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“I know, but I wanted to,” she replied with a grin. With the dishes out now, though, she was free to take her seat at the table and smile at her friend. “You want me to serve the sloppy joe casserole?” 

Carlos smiled at her. “Only if you would like,” he said and he busied himself with getting their drinks. “Angie? Do you want to get your mom a spoon to help dish?” He then looked at Mia. “Oh – want any ice?”

“Okay, Papa!” Dutifully, the girl got back up to fetch a serving spoon for her mother. 

“No ice, but I appreciate it,” came the response as Mia took the spoon from Angie to begin dishing out the food for all three of them. Angie got a slightly lesser portion than Carlos or Mia did, but the girl just took it as adults having larger stomachs.

Carlos gave Angie her juice and Mia her water and sat down with a cup of orange juice himself. After Strex had changed hands, he wasn’t so worried about citrus drinks anymore.

“I appreciate this, Mia,” Carlos told her with a smile. “Though I’m sure you wouldn’t have wanted to eat just plain mac and cheese anyway, huh?”

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“Well, yes,” Carlos said. He stood up and took her hand. “Come on in. Mia? Should we talk about this over dinner? Or should it wait until after? What do you think?”

“I think we can handle talking about this during dinner, unless you’d prefer to wait?” Mia replied, shrugging as she came back into view. “It would probably be easier to share over food, though.”

Looking between her parents, Angie frowned. What in the worlds could they be talking about? She was dying with curiosity, wanting to know what was going on. “Or you could tell me now? What’s going on?”

Carlos gave Angela a smile. “I think it can also be a lesson in patience,” he teased her gently. “It’s okay, honey – there’s plenty of time. Your mom’s food smells really good – we should dig in before it gets cold, don’t you think?”

He turned to lead her to his little dining area where he had pulled up an extra chair from his desk so that there were three places to sit. “What do you guys want to drink? I have soda, coffee, juice…”

“Juice, please!” Angie replied, following her father into the dining area. She was still anxious to find out what they were hiding from her, but if both of them were dead set on keeping quiet until they had started eating, then there was nothing for her to do but take a seat at the table and wait to be told. 

“I’ll have a water, if you don’t mind, Carlos,” Mia was busy magicking plates out of the cupboards, but she turned to spare a glance at him as she answered the question.

Carlos nodded as he went to the cupboard with the cups. He watched the dishes fly out with a slight frown. “Awe Mia, you didn’t have to get those out. I could have done it.” And get his hand possibly bitten in the process, but that’s what Nuskin was for. Also, he was hosting.

Still, he gently pet the ‘Cup’-board (as he lovingly called it) and was able to get three glasses out for them without getting bitten.

“I know, but I wanted to,” she replied with a grin. With the dishes out now, though, she was free to take her seat at the table and smile at her friend. “You want me to serve the sloppy joe casserole?” 

Carlos smiled at her. “Only if you would like,” he said and he busied himself with getting their drinks. “Angie? Do you want to get your mom a spoon to help dish?” He then looked at Mia. “Oh – want any ice?”

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“Well, yes,” Carlos said. He stood up and took her hand. “Come on in. Mia? Should we talk about this over dinner? Or should it wait until after? What do you think?”

“I think we can handle talking about this during dinner, unless you’d prefer to wait?” Mia replied, shrugging as she came back into view. “It would probably be easier to share over food, though.”

Looking between her parents, Angie frowned. What in the worlds could they be talking about? She was dying with curiosity, wanting to know what was going on. “Or you could tell me now? What’s going on?”

Carlos gave Angela a smile. “I think it can also be a lesson in patience,” he teased her gently. “It’s okay, honey – there’s plenty of time. Your mom’s food smells really good – we should dig in before it gets cold, don’t you think?”

He turned to lead her to his little dining area where he had pulled up an extra chair from his desk so that there were three places to sit. “What do you guys want to drink? I have soda, coffee, juice…”

“Juice, please!” Angie replied, following her father into the dining area. She was still anxious to find out what they were hiding from her, but if both of them were dead set on keeping quiet until they had started eating, then there was nothing for her to do but take a seat at the table and wait to be told. 

“I’ll have a water, if you don’t mind, Carlos,” Mia was busy magicking plates out of the cupboards, but she turned to spare a glance at him as she answered the question.

Carlos nodded as he went to the cupboard with the cups. He watched the dishes fly out with a slight frown. “Awe Mia, you didn’t have to get those out. I could have done it.” And get his hand possibly bitten in the process, but that’s what Nuskin was for. Also, he was hosting.

Still, he gently pet the ‘Cup’-board (as he lovingly called it) and was able to get three glasses out for them without getting bitten.

