She loves the lovely things

 Carmen was coming to terms with Cassie's mother Kie. It was hard for Carmen to believe that Kie was almost forty. She was a mother who had always been there for Cassie.

"Oh, her father just can't be around," Kie admitted. "He sends support, for the most part."

She spoke of a time when she was young and unstoppable, even with Cassie. "Maybe, I was just too stupid to know any better."

Carmen felt calm after their conversation. It did make Carmen smile to know that Kie thought they (Carmen and Justin) were already a couple. She guessed that's what gave her the courage to talk to Justin on Thanksgiving night. 

But not a lot had changed. He was the Justin she knew who was that roommate who always made sure the trash was out and got Randy to run the vacuum. Everything was as tidy as usual.

"I don't know what I did wrong," she turned to Dale about the matter.

"Are you sure he knows?" She texted back.

"I think so."

Carmen's forehead wrinkled in thought as she was in the middle of laundry when she was on the phone.

Dale texted how happy she was to see them. She said she knew Randy was a ball of energy. "How do you two do it?" She said she thought he was at his best around Cassie.

"I think Justin would be on his case if he wasn't."

Carmen texted back.

"I think Randy takes Justin's cue."

Carmen smiled at the text. She wondered then who Justin was taking his cue from.