Chapter 11 #3
Mila rolled onto her side and was asleep in minutes.
Isla was thankful that her little girl was too young to understand any of what was happening. She fully expected many more probing questions from Theo, who was a deep thinker on a regular day. And this was most certainly not a regular day.
She sent a text to her friend Georgia, manager of the Whisky A Go Go. Hi there. Hope you’re doing well! I’m available to pick up a few shifts if you need any covered. Let me know when you can.
With Mrs. V willing to babysit any time and an extra bedroom at the rental so she could sleep over, Isla was determined to get back to work a few nights a week.
While it was nice to know there was money from her parents, she was under no illusions about being able to live off that forever.
She would have to find a way to support her little family long term, without Gabriel’s help.
It was becoming clear that he’d be unable to work for quite some time, if not forever.
Taking care of their children would be her responsibility going forward, and working at the bar was the best way to make as much money as possible in the shortest amount of time.
Thanks to the cushion she had from her parents, she could pay first, last and a damage deposit on a new apartment and buy the furniture and household items they’d need to get started.
But after that, she’d continue to live as if she didn’t have any extra money, so it’d be there in an emergency.
After losing her parents so young, followed by years of marriage to an often unpredictable man, she’d learned to prepare for all contingencies.
Thus, the hiding place in the apartment that’d quite possibly saved her and her children.
She was working her way through the worksheet of the assets—what few there were—and the long list of liabilities that Gabriel had run up on their credit cards when Georgia returned her text.
Nice to hear from you! Your timing is excellent. I had two girls quit this week. How soon can you start?
In a week or so? Not with the husband anymore (as of yesterday) and getting settled in the single-mom life.
Oh wow! That’s a lot with little ones. Let me know if I can help.
Thank you!! That means a lot. Sorry to need a little time before I start back to work.
No prob. It’s slower this time of year, but still better than most places. We’ve got new security, too, which is much better than when you were here last.
Great to hear. Sign me up for next weekend.
Fri, Sat & Sun?
Sure.
Done. See you soon, and good luck with everything.
Thank you so much!!!!!
What a relief to have work lined up. If she did three nights a week at the bar, she’d make enough to survive and be able to keep the kids out of daycare since she wouldn’t be working during the day. That was a huge relief. Daycare was hideously expensive.
She texted Denny next. Any news on Gabriel?
I’m waiting to hear back from the police.
To Mrs. V, she said, What’s happening there?
They took him away a couple of minutes ago. He was screaming the whole time that he hadn’t done anything, it was his house, and he had a right to be there. He wanted to know what they’d done with his wife and kids.
Isla’s reaction to hearing that was immediate and visceral. Thank God they hadn’t been there when he returned. She’d hoped that being arrested, held overnight and hit with a restraining order would’ve kept him away from anywhere she and the kids might be, but clearly, it’d had no effect.
Chilled to her bones by that understanding, she could barely breathe or think or do anything other than be afraid for their lives.
What if he found them? What would he do now that he felt cornered?
What would happen when he was served with divorce papers that contained her request for full custody of their kids?
The questions—and the fear—had her calling Julian, who’d made her feel safe and reassured with his calm competence.
Her call went to his voicemail, so she left a message. “Um, this is Isla. Santana. I’m so sorry to bother you. I know how busy you are. It’s just that my neighbor said Gabriel was screaming for his wife and kids when they took him away, and I just, well… Call me if you have a minute. Thank you.”
Trying to stay busy so she wouldn’t think about Gabriel being arrested again, she texted Mrs. V. So it looks like I can do three nights next weekend at work. How do you feel about spending the weekend together? Haha. Kids would be asleep before I leave.
She wrote back a few minutes later. I’d love to. How’s it going in the rental?
I love it here.
I’m so glad! I lived in LC as a young woman. It’s a wonderful neighborhood. Can’t wait to see you and the kids.
We can’t wait either.
The return of their old groove with each other made Isla realize how much she’d missed Mrs. V over the past couple of months.
That was just another temporary loss she could chalk up to Gabriel and his rages.
She thought of the lovely group of girlfriends she’d had once upon a time, each of whom had fallen off her radar as she’d focused on her kids and keeping them safe.
She composed a text to their group. Hi, girls, it’s me, your MIA friend who has no right to pop in out of the blue like this but is hoping you might still love her as she sticks her head out of the fog of dealing with a soon-to-be EX-husband.
I’ve missed you all, and I’m sorry for going dark.
It’s been a rough couple of years. Anyway…
If you haven’t forgotten about me, I’d love to see you, talk to you, catch up and hear what’s new with you.
I’m sorry for being a shit friend. I love you guys.
Isla read and reread the text that would go to the women who’d been her four closest friends once upon a time, before she married Gabriel and lost the rest of her life.
Now that she was out of the center of the storm, she could look back with a bit of perspective and see how it’d happened swiftly after they were married.
Suddenly, she was expected to spend all her time with him, to the exclusion of everyone else.
He’d gone no-contact with his family and expected her to do the same with her people so they could build a future of their own without anyone else’s influence.
Except… There was no way she would cut off Denny, and her insistence on keeping him close had infuriated Gabriel.
He’d despised Denny from the start, probably because her brother had seen through Gabriel’s bullshit, his big talk about always being on the verge of a career breakthrough and his lofty ambitions that’d never panned out.
Because he’d refused any sort of medical intervention to address his erratic behavior, she’d done her own research.
All signs pointed to manic depression or addiction—possibly both, which was a potent combination—but she’d also learned that as long as he was unwilling to address it, she was powerless to make him.
He had rights, and as such, the impetus to get help had to come from him.
With his behavior increasingly more violent, she’d looked into psychiatric holds and other such options but had refrained from pulling those triggers out of fear of what would happen when he was released.
Her friend Lana replied to the group text. Isla… I’m SOOOO glad to hear from you. We’ve been so worried. I’m relieved to hear you refer to him as your ex-husband, and I’m sorry things have been rough. We’d love to see you any time. We’ve missed you, too, and we’ve been so afraid for you.
Isla read the text with tears in her eyes. I just moved out yesterday, so things are in flux, but I wanted you guys to know… I’ll be in touch. I promise.
We’ve missed you, too, Jodi said. So happy to hear from you.
Isla put a heart on the comment and used her sleeve to wipe her eyes.
She went through the motions of making Theo’s lunch and wrapping up a PB&J for Mila to have when she woke up.
Theo ate his sandwich and carrot sticks with his usual cheerful disposition while continuing to play with his trucks.
Thank goodness for him, she thought for the millionth time.
He was the sweetest, easiest little guy, endlessly curious and funny.
Isla was sad for what Gabriel was missing out on with their children and sad for herself that she needed to be afraid of the man she’d once loved with her whole heart and soul.