Page 51 of Matched

Chapter Twenty-Two

Inara

My tortoise trudges along on the hardwood floor and makes his way over to his bowl by the dining room table, where I’ve just placed a bunch of chopped lettuce and shredded carrots. My cheeks lift as my mouth spreads into a grin. Simon is so adorable when tries to hurry over to his food. I scooch closer to him and give his shell a pat while he eats. My own stomach rumbles, so I get up and head over to the kitchen. I open the pantry and move around some boxes of snacks until I find the old pickle jar I keep pistachio nuts in. I love buying bulk when I can. On all the shelves are rows and rows of old pickle jars and mayo jars I have used for storing rice, beans, tea, and other things.

Tony’s in the shower and I’m crunching away on pistachios when a loud ringing shocks me. I jump and almost drop the jar of pistachios. Tony and I have had many arguments about how loud his ringtone is. I rush over to the living room to silence the evil jingle that’s threatening to live in my brain for the next three days when my gaze lands on the bright light of the screen. A picture of Tony and a man that looks like an older version of my husband illuminates. The caller ID displays Apá. My heart jumps and I hold the phone closer to my face. If his dad is calling, it could be an emergency, so I quickly answer the call. “Hello?”

“Hello.” The man on the other end sounds about the same way that I do. “This is Tony’s dad. Who’s this?”

“Hi, this is Inara.” I search my brain for more to say, but if he’s calling, I should probably just listen to him.

“Hi, I’m Felix.” His voice rises in pitch and I sigh, releasing the tension in my shoulders.

“Hi, Felix.” My voice squeaks and I start pacing around the living room, regretting taking this call. I don’t know how much he knows about Tony and my marriage, and also, I sound like a total dork. I pull a piece of hair from behind my ear and twist it around my finger. “Tony’s in the shower right now. He was dirty from helping me and my stepdad build houses. I was worried something was wrong, so I answered his phone.” I must be nervous because I’m blurting out more information than needed.

“Good. Put that man to work. He’s got the construction degree, so he might as well be useful while he’s there.” He laughs and the sound echoes. It’s the same kind of belly-deep laugh that Tony has, and I smile widely.

His laugh causes me to chuckle as well. “Oh yes, I am definitely putting him to good use.” In more ways than one. Not that I plan on sharing that info with his dad. “Did you need me to tell him something?”

There’s a silence on the other end of the phone. Then he sighs. “No, no message. I was just hoping to reach him. I haven’t talked to him in a while and there are some things I would like to discuss with him.”

I move back and forth in the living room. The sound of his voice causes my heart to sink. He doesn’t sound as cheery as he did a minute ago. “Oh, okay, well I will definitely tell him you called.” I don’t know what else to say. My chest aches hearing the man sound so upset and knowing he and Tony haven’t been close. I turn toward the bookshelf in the living room and start rearranging some of the books. I have so many nature guides for the local area that I’ve been meaning to organize. My body relaxes as I move them around, now that I’ve found something to keep my hands occupied while we speak. “He’s said some really nice things about you. How dedicated you are to Zumba.”

“Did he say that, really?” His voice sounds almost musical, soothing and almost familiar. “He’s a good man. So, I take it you and my son are dating?”

A book slips from my hand and thuds to the floor. “Uh, dating?”

I give a fake little laugh while I turn to glare daggers in the direction of my bathroom. What the hell? Tony hasn’t told his family he got married? Sure, my mom found out by accident, but that was a day after we’d officially gotten married. Not months. What am I supposed to say now? One thing’s for sure. I’m not going to lie. “What exactly has Tony told you about me?”

This time Felix is the one who hesitates. “Oh, well...” He clears his throat. “You know... we don’t talk much. Hardly ever.”

So, nothing. Tony and I have been married all this time, and yet until this moment, his dad didn’t even know I existed. My lips press together into a tight line as my nostrils flare. And while I try hard to contain the frustration boiling in me, it’s too late. “I’m Tony’s wife.”

Silence greets me from the other end of the line.

“Hello? You still there?” I slap my palm to my forehead. Not the best tone to use to have blurted out my husband’s relationship status. And I wouldn’t blame the poor man for hanging up either.

“I’m sorry. Yes, I’m here. Just, wow. Tony married, how about that? Congratulations to you both. I’m very happy for you.” Despite the shock he’d just received, his voice is warm and welcoming.

“Thank you, and sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled the information at you and probably should’ve let Tony fill you in.” I pick up the book and place it back on the shelf.

“No, no, I’m glad you told me. Like I said, Tony and I aren’t as close as we used to be. It’s been a while since we’ve had a nice long talk.”

“Tony can get pretty busy with his job and, well, our marriage, it all happened so fast.” If my husband didn’t tell his father he got married, sure enough Tony didn’t fill the man in on the program either. Not to mention, Mami doesn’t know all the details either so it wouldn’t be fair for me to spill all the beans.

“Ah, love at first sight, eh? I know how that is.”

I suppress a slightly hysterical giggle when I think back to the hospital, where Tony tried to pick both me and the nurse up with the same terrible line. More like irritation at first sight. We’d come a long way since then. Or at least, I thought we had.

“I’m glad Tony finally found someone to settle down with. I just wish he would have been comfortable enough to tell me. My only son got married. You know, it’s not something that happens every day. I would have liked to have been there.”

I move over to the couch and sink into it. My stomach knots at the thought of our parents being robbed of a wedding day. For our parents not to be there must have really hurt them. I lean back into the couch and stare at the ceiling. Balancing the phone between my ear and shoulder, I reach back and bunch up my hair into a bun. “I know it’s no consolation, but no one knew ahead of time. Not even my mother.”

“Things happen, no need to be sorry. And just between you and me, I think he still hasn’t dealt with his mother’s death and I’m too much of a reminder. He’s told me many times how it pains him to talk to me, to us.” Tony’s dad pauses before continuing. “I tried to get him to help me with a fundraiser I have planned, but he isn’t giving me a clear answer.”

I think about our night in bed when Tony told me all about the fundraiser. It could be a great way for him to reconnect with his family. “Tony mentioned the fundraiser, the Zumba one, right?”

“Yes, that one. I’d like to do it in your area so I can ensure Tony will be there, but I don’t have a place yet.” His voice has a hint of hope, but it also sounds like he’s building to something. Like he’s looking for help.

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