing at least one person trusted her judgment.  Of course, Kara had done some crazy things in her own life, and she’d always supported her decisions.  She’d always just wanted her to be happy; and it looks like Kara just wanted that for her too. 

~~~

              Amanda finished making her enchiladas.  She put chicken in them with a sour cream and green chili sauce.  The kids both loved this dish, as did she.  Alex was going to be home for dinner for once, and she was happy to have both her kids home. 

             
Elisa arrived and she and Alex were in the living room talking.  Amanda didn’t want to interrupt, so she stayed in the kitchen finishing up dinner.  She had also opened a can of refried beans to go with the enchiladas.  She wished she could have been more like her mom who would have made them from scratch, but in today’s world, it seemed impossible. 

“Dinner’s ready when you guys are.”  She put the food on the table, looking forward to a real sit down dinner as a family.

              “Mom, this looks great.  I love when you cook.”  Alex sat down and served himself a huge portion.  He was in heaven.

             
“I love when you are actually home to cook for.  You know that’s rare.” 

             
“But Mom, you can still make it; I’ll eat it when I get home.”

             
“Whatever.  Then I get to clean up the mess the next morning.  Besides, you eat at work for free.”

             
“But it’s not this good.”

             
Elisa was wolfing down her own meal, listening to the interchange, wondering when her mother was going to bring up her trip. She did it for her.  “So Mom, don’t you have some big news to share?”

             
Amanda wanted to strangle Elisa.  She noticed that Alex had stopped eating.  “Well, since I have your attention now, I guess I do.  Alex, I told your sister yesterday that I was planning a trip to Maine.”

             
“Maine?  Where that Internet guy lives?”

             
Elisa piped up, noting the look on her brother’s face.  “She’s going to meet him, cool, huh?

             
He looked at his sister.  “Cool?  Are you nuts?  I always knew you hated Mom, but I didn’t think this much.  She doesn’t even know this guy, Elisa.  This is not cool at all.”

             
He turned to his mother.  “Why are you doing this?”

             
“Alex, I’ll be fine.  Elisa will stay here with you while I’m gone, and I’m only going to be gone a few days.  I’ll be back before you know it, and I’ll call you every day.”

             
Alex hated when his mom patronized him.  She treated him like a child.  Plus, why was he always the last to know everything?  “Mom, if I were the one doing something like this, you would come unglued.”

             
“Not if you were an adult, like I am.  I’ll be fine, and so will you.”

             
“I’m calling Ray tonight Alex.  I’m giving him the third degree.”

             
Alex looked at his sister.  “Okay, now that’s cool.  As long as you think this guy isn’t going to scam you Mom, I’m alright with it; sort of.”

             
Amanda hugged her son.  “Thanks Alex, I knew you would be.”
              They happily finished their meal, Amanda in heaven just having them both there, and happy to have gotten through telling them both about her plans.  The only thing left now was actually getting on the plane.

~~~

              Elisa was dialing Ray’s number.  She was looking forward to giving him a hard time.

             
“Hello?”

             
“Ray Knight?”

             
“Yes.”  Ray was surprised to hear a younger version of Amanda’s voice.  

             
“This is Elisa Herrez, daughter to Amanda.  My mother tells me she’s coming out to visit you, and I want to know some things about you.”

             
“Hi, Elisa.  I’m ready to answer all of your questions.  Shoot.”

             
“Do you or ever have, owned a hand gun or rifle?”

             
Ray stifled a laugh.  “No, ma’am.”

             
“Have you ever been arrested?”

             
“No.”

             
“Do you do drugs or drink excessively?”

             
“No.”

             
“Did you used to hit your wife?”

             
“Never.”

             
“Your kids?”

             
“No.”

             
“Have you lied to my mom about anything?”

             
“No, I’ve been pretty straightforward about everything.”

             
“Why did you leave your wife?  Did you cheat on her?”

             
Ray hesitated.  Did he really want to get into this with her?  He decided he had no choice.

             
“We didn’t love each other anymore.”

             
“How long were you married?”

             
“Eighteen years.”  Ray didn’t like this anymore.

             
“How do you leave someone after living with them for so long?”

             
“There was no love, no friendship, and no respect.  I was very unhappy, I needed to find myself again, and hopefully find someone I could be happy with.”

             
Elisa was silent for a moment.  “Do you plan on hurting my mother, either physically or emotionally?”

             
“No, Elisa I do not.  I’m not a psycho.  I’m not an axe murderer.  I just want to meet your mother and see how it goes.  I promise to send her home in the exact same condition she arrives in, and show her a good time while she’s here.”

             
“Will you be having safe sex?”

             
Ray was astounded that this little girl could ask him this so forthright.  “We haven’t really discussed it.”  He lied.

             
“Well, maybe you should.  Go out and buy protection just in case, because I don’t think my mom would be prepared or even think about it.”

             
Ray stifled a laugh.  “What kind?

             
Elisa didn’t skip a beat.  “The ribbed kind; lubricated.”

             
Ray could feel his body turn red from top to bottom.  “Thanks for the info Elisa. It has been very interesting talking to you.”

             
“No problem.  My mom says she’ll call you later.  We’re off to the movies.”

             
“Okay, thanks.  Good night.”

             
“Bye.”

             
Ray hung up feeling slightly bewildered.  Elisa was amazing.  He thought of the conversation he just had and shook his head.  He burst out laughing!  This was definitely going to be an interesting five days.

             
Amanda was staring at her daughter, with her mouth gaping open.  “Are you for real?  Why would you ask him about sex, and even worse about condoms?”

             
“I’m just protecting you, Mom.  It’s been a while since you’ve been out in the dating world; you have to use condoms now.”

             
Amanda was outraged.  “Excuse me, but if and when Ray and I have sex, I don’t want to know that my
daughter
gave him advice on our protection!”

             
“Well it’s too late now.  I just did.”  Elisa smiled at her smugly.  “I’m just watching out for you, Mom.”

             
“Elisa, I don’t want to know about Mom having sex.  Gross.  You, as usual, have gone too far.  Can we go to the movies now?”  Alex grabbed his hat and headed out to the car shaking his head.  Why do women act like that?  He quietly wished he had a brother.

             
Amanda just stared at her daughter, searching for the right words.  “You’ve had your fun now, so let’s go.  Today Alex is picking the movie.”

             
Elisa laughed.  “Whatever.  I’ve had my fun for the evening.”

             
She glared at her daughter.  “That’s good. Just so you know, I’m not having sex, so that conversation was for no reason.”

             
“Right, Mom.”  Her mother didn’t hear this, as she was stomping out to the car.  Elisa laughed out loud, her mom embarrassed so easily.

~~~

              Amanda lay in bed that night, rehashing her day.  Everyone who needed to know now knew that she was going to Maine.  Her kids had taken it relatively well; the conversation between Ray and Elisa had been benign for the most part.  She laughed out loud; she wished she could have seen the look on Ray’s face when Elisa asked him if they were going to have sex.  He must have turned green!  Blossom was okay with it; although Amanda was certain she was a nervous wreck. God forbid ‘the family’ find out.  Kara had been great and Mariah too.  So everything was set. The only thing left was the countdown to the date.  First, Ray would get divorced, and then they’d meet.  She said a little prayer that everything would go as planned before she drifted off to sleep.