#i asked my mom for help and she keeps it in a spreadsheet (my beloved)

[minglana]

i have to make my cv. again???

[bitchesgetriches]

Hi bitches! My mom has very bad credit & debt, so sometimes when she sends/receives money she does so thru my bank account (without direct access), but she isn't keeping track of her 'balance' on my account, so I don't know what's mine and what's hers. I've been thinking about denying her any future use but she's very depressed and I'm scared of adding another stressor to her life. I can't manage my finances like this and she evidently can't manage hers at all, so I don't know what to do.

Holy fucking hell, this is NOT cool. 

Firstly, we admire you for wanting to help your mom out and being concerned for her mental health. You’re a very good child and we’re honored to have virtually adopted you as our own. 

... but your mom is the adult here and her inability to manage her own finances should not negatively affect YOUR finances. Especially not without your permission. 

I suggest you gently bring the topic of tracking the money up to your mom. Offer to sit down with her and go through the past history of transactions to figure out what’s yours and what’s hers. You can easily do this by looking at your bank statements or even just going online to the bank’s website and logging in there to see the last months and years of transactions. You’ll be able to see every dollar that has come in and gone out, and the two of you can together crack the puzzle of who owns what. Make a mother/child date of it! Offer to make cookies and hot cocoa while you go over everything.

Next, tell your mom you want to set up a system to track things going forward so you don’t have to go through the process again. It can just be a spreadsheet where every time she has money deposited, or has money removed from your account... one of you fucking writes it down. Remind her that this is to help YOU become a financially responsible adult. You’re not punishing her, just trying to learn. She’ll be proud of you for taking responsibility.

Last but not least... talk to your mom about getting her own damn bank account. Get the exact details on WHY she doesn’t have her own account. Is it that no bank will give her an account because she can’t maintain a minimum balance? Is it because she’s so far in debt that any accounts in her name or wages are being garnished to pay her creditors? Figure it out. Because the current system is not sustainable, and ideally she needs her own accounts, not yours. 

To that end, here’s some more info for you, beloved:

How the Hell Does One Open a Bank Account? Asking for a Friend.  How Do You Write and Cash Checks? Asking for a Friend.  A Hand-Holding Guide to Getting Your First Credit Card

[birthdayparties54-blog]

Cracking The birthday parties in Cincinnati Code

Preparing Young children birthday functions is tense! There is a great deal of to try and do, so many things to take care of from picking out a topic to picking cute birthday Woman outfits. To be a mom of two women, I experience the discomfort of any parent who is in the midst of organizing their Kid's birthday celebration! I recognize that as a parent, you always want the celebration to get ideal since you are aware that your son or daughter will try to remember it For the remainder of her everyday living. In the subsequent paragraphs I'll give helpful guidelines and phase-by-action Guidance on how to plan the best bash for your personal Young children. My goal is to create your position much easier.

1. Decide on Women Birthday Party Themes

Among the list of 1st things you should do is select a concept in your women birthday occasion. The best location to start out is her interests. What exactly is your Lady into in recent times? Does she have a favourite interest or Television present? When your girl is sufficiently old, you are able to request her what topic she would prefer. If you are arranging a shock birthday social gathering, Then you can certainly seek out enable from her buddies.

You should definitely browse Pinterest for youths get together ideas. You can do a selected lookup is you have by now picked out your theme or it is possible to seek for a thing like "girls birthday paty" or "Young ones birthday social gathering." You will be surprised by the amount of wonderful Strategies you will see! Not simply Pinterest is a superb spot to search for an exciting and initial themes, You can even get Strategies for decorations, fun crafts and video games, birthday outfits for girls and a lot more.

ten Well-known Birthday Celebration Themes For Girls

Minnie Mouse

Princess

Mermaid

Frozen (the movie)

Rainbow

Cupcake

Pony/Cowgirl

Carnival/Circus

Barbie

Hello there Kitty

two. Find Women Birthday Party Venue & Date

This has often been the toughest section for me. To start with you have to choose your spending budget and also just how much function you truly wish to do on your own. A number of the thoughts you must question you when selection a venue are:

Precisely what is my budget?

