Growing Pains
The early September sun dipped below the horizon and a light breeze rustled the fallen leaves across the street. It had been five, almost six years, since William and Carmen had first come to Columbia.
Both sat in the spacious living room. William, in his favorite red leather armchair read through depositions and made corrections every once in a while. Meanwhile Carmen read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz on the matching leather couch beside him.
"Daddy, do I have to go to school tomorrow?" Carmen asked blowing a lock of stray dark hair away from her iris eyes. Tomorrow would be her first day at Skyline Elementary. There was only one school district in Columbia, and William couldn't afford to be particular. But no matter her education, William would see to it that she had the best of everything.
William sighed, putting his deposition papers on the coffee table to the left of his armchair. He took off his reading glasses and ran a hand through his slicked back brown hair. He looked into Carmen's eyes when he answered.
"Yes. It's important you go to school and get a proper education," William replied softly with a kind smile on his face. His eyes went to the clock on the living room wall, "Speaking of school, it's time for bed kiddo."
Carmen closed her book and placed it on the mahogany bookshelf. She trudged her boots across the floor. She stopped upon reaching William and wrapped her arms around his neck. William embraced her, placing a kiss on her forehead.
"Sleep tight, kiddo," William called after her as Carmen went upstairs. He placed his reading glasses back on his nose and continued with the depositions.
For the most part, Carmen didn't mind being by herself. When she was left with her nanny, Mrs. Hathaway, Carmen had gone to the window to wave as William had left for work. He could still remember the first day Mrs. Hathaway had come to the house.
Carmen had only been a few months old at the time. She lay in her crib as William collected his papers and placed them in his briefcase. He leaned down to kiss Carmen on the forehead just as a knock came to the door.
William descended the steps two at a time and opened the door. Mrs. Hathaway was only a few years older than William, with children of her own. She lived next door and seemed more than willing to watch Carmen.
"I can't thank you enough, Mrs. Hathaway," William said as he guided her upstairs to Carmen's room. The blonde woman shook her head.
"It's no trouble at all, Mr. McNamara, really," Mrs. Hathaway said as she carefully picked Carmen up. Baby Carmen smiled at her and Mrs. Hathaway beamed, "Oh she's adorable."
William smiled down at Carmen, "She is." He then kissed baby Carmen gently on her forehead, "Be good for daddy today, Carmen."
Mrs. Hathaway followed William back down the stairs, "Don't you worry about a thing Mr. McNamara. If Carmen is anything like her father I'm sure she'll be fine. You have a good day at work and we'll see you at six o'clock."
William nodded and closed the door. His heart rate accelerated as he passed through the front gate. He wondered if he had marked the baby food in the refrigerator. His gaze looked up to see baby Carmen reach for him and Mrs. Hathaway waved goodbye.
William smiled fondly at the memory as he finished correcting his depositions. It had taken everything he'd had that day not to run back inside and change his mind. He had been uncertain about his parenting abilities when he had first taken her in. But she seemed like such an easy going child, that he didn't feel as anxious anymore.
Carmen dressed in one of her favorite nightgowns. The gown was a deep amethyst with long sleeves, a long skirt, and a bow in front. Carmen blew out the light from the candle on her nightstand and crawled into her canopy bed. She closed her eyes and snuggled further under the covers. As she slept, she dreamed.
The first thing Carmen noticed was fire. It licked and consumed everything in its path. Amongst the fire were people calling out for help. Every time she reached her hand out to grab for them, they were swallowed by the flame.
She ran through the fire, calling out for her father. But no matter how loudly she cried out, no one seemed to hear her.
Carmen woke with a start and sat up in bed. She rubbed her tired eyes and called out.
"Daddy!" She pulled the blankets closer to her body as she tried to calm down.
William had just put his papers in his briefcase when he heard Carmen's voice. Quickly, he took the steps two at a time. He opened Carmen's door to her sitting up, her lips quivering. He left the door open as he kneeled next of her bed and wrapped her in his embrace.
"Another bad dream?" He asked running a hand through her dark braid.
Carmen nodded, "Can you stay with me so the nightmares don't come back?" she asked looking into his eyes.
William nodded, "Sure." He grabbed the mahogany rocking chair on the far side of her room. He placed it next to her bed and sat down, "Sleep tight, kiddo."
Carmen smiled up at him and nodded. With that, she laid her head against the pillow again. She closed her eyes and William stroked her hair soothingly. Soon her chest began to rise and fall rhythmically. William smiled and put the chair back in its place. He then knelt down beside her bed and kissed her gently on the forehead.
