The Third Glass of Wine
A Thanksgiving Story
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“Maggie,” Justin yelled as he climbed down the front porch steps. “Wait!”
Maggie turned around. “What is it?”
“You can’t just leave.”
Maggie cocked an eyebrow. “Oh, really? Watch me.” She resumed her fast walking out of that place and quickly got to her Kia Sportage.
Justin stopped her from getting in by holding the door close. “Please, don’t do this. Can you let it go just for today?”
Maggie scoffed her lungs out. “Let it go? You must be kidding, right?”
Justin took a deep breath and rested his back against Maggie’s car. “You just need to think, not accept, that Uncle David grew up in a different place, a different world.”
“Justin. You work as a lawyer and you focus on human rights. How are you able to defend him after all?”
“Because I know deep inside, he is a very good guy.”
Maggie chuckled, shaking her head. “Yeah, dig deeper.”
Justin faced her and cupped her face between his hands.
“I’m really sorry you had to go through this. And I am sorry I didn’t step up.”
“You didn’t have to. I jumped on him right away and I don’t need a guy’s help.”
Justin kissed her forehead and smiled. “Of course, you don’t.”
“I just…” She hesitated.
“Walk with me?” Justin asked, giving Maggie his hand. “Then you can decide in a minute if you want to come back in.”
“Okay.”
Maggie held Justin’s hand and they spent some time walking around the woods behind his family’s ranch.
Thanksgiving was supposed to be the best day to introduce Maggie to Justin’s extended family. Maggie’s name was Margarita Reyes. She was the daughter of immigrants who had come to the US in the early nineties. Her father had been involved, by pure naivety, with a local cartel. He was supposed to deliver a package to a wealthy family containing “rare medications” for their sick child.
Maggie’s father had done it to help and also because he needed money to feed his family. It turned out he was delivering drugs and as soon…
