Casual Moths // Angel Reyes

2: sweets and sweetness

Callie doesn't answer with words but with a smile that says "You're right. You're right."

She helps Daisy put on her jacket and packs the little girl into the car off to get Graciela's meat - and the ice cream. Can't forget the ice cream.

- XXX -

The butcher shop is quite small and Callie almost misses it completely. She wonders for how many years it's been here. It looks like it's been a few. It's not dirty or anything just - old.

As the girls enter the shop, the bell above the door signals their arrival. Daisy hold onto her mother's hand softly with her little fingers. Her eyes wander around the shop trying to find anything to occupy her interest as her mother deals with boring grown up business.

Just a few moments later and older man enters the room from the back, he's got thick black glasses and a funny white mustache. Daisy thinks he looks kind. He reminds her of her grandpa and grandpa was always kind. When he was alive.

The little girl doesn't fully grasp the gravity of death yet. It's like one day they came to hang out with grandma and grandpa and then the next mom was sad and aunt Jess was sad and grandma was - well she was just quiet and tired all the time. And confused. And that's how things are now. Though she can see her mom starting to smile more, especially at work. And aunt Jess actually laughed with her the other day. And grandma is - still quiet.

" What can I get you ladies ? " the man asks. Callie wonders if that man knew her father, if he knows her mother. They seem to be about the same age and her parents had grown up around here and Santo Padre really isn't that big of a place. She doesn't ask though. You don't ask stuff like that. It's weird. Inappropriate.

" I'm here to pick up an order for Graciela Ruiz "

" Oh yes. Just a second I have that in the freezer, I'll go get it. "

" Thank you "

As the man disappears through the door, Callie looks down towards her daughter who seems to be getting a little impatient as she bobs up and down on her feet a little. She really is the apple of Callie's eye. She's so well behaved and smart and god, she's so terribly cute. No matter how hard a path has lead her here, whenever she looks at Daisy, she knows it's all worth it.

The bell above the door chimes up again and as she turns to her left, Callie once again looks into a pair of deep brown eyes. Sad eyes. The saddest eyes she's ever seen.

" Hey pops I - Callie ? "

Angel regards her with confusion clouding his face before it makes room for a smile. It's nice and inviting. Callie thinks he has a phenomenal smile.

" Hey Angel. Nice to see you again. "

And it is. He's an unexpected spark of excitement in her new life. Not one she's ever going to allow herself to experience fully. But he's sweet and he's nice to look at and no one can fault her for that.

Callie feels a tug on her hand and as she lowers her eyes, she looks into a pair of identical ones. Shy ones.

" Oh, this is Daisy. Daisy this is Angel, he's a friend ". That's the thing she always tried to do with Daisy, make sure she knew who the good guys were. The friends. Back when she was younger, Callie had made some rather questionable choices. Had thought the wrong crowd were her friends. Had put her trust in the wrong people. Of course Daisy is just four years old and maybe none of the values Callie tries to instill in her now will stick in the long run. But there's no harm in trying, right ?

Angel regards the little girl with a kind look on his face before squatting down to be eye level with her.

" Hi, Daisy. You alright ? Did the old man give you some sweets ? 'cause I know he has a bunch of 'em behind the counter. "