"Sleep tight kiddo," he whispered before leaving her room and closing the door. He then headed to his room and promptly fell asleep.
"How's it coming kiddo?" William called from the bottom of the stairs the next morning.
"I'm finished," Carmen said coming downstairs with her brown leather rucksack over her shoulder. She wore a violet long sleeve dress with a floor length tan skirt and matching violet shoes. Her midnight black hair was fashioned in a bun with her bangs swooping to the right.
William smiled and kissed her on top of her head, "Alright let's go."
And with that, he took her hand and walked her to school. He had debated initially on whether or not to allow Mrs. Hathaway to walk her but he'd decided he would do it instead. Besides, Mrs. Hathaway would still pick her up after school.
"How did you sleep the rest of the night?" William asked tipping his hat to other citizens as he walked.
Carmen shrugged, "Fine I suppose." She replied once they'd reached the front lawn of the school.
Columbia Skyline Elementary was a fairly large building. Its brick exterior made it look like any other American school. Each of the teachers stood outside as children lined up with the others in their grade.
Carmen turned to look up at William, as if silently asking if she really had to mingle with those unruly heathens. William knelt down on the ground, curling a stray hair behind her ear.
"You'll be fine, Carmen. Now go on, class will start soon," William said and embraced her. He almost wasn't certain if she would hug him back, until he felt her arms around his neck.
After a little while, he pulled away. Carmen knew better than to convince him otherwise, so she made her way to the kindergarten line. William nodded once she'd joined the other and made his way to the offices of Corbyn, Chambers, and Wheelwright.
As he entered the Lobby of Corbyn, Chambers, and Wheelwright, William still felt anxious. Not for himself, but for Carmen. He rode the elevator to the correct floor and stepped out as soon as the door opened again. He nodded at his secretary as he passed by her desk. As if reading his thoughts, his secretary spoke.
"How did things go this morning?" Helene asked smoothing out her cobalt skirt. Her full, ruby lips were upturned into a smile.
William chuckled as he opened the door to his office, which was adjacent to Helene's.
"It went about as well as could be expected. She hugged me and reluctantly ran toward her class line," William shrugged as he placed his briefcase onto his desk. "She asked last night if she had to go."
Helene's cobalt eyes softened, "And what did you say?"
William paused in the middle of taking the corrected depositions out of his briefcase. He looked up at her.
"I told her she had to go because I wanted the best for her," William replied and handed the corrections to Helene. "Would you mind typing those up for me?"
Helene took them and nodded, "Of course. Would you like a pot of coffee as well?"
William sighed and nodded as he sat in the brown leather armchair behind his desk. Why had this been so hard for him? Carmen was a tough kid. She would get over this.
"Please." Was all he said and Helene turned to complete his request. He remained at his desk for a few more minutes before pulling a small glass and bourbon out of his desk. He poured half a glass and swirled it around before taking a drink.
Carmen sat through two hours of mathematics, reading, writing, and history before being let outside. She had heard Mrs. Baker call it, recess. Whatever the heck that meant. All Carmen knew about it was that it consisted of children going outside to play. Some of the boys pretended to fight Vox Populi; some of the boys chased some the girls around the schoolyard, while still other girls played princess. She wasn't particularly interested in playing with the girls. And she knew if she played with the boys that others would talk.
Carmen wandered over to where some one girl was walking across a balance beam. The girl wore a long sleeve bright blue dress with ruffles in her floor length skirt.
"Hello, my name Carmen McNamara. Could you teach me how to do that?" Carmen asked blowing her bangs out of her face.
The blonde girl nodded, "Sure. Nice to meet you Carmen. My name is Sara Thompson." Sara then got on the balance beam again and spread her arms out to either side, "To stay on the beam you must spread your arms out like this. That way, it will balance you and you won't fall."
"Or you could just walk faster and not look down," Said a boy voice off to Carmen's right. Both girls turned to look as a boy with dark chocolate brown hair approached them. He wore a sky blue long sleeve shirt, lime green pants, and matching suspenders. His puppy dog brown eyes were kind and his mouth was upturned into a smirk.
Sara jumped down from the balance beam and rolled her eyes. She crossed her arms over her chest.
"Why do you always have to ruin everything?" She said as her eyebrows turned down and she jutted out her lip.
