It was the last thing I expected to see when my phone buzzed with a notification. I kept my focus on the road. A text could wait thirty seconds for me to park. I pulled into my spot. The letters "CEO" were painted to the asphalt in white, a sight I'd never get tired of seeing.
I started my own international trade business just five years ago when I was only 18. Everyone doubted that I would succeed, but here I am.
I twisted the keys and shut off the engine. I then reached over and grabbed my phone from the center console. It lit up in my hands. "Message from Mom" the notification read. I raised an eyebrow. Why would she be messaging me?
Five years ago around the holidays, I left the only home I'd ever known. It had started when my moms boyfriend had gotten too aggressive with her. I remember running to her room and kicking the locked door open. He advanced to me almost immediately, pushing me against the wall so hard the back of my head left a hole in the drywall. I remember punching him repeatedly across the face while my mother screamed and cried out for him.
He eventually broke away and pulled out a pistol from his waistband. I don't remember what he said but he grabbed his jacket and left the house.
My mother, Beth, yelled and screamed at me, tears running down her face. She was angry at me for making her boyfriend leave. My older sister, Lucy, even pitched in on the verbal assault. I immediately ran to my room and packed my things.
I loved Beth and Lucy and only wanted to protect them. I guess I never truly understood why she stayed with that asshole, but I knew I couldn't have lived any longer in that house.
I sighed, turned my phone screen off, and opened the car door. The confusion was unsettling. As I took the elevator up to the office, my mind continued to wonder why she would reach out.
The elevator chimed and the doors opened. I began my stroll to my office. As my colleagues passed I greeted them and smiled, occasionally shaking hands.
"Good morning Sir. I'm afraid there's a situation waiting in your office," said one of my secretaries.
"Ah the situation can wait till after the holidays," I replied, "we shut down at the end of the day".
The old woman shook her head with a grin. I had no idea what it could be. I stepped into my office and plopped down at my desk. I noticed the voicemail button was blinking red so I pressed it and started to take off my suit jacket.
A soft woman's voice began to play through the speaker.
"Hey sweetie! I tried to text you but maybe you changed your number. Your sister and I wanted to surprise you for the holidays but we couldn't afford to fly to the city to see you. Instead, we want to invite you over for the holidays," Beth's voice said.
The voicemail clicked off. I felt a warm feeling building in my chest. It had been so long since I've seen family. My life in the city was fast and at times... lonely.
I frowned and shook my head. I had just planned a trip to the beach. I was going to stay in a villa by myself and enjoy the change of pace.
To add, I did not want to go back to that house. I imagine her boyfriend is still there and just as drunk.
I paused to stare at the phone. With a sigh, I picked it up and pressed the redial button. The phone repeatedly played the dial tone until I heard a click and the rustling of a phone being put to an ear.
"Hello?" said Beth's voice.
"Hey mom," I replied.
"Oh my gosh. What a surprise! How are you, honey?".
"I'm great Mom. Look, I got your voicemail and I'm afraid I have some bad news".
"Oh...".
"Yeah. It looks like you and Lucy aren't going to be able to celebrate the holidays at home this year".
"... Why do you say that?".
"Well... Because... you and Lucy will be flying out to Mexico with me tonight...".
"OH! My god, are you serious?".
"Yes ma'am. I'll send a driver to collect you two. Do you have your passports?".
"Oh, no... We haven't had passports in years".
"I'll pull some strings. Don't worry about it".
"Oh. Okay sweetie. I guess we'll see you later?...".
"Of course!".
"Okay. Love you".
"... I love you too Mom".
I hung up the phone, a grin across my face. ...I missed them. My mom, sister, and I were extremely close. We used to call ourselves the three musketeers.
Beth gave birth to Lucy when she was only 14 years old. Then had me the next year. It wasn't uncommon in the area we grew up in. My earliest memories were from a one bedroom apartment in the city.
We all shared a small bed until I was 17. It was a hard life. In the winter, there was no heat. We would have to strip naked and squeeze together in that small bed for warmth at night. It seems like it was harsh but I enjoyed it. It was comfy and I really felt the love between the three of us be shared.