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“That works, yeah. And we hadn’t had dinner yet, I can bring something by if you’d like. Want to say….half an hour, to give you time to do a little prep before we arrive?” She was trying not to be overbearing, letting him have final say in the plans.

“Yeah, if you want to. I have some gluten-free mac and cheese here, and that’s enough to make her and me happy without burning the house down.” Carlos chuckled. “But you’re welcome to bring food over tonight if you want to. Half an hour sounds good… or whatever ‘half an hour’ means for me here in Night Vale. I’ll expect you soon.”

“I’ll whip something up while Angie finishes getting ready, then. See you in a bit~” Without further preamble, the Fae woman hung up her phone to give their daughter the time frame for the trip to Carlos’ apartment. The real question was what to bring over that wouldn’t necessarily need bread or gluten in it.

Still, a half an hour later as promised, the door in the apartment that connected to Mia’s pocket dimension swung open to allow both child and guardian to enter, a pot of sloppy joe-covered tater tots held in Mia’s hands.

“Knock knock~”

“Papa! Hi!”

Carlos came trotting in, wearing a simple pair of sweat pants and an old tshirt and no socks. At the sight of Angie his heart leapt – higher than usual – and he hurried forward, dropping down to his knees to pull her into his arms.

“Angie! It’s good to see you!”

He wasn’t sure why he was so excited – they’d been talking regularly on the phone and through email or face-time. But just seeing her… it made him ridiculously happy, for some reason.

Angie returned the hug enthusiastically, an excited giggle escaping her as she threw her arms around her Papa’s neck. “It’s good to see you too, Papa! Mama said that she was going to be joining us for dinner tonight? Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine, Angie,” Mia was heading for the kitchen as she spoke. “Your Papa and I just need to talk to you about something together before I leave you two to your visit, but it’s nothing bad. Right, Carlos?”

Hopefully, Carlos couldn’t help but think to himself. But Mia was here, he reminded himself. She wouldn’t let anything bad happen.

“That’s right, Angie,” Carlos said as he pulled back from the hug enough to look at her. “This visit’s going to be a little different, and it’s going to require you to be very responsible, okay? Can you be responsible for me?”

“I can be responsible,” she agreed, nodding as she looked up at him. “Do you need my help with something? Do I get to help you with a project?” Obviously, Angie’s idea of something requiring responsibility was a lot more mundane than the current situation.

“Well, yes,” Carlos said. He stood up and took her hand. “Come on in. Mia? Should we talk about this over dinner? Or should it wait until after? What do you think?”

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“That works, yeah. And we hadn’t had dinner yet, I can bring something by if you’d like. Want to say….half an hour, to give you time to do a little prep before we arrive?” She was trying not to be overbearing, letting him have final say in the plans.

“Yeah, if you want to. I have some gluten-free mac and cheese here, and that’s enough to make her and me happy without burning the house down.” Carlos chuckled. “But you’re welcome to bring food over tonight if you want to. Half an hour sounds good… or whatever ‘half an hour’ means for me here in Night Vale. I’ll expect you soon.”

“I’ll whip something up while Angie finishes getting ready, then. See you in a bit~” Without further preamble, the Fae woman hung up her phone to give their daughter the time frame for the trip to Carlos’ apartment. The real question was what to bring over that wouldn’t necessarily need bread or gluten in it.

Still, a half an hour later as promised, the door in the apartment that connected to Mia’s pocket dimension swung open to allow both child and guardian to enter, a pot of sloppy joe-covered tater tots held in Mia’s hands.

“Knock knock~”

“Papa! Hi!”

Carlos came trotting in, wearing a simple pair of sweat pants and an old tshirt and no socks. At the sight of Angie his heart leapt – higher than usual – and he hurried forward, dropping down to his knees to pull her into his arms.

“Angie! It’s good to see you!”

He wasn’t sure why he was so excited – they’d been talking regularly on the phone and through email or face-time. But just seeing her… it made him ridiculously happy, for some reason.

Angie returned the hug enthusiastically, an excited giggle escaping her as she threw her arms around her Papa’s neck. “It’s good to see you too, Papa! Mama said that she was going to be joining us for dinner tonight? Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine, Angie,” Mia was heading for the kitchen as she spoke. “Your Papa and I just need to talk to you about something together before I leave you two to your visit, but it’s nothing bad. Right, Carlos?”

Hopefully, Carlos couldn’t help but think to himself. But Mia was here, he reminded himself. She wouldn’t let anything bad happen.

“That’s right, Angie,” Carlos said as he pulled back from the hug enough to look at her. “This visit’s going to be a little different, and it’s going to require you to be very responsible, okay? Can you be responsible for me?”