The boy chuckled, "Ruin everything? I was simply trying to help."
Carmen smirked as she listened to their argument and eyed the balance beam. She debated for a few seconds on whose method she should use. Eventually, she decided on the boy's suggestion and was able to make it fully across without falling.
The boy gestured at Carmen, "See? If she can do it, so can you."
Just as Sara opened her mouth to object, Mrs. Baker called all of the kindergarteners back. Reluctantly, Carmen followed Sara. She half turned toward the boy and waved at him. The boy waved back, giving her a kind smile as he did so. Carmen then leaned forward to whisper to Sara.
"Who was that boy on the playground?"
"That was my older twit of a brother, Matthew. Don't worry about him he won't be around us all the time." Sara whispered back as the girls seated themselves next to each other.
"Helene, I'm going to lunch now. Is there anything else you need me to sign?" William asked standing in the doorway of his office. He already had his coat and hat on.
The blonde looked up and shook her head, "No I don't believe so. Although Mr. Chambers said he wanted to have a word with you."
William nodded, "Did he say what about?"
Helene shook her head, "No sir. His secretary told me that he wanted to speak with you before you left for the day."
"I'll visit him after lunch," William replied and made his way to the elevator.
Once he was in the lobby of Corbyn, Chambers, and Wheelwright he headed for the Salty Oyster. As a single parent, he didn't receive many opportunities to things for himself. He opened the door to the Emporia bar and took in the sights and sounds.
The floor of the Salty Oyster was black and white. A cherry bar counter lined the back wall with matching stools in front. Behind the initial counter was a cherry counter with an assortment of alcohol on display. Around the bar were various tables. From the looks of it, the Salty Oyster was fairly packed today. And William knew why.
In the left hand corner of the room was a stage. On the stage was a woman with curly midnight black hair held in a large bun behind her head with stray curls falling down her shoulders on either side. She wore a matching dress with a sweetheart neckline and floor length skirt. William sat down at the bar, mesmerized. It seemed everyone else was as well, because all looked up to listen.
"See the pyramids, along the Nile. Watch the sunset, from a tropic isle…."
The singer's voice was soft and sad as she went on about how her lover, whoever that was, belonged to her. There were two backup singers but no instruments. William felt mesmerized by the woman's voice, almost as if she were singing this song about him.
"Who's the new girl Charlie?" William whispered as Charlie, the bartender, wiped down the counter.
Charlie's gaze went to the woman, and then to William. He put his cloth down for a moment to address him.
"That's Selina Barton. Started working here last week," Charlie replied with a knowing grin on his face. "So, the usual then?"
William nodded in agreement, "Yes." For some reason, he recognized this woman. He wasn't certain how or why, he simply did. Had she been a client of his from the surface? Or perhaps she had lived in New York? He shook his head and turned back to Charlie.
"Hey Charlie, what's her story?" He jerked his thumb at Selina as her song ended. Everyone, including William, clapped.
Charlie shrugged as he handed William a steak, "I don't know and I didn't ask. I'll leave that for you to discover." He said and went to address a customer further down the bar.
William considered doing just that as the other bartender, Joseph, slid him his bourbon. William took a swig and enjoyed Selina's next number.
"Which one is your nanny, Sara?" Carmen asked once school had gotten out. It had been a long eight hours, and she was thankful it was finally over with.
At this time, the children whose parents could afford nannies waited for their children to arrive. Carmen couldn't see Mrs. Hathaway, at least not yet. To her right stood Reuben, Benjamin, Zachariah, and Jasper all of whom were in fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh grade respectively. Sara, meanwhile stood on Carmen's other side.
Sara stood up on her tip toes, "Her name is Miss Turner but she's not here yet. What about you? I thought you were an only child." The blonde said making a face as she peered at the Hathaway boys.
Carmen simply shrugged, "Their mother is my nanny. She's our neighbor."
Sara looked from the Hathaway boys to Carmen and nodded, "I see."
"Well anyone who's neighbors with the Hathaway boys must be tough," said Matthew popping up next to Sara with a charming smile. Sara attempted to shoo him away and Carmen hid a smile behind her violet kid gloves.
"Carmen, boys, it's time to go," said Mrs. Hathaway and Carmen waved at Sara and her older brother.
"See you tomorrow," Carmen called and both waved back at her. She chuckled as she watched Sara shove Matthew into the mud.