Then came Beth's boyfriend. He was a damn prick and would drink way too much. He had money... well... more money than we'd ever had. He was vile, but he took care of my mom. He moved us in with him on my 18th birthday. Two weeks later, I was on my own.
I shook off those memories of that asshole and grabbed my jacket. I swung it around and buttoned it. I turned to look in the mirror to make sure my tie was straight. I loved the man I have become and I'm excited to see my family.
I grabbed my bag and headed back for the elevator.
"I'm headed out ladies. You all can too. Happy holidays!" I exclaimed to the handful of older women who made up my secretary department. They smiled and began packing up their things.
I hastily headed home to begin packing my things. When I was finished, I decided to call the pilot. I notified him that I was about to be on my way and to be prepared to leave. As I hung up, someone buzzed my loft from the ground floor. It must be the driver, so I grabbed my bag and headed downstairs.
I hopped in the backseat of the SUV as the driver held the door. He closed it and jogged to the drivers side door and hopped in himself.
"Airport sir?" He asked.
"Yes please," I replied.
I flipped my phone out of my pocket and texted my mom to see if she had been collected yet.
She responded quickly. The driver was on his way but traffic was terrible. They were going to be behind schedule.
I told her not to worry and that I'd see her soon. She seemed excited. I then opened the cooler that was built into the car.
Normally, I only drink in social settings but since I'm now officially on vacation... I poured myself a glass of champagne. I sipped it while scrolling through social media.
After a short while we arrived. I chugged the rest of my champagne and grabbed the bottle and my duffel bag. The driver opened the door for me and I stepped out.
"Thank you Bradley. And happy holidays. I just wired you a bonus for all your hard work. Make sure your wife gets something nice for Christmas!" I said.
He laughed and patted me on the shoulder. "Always a pleasure sir," he replied.
I shook my head as I headed for the stairs to the plane. "Pleasures all mine!" I yelled as I neared the plane.
I climbed up the stairs and through the door. My stewardess greeted me and directed me inside. She took my bottle and my bag as I went to sit.
I plopped down and buckled in and she brought me another drink. "Here you are sir," she said, placing it down on a napkin.
I thanked her and reclined my seat.
I closed my eyes and immediately fell asleep. I woke as the plane touched down. When the rumbling stopped. I undid my seatbelt and headed for the door. The stewardess handed me my bag with a smile.
The sun gleamed into my eyes as I exited the plane. I put on my sunglasses, still squinting. The cold grim of the cut was now gone, and the warm embrace of Latin America was now here.
After an hour, I arrived at the villa. The driver handed me my bag. I thanked him and handed him a 20 dollar bill, U.S. of course.
The villa was beautiful. Solid white quartz made up the walls and ceiling. The floor was an exotic hardwood. I walked into the kitchen. An island made of a solid piece of stone protruded from the floor. Luxury appliances and furniture filled the open space.
I turned to face the living room. A massive tv was mounted to the wall. The couch was a cream color. It was huge and stretched across the living room. It's design was made so everyone would have room to lay down.
I picked up the remote that laid on the edge of the couch. It had multiple settings and buttons to control the whole villa. I pressed a button and the wall-to-wall glass slid open.
I stepped out onto the back patio. The pool was crystal clear. The waves crashed behind the view looking out. I noticed a small path leading down to the shore of the private beach. The greenery was amazing as well. I inhaled through my nose, smelling the wonderful air. I could stay here forever.
I turned and went upstairs to the master bedroom. The massive king sized bed was freshly made. The bathroom glistened. Everything had been perfectly prepared.
I dropped my bag and quickly changed into trunks. I ran back downstairs and got into the pool to cool off. On the edge of the pool, I made a phone call to order food from a local restaurant down the road.
Beth and Lucy should be landing soon. I took the time for myself to swim a few laps and transition to vacation mode.
After an hour or so, the villa's speaker system chimed. They were here! I jumped out of the pool, dried off with a towel, and walked through the villa to get the door.
I opened the massive front door and was met with two familiar faces.
"Hey baby!" my mom yelped. She jumped and embraced me. She kissed my cheek and released me with a grin.
She had a large sun hat on and wore a white beach dress that stopped around her mid thigh.