"Punk-"

"Mommy, don't call Daddy that!" Chris Rodriguez had to stifle a laugh when he heard his five-year-old daughter, Silena, scold her own mother because of her language. Granted, it wasn't the worst Clarisse had uttered in her presence, but it was hilarious nonetheless. "Money on the swear jar!" Clarisse stared at her before sighing and placing a quarter on the jar that was sitting on the kitchen counter.

"Happy now, Sil?" Silena simply nodded and went back to her drawing.

"I'm thinking you either are missing when she didn't understand you or are regretting coming up with the swear jar idea..." Chris mocked her gently, smirking.

"I didn't expect me to bite me in the-"

"Unless you rather lose another quarter, don't finish that sentence." Chris interrupted her. Clarisse promptly closed her mouth, frowning.

"Whatever, just wanted to tell you that today should be a quiet day, don't have patrol, so there's a high chance I come with dinner."

Life in lockdown had been a tough pill to swallow for both Clarisse and Chris. Clarisse hated desk job, but hated even more patrolling. 'I'm a tank, you don't parade me around!' she had complained once, grumbling low enough so Silena couldn't hear her. She had adapted kind of well, though she still had complaining days.

Chris, however, was a completely different story.

Because of bad decisions while he was young, he barely had finished highschool. While that was not an impediment for him, since he was gifted in many skills that he would put to the test while getting jobs. The problem now laid in the fact that most of those jobs were not working. And he was looking after Silena all day since she couldn't go to kindergarden.

Clarisse had noticed the symptoms before Chris himself and, by now, could see when a good day was here or not. She would- discreetly, of course. No daughter of Ares would be caught dead showing so much care -search for places that Chris could work part time while searching for shorter hours to divide Silena's look after between them.

Today, it seemed like a good day. But Clarisse wouldn't could her boars yet.

"Sounds good!" Chris smiled at her and Clarisse tried to check for any kind of tick that said otherwise. There was not. "Sil, what are you craving for tonight? Seems like Mommy will buy food..." Silena's eyes snapped at the grown ups, frowning in thinking.

"Oh, oh! Can we have those noddles Ana brought with Uncle Will and Uncle Nico?" She asked, thoughtful.

"How was that called again?" Clarisse wondered, snapping her fingers at Chris, who rolled his eyes.

"The word you're looking for is ramen." Chris helped her, making Clarisse clap in agreement.

"That! I swear, Solace and di Angelo are spoiling that girl..." She said, not with ill intent.

"Like you're doing with ours now?" Chris counterattacked, smirking at her.

"Fair point." Clarisse conceded, before messing with Silena's hair. "Be good for your Dad, munchkin."

"Love you too, Mommy!" Silena smiled at her, not even surprised by her messy hair. Clarisse smirked and turned to Chris.

"If something happens, give me a call, alright?" Her voice was stern but her eyes were gentle and Chris smiled at her concern.

"We'll be fine. You have your portion of ambrosia?" Chris checked with her, earning a nod. "Good, cause I heard from Travis the deliveries were going to be delayed for like two weeks or something..." Clarisse frowned, not understanding.

"Two weeks? I know your father is, well, completely busy these days but why a delay of two weeks?" She questioned while they walked to the door of their apartment. "He doesn't have enough minor gods that could help him? What about Iris?"

"Last I heard, Dad passed the IM department completely to Iris, including emailing- don't ask, I don't know how that works." He added when he saw Clarisse open her mouth. "So, he deals with package deliveries."

"You should give him a call, tell him that you could deliver the ambrosia to people like us..." Clarisse shrugged her shoulders, not really thinking what she was saying.

But it was evident that Chris thought otherwise.

"That's... not a bad idea, actually." And Clarisse could see the hope and enthusiasm in his eyes. She bit back a smirk and nodded at him. "Let you know if I can get somewhere to it. Right now, I have a history lesson to plan-"

"Noooooo!" Both parents chuckled when hearing Silena's whining. Clarisse waved at Chris while he closed the door.

"Now, young lady... You don't like story time with Daddy? I'm offended!" Chris dramatized and Silena gasped, rushing to hug him.

"No, no, no, Daddy! Your stories are great! But it's a bit boring!" The child pouted and Chris laughed, picking her up.

"How about we make it interesting?" He knew he got Silena's attention. "I will tell you today's story and then, we will draw the moment we liked the best... When Mommy comes back, she will decide which one is better, what do you say?"

"OK!" She agreed completely, ushering down her father's arms and sat down on the table to pay attention. Chris sat with her and started to tell him the story of how Alexander The Great expanded the Greek's domain. Silena paid enough attention and then, when the story was over, she began to draw while Chris took a small bathroom break.

"It's not a bad idea." Chris got surprised, hearing another voice in the hallway. One that didn't sound like Silena's.

"You could knock next time you come visit, Dad." Hermes' figure came out the shadows and smirked at his son.

"What would be the fun in that?" He joked at him. "By the way, you should have been a History teacher... Chiron could give you some tips about it..."

"I'll consider about it when I can go out daily..." Chris argued and Hermes left a bag at his feet. "What's this?"

"Your new job. You earn fifty percent of the gains, deal?" Chris looked at him.

"Catch?"

"No catch. Trying to do better here!" Hermes groaned and winked at him. "Oh, you start tomorrow!" He announced, before disappearing and forcing Chris to look away. But Chris' mind only had one thought.

That everything was going to get better.

2/2.

Good morning/afternoon/evening, everyone!

I know, I know I promised to post last weekend, but to tell the truth, I had two issues... One, I had no inspiration. Two, I kind of slept all day! Whoever said adulting 'is fun', don't believe it!

Anyway, since next week I have tests to present, I decided to post on Fridays as much as I can write during the week. I can't promise much this next week but I'll try to give my fare *wink wink*.

I hope you're all staying safe, taking precautions and, if available, taking the vaccine!

xoxo,
SilverHuntresses