Carmen remained close to Mrs. Hathaway as they made their way back to Emporia. While it wasn't a long walk, Carmen reflected on her day. Overall she didn't like the social aspects of school, though she did enjoy the learning aspects. Save for the religious portions of course.
And there was always Sara and Matthew to make her feel better. She wondered how badly Zachariah and Jasper would be scolded when he got home for the mud on his clothes.
Once William had reached the 50th floor, he made his way to the desk of Francis Corbyn's secretary, Jennie Hawkes. Jennie wore her bright orange hair in a bun on top of her head and wore a dress with a white top half and tan floor length skirt.
"I'm here to see Mr. Corbyn my secretary said he was looking for me," William said. Just as Jennie opened her mouth to speak Mr. Corbyn's voice boomed from the office to her right.
"Is that McNamara?" Corbyn called from his office. William grinned.
"He's on his way," Jennie mirrored his grinned as William entered Mr. Corbyn's office.
Corbyn had mahogany floors, ceiling, and furniture. His armchair was dark brown and matched his desk. Corbyn himself wore an immaculate black suit with a top hat. His black hair showed a few gray hairs. Corbyn invited him to sit and William did so.
"The other partners and I have been talking, William. We've seen your records not only from here but from your previous practice as well," Mr. Corbyn said folding his hands in front of himself. "And because of this, we would like to offer you the position of partner."
William leaned back in his chair and sighed. Could he afford to take more hours and still spend time with Carmen? He was about to ask some follow up questions when Corbyn answered them.
"Being a partner would mean your hours would become more flexible and your paycheck would increase," Corbyn supplied and William nodded. "Believe me I have grandchildren. I know exactly how valuable spending time with family is."
"Count me in then," William said and stood up.
"Congratulations then, partner," Corbyn said holding out his hand to William's to shake. "We'll go over the paperwork tomorrow."
William nodded and shook his hand, "Thank you sir."
"You've earned it," Corbyn said and William turned to leave.
William then made his way back to his office. Upon signing some more paperwork, he gave Helen some more instructions before he left. After that, he grabbed his hat and coat and headed for home. His heart rate picked up again and he wondered how Carmen's day had been.
He shivered slightly as he walked along Columbia's streets. His thoughts went to his daughter again when he reached Emporia. He tipped his hat to fellow citizens as the wind bit at his exposed skin. At that moment, the catcalls of women across the street pulled him from his thoughts. He turned to look at the group of women and waved politely at him.
William hadn't considered courting anyone, especially after Laura died. And since Carmen had come into his life, even less than that.
Just as he passed through the front gate his front door opened. Carmen rushed through and ran toward him with her arms outstretched. William kneeled on the ground and wrapped an arm around her as she embraced him.
"Carmen honey, come back inside and put your cloak on," Mrs. Hathaway said. She had her own cloak wrapped around her shoulders as she stood in the doorway.
William lightly squeezed his daughter, "Mrs. Hathaway is right, it's too cold to be outside without a cloak. Let's go back inside now." William placed his hand on Carmen's shoulder as he guided her into the house.
Carmen headed into the living room and grabbed The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from the bookshelf. William turned to Mrs. Hathaway as they stood near the door.
"How was she today?" William asked as Carmen sat on the couch and opened the book.
Mrs. Hathaway nodded, "She was just fine. Seems like kindergarten wasn't so bad after all." Both looked toward Carmen, and then back at each other.
"I appreciate it Mrs. Hathaway, thank you," William said as he opened the door for her. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Mrs. Hathaway nodded, "I'll see you tomorrow." And with that, William closed the door.
He turned to Carmen, "What do you want for dinner, kiddo?"
Carmen looked up at him from her book, "Can we have steak?"
William smiled and nodded, "Sure kiddo."
A few minutes later, both sat down at the dining room table with steaks on their plates and water in their glasses. The pair sat close together as it was a small table.
"So how was your first day of kindergarten?" William asked as Carmen took another bite of steak into her mouth.
Carmen cocked her head to one side and was silent for a few seconds. She chased down her steak with a glass of water.
"It went alright, I suppose. I made a friend. Her name is Sara Thompson," Carmen said wiping her mouth on her napkin.
William nodded as he finished his glass of water, "Good for you, kiddo. What's she like?"
He could tell by the way she stared off into space that Carmen wanted to say something. He waited for her to speak again.
"Well she's nice, funny, and she has two brothers," Carmen said finishing off her steak.
"Well she sounds like a good friend to have," William said as he finished off his water. He got up to refill his glass when Carmen asked a question of her own.
