The next day, Cesar received a visit from a man at home. Rony and I had no idea who he was, but Cesar introduced me like this: "And this is my wife, Lilian." Ron and I stood with our mouths open as the man greeted me as if I were the First Lady. He said the man's name, but I didn't process it. Soon Cesar took him from there.
"Did you know about this?" Ron asked.
"I had no idea," I replied.
"How are you holding up?" Ron inquired.
"I'm okay, but I'm not sure," I admitted.
"Normally, I would be happy for you, but not in this scenario," Ron sympathized.
"I know what you mean," I sighed.
One of the assistants appeared, looking concerned.
"Lilly? We have a problem," she said hesitantly.
"What is it?" I asked, curious about the sudden urgency.
"There's someone named Vince at the gate. He says he knows you," the assistant explained.
"Of course, let him in," I responded without hesitation.
"Are you sure?" the assistant persisted, still visibly worried.
"Yes, it's fine. I know who he is," I reassured her, thinking she was just being cautious about a stranger on the property.
"Okay, I'll ask him to park on the side of the house," she said, still uncertain.
I didn't understand her apprehension, and Ron was also puzzled.
"What was that about?" Ron asked, echoing my thoughts.
"I don't know," I replied, feeling a bit anxious now.
"We should go check it out," Ron suggested, already heading towards the door.
We went to the side of the house where the assistant had directed us to wait for Vince. I could see his car approaching, and he seemed a bit agitated. Vince parked his car and stepped out, appearing slightly intoxicated.
"Eeeeeei! Narcolepsy!" Vince exclaimed loudly as soon as he saw Ron. He appeared to be intoxicated.
"Are you drunk?" I asked, taken aback by Vince's behavior.
"Eeeeeei!" he repeated, looking at me. "Hey!" Then he turned to Ron. "Would you mind giving us a minute? I need to talk to my girlfriend."
"Vin, please don't use that term" I interjected, trying to correct him.
"What? GIRLFRIEND?!" he exclaimed.
"Vin, please..." I pleaded again.
"Why don't you sit down for a while?" suggested Ron.
"Maybe that's a good idea..."Vince mumbled, heading towards the bench.
"Alright then. Why don't you stay there while I go grab a snack or something?" Ron proposed before leaving.
"Thanks, man. You're cool..."
I knelt down in front of him to talk.
"Vin... What are you doing here?" I asked, concerned about his state.
"I don't know, Sarah. It's all so confusing, so messy..." Vince confessed, struggling to articulate his thoughts.
"What's confusing?" I probed gently.
"I just can't..." Vince trailed off, then looked at me with a mix of emotions. "I can't do it, Lilly."
"That's okay," I reassured him.
"I don't know why, but ever since I saw you in that cave... you looked so scared... I just..." Vince continued, his voice wavering.
"I know," I acknowledged his feelings.
"But you're a bad person, Lilly," Vince accused, his tone turning accusatory.
"Now, that's enough, Vin," I said firmly yet affectionately, urging him to stop.
"You hurt people, you hurt me," Vince lamented.
"Honestly, I never wanted..." I tried to explain.
"But you did! And now? Huh?" Vince exclaimed, frustration evident in his gestures. "What am I doing here?"
"It's okay, Vin," I repeated, trying to calm him down.
"No, it's not okay. Nothing is okay," Vince concluded, clearly distressed.
Rony arrived with a tray of refreshments, but seeing the situation, he didn't serve it. Instead, he left the tray somewhere and approached Vince.
"Come on, pal. Let's take you to a place where you can rest," Ron suggested, putting Vince's arm around his shoulders and helping him stand up.
Vince entered the house, and I followed them to a guest room where Ron settled Vince onto the bed. We removed his shoes and made sure he was comfortable before leaving him to rest.
Outside the room, Ron expressed his surprise. "Oh boy!"
Rony and I stationed ourselves on the stairs, keeping watch in case Cesar or Vince needed assistance. Some time later, Cesar returned with the man.
"I noticed a car parked outside. Whose car is it?" Cesar inquired upon entering the house with his friend.
"It's Vince's," I informed him.
"He was passing by and didn't feel well all of a sudden," Ron explained to clarify Vince's unexpected arrival and state.
"Who's Vince?" asked Cesar's friend, curious about the situation.
"He's a close friend," Cesar replied, somewhat surprised by the turn of events. "Where is he now?"
"He's resting upstairs," I replied, hoping Vince would recover soon.
"Should we call a doctor?" suggested Cesar's friend, concerned for Vince's well-being.
"I think he just needs some rest," Ron reassured them, trying to downplay the situation.
"Ah, I see. Well then, I'll take my leave. Cesar, it was a pleasure spending time with you. We should do it again soon," Cesar's friend suggested, ready to depart.
"Sure, let me walk you to your car," Cesar offered, accompanying his friend outside.
"It was nice to meet you both," Cesar's friend said politely as he bid us farewell.
"Likewise," I replied, feeling a mixture of relief and concern for Vince as Cesar and his friend left.