Married To The Mafia

72. Jo Is So Right About You

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Xander was surprised by the visitor he had when he walked into his office.

First of all, it was eight in the morning. He had to come in because there had been some payment errors, missing the delicious breakfast his wife was probably fixing up back home. Joanne had finally gotten back to the kitchen. Though she was making the staff do most of the work.

And secondly, he didn't know how the woman knew he would be there so early. Or how she entered the place in the first place.

"Ms. Lake." Xander acknowledged her, biting his tongue to not straight ahead ask her how she found her way in through those high-security doors.

"Joanne sent me a text last day. I am sorry it took me a while to get here." She smiled, turning sideways on the chair.

Xander nodded. He had asked his wife to get her mother's help on the Chile matter.

"Thank you." He said. He felt extremely awkward, standing in front of the person he considered his mother-in-law. She intimidated him, and to intimidate Xander King was an accomplishment of its own. He was the kind who wouldn't flinch even if he was shot.

Rodney let out a chuckle.

"Joey is so right about you."

Xander's forehead furrowed but the comment poked his curiosity. Anything about his wife did.

"What did she say?" He said, moving to his own chair and sitting down.

"That you are asocial." She said. "At least in the beginning."

"I am not asocial. I just don't speak much." He defended, and he knew that he was going to have a squabble about the matter with his Joanne about it today. She was making false claims about him.

"You sure? You speak hella lot to my lil girl."

"Well, I am sure you are familiar with your daughter's secret talent. She brings out the worst in people." Xander chuckled.

Rodney raised a brow but then laughed, shaking her head. "That's true. But she also brings out the best."

"Yeah she does." Xander sighed.

They stopped talking and just stared at random objects in the room for a few minutes.

Both of them were asocial, to be honest - Xander always kept to himself and Rodney never had much communication with the outside world. That was one thing they had in common other than the person they were linked together by, the same person both of them cherished with everything they had.

"She hasn't talked to me in days." Rodney said after a while, every word dripping with longing and sadness. She knew that her little girl had every right to be mad at her - she had kept her in the dark and blindfolded her with a web of lies for so long. But Joanne was everything Rodney ever had and to have her not speaking to her, broke her heart.

Xander looked over at the woman. He was surprised to hear that. Now that he thought about it, Joanne hadn't mentioned her mother in days and though she was open to the idea of asking Rodney for help for Xander, she didn't call her nor did she go on and on about how awesome and experienced her mother was like she usually would. Nor did he walk in on the mother-daughter's facetime sessions.

"What happened?" He asked. He wondered if it was something he should be worried about. Maybe he should talk to that difficult woman about it? She was in a fragile state and she needed her mother more than ever and she was pushing her away?