He'll Be Fine

"Don't." Ed reached for Ruby's phone, which was already raised in front of her face, ready to make a video call as soon as they arrived at the hotel.

"Just for a moment," Ruby pleaded.

"You were the one in a hurry to leave the house, Ruby. We just got here, and you already want to call him?" Ed was slightly amused.

Ruby had been excited to leave, but during their trip—a roughly three-hour flight—her excitement dwindled and turned into worry.

"What if AJ throws a fit? This is different from before. We've never left him alone with someone else and stayed overnight somewhere else." The farther away she got from AJ, the more uncertain Ruby became.

They were in Tulum, on the eastern coast of Mexico—the opposite side from Puerto Vallarta. It wasn’t too far because Ed had chosen a place within reach, just in case they suddenly needed to return because of AJ.

"Otz didn't report anything, and when I asked, he said everything w