“Maybe he didn’t tell you, but the first few months were hard on him but—”

“Mom, I’m sure she knows. Anyway, how about if you come to dinner next Sunday?”

“Sunday?” I look at my luggage, wondering if I can hide inside them until these crazy women leave.

“Is it too soon?” Crystal questions.

“Mom, why don’t you call Milo instead?”

“Well…” Let’s not summon the overlord. If I see him, I’ll probably murder him.

I check my shoes. Yeah, they could do the job. If they don’t kill him when I stab him with them several times, at least he’ll bleed.

“My parents arrive on Sunday,” I answer, satisfied with the image of Miller on the floor bleeding to death. “They drove my dog for me, and I’ll still be settling in, so I don’t think it’ll work out.”

“Then the Saturday after, but that’s all the time I’m going to give you,” Crystal says with conviction.

The woman has a plan and no one can stop her. Except, I won’t be going anywhere near her.

“You owe me lunch, dinner, and a few family reunions,” she adds.

“Of course.” I fake laugh the way I do with my clients when they make terrible jokes.

What is she talking about?

Your son owes me a vacation in Tuscany, and you don’t see me knocking at his door demanding retribution.

“Well, just give me a few weeks.” Around five hundred of them. 

“I wish I knew you were coming in today.” She shakes her head, reminding me of Mom, who takes failing as a mother really serious.

“At least, you have food, so that’s good,” Crystal says a bit upset. “We’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

How do they know I have food?

Did they meet Danielle? At least, she ordered me food. God bless her and those amazing organizational skills. Wait, if my assistant met them that means, Lola is my neighbor.

Well, Danielle, your next task is finding me a new place to live far, far away from these people. For now, I have to hide from them.

“Hey, please, you don’t have to worry about it,” I brush away their worries and take a step further away from them.

Obviously, she doesn’t get the hint because the woman doesn’t move away. “Did you just come from the airport?”

“No, I went to my office and spent most of the day there. I didn’t have time to bring these here. Now, I just need a shower to wash the day away and to take a long nap.”

“That isn’t right, he’s going to hear about this from me.” Her voice can be heard all around the building.