"How was your day, daddy?" She looked to William as he continued filling his drink and rejoined her at the table.
"Daddy got a promotion at work today," He said and when Carmen cocked her head to the side he chuckled. "A promotion means daddy moved up in his job. That's a good thing."
"Congratulations, daddy," Carmen said raising her glass in a toast. William rose his glass and clinked it with hers.
"Good night, kiddo. Sleep tight. I love you," William said as he closed the door to Carmen's room.
"I love you too, daddy," Carmen called from her bed. William smiled as he blew her another kiss. Carmen blew one back and he quietly closed the door.
William had spent until seven o'clock talking to Carmen about her first day of kindergarten. Based off of the children in her class, it sounded like the only problem Carmen would have would be Jeremiah Fink's nephew, Roy. He shook his head as he thought back to Carmen's story of how Roy had punched a kid in the eye because he'd given Carmen a book before Roy could.
William had heard talk of another boy, a different boy. This one was the older brother of Sara Thompson, Carmen's new friend. By the way her face lit up and how animated she looked, he could tell she liked this boy. He was not looking forward to her teen years. He made a mental note to ensure all of his weapons were fully loaded.
Once he had tucked Carmen in, William locked all of the doors and closed all of the curtains. By the time he'd finished that, he had a celebratory drink in his favorite red leather armchair that faced the front door.
Today had gone better than he'd expected. Carmen had learned a lot at kindergarten and had made a friend. And William had been promoted. Once he was finished with his glass, he placed it in the wash basin and went to his room.
William had just settled into bed with his head against the pillow. His eyes were closed but he found he couldn't sleep. His mind went back to the women earlier that evening. He had never slept with any woman since coming to Columbia five to six years ago. One question swirled around in his mind.
Should he begin courting again? It couldn't be a permanent thing, not with his main responsibility being to Carmen. No, it would have to be a one-time occasion. He didn't have long to figure out the logistics when he heard Carmen scream.
He threw off the covers and raced to Carmen's room. As usual, she was sitting up in bed with her eyes filled with tears. William knelt down next to her and wrapped his muscular arms around her tiny frame.
"It's alright kiddo, I've got you. I won't let anything happen to you," William whispered as he stroked her hair. He rocked her back and forth gently for a few minutes. As soon as he could hear Carmen snore, he lay her back down on the mattress. He tucked her in and kissed her forehead, "Sleep tight, kiddo."
After closing Carmen's door, William went back to bed. He lay down and pulled the covers back over himself. He closed his eyes as soon as his head hit the pillow and sleep took him soon after.
Meanwhile in another area of Emporia there was a large room filled with chalkboards, charts, desks, and monitors of all of the different extra dimensional anomalies. At that time, only two people occupied the room.
"Hmmm, well that's interesting," Robert Lutece mumbled to himself. Ever since his sister, Rosalind, had pulled him through into this universe things had been different. Zachary Comstock had put the twins to work not only studying his daughter Elizabeth's powers, but also to monitor any extra dimensional anomalies and report it to him. Comstock instructed that if any anomalies were to be found, they were to inform him immediately.
One of these anomalies had been a woman from Raymond's (one of their many other siblings) dimension by the name of Selina Barton. Ms. Barton (technically McNamara) had agreed not to use her abilities in this dimension and in return Robert and his sister had agreed not to turn in Ms. Barton.
But this particular anomaly was different. It didn't take a physical shape, not like a tear. Instead, it manifested inside the child's mind. Robert found it fascinating, if it weren't so traumatic for the child.
"What are you working on brother?" Said Rosalind who had moved to stand behind her brother and look over his shoulder. Robert turned to look at his sister.
"I believe I have found an anomaly," Robert said gesturing to one of the monitors. The lines on the monitor were reaching steadily upward.
"Yes I noticed that but who or what could it be?" Rosalind asked placing a finger on her chin as she looked to the monitor.
"I believe I know whom," Robert supplied and his sister looked up at him. "Do you recall when we spoke with Ms. Barton that she said she had a child who also possessed extra dimensional abilities? I believe she said her name was Carmen."
Rosalind nodded her expression still one of confusion, "Indeed I do."
Robert's face upturned into a knowing smirk, "I believe this is that child. The child in question has been experiencing nightmares. These nightmares, from what I have recorded here are in actuality, prophetic visions."
Robert handed her a clipboard with the observations he'd written down. Rosalind studied it and Robert remained silent. Rosalind then placed the clipboard on a nearby desk.
