Welcome to the inner workings of my mind

 "She does worry me," Sammie said after Vada left.

"Well, you shouldn't let her," Carmen looked at Sammie as if she was too good of a friend. "I guess, I should not have joined you two. I'm sorry."

"Oh, don't say that." Sammie was even lipped as she looked at the trash left behind from their meal. Of course, Vada left hers, but it was meant for the customers to clean up where they'd eaten. "You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm sure she was concerned about Justin."

"How could that be? After the things she said about him?" Carmen grimace back with a furrowed brow. She looked tired to Sammie.

"I know he didn't deserve that," Sammie nodded. "It was mean. Maybe Vada regrets accusing him of being a pot head and a loser when he wasn't."

"I doubt that," Carmen shook her head, no.

"So how are you and.." Sammie didn't want to ask anything too personal about Justin. "And your foster mom?"

Now she got a burst of laughter from Carmen as she sat back in her chair.

"I know she means well," Carmen shook her head. "I know she will never like Justin." Carmen looked bright-eye at the fact. "My mom would have never thought nothing of him. She wasn't like that. She was too busy with work and her friends." She slurped down  what was left of her drink. "Sometimes, when Trish talks about all I'm going through with Justin, I can't help but think if there was someone dragging her down when she first met Tristan and Liv's Dad."

"I'm sure there is a history," Sammie nodded. "My brother was always thinking the worst, but I had to wonder if  he was thinking of someone else besides me." She said sometimes she felt Rico was more of a brother than Mario ever was. 

"Oh, Kenny has felt more like my child than my nephew," Carmen finally let slip. For a second Sammie thought she might start to cry, but she didn't. "We've been through a lot together. And I've done well to let him go and have a good home life. I just always expected we would some how be on our own together."

"But, you've got Justin to worry about now," Sammie smiled and gave her a pat on the back.

"Oh, he's so crazy about writing now, I  hope it pays off," she sighed as she sniffed back tears. "But really, I know he worries about me, and so much about Randy. Honestly, I feel like I'm in a real family now. And it's good. We're good for each other."

Sammie smiled. She hoped Vada could say that some day.