The knot in her stomach disappeared. Funny, she hadn’t even known that his silence had bothered her.
“People frown upon toddlers wielding a gun,” she said. “How about teaching her something that doesn’t require any ammunition?”
He hummed. “Knives.”
“Good thinking,” Vince scoffed. “Giving sharp objects to a kid.”
The banter went on for a while as Vince tried to convince her he would be the responsible parent.
“How else is she gonna deal with fuckers coming at the door to take her out?” Sy asked.
“She ain’t dating until she’s thirty,” Vince answered.
This went on for another fifteen minutes and Carmen leaned back, taking in their heated discussion. When the talk ventured into medieval torture techniques territory, Carmen decided to step in.
She gave them both a firm look.
“You’re not putting her into a chastity belt on prom night, Sy. And you’re not placing a tracking chip in her arm, Vince.”
God, they were absolutely ridiculous. And she loved them for it. She had everything she had ever wanted and more. A smile formed on her face. She was truly blessed. Guess it was true what they said, that every cloud had a silver lining. For so long, she had lived in darkness, weathering storms and earthquakes. Finally, the raging storms had settled down, and sunshine arose. She couldn’t help but think that every bump in the road had led her to this exact moment in time in the universe. Every wrong turn, every heartache, had eventually led her to her greatest desire. To have her own family to love and be loved by in return.
***