Just how much operate do I wish to do myself?

Do I need the occasion being in my dwelling or in other places?

Must I host the social gathering inside of or outside the house?

The number of Children might be attending?

You are able to do almost everything while in the ease and comfort of your very own residence. In your own home, you won't need to worry about the cut-off date and you will do practically what ever you need. Even so, you will have to clean, Prepare dinner and entertain the visitors, so be prepared to be exhausted! Parks are perfect for Children birthday functions too, but you'll want to preserve the temperature in mind. Another choice should be to rent an in-doorway location. Some sites will only offer Room while you have to provide your very own food stuff and entertainment. But you won't have to bother with cleansing ahead of and right after. Some Young children birthday social gathering venues are all-inclusive indicating they will provide House, meals and entertainment.

To find a bash location, you can begin by asking relatives and buddies for suggestions and executing a Goggle research. Young children museums, gymnastics gyms, bowling alleys, movie theaters, bounce properties and also other kid-pleasant places might also host birthday functions.

Past selection is always to host a celebration at your private home but purchase entertainment. As a result of Google search along with the term of mouth you will find birthday celebration hosts, magicians or corporations that can present bounce residences, petting zoos and these kinds of.

3. Deliver Birthday Social gathering Invites

Ensure that you ship Invites early. Kids and oldsters seem to have pretty occupied scheduled these days, so it is usually a good idea to invite in advance. Two terrific destinations to buy Youngsters birthday party invitations are Etsy and TinyPrints. Etsy is the greatest place to get started on when you are seeking one of a kind social gathering invitations which will be a great match for your Young children birthday occasion concept. There are lots of shops that create tailor made invitations.

Check with company to arrive 10 - 15 minutes early. The majority of them will be just a little late, so For anyone who is confined in time, make sure to place that on your own invitations. You can even place a ask for to RSVP together with any Specific Guidance.

It truly is a good idea to continue to keep a record of all of the addresses to be able to re-rely on them upcoming yr. You may enter them into your cell phone, planner or an Excel spreadsheet.

four. Select an ideal Birthday Woman Outfit

That is my most favorite A part of the process! You must pick a sweet birthday Lady outfit that coordinates using your birthday occasion topic. Some of my most beloved models for adorable birthday outfits for girls are Mustard Pie Clothes, Giggle Moon clothes, Ooh La La Couture, Persnickety Clothing clothing and Lemon Enjoys Lime.

Lemon Loves Lime layouts the cutest numbered birthday Woman t-shirts that may be coordinated having a Lemon Enjoys Lime ruffle skort or perhaps a cute skirt. Ooh La La couture birthday costume is another cute choice for a birthday Female costume.

You'll be able to finish your adorable birthday Female outfit by using a set of Pretty Joyfolie shoes or Livie and Luca footwear.

If you want to to have an Unquestionably exceptional, a person-of-a-variety outfit for the birthday Lady, a great place to search is Etsy. You'll find hundreds of sellers who can design and generate a great outfit to your Lady. For anyone who is intending to custom made-get an outfit, do it a handful of weeks ahead of time.

five. Program Birthday Social gathering Decorations

According to your girls birthday bash concept and position, you will need to strategy declarations. When you are hosting the get together in a park, you are going to want negligible decorations. So, all you will really need is balloons and tablecloth that coordinate using your get together topic. You will get much more Artistic In case you are web hosting the social gathering at the house. If you want Suggestions, Pinterest is a wonderful position to get started on. Merely hunt for your celebration topic to find pictures of A huge number of Little ones birthday events, cakes, decorations, crafts, food stuff and much more.

