Tequila and Slushies (Lake Eerie, OH)

River lounged across the backseat scribbling in her art book. She had plenty to say but she didn’t think Rigo would or wanted to hear it. She wasn’t looking forward to the waterpark either. The chlorine made her skin itch.

She wanted to go to the lake and not JUST to help but also to swim in a LAKE. Heck if they were there there was this place on Lake Michigan … see if it existed or not. River peered over her doodles and sigils in her art book seeing the backs of both their head.

River looked back to her work and continued.

Saint sat in the passenger seat playing a game on his phone. He wasn’t thrilled either to being relegated to babysitter. Not that he wasn’t to just … DUMP River anywhere but how was he supposed to learn anything if he was going to watching the kid all the time. At least they wouldn’t be trapped in a hotel the whole time. Count the blessing while you can. At least River had the decency to also not look thrilled. That would have been really irksome.

The car was quiet. Just yesterday he’d complained about the noise and at times bickering, and the more he thought about it -- no. He just didn’t miss that - at all. Having River was actually a bit of a less than subconscious blessing - he couldn’t sideline Santiago forever, and most of the ‘kid’ was taken out of him when he chose the gang, but even that couldn’t compare. Still, he hoped there’d at least be a little excitement about Cedar Park. “You know, I don’t know if you remember, Mijo, I did take you to a Six Flags once when you were probably six or seven,” Rigo chuckled. “First ride you wanted to go on was this little hot rod racers, because all the cars looked like 57 Chevy’s. After that, you begged me to go on Full throttle, biggest wood coaster there. I let you stand on my foot so you fit the height requirement.”

Saint laughed. “I still love 57 Chevy’s.” He admitted. “That coster was not kind on those turns … how many times did we ride that? I think my hair was blasted strait.”

“Eight.” Rigo laughed, “After the 7th, I made the mistake of getting you a corn dog and some cotton candy, then it was right back to it. Never seen a kid turn that shade of green, but you held it down, little bad ass.”

“Still worth it. The secret is to smile! Can’t throw up when your smiling.” Saint chuckled remembering.

“I got a tequila bottle in the trunk says otherwise, after we get this wrapped up.” His uncle challenged. “And chica, we’ll get you one of those slushy ices.” He checked in the rearview mirror, eyeing the kid.

“Tio are you bribing me with tequila? If you are … it’s working.” Saint said less put out than before. Rigo knew Saint well enough that he knew it was hard for him to be mad at Rigo for long.

“We’ll see if you say that after a few shots, Mijo.” Rodrigo both promised and warned.

River hardly even shrugged. A slushie DID sound nice but she was going to TELL him that.