Vicious Minds: Part 3 (Children of Vice 6)

“How have you not grown up since you were a teenager—”

“I guess that’s the part I got from you.”

“Let me at least finish my insults, you little brat—”

“Why? They never change, old man.”

He breathed through his nose in annoyance, and I stared right back at him with that same annoyance.

“Grandpapa!”

At the sound of her angry voice, he jumped slightly; we both turned to see the little tyrant, with her hands on her hips and her hair in a sloppy pigtail glaring up at him.

“Yes, munchkin?” my father asked.

“I’m mad,” she said bluntly and lifted a lump of Play-Doh. “You stepped on it!”

“What?” My father gasped, kneeling in front of her. “I did not.”

She pointed to his foot, and when I looked, a small trace of yellow Play-Doh was on the sole of his shoe. My father looked down at it, then back at my daughter’s furious little face. “Oops, sorry. Munchkin, I didn’t see it.”

“Mommy says sorry won’t fix it,” she replied, handing him the lump of Play-Doh.

“Munchkin, I’ll fix it if you bring your father to play with us.” He snickered.

Gigi’s head whipped toward me. My eyebrow raised at the look in her eyes, and she relaxed a bit and turned back to her grandfather. Moving, she whispered something very quickly into his ear and then backed away.

They shared a look, and he nodded, outstretching his hand. “Deal, Munchkin.”

Gigi nodded and grinned, shaking it.

“What deal, Gigi?” I asked her.

“It’s a secret.” Father grinned, taking her hand.

Gigi smiled up at me. “Yeah, a secret, Papa.”

Kneeling down, I opened my arms, and she let go of him, coming to me and hugging me.

“So petty,” my father muttered, but I ignored him.

I brushed the hair from her face. “Gigi, be careful who you make deals with, okay? Not everyone keeps their promises.”

“But family, Papa?” she asked, tilting her face.

I nodded, cupping her cheek. “You can trust family more…but still be careful. Families sometimes mess up, too.”

“What do you do if they mess up?” she asked.

I pretended to think and lifted my hand. “Smack them? I’m not sure what else. Papa hasn’t learned that yet.” I tickled her, making her wiggle around in front of me. Smiling, I let her go, pushing her to my father. “Go have fun with your secret.”

She kissed the side of my face before running off to jump onto my father. He caught her easily and looked at me. He didn’t get to say anything because the little tyrant in his hands demanded he go onward.

As they walked away, I looked back in on Calliope and my mother as she helped her stretch out her wound. Calliope’s face was covered in sweat and pain.

Stubborn.

But so was I.