scarlett

“My daughter’s sixteenth birthday is next month and the only thing she has been talking about is how bad she wants a car,” the brunette sighed as she took a drink of her whiskey. “As much as I love her, I don’t think a new car will be happening anytime soon.” Freya shrugged as she looked over at the person beside her. “Please tell me I wasn’t the only one that didn’t get a car for my sixteenth?”

“A car?” Scarlett repeated before a brief laugh escaped her lips. “I was barely lucky enough to get a sweet sixteen and the privilege to drive my mother’s car sometimes.” As the words left her lips, Scarlett took a sip of her gin and coke. “Maybe a nice party might make her forget about the car.”

“You’re raising a kid, I reckon that makes you a real parent, yeah?” he says, laughing lightly with her, “No, no, you don’t have - you can talk about her all you like,” he assures her, “I’m just dandy, darling, not much to report, I’m afraid. How old’s your little one?”

“Don’t encourage it. I’ll just go on and on about her. She’s a pain but I love her.” While she may have dismissed it at first, Scarlett was quick to begin speaking about her at his question. “She just turned six but I swear she acts almost like a teenager. I did tell her not to use her fist next time she wants to get back at someone and she told me that she’ll just date him and then break his heart, like I do.” She recounted and even though a laugh left her lips, her face scrunched up at the thought. “She’s savage, I’m telling you.--But come on, I’m sure there’s gotta be something exciting going on in your life.”

Laughter was coming through a rather wide grin at hearing the tale. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she was my mini me. I did somethin’ very similar as a little kid. Worst she should get is a stern talkin’ to about words bein’ better, I guess, but– Come on, that brat was askin’ for a punch.”

   “If my future kid is anything like me in the future, I feel sorry for me because I was a smart, know it all and took no B.S,” he replied with a chuckle as he looked at the other. “Very true.”

“That’s a good thing though, right? That means your child won’t take any B.S from anyone. I’d rather have a child that fights for what they believe than one that’s easily swayed by others. So don’t think of it as a negative. That’s a great trait.”

“Wait your daughter punched a boy?” Cameron asked in disbelief. He didn’t even know how to punish a little girl for even punching a boy at all. “How about you take away her favorite thing for a couple days? Or a week?” he offered, silently thanking the gods that he had a six-nearly turning seven weeks old daughter.

“And she’s proud of herself too.” Scarlett held back another laugh, knowing that she was slightly proud of her daughter as well. “I know I should take away her things. That’s the right thing to do, but at the same time I always want to encourage her to stick up for herself. She’s tiny, you know.”

“I both love her an’ hate her.” Val grinned. “I mean… physically hurtin’ someone for saying a shitty comment like that might be a bit extreme. She’s gotta learn how to devastate arseholes with her words instead.”

“I told her that she has the insane ability to cut someone with her words...Well I didn’t tell her in that wording, but I did let her know that words are more powerful than fist.” Scarlett replied. “She just gave me a blank look though. I don’t think she was listening.”

“Oh, man! She sounds like a little firecracker,” she laughed. “I bet you had a hard time keeping a straight face with that one. I know I would have,” she said, shaking her head.

“She is a little firecracker. I find myself trying to reprimand her, but I think she knows that it makes me laugh. She’s a mess and a half. I don’t even know how to handle it.”

“See, I never understood that insult. I know a lot of girls that can throw better than boys, and it’s like…thank you?”  she said, shaking her head. “I firmly believe that’s one of those, you have to punish her, I’m sure, but you also gotta mentally pat her on the back for sticking up for herself.”

“It’s never made sense to me either. It’s honestly a lazy insult. I’m not trying to talk bad about anyone’s kid, but my Libby can run circles around him when it comes to insults.” She said jokingly with a light laugh leaving her lips. “But no, you’re right. A punishment would be fitting. I don’t need her running around New York and picking fights with people.”

“That happened to me when I was a kid. A boy said I threw like a girl, I was like, “I’m a girl, what’s wrong with being a girl?” I taught my daughter to stand up for herself, and now that she’s 16, she’s confident and I’m proud. Let this be a learning moment.” 

