âHeya Babes!â she greeted with a loud exclamation, hugging Vana tight to her. Michal had sisters - two of them, in fact. Proper goody-two-shoes, did as they were told, married all right â sisters. The ones that didnât talk to her, didnât want her at Sunday dinners and always teased her for being exactly what their father wanted â minus the needed dick. It used to hurt her to be rejected by her own family â and then Vana came into her life and filled the void her sisters had created.Â
âI wanted to check in and make sure you were okay. I read in the paper about a guy being stabbed around the area of that play, thought that it would have been your kind of scene - the theater, not the stabbing.â She spoke quietly when she spoke about violence. Not even cartoon violence was mentioned loudly when Xio had the ability to overhear. Let kids be kids.Â
âAnd there is my favorite godbaby!â she screeched when she saw Xio, scooping her up into her arms and peppering her face with kisses. âPictures and facetime donât show me how big youâve gotten since Iâve seen you. Itâs been a year, how are you so big?â she teased, staggering in play as she carried the child and the gifts inside. âAyyy look at this picture! Hamuda, you made this for me? Iâm going to get it framed and hang it up in my new fancy office.â She would too, set it higher than her medical license. âHey, open these presents, theyâre heavy,â she said, setting the girl down so she could hand her the gifts. âLet me talk to mama for a bit,â she asked.Â
âI got absolutely nothing that could make a mess - mostly because stuffed animals and jewelry are easier to fit into a bag.â She pulled a kitchen chair out and sat down. âBrace yourself, Sweets,â she said to Vana before she exhaled slowly. âIâm staying stateside for a while. Minimum six months - Iâve got a contracting job with a hospital to set up an emergency physician response system. I wanted to let you know first,â she paused because Vana knew the truth, Vana would be the only one who cared. âand youâre the only one on my list to tell so ââ she put her chin in her hands and set her elbows on the table. âDo you know any apartments around here?âÂ
The joy of seeing Michal was damped slightly by the mentions of violence. Vana couldn't help their glance at Xiomara making sure she hadnât heard, Vana knew that Michal was careful but it was second nature to protect their baby girl. âWe were there. I managed to avoid most of the scene with her. But it was a reminder of what kind of city we live inâ Vana couldnât tell Michal how much more it meant. How close of a reminder that it was of the danger that Vana was bringing to their own kid's doorstep. That if she wasnât careful she could be the next body turning up at the park. Vana swallowed the rest of the words that bubbled up in her throat, wrapping her sweater tighter around herself to shield herself from the thoughts that had been haunting her since the theater.Â
The dark gloom couldnât last long not with Michal in the house. Watching her scoop up Xio was a reminder of just how big and loving the family Vana managed to build was. Xio was fawning under the attention and praise, the little girl's giggles ringing out through the apartment she called home. At the mention of presents, her eyes lit up as she dashed to open them up, carefully ripping and folding the wrapping before examining each gift in turn. Vana was grateful for Xios penchant for taking time with gifts, it gave Silvana a moment to wrench her mind from the darkness and back into the moment.Â
âOh thank you. My brother got her these paint pen-type things the other day and I had to replace the table in her room.â Vana said with visible relief. She loved how creative her daughter was but sometimes she wished she would be creative within the confines of paper. It was second nature for Vana to take a seat next to Michal at the kitchen table. What followed was a large dosage of emotional whiplash. At the warning, Silvana was preparing for the worst. That Michal would be shipping out next week, what she was not prepared for was practically the best news she had all year. âYouâre staying?!â Silvana couldnât keep the joy out of her voice. It took every bit of her adult restraint to not jump out of her chair and launch herself at her best friend. Vana did however start to physically bounce in her chair from excitement. âWe have the guest room if you need a place right away. Or fuck if it keeps you here you can have my king and Ill crash in the guest room.â Vana wasnât prone to swearing much anymore, not since Xio was born, but the excitement of the situation brought back her old college vocabulary.
âWait no you probably want privacy for extracurricular s. I know there are a couple of units in this building. My brother's building also has a couple of units.â Vana was slowly slipping into planning mode, thinking about all the contacts she had, and what would be good neighborhoods for Michal. Best keep her away from the other gang territories or Vana would have problems visiting her friend. Maybe it was time to bust out the spreadsheet. Vana turned her attention back to her friend, voice growing soft âI'm surprised you agreed to stay. Did something change?â