"My God there's like $5,000 dollars here! Are you crazy?"
"More like $4,000 there…..give or take gas, tolls and well beer……lots of beer…..and maybe a lap dance I think."
"Sis, yeah we are having hell of a time as of late but………"
"No take the money, pay your shit and buy something nice for you and the girls, maybe matching dresses or something like that. I don't know…..whatever you want to do."
"And you saved up all this working in what ….Starbucks?"
"I get good tips, what can I say."
"Honey I can't take this."
"Sure you can….put it in your little hand and hide it away in your pocket and take care of all your bills and shit……….please, it's all I ask. I just want you and the girls safe, you're all I have in this world," Aurora said looking into her sister's eyes. "Please keep it and take care of yourself."
"I….I don't know what to say."
"Just say thank you that's all."
"Thank you….thank you so much," Athena whispered with tears forming in her eyes.
"You are welcome, now stop the tears, you know I hate that. So anything to eat around here?" Aurora asked lifting her head again and looking around the room.
"Yeah I can fix you something to eat," Athena told her as she wiped the salty water from her eyes.
*****
"Here you go a little something for you," Athena said as she laid out a plate with a sandwich.
Looking up from the spot where she placed her head on the table again, Aurora gazed over the meal before her. "Jelly! What I'm I five?" she said in a condescending tone."
"What…..it's all I have for the girls."
"Man…..it's a damn good thing that Aunt Aurora came…..drunk as I am and brought some cash for their mother. For God's sake, please buy these kids some real food to bring to school."
"I will and thank you again."
"Ok stop thanking me…you know I hate that."
"Sorry," Athena said as she watched her sister bite into the bread like a ravenous beast. Retaking her seat beside her sister, her eyes locked in on the tattoo running the entire length of Aurora's left arm.
The sobering beauty noticed her sibling's gaze. "You like?"
"It's finely done," Aurora said with a smile as she rolled her arm over to display the green vines of sharp thorns wrapping around her appendage accompanied by red and black roses running from the rounded base of her shoulder on down to her wrist.
"That looks like it was painful?" Athena asked as she looked over the artwork.