Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
ii. long car rides
Shirley set down her plate and looked around the table.
"i don't know I kind've like the Captain Lame mask."
"it's all yours."
Allie put her hands on the table, and Theo smiled noticing the gloves, "where'd you get those, Allie?"
"at the mall." she replied, "i also got this at the mall too."
Allie pointed at the necklace she was wearing that had a sparkly number 8, just like Charlie's, without the glitter.
"practically begged me. she has to be like her 'cool' Aunt Theo and her 'beautiful' Aunt Charlie."
"ooh, but Charlie's not quite an aunt yet." Theo winked at her making Charlie blush a little.
Jayden began to get up from his place next to Charlie, "nope, you're finishing your brussels sprouts."
"you're on fire today, mom." he said sassily.
"watch it, Captain Lame." Kevin scolded taking a sip of wine.
"both of you. they're delicious."
"they smell like cat piss!" jayden argued, and Charlie took a sip of her drink to stop from laughing.
"watch your tone. unless you want to spend Halloween as Captain Grounded." Kevin said warning his son.
—&—
"i don't know. it was weird. solo account. his name's on the checkbook.." Shirley said washing the dishes in her sink.
Charlie sat on a chair near the table and Theo leaned against the counter. "so?"
"so we only have joint accounts. i don't know that account. it was just in his briefcase."
"you're going through his briefcase?" Theo said smirking making Charlie roll her eyes. Shirley replied, "looking for quarterlies.. it was just there. it surprised me."
"ask him. i'm sure it's nothing." Charlie suggested and Shirley shook her head. "i don't wanna seem like- i don't know. it's probably nothing. it's just.. weird."
"well." Theo said loudly, "be sure to let your imagination get the best of you. that's the first step. imagine the worst thing possible, assume it's true, and go from there."
"then maybe you wouldn't be so heartbroken when you realize it was bad but not as bad as you dreamed it up to be.." Charlie said seriously, actually thinking about how her imagination would rummage like that when she was younger and a teenager.