Her eyebrows scrunched together, "The same as Zachary Comstock?"
Robert nodded in affirmation, "The same."
Rosalind nodded in agreement and placed a finger on her chin in thought again, "But the real question is, does she understand what they are?"
"I suspect she does not. She is only five or six years old after all," Robert said and Rosalind looked up at him.
"A tender age indeed," Rosalind replied." So then the more delicious question becomes what to do with her?"
"Well we could follow the same procedure as her mother. It's not as if she even knows why this is happening in the first place," Robert countered and Rosalind's face scrunched in thought again.
"True, but what if her abilities manifest in some other way?" Rosalind said half to herself.
"Then I suppose we shall deal with it then, shan't we?" Robert said and Rosalind nodded in agreement.
"I say that's a capital idea, brother," Rosalind smiled and the two got back to work.
"So kiddo, what exactly are these nightmares of yours about?" William asked the next day as he walked Carmen to school. Both wore their cloaks as the ground had frosted the previous evening.
Carmen chewed her upper lip, "It's different every night. In general, they start with an image of Columbia. And there's always some sort of conflict." Carmen shook her head, "But usually I do not remember much after I've woken up."
"Perhaps you could try journaling your dreams," said a feminine voice from the left. Both turned to see a woman who was familiar to William. Her midnight black hair was curly and styled in a bun and she wore a matching black long sleeve dress with a square neckline showing off ample cleavage and a floor length skirt. "That way, you never forget them and you can always go back to them later."
William's eyes lit up in recognition. Carmen, meanwhile, simply smiled and nodded politely at the woman.
"Thank you ma'am, I'll do that," Carmen said. "By the way, you dress looks lovely."
The woman smiled kindly at her. William noticed an underlying pain in her smile but couldn't figure out the reason.
"Why thank you, Carmen isn't it?" The woman asked and Carmen nodded, "I hope my advice helps at least a little. I know nightmares can be quite frightening at times."
By this point, they were halfway toward Columbia Skyline Elementary. William could already see the red brick building. He leaned closer to Selina Barton and lowered his voice.
"As her father, I thank you Miss Barton. You have no idea how long we've been trying to combat these nightmares," He whispered.
"Well I'm glad I was able to assist you both," Selina said." And by the way, call me Selina. We are neighbors, you know." She winked at him and walked in the opposite direction of William and Carmen.
During class that day, Carmen sat next to Sara. They did not have assigned seating, for which Carmen was grateful. She followed Sara outside for recess.
"Want to try the swings or the jungle gym?" Sara asked as her blonde ponytail swished back and forth.
Carmen eyed the swings. There were many children there but no Roy Fink. She nodded and turned back to Sara.
"Let's try the swings," Carmen suggested and the girls walked toward the swing set.
"Do you know who he is?" Sara asked as the pair found two unoccupied swings next to one another and sat down.
"Who?" Carmen asked pretending to sound ignorant. Sara rolled her eyes as both began to pump their legs.
"Roy Fink you goop. I've never seen him look at any other girl in Mrs. Baker's class like that. Or ever for that matter," Sara said and turned her gaze toward Carmen.
Carmen shrugged as she soared higher and higher, "It wasn't like I asked for his attention. It's not my fault the little bootlicker has a problem cannot handle being rejected."
Sara snorted, "You're right. But you ignoring him isn't going to do you wonders either."
"What do you propose then?" Carmen asked moving her gaze across the playground. So far, she couldn't see Roy but that didn't mean he couldn't pop up unexpectedly.
"Hello Carmen, you're looking rather lovely today," said a familiar voice from nearby and Carmen wanted to run and hide. However, she stopped her swing just as Sara did. "Miss Thompson, you as well."
At that moment, a little boy stood to the right of Carmen's swing. He had short, thick black hair and almond brown eyes. His clothes were immaculate, as if they had recently been pressed. His hands were in his pockets and his hair looked perfectly combed.
Sara cleared her throat as she looked at Carmen, as if to say "I told you so." Carmen nodded and stood up from her swing.
"Thank you, Roy. You're looking rather dashing as well," Carmen said as walked closer to Sara. "Were you searching for something in particular? I believe Emma Price is over on the jungle gym if you're interested."
"Yes I was just with her. I wanted to speak to you, alone," Roy said and his eyes turned to Sara.
