with Olivia than I've been told."
I knew it.
"I'm so sorry." I really was. The memory of Kyle's brief stint in jail for something he didn't do still lingered in my mind. "Anything I can do to help?" Parenthood is a forever mission.
"Yes, wait for me. My friend Bonnie Fisher was able to locate an Austrian lawyer through her legal practice. He can help expedite the matter with the passport. As soon as that's done, I intend to put Olivia on a flight to the States, then I'll get into my rented car and come to visit you, wherever you are, if you let me."
I found myself speechless again. He sounded so…eager to please me. "Larry, our cell phones don't always work here. You may want to get yourself a cell phone when you get to Innsbruck so we can talk."
"I will. Good to know."
While he didn't seem to want to hang up, he also seemed hesitant to speak, as if he didn't want to say something wrong. This was not the Larry I knew.
"How old is Olivia now?" I asked.
"Twenty-three. The European trip was her present for her twenty-first birthday. It sounded like a good idea at the time. Started out with a college group and a chaperon. When the rest of the group returned home, Olivia said she was staying behind with her best friend from school. In the last twenty-four hours I learned that was a lie. The girlfriend returned to Florida at the end of summer, just as originally planned. My daughter has been wandering around Europe on her own for two years. I feel like her mother had to know all this." His voice was strained, anger and outrage audible. Whoa! And all this time I thought he was busy making love to Olivia's mom. "I'm going to be talking to the girlfriend and her parents."
There wasn't much to say, less to do at that point. "I'm so sorry. I wish I could do something. I can only sit here and wait for Kyle. I know it sounds silly, but I feel like…a stranger in my own country. And I'm not about to drive in Italy, no way. You wait. I don't know about Austrians' driving habits, but wait until you see how Italians act behind the wheel. They are, like, possessed. I refuse to drive, period."
"So it's okay if I show up at your door? You are the only reason I would be driving on Italian streets."
I swallowed before answering, not wanting him to hear all that emotion pent up in my voice. "Of course it's okay, but at the moment I don't know where I'll be." I tried to offer some emotional support to his problem. It had to be hurting him terribly. "Don't be too pessimistic. Maybe Olivia had a good reason to stay in Europe. Give her a chance to explain before you pass judgment."
Good advice. Too bad I hadn't been able to follow it myself.
CHAPTER NINE
"Mom? Mom?" Kyle's voice.
I must have dozed off. Damn jet lag. "Come in. The door is open." Still holding the cell phone against my chest. God! I rubbed my eyes and straightened out the clothes I'd slept in, trying to look dignified.
"Mom!" Kyle hugged me so hard he nearly lifted me off the bed. Oh, how I missed his hugs and enthusiasm. "Let me look at you. I'm so happy to see you."
I choked up. "Hey, that's my line." It was my turn to look at him. While he didn't appear older, he did seem more mature. Couldn't be. He'd only been gone ten months. "You look…different."
"Of course I do. I've been Italianized. You like that word? Sounds so important, doesn't it?" He laughed. "Seriously, though, I need to find out what's going on with Cruz before we go to dinner. You hungry? You want to wait here while I talk to Augusta? Or you can go with me. Your choice."
"I'll join you. Can I have a minute to comb my hair?" I couldn't get enough of looking at him, all grown up, tanned, sophisticated, and so handsome. My little boy.
"Sure, go ahead. I'll go check out Cruz's room."
Good luck with that.
I turned the faucet to a trickle and pretended to wash up while keeping an ear out for the bedroom inspection.
"What the fuck?"
Dear God, I'd never heard my son use the f-word before.
I knew it.
"I'm so sorry." I really was. The memory of Kyle's brief stint in jail for something he didn't do still lingered in my mind. "Anything I can do to help?" Parenthood is a forever mission.
"Yes, wait for me. My friend Bonnie Fisher was able to locate an Austrian lawyer through her legal practice. He can help expedite the matter with the passport. As soon as that's done, I intend to put Olivia on a flight to the States, then I'll get into my rented car and come to visit you, wherever you are, if you let me."
I found myself speechless again. He sounded so…eager to please me. "Larry, our cell phones don't always work here. You may want to get yourself a cell phone when you get to Innsbruck so we can talk."
"I will. Good to know."
While he didn't seem to want to hang up, he also seemed hesitant to speak, as if he didn't want to say something wrong. This was not the Larry I knew.
"How old is Olivia now?" I asked.
"Twenty-three. The European trip was her present for her twenty-first birthday. It sounded like a good idea at the time. Started out with a college group and a chaperon. When the rest of the group returned home, Olivia said she was staying behind with her best friend from school. In the last twenty-four hours I learned that was a lie. The girlfriend returned to Florida at the end of summer, just as originally planned. My daughter has been wandering around Europe on her own for two years. I feel like her mother had to know all this." His voice was strained, anger and outrage audible. Whoa! And all this time I thought he was busy making love to Olivia's mom. "I'm going to be talking to the girlfriend and her parents."
There wasn't much to say, less to do at that point. "I'm so sorry. I wish I could do something. I can only sit here and wait for Kyle. I know it sounds silly, but I feel like…a stranger in my own country. And I'm not about to drive in Italy, no way. You wait. I don't know about Austrians' driving habits, but wait until you see how Italians act behind the wheel. They are, like, possessed. I refuse to drive, period."
"So it's okay if I show up at your door? You are the only reason I would be driving on Italian streets."
I swallowed before answering, not wanting him to hear all that emotion pent up in my voice. "Of course it's okay, but at the moment I don't know where I'll be." I tried to offer some emotional support to his problem. It had to be hurting him terribly. "Don't be too pessimistic. Maybe Olivia had a good reason to stay in Europe. Give her a chance to explain before you pass judgment."
Good advice. Too bad I hadn't been able to follow it myself.
CHAPTER NINE
"Mom? Mom?" Kyle's voice.
I must have dozed off. Damn jet lag. "Come in. The door is open." Still holding the cell phone against my chest. God! I rubbed my eyes and straightened out the clothes I'd slept in, trying to look dignified.
"Mom!" Kyle hugged me so hard he nearly lifted me off the bed. Oh, how I missed his hugs and enthusiasm. "Let me look at you. I'm so happy to see you."
I choked up. "Hey, that's my line." It was my turn to look at him. While he didn't appear older, he did seem more mature. Couldn't be. He'd only been gone ten months. "You look…different."
"Of course I do. I've been Italianized. You like that word? Sounds so important, doesn't it?" He laughed. "Seriously, though, I need to find out what's going on with Cruz before we go to dinner. You hungry? You want to wait here while I talk to Augusta? Or you can go with me. Your choice."
"I'll join you. Can I have a minute to comb my hair?" I couldn't get enough of looking at him, all grown up, tanned, sophisticated, and so handsome. My little boy.
"Sure, go ahead. I'll go check out Cruz's room."
Good luck with that.
I turned the faucet to a trickle and pretended to wash up while keeping an ear out for the bedroom inspection.
"What the fuck?"
Dear God, I'd never heard my son use the f-word before.
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