Chapter 16- Always Protect Her

            Shane stormed back into the house, her fingers through her hair. She was breathing heavily as she walked straight to the fridge and pulled out the milk. Carmen laughed, seeing the usually cool Shane super-stressed. She leaned against the counter, popping another grape into her mouth.

Carmen: Run a marathon?

Shane: More like jump out of a plane. No, that would probably be safer than being in a car with that kid. Hell, sky diving with no parachute would be.

Carmen winced.

Carmen: That bad huh?

Shane: Carmen! She started off by trying to pull out of the driveway while still in park, then, the first stoplight we saw, she hit the gas instead of the break. Thank god no one was around. So we finally get to the mall’s parking lot and she totaled four carts, hopped a curb, and almost ran over a little old lady carrying her dry-cleaning to her car. She tries to park and we’re DIAGONAL taking up two spaces!!!

Shane downed the milk and Carmen laughed.

Carmen: She’s that bad?

Shane: Letting that kid operate a motor vehicle is like handing a serial killer a set of knives and a Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free-Card. I don’t know how she’s ever going to get her license.

Carmen: Where is she now?

Shane: Washing the truck. It was covered in mud from when she ran the curb.

Carmen: Alright.

Carmen walked up, next to Shane and rubbed the side of her face.

Carmen: YOU need to calm down, alright? When your heart rate increases, so does the baby’s.

Shane smiled with Carmen as they thought about their awesome news. Carmen gently rubbed Shane’s stomach.

Carmen: And from now on, I’ll take care of Alex’s driving lessons alright?

Shane smiled and nodded.

Shane: Alright.

Alex then walked in and Carmen gave her a hug.

Carmen: You’re in one piece!

Alex: Very funny.

Carmen smiled and kissed her forehead.

Alex: I just came in to tell you guys that Alice is here and my friend Walt is umm, giving me a ride to school.

Carmen: Oh I totally forgot you started school.