Carmen interrupted her shouting, “CARLA! Shut up!!”

After Carmen’s outburst, Carla shut her mouth. Carmen continued, “If you have even an ounce of respect for my wife, Shane than you will let her speak her mind without interruption at all. Over the past couple of days, she has been to hell and back because of your husband and I’m sure she would be willing to explain why but you have to let her tell the whole story without interruption. Are we understood, me and you?” Carla nodded. Carmen took a deep breath and motioned for Carla and Shay to sit on the chairs. As they sat Carmen sat next to Shane comfortingly as Shane began to speak, “It all started after me and Gabe left to get a drink at the bar…”

***

A few minutes later, Carla and Shay looked at Shane with a mix of disbelief, shock, and sadness. Shane had just completed her story on how Gabe had left the bar with some random chick and gave Shane a horrible ultimatum on the wedding, which she now understood was totally untrue and now she was waiting for Carla and Shay’s reaction. She glanced between the two of them both, and suddenly noticed that her little brother, Shay, was completely silent throughout the story and even so when they had arrived so she asked, “Shay, are you gonna be okay with all this?”

Shay looked at Shane with sad, disappointed eyes as he replied, “I don’t know. I mean he’s never just left before, so I don’t know. I know that he left you and your mom and all, I guess I just didn’t expect him to be as willing to leave us like he did you and your mom because I guess I felt if I trusted him, he’d always be there for me. I just don’t know what to think of him, he’ll always be my father, but I am not sure if he’s ready to be my dad.”

Shane looked at her little brother with a look of understanding. She understood what he was going through better than anyone else ever could, and she hated Gabe even more for putting these people that he claimed he loved in pain and just leaving them behind. Just like he did with her and her mother.

Shane stood up and placed a hand on both Carla and Shay’s shoulder and said, “I know that this must be hard, but I want to let you know if you need anything I’m just a phone call away and I’d be more than willing to come up and visit you guys if that’s what you need or you guys can come visit us, whichever works for you. I will never leave you guys behind like Gabe did, I know that feeling all too well and I want you to know I am here for you guys.”

Carla, with tears in her eyes, hugged Shane deeply, and Shay joined in too, sniffling. When they broke apart, Shane glanced towards Carmen and smiled. Carmen smiled back, proudly. Shane then looked back to Carla and Shay and asked, “We were just on our way to breakfast, would you guys like to come?”

Carla looked down at Shay who nodded and she replied, “Sure. We’d love to.”

Carmen stood up and said, “Well then let’s get going.”

Shane, Carla and Shay followed suit as they all walked to the door, heading to a very interesting breakfast with Shane’s friends.