“For sure, I think there’s an important conversation to be had but, you know, sometimes…Actually, I’m not a parent,” he says, smiling as he shakes his head, “Maybe I should shut the fuck up. But I understand, I think it’s complicated. I don’t know if not swearing is, like, gonna help but I can’t imagine it would hurt much. I am really talking out of my arse, you should do what feels right to you.”

“No it’s fine. You could have continued on. I’m barely really a parent. I’ve just been making it up as I go.” She couldn’t help but laugh at what she said. “I know that sounds awful. I’m a good mom, I swear.” Her face scrunched up slightly at her bad attempt of a convincing. “You know what, enough about my crazy daughter. How are you?”

“You doing anything for the next few hours?” Al asked abruptly, looking down at his phone screen for the time. “I have such an urge to go get a new tattoo. You’d think after the seven or eight I already have, I’d stop being such a little bitch about them, but I could use a hand to hold. If you don’t make fun of me, I’ll get you some food after to say thanks.”

“First of all, I would have said yes, but if we’re making deals...” Scarlett’s voice trailed off for a moment, before a huge smile grew on her lips. “I’ll trade the free meal, if you’ll babysit for me this weekend. It will only be a for a few hours, I swear.”

“Punish her? I think that boy deserved it,” Xyla said with a light laugh as she imagined at miniature version of Scarlett with a powerful fist. “Little boys are, and always have been, assholes. In all honesty, I think your little one is shaping up to be quite a powerful young lady.”

“The kid really did deserve it and apparently he’s the same little boy that she comes home complaining about everyday. She did tell me that she was going to smack him one day. So I should have took her serious.” Scarlett laughed as she recounted the times her daughter had made that simple threat. “Yeah and I definitely don’t want to break her little spirit. I think it’s good she sticks up for herself. I just wish I could teach her to fight with her words.”

Scotty couldn’t help but laugh at Scarlett’s story, “I mean, I’m laughing too” he said but then shook his head a little, “I feel bad for you. I wouldn’t know how to punish Liam if he were to ever tell me something like that” he said letting out another small laugh. “Maybe just stick with the whole ‘hands to ourselves’ thing and just leave it at that” he said shrugging his shoulders a little. Liam doesn’t ever really get in trouble, but whenever he does, his mom always had to deal with punishing because he just never could. Maybe Scotty was just a little too laid back? “Was the kid okay at least? If she punched him like a ‘badass’ then I’m honestly a little worried about him” he said, though his tone was more on the teasing side.

“You know me well enough by now. I never know how to punish Libby. At this point, I’m hoping that she starts punishing herself.” Scarlett shook her head at her own lack of ability to parent sometimes. “I’ll probably keep it simple and be secretly proud.--As for the other kid, I was more frighten about his mother. She was coddling him and of course then he started acting more dramatic. I’m sure he’s fine though. Just a bruised ego. His mom gave me the death glare when I picked up Libby.”

Lincoln couldn’t help but giggled as she listed to Scarlett. “You know what? I think I did the same thing when I was a kid too. How old is she?” She asked curiously as she looked at the other woman. “Well my dad took me out for ice cream when he found out so I can’t really give you a solid recommendation.” 

“She’s six but I swear she’s not aware of that. I think I talk too much in front of her, because she has such a smart mouth.” A soft laugh left her lips. “That’s not such a bad idea. There’s nothin’ wrong with defendin’ yourself and apparently this kid was a little bully. So I’m not sayin’ he deserved it, but...”

Jonah raises both brows, biting his tongue, but he can’t seem to fight back the smile, “She sounds like she knows what’s up. I suppose the correct punishment would be to tell her she needs to prove people wrong without hitting them,” Jonah says, turning his head, “It doesn’t sound like a punishment, but I’m sure the school will punish her.”

“I feel like this is my fault, because I used to just laugh whenever she would threaten people. She was three. What serious harm could she do? Now she’s actually puttin’ action to her words. I should probably stop swearin’ in front of her too.” Her face twisted up slightly at the thought, before a smile graced her face again. “You’re right. School already punished her. I don’t think she needs a double dose of it.”