Carmen shook her head before Sara could speak, "Forget it. If you want to speak, then you will do so in front of both of us." Both girls crossed their arms over their chests.
Roy nodded politely, "As always, you're a good friend Carmen." He cleared his throat, "My father and uncle are having a picnic this weekend to celebrate the start of school. Everyone from Skyline Elementary is invited, but I wanted to ask if you would accompany me to the picnic?"
Sara's brow rose but she remained silent. Carmen uncrossed her arms but remained on guard.
"I am flattered Roy, but my father has already promised me we will go dress shopping this weekend in addition to the fair," Carmen smiled as politely as she dared at him. "Perhaps another time."
Before Roy could get a word in edge wise, Carmen turned toward the jungle gym. Sara followed her and Roy's eyes trailed Carmen as she went. As she climbed the jungle gym, Carmen had a niggling feeling that this wasn't over.
William decided to go to the Salty Oyster for lunch again that day. He told himself it wasn't because he wanted to see Selina Barton, even though part of him deep down knew it was. He tried, and failed, to hide his disappointment when he walked in to see another woman onstage. He headed for the nearly empty bar.
"Had to take the day off to watch some of her neighbor's kids," supplied Charlie as he washed a glass. William looked at him with what he hoped a confused expression. "Selina Barton, she had to take the day off. Said one of her neighbors was sick and had to act as a substitute nanny for some kids. If I would've known she was the reason you'd come more often I would've hired her five or six years ago."
William scoffed and rolled his eyes. He didn't acknowledge Charlie's comment and instead ordered from Joseph, the other bartender. He tried not think about Selina Barton as he ate, but that proved to be easier said than done.
Carmen waited in the same place next to Sara after school. She had been told by Mrs. Hathaway's youngest son Jasper that their mother was ill. So instead, Ms. Selina Barton, a neighbor, had been made their nanny today.
As soon as Carmen spotted a woman wearing a dark dress with matching dark hair she bid Sara farewell. She then followed the Hathaway boys toward Ms. Barton.
"Boys, no running," Ms. Barton chided as she guided the children through the streets. The four boys stopped for only a moment. Carmen chose to remain next to Selina.
As they made their way to Emporia, Carmen remained close to Ms. Barton. She seemed very interested in Carmen's dreams.
"So young Carmen, what did you dream last night, if you do not mind my asking?" Selina whispered keeping her eyes on the boys up ahead.
Carmen's brow furrowed as she tried to remember, "Well as I told my father this morning it is different every night. Last night I was sleeping in my bed when it began to snow. I pushed off the covers and saw my feet begin to freeze. It was as if I had been hit with Old Man Winter, as the ice then crawled up my body."
Ms. Barton's brow furrowed in thought as they passed a tall apartment building. There was a brass sign outside of the building that read Littlewood Estate. Carmen took note of that as they made their way to her house.
"Well do you feel any emotions you have not dealt with? Something you haven't addressed?" Ms. Barton said as the boys ran through Carmen's front gate. They pushed and shoved each other as they waited for Ms. Barton to open the door.
Carmen cocked her head in thought. She then looked up at Ms. Barton, "I suppose there is one thing. But it does not involve me, it involves my father."
Ms. Barton nodded in understanding once they'd reached the front steps. She pushed through the boys and Carmen pulled out her house key. Once the door had been opened, the boys rushed through. She went to sit on the brown leather couch as Ms. Barton closed the door.
"Well whatever this thing is, I would suggest speaking to your father about it," Ms. Barton said as the boys all threw their knapsacks on the kitchen floor before going outside. She shook her head as she sat down on the couch next to Carmen. "Are there any other dreams you would like to discuss? I know I am not your usual nanny, but perhaps discussing these dreams of yours with someone will help you understand them, no?"
Carmen nodded, "Yes I believe so. I have wanted to speak to my father about them, but he is so busy and I do not want to burden him with my problems."
Ms. Barton smiled and to Carmen, it almost looked sad, "Fathers can seem like sometimes, but in reality it's because they have so much to deal with. However, that does not exempt you from telling your father about your problems." She pushed herself off the couch, "Although it is admirable of you to want to protect your father."
Ms. Barton's expression looked like there was more she wanted to say as she smiled at Carmen. And if Carmen was being honest, she felt like there was something she should've said. However, Ms. Barton turned toward the backyard, leaving Carmen to begin her homework.
William hurried home from work at 6:30pm. He had received Mrs. Hathaway's telegram just as he had left work just after 6:00.
