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He nodded.
“And how’s Ismay’s practice coming along?”
He told her about some of their marketing efforts, Ismay’s first clients, the referrals she was starting to get, and their hope that her practice would continue to grow. “It’s going well. She’s an excellent attorney,” he said.
Annabelle’s smile widened. “You’re so proud of her.”
He felt slightly embarrassed that he wasthattransparent. “I am.”
“It’s wonderful you’re together. I’m glad something good came out of all that happened last year.”
“Me, too,” he said. “How’s Bastian these days?”
She made a face that indicated Bastian would always be Bastian. “He’s still working with his father,” she said, using her fingers to make quotation marks aroundworking. “But having Remy out of his life seems to be good for him. Knowing what Remy did to Lyssa and almost taking the fall for him with that Peeping Tom complaint were screwing him up. He’s seeing a therapist now, and I’m optimistic that he will do better with time.”
“And now the big question.” Bo put down his fork. “What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Last time we talked, you were thinking of leaving Mort.”
Her smile wilted. “I’ve asked him to go to marriage counseling with me. He claims he will, but he hasn’t so far, and if things don’t improve, I will leave him eventually.”
Bo thought that was long overdue, but he knew these things took time, and she’d been dealing with a lot. “Is he still seeing other women?”
“Probably. But it is what it is, you know? During the past year, what happened with Remy took center stage. Now I’m trying to get myself into a healthy position and help Bastian. In other words, I’m putting out one fire at a time,” she joked.
“You’re doing great,” he told her. “Any word from Remy?”
“None. He refuses my visits, never calls, never writes. He even sends back my letters.” She lifted her chin. “But he’s my son. No matter what’s wrong with him, I’ll always love him. So I keep writing him and trying to believe he’ll come out of prison a better man.”
He’d only gotten ten years and could be paroled before the end of his sentence. He wouldn’t even serve as much time as Bo had. “Prison can either make or break a person.”
“Knowing what you’ve been through, and that you’re such a good man, gives me hope.” She made a little hand gesture. “I know it was different with you, that you were innocent, but...a mother’s hope springs eternal, I guess.”
Bo couldn’t help thinking that his father had robbed him of ever having a lunch like this with his own mother. But he had Ismay, Matilda and her boys, who had just come to Orange County to go to Disneyland, and Uncle Chester, who was finally back to full strength. Now he had Annabelle, too, who was eager to have anothersonto love. “What would life be without hope?” he said, and her smile returned.
