The trip out of the garage and onto the road has been a very common one between Evelyn and Jane. A while back it was mostly Evelyn who would either drink too much or get into one too many fights and Jane would have to come down to the station and help her out. But on this particular drive, they had an audience. And the audience was silent.

“You just had to sit here in the car and do nothing. Nothing! And what did you do? You went into the facility where I work, where I have been working for some time now. A place where you don’t work. Where you don’t have a reputation to uphold. A place where you…” Jane caught herself at the tailend of those words. Evelyn helped her out.

“Don’t belong? Am I too low class for someone like you? Someone who has all the riches and prestige in the world. Just a lowly drunk vagrant.” Evelyn said as she looked out the window. “Did I get it right?”

Silence draped over the car.

“That's not…” Jane started but she couldn’t finish. She bit her lip. “I’m sorry.”

“Fuck you.” Evelyn said in a calm tone.

It was all suddenly familiar. They both started to remember their last encounter. It felt like they were repeating history all over again. The anger and frustration started to build up again.

“Does this mean we’re not going to the candy store?” Nyssia chimed in at the right moment. Samantha and Io turned towards Nyssia. They both were a bit grateful for the change in tone from serious to slightly innocent. Evelyn took a deep breath.

“Nah, sorry Nyssia. We got to take you home.” Evelyn said.

“And then candy store?”

Evelyn cracked a grin. Nyssia was so hung up on candy it was the only thing she could think of.

“Not today. Maybe tomorrow.”

“Fibber.” Nyssia said. Io looked down at the child with an impressive look on her face again.

“We are taking you home and that's it.” Jane said as she continued her gaze upon the road in front of her.

Nyssia folded her arms, looked up at Io and whispered, “Bruja.” Io only smiled and nodded.

They pulled up to a church. It was not the same one they went up to with Samantha earlier. This one was more recent. Nyssia hopped out of the car and continued to skip up to the door. The others followed her behind.

When the door swung open and a nun stood before them. This nun had striking features that resembled Nyssia’s puppet. Sister Mary was most certainly not pleased at seeing little Nyssia being escorted back to the church with a large group of people.

“How did this little one rope you all in?” Sister Mary asked.

“We were already running errands and ran into her, Sister.” Jane said in a polite tone.

“I see.” Sister Mary said as she looked down at Nyssia. “Child, go wash up for supper.”

“Si!” Nyssia said as she skipped passed the doors.

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“I must apologize. She is one of those trouble makers with a heart of gold.”

“Actually we took a liking to her. She's got a heck of a mouth.” Io said.

Sister Mary looked up at Io with concerned eyes. “She didn’t curse, did she?”

“No mam, that was me. And she hit me for it.”

A look of approval grew on her face.

“Good. Now why don’t you all come in and I can make you some tea.”

“Actually Sister Mary, we outta be going.” Evelyn said.

“I could use a cup of tea, Sister. Thank you.” Jane commented in an annoyed tone as she looked towards Evelyn.

“Sounds like you two both need a cup of tea. Come on in.” Sister Mary said as she turned around.

The building looked to be roughly fifty years old on the inside. Rosewood tables and bookcases along with oak chairs that looked like they had had a nastly fight with a dog over the years. In the kitchen was a cast iron wood burning stove. Upon the stove was a black kettle.

“Take a seat anywhere and I’ll get you a cup.” Sister Mary said as she approached the stove.

The group settled down and accepted their tea.

“Thank you for the tea, Sister.” Jane said as she brought the cup to her lips.

“You’re welcome my dear. I am so glad Nyssia had taken a liken to you. She doesn’t skip like that around strangers.” Sister Mary said as she sat down with a smile.

“Sister, if I may. What of her parents?” Jane asked.

“Oh,” Sister Mary started. “That's a sad tale. They came over here from Mexico some time back. Poor souls didn’t make it. The child was lucky to survive. Her care past from one institution to another and finally settled here. She didn’t get along very well with the other children or the potential parents that came here. And yet...She smiled with all of you. Tell me, what did you do?”

The group looked back at one another confused.

“I see. My dear,” Sister Mary said as she turned towards Jane. “Are you interested in adoption?”

Evelyn struggled to hold her tea in but a little spit out with a pfft sound. Jane looked stunned. You could hit her with a feather and she’d fall over. She rapidly blinked and looked down at her tea in silence. Finally looking back up at Sister Mary.

“A child in my life, Sister, would not be viable. I simply have too much to do.” Jane replied.

“Work or play?” Sister Mary asked.

“Work.”

“From the looks of you, child, I think you work a bit too much” Sister Mary stood up from her chair and walked over to the stove and refilled her tea cup.

“When I was little, I knew of a man named Charles. He was a tall man and a smart one too. Sharp as a tack. He was the finest salesman in all of the city. He devoted his entire life to his work. Every day we would see him walk out of his house and down the street and into his shop. And he did that everyday for forty years. He didn’t do anything else. He never laughed. He never loved. He never lived. When he opened that store for the first time all those years ago; he might as well have died there. Over the years, my friends and I, before I became a nun, we would go down to the shop and look in the window and there he was, behind the counter. Forty years of a life gone. And all he did was work. Life passed him by and all he had to show for it was that little shop and the savings he left behind. No family, no friends, no loved ones. A sad way to go.” Sister Mary came back over and sat down in her chair.

“I hope you make room in your life, child, for other things besides work.”

Evelyn snickered. “She's got your number on that one, Parker.” Evelyn said as she took a sip of her tea.

“And you need to stop drinking. I can smell it on your breath all the way over here.”

Evelyn froze. Her eyes quickly darted back to Jane. Jane’s head slowly turned toward her. A look of disapproval.

“Parker, she’s nuts! I haven't...ah fuck me.” Evelyn said as she slumped her shoulders down. Before Evelyn could look up to apologize a ruler came out of nowhere and smacked Evelyn’s shoulder. She jerked back, carefully still holding her tea in her hand, only to see Sister Mary looming over here.

“I sense darkness in you child. Evil ways and past deeds must be rectified should you ever want to find peace in your soul.”

“Mother f-” Evelyn started but stopped as soon as she felt Io’s hand on her shoulder. Io shook her head and gave her a look of worry. Mouthing to her the word ‘No’. Sister Mary moved back over and sat in her chair. Jane’s eyes were still fixed upon her. She felt her cold calculating gaze seeping into her very soul. Jane let out a sigh and tilted her head down.

“Was it from the flask in your boot? I should have checked.” Jane asked. Evelyn shook her head.

“No, no. I haven't had that in some time. Kept tripping over my feet with it in there. No it came from some yokel in the breakroom.” Evelyn said as she looked away. “Jane, I’m sorry.”

“I know you are.” Jane replied. “Frankly we still have much to discuss about this issue, but not here.” Jane turned back away from Evelyn. The look on her face and in her eyes suggested she was in deep thought. Evelyn didn’t know but it didn’t make her feel any better.

“Well, I think it's time we head out.” Io said as she placed her cup down. Samantha turned to her and nodded in approval. “Wait!” Samantha called out. “Where am I to rest?”

The thought never seemed to occur to any of them and they all looked at each other in confusion. Suddenly all eyes were on Jane.

“Goodness me.” Jane replied.