Tuesday the 13th

 

Cam was glad Rico finally confessed what was happening and where Sammie was.

"You won't.. you won't do anything will you?" Rico looked at him as if he might be in charge of the father police squad.

Cam only sighed. "No, it'll be fine." He kept tight-lipped. "Just try to understand where Liv is coming from. I don't think it's the end." After all, the girl lived here. They were due their differences. It was good for the two of them to have a few squabbles and to hear each other out.

Of course, he still wondered what he should do. Yes, a part of him wanted to be fierce and take care of this situation, but that might mean Sammie would be here and well, he didn't feel obligated to be her father too, even if maybe that was what she really needed.

He called Minnie (Mario and Sammie's mother). 

"How do you feel about this?" He wanted to know. Of course, she admitted she'd been on her own at seventeen. "Sure, I wish she was here. She's a lot of help with the kids, but I don't want her hating me either." She sounded as if she'd been there herself. Just one of the reasons she'd escaped her own troubles back when he knew her well.

"But she's not like me," Minnie said. "She's got her own way of dealing with things that I don't think I could have ever endured. You know me, I just like to keep going, and well, you know I love to travel."

Cam guessed he knew. She was one who always thought ahead how things could be better if they just went to the west coast, but by the time they got there, she was ready to go back east or maybe south. She was never really satisfied being stationary.

"I think what she wants is to find someone and just have her own home to go to. And I guess if she's found that someone, we just need to see if she really knows how to make that last." Minnie said she had her hands full with the little ones.

He wanted to ask just how many kids she had now. He never imagined her ever having this many kids. He thought when she left him she was done with having a family, but evidently, he didn't know her well. And maybe he didn't know Sammie, either.

"I guess it's Mario, I'm worried about," he then said during their phone call. 

"Why?" She asked as if she couldn't see Mario having any problems. After all, he'd raised Mario for the most part.

"Oh, you know, he's . . . he's so different with Sammie around. I thought they got along." Although, Mario had rarely ever spoken of her.

"He left before he ever really knew her. She loved him like a teen idol of some kind. I guess she was just a nuisance to him, but he's her big brother and she always thought the best of him even if he really wasn't fond of her. Maybe it was his way of getting back at me for remarrying. You know, he was always on your side, no matter what." Her insight gave Cam a different view now. 

"Do you think it's me? You know, he's engaged now, but I don't see them getting married anytime soon." Cam's brow furrowed wondering if this was all his damn fault. 

"Oh, he's never found fault with you. It was always me," Cam could feel the laughter in her voice and somehow, it was haunting.

"Well, is there anything I should .. you know, be doing for.. for Sammie?" It was all that he knew to do now.

"I don't think you have to worry about her getting pregnant. If that's what you're worried about. She's been on the pill for some time now. Not that she's been-"

"How would you know these things?" He snapped. "You've been out of the picture for months now."

"Don't even go there," Minnie sounded as if he wanted to argue. She was ready. The story of their marriage.