never heard of lunch?”
Carter nodded.
“So, only two meals a day?”
“Yeah.”
Silvia gaped at Carter like she’d just been slapped. “Are you kidding me?” she cried.
Carter took a step back. Around them, the crowd gave them a wide birth. Silvia trembled, glued to her spot.
“Are-are you crying?”
“Wha — No! O-of course not!” Silvia quickly wiped her eyes and then turned away, bright red.
Carter took a few deep breaths and then sighed. “Gosh, you sure cost a lot.”
Silvia’s back went rigid the moment he said it. Turning around, she looked up at Carter, her eyes wide. Then, regaining her composure, she smiled. “I’m sorry. I wish I could be more useful to you.” She laughed, her voice cracking.
Carter felt his chest tighten. “It’s okay, I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just kidding.”
“No, you were right. I really am a burden to you.” Silvia’s smile seemed almost sad.
Carter stepped forward, suddenly resolute. Putting his hand on her shoulder, he gave her a very serious look. “Silvia, listen to me. You’re not a burden.”
Carter, you idiot.
Silvia smiled faintly. Looking up at him, she nodded, her cheeks regaining their color. “Hey, Carter?” she asked.
“Yeah?”
“I know I’ve already cost you a great deal, but I have a favor to ask.”
“What is it?”
Silvia glanced at the ground and then back at him. “Well, I was wondering if we could get me some clothes.”
Carter relaxed, relieved.
Well, if that’s all.
“Yeah, sure,” he said. “I didn’t expect you to wear my clothes forever, after all.”
Silvia’s face lit up immediately. “Can we go get them now?” she asked, grabbing his shirt. “I’d like to change out of these ratty things before we go to dinner.”
Carter glanced over, feigning a frown. “Ratty?”
Silvia suppressed her smile, staring at Carter innocently. “Err, I mean, they’re baggy. They don’t fit me at all.” Putting her hands behind her back, Silvia cocked her head to the side, completing the act.
Carter gave her a grudging smile. “Whatever.”
“So can we go now or not?” Silvia’s cheeks were puffed out like tiny balloons.
Pulling out his money purse, Carter sifted through its contents. Silvia watched the bag intently, as if it were dangling the new clothing just out of her reach.
If I’m careful, I should be able to afford some clothes and keep some money back in case shit hits the fan between here and New Manhattan.
“Yeah, I think we can go now.”
“Come on then!”
Carter found himself being pulled along by the sleeve. “H-hey! Just remember, nothing too expensive! I’m not made out of money!”
“Yes, Dad .”
When she reached the market square, Silvia finally stopped her speedy advance. She turned back, staring at Carter imploringly. He merely looked away, as if staring at a nearby booth.
“Ahem!”
“Hmm? Oh, I’m sorry, does the lady still need help finding her way around? I could have sworn I was just the money handler.”
“Oh, please. What, don’t like a girl taking charge, hmmm ?”
“T-that’s not what I—”
Silvia cut him off, wagging a finger in his face, breaking into a triumphant smile. “I guess you’ll have to be a little more generous funding my wardrobe to make it up to me, huh?”
Is she always two steps ahead?
Carter groaned audibly. He gripped his chest, feigning pain, but Silvia paid him no notice. Giggling to herself, she slugged his shoulder.
“You are slowly ripping a hole in my coin purse, you know that?” Carter scoffed.
“Oh ho, but it’s good for you,” Silvia retorted. “You really were a bit too tight along the strings before I showed up, am I right?”
“Oh, please. When you travel non-stop like I do, you learn just how important managing your money is. Spend too much, and you will soon starve. Spend too little, and you will starve anyhow. It’s a very fine line.”
Silvia nodded, her smile losing its nasty tinge. “Those
Carter nodded.
“So, only two meals a day?”
“Yeah.”
Silvia gaped at Carter like she’d just been slapped. “Are you kidding me?” she cried.
Carter took a step back. Around them, the crowd gave them a wide birth. Silvia trembled, glued to her spot.
“Are-are you crying?”
“Wha — No! O-of course not!” Silvia quickly wiped her eyes and then turned away, bright red.
Carter took a few deep breaths and then sighed. “Gosh, you sure cost a lot.”
Silvia’s back went rigid the moment he said it. Turning around, she looked up at Carter, her eyes wide. Then, regaining her composure, she smiled. “I’m sorry. I wish I could be more useful to you.” She laughed, her voice cracking.
Carter felt his chest tighten. “It’s okay, I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just kidding.”
“No, you were right. I really am a burden to you.” Silvia’s smile seemed almost sad.
Carter stepped forward, suddenly resolute. Putting his hand on her shoulder, he gave her a very serious look. “Silvia, listen to me. You’re not a burden.”
Carter, you idiot.
Silvia smiled faintly. Looking up at him, she nodded, her cheeks regaining their color. “Hey, Carter?” she asked.
“Yeah?”
“I know I’ve already cost you a great deal, but I have a favor to ask.”
“What is it?”
Silvia glanced at the ground and then back at him. “Well, I was wondering if we could get me some clothes.”
Carter relaxed, relieved.
Well, if that’s all.
“Yeah, sure,” he said. “I didn’t expect you to wear my clothes forever, after all.”
Silvia’s face lit up immediately. “Can we go get them now?” she asked, grabbing his shirt. “I’d like to change out of these ratty things before we go to dinner.”
Carter glanced over, feigning a frown. “Ratty?”
Silvia suppressed her smile, staring at Carter innocently. “Err, I mean, they’re baggy. They don’t fit me at all.” Putting her hands behind her back, Silvia cocked her head to the side, completing the act.
Carter gave her a grudging smile. “Whatever.”
“So can we go now or not?” Silvia’s cheeks were puffed out like tiny balloons.
Pulling out his money purse, Carter sifted through its contents. Silvia watched the bag intently, as if it were dangling the new clothing just out of her reach.
If I’m careful, I should be able to afford some clothes and keep some money back in case shit hits the fan between here and New Manhattan.
“Yeah, I think we can go now.”
“Come on then!”
Carter found himself being pulled along by the sleeve. “H-hey! Just remember, nothing too expensive! I’m not made out of money!”
“Yes, Dad .”
When she reached the market square, Silvia finally stopped her speedy advance. She turned back, staring at Carter imploringly. He merely looked away, as if staring at a nearby booth.
“Ahem!”
“Hmm? Oh, I’m sorry, does the lady still need help finding her way around? I could have sworn I was just the money handler.”
“Oh, please. What, don’t like a girl taking charge, hmmm ?”
“T-that’s not what I—”
Silvia cut him off, wagging a finger in his face, breaking into a triumphant smile. “I guess you’ll have to be a little more generous funding my wardrobe to make it up to me, huh?”
Is she always two steps ahead?
Carter groaned audibly. He gripped his chest, feigning pain, but Silvia paid him no notice. Giggling to herself, she slugged his shoulder.
“You are slowly ripping a hole in my coin purse, you know that?” Carter scoffed.
“Oh ho, but it’s good for you,” Silvia retorted. “You really were a bit too tight along the strings before I showed up, am I right?”
“Oh, please. When you travel non-stop like I do, you learn just how important managing your money is. Spend too much, and you will soon starve. Spend too little, and you will starve anyhow. It’s a very fine line.”
Silvia nodded, her smile losing its nasty tinge. “Those
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