William whistled as he walked, tipping his hat to other citizens of Emporia. He could already see the pear green paint of his home. He took the key out of the breast pocket of his coat and opened the door. Carmen looked up from her book and raced toward him. William kneeled down and wrapped his arms around her.
"Hi kiddo, you're a sight for sore eyes," William said as he placed a kiss on top of her head. He quickly closed the door, "Where's Ms. Barton?"
"In here," said Ms. Barton as she made her way into the spacious living room. She clasped a string on her cloak as she placed it around her shoulders. She wore the same dress from earlier and the faint lines under her eyes were more evident in this lighting, "I hope you didn't mind, I washed the dishes while you were away and did some of the laundry."
William shook his head as he pulled away from Carmen and stood up, "Nonsense, Carmen could've done that."
Ms. Barton nodded as her gaze went to Carmen, who was standing between them, "Oh she did. She helped me dry and put them away. She was most insistent."
William nodded, "Well good." He didn't know or even comprehend why, but there was a niggling feeling in the back of his skull. As if he had met her before, in another life. He shook his head as he looked to address Ms. Barton again, "Well thank you again for watching Carmen. I trust she didn't cause too much trouble?"
Ms. Barton chuckled as Carmen went back to the couch, "Of course not. She did her homework and then helped me with chores. The boys left about two hours ago." Ms. Barton went to move past William, "If that will be all, I wish you a good evening Mr. McNamara and Carmen." And with that, she left.
William decided to make stew that evening for dinner. And considering how cold it had been lately, Carmen had agreed.
"How was your second day at school kiddo," William said as he downed half of his glass of water.
Carmen shrugged as she put her spoon back in her bowl, "It was fine. Roy Fink tried to ask me to this stupid picnic of his. I declined, naturally."
William scoffed as he leaned back in his chair, "That's the second day in a row I've heard about Jeremiah Fink's racist nephew. Carmen, I want you to stay away from that boy alright? The Finks are nothing but trouble and they give all business owners a bad name."
Carmen nodded obediently, "Yes father. But to be fair, he approached me first. I did nothing to seek him out." She brought the spoon to her lips.
William nodded and reached for her hand across the table, "I know kiddo, but at least try for your old man, please?"
"Of course daddy," Carmen said and squeezed his hand. William squeezed back and he nearly choked on his stew from her question. "Daddy where is mommy?"
William swallowed his stew and washed it down with water before responding.
"What do you?"
Carmen put her spoon back in the bowl, "Well everyone else has a mommy and daddy. Where's my mommy?"
William nodded and was silent for a few seconds. He hadn't envisioned having this conversation until much farther down the road. But she'd asked him and he would be honest with her.
"Carmen honey, I don't know where your mommy is," William gave a pained sigh as he scooted away back from the table. He then moved his chair closer to hers and sat down again, taking one of her smaller hands in his. "And what I'm about to tell you next may be a bit scary but don't think it means I love you any less, understood?" She nodded and William continued, "When you were a baby, probably only two months old, I found you on my doorstep. I don't know who you belonged to before, but that's all I know."
Carmen nodded and pushed her chair away from the table. She then went to embrace William and he hugged her back.
"I love you, daddy," Carmen whispered. "And I hope you will always be my father."
William smiled and kissed her on the forehead, "Me too, kiddo. Me too." He whispered and simply held her, running a hand through her hair.
William was glad she wasn't too upset about this. He knew this conversation could've ended with her in tears, with her resenting him. But as he embraced her, rocking her gently, he knew there was nothing to worry about.
Later on that evening, William blew Carmen one last kiss before closing her door. As his head hit the pillow, he closed his eyes. He remained awake for a few minutes after, half wondering if Carmen would cry out for him. And when she didn't, he let out a sigh of relief. Because for the first time in two years, Carmen would finally have sweet dreams.
Author's Note: So for those who have been paying attention, this is a direct sequel to "For the love of a daughter". The reason I didn't make this one-shot, and the others, into a longer story is for two reasons. A) I didn't feel like updating and making readers wait a million years for an update and B) I thought these one-shots were strong enough to stand on their own. The next story is "Terrible Teen Years", so be on the lookout for that.
I would like to once again thank J3FAwesome for allowing me to use his OC William McNamara.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except Carmen McNamara and my numerous other OCs. Irrational Games & 2K Entertainment own Bioshock Infinite and as I stated above, J3FAwesome owns William McNamara.