Handy hyperlinks for DIY kids parties

twenty five Strategies for Do it yourself Get together

Do-it-yourself Young children' Birthday Functions - Favors & Decorations

If you're with a spending plan, you will discover several lovable Do it yourself occasion decoration Tips and tutorials by doing a Google lookup or looking on Pinterest. Hit your local dollar store to fantastic affordable materials, get together favors and decorations. You can even find wonderful decorations on Etsy or at your local social gathering provides retail store.

I hope you find the following pointers helpful! Rejoice at your small one particular's bash and try to remember, it ought to be as much pleasurable for yourself as it is actually for her!

[birthdayparties35-blog]

Why You Should Forget About Improving Your birthday parties in Cincinnati

Scheduling Young children birthday get-togethers is tense! You can find a great deal of to carry out, so many things to take care of from picking a theme to buying cute birthday Female outfits. For a mom of two girls, I feel the soreness of any dad or mum that's in the middle of preparing their Kid's birthday get together! I recognize that like a guardian, You usually want the occasion being great as you understand that your child will bear in mind it for the rest of her everyday living. In the following paragraphs I will provide beneficial ideas and action-by-stage Guidance regarding how to plan the best party in your Youngsters. My objective is to help make your task a lot easier.

one. Pick Girls Birthday Party Themes

One of many initial factors you ought to do is decide on a concept for your ladies birthday occasion. The very best area to begin is her pursuits. What is your Female into as of late? Does she have a favourite interest or Television present? In the event your girl is sufficiently old, you'll be able to ask her what theme she would like. When you are setting up a surprise birthday bash, You'll be able to seek out assist from her friends.

You should definitely look through Pinterest for children party Thoughts. You are able to do a specific lookup is you have got presently picked out your theme or you may look for a little something like "girls birthday paty" or "Children birthday bash." You will be amazed by how many fantastic Concepts you will find! Not just Pinterest is a good put to look for an exciting and first themes, You may also get Strategies for decorations, enjoyment crafts and video games, birthday outfits for girls and more.

ten Well known Birthday Social gathering Themes For women

Minnie Mouse

Princess

Mermaid

Frozen (the Film)

Rainbow

Cupcake

Pony/Cowgirl

Carnival/Circus

Barbie

Hello there Kitty

two. Pick out Ladies Birthday Occasion Venue & Date

This has normally been the toughest section for me. First you might want to choose your budget together with just how much get the job done you really desire to do you. A lot of the concerns you'll want to question on your own when variety a venue are:

What is my spending plan?

Simply how much operate do I wish to do myself?

Do I would like the social gathering for being in my residence or in other places?

Ought to I host the social gathering inside of or exterior?

How many Children is going to be attending?

You can do anything within the convenience of your personal household. In your house, you don't have to be concerned about the deadline and you'll do virtually whatever you would like. However, you'll have to clean, cook and entertain the guests, so be prepared to be exhausted! Parks are perfect for Children birthday parties at the same time, but you should preserve the climate in your mind. An alternative choice would be to hire an in-door venue. Some areas will only provide space though You should deliver your very own foods and entertainment. But you won't have to bother with cleaning prior to and soon after. Some kids birthday celebration venues are all-inclusive indicating they're going to provide House, meals and enjoyment.

To locate a celebration location, you can begin by asking family and friends for recommendations and performing a Goggle lookup. Young children museums, gymnastics gyms, bowling alleys, movie theaters, bounce residences together with other kid-friendly locations may also host birthday get-togethers.

Very last possibility will be to host a party at your home but purchase entertainment. As a result of Google lookup plus the word of mouth you could find birthday occasion hosts, magicians or companies that should provide bounce properties, petting zoos and these types of.

three. Send Birthday Bash Invitations

Be sure to send Invites early. Children and fogeys seem to have pretty busy scheduled these days, so it is usually a good idea to invite ahead of time. Two fantastic locations to buy Children birthday celebration invitations are Etsy and TinyPrints. Etsy is the greatest spot to start should you are looking for exceptional bash invitations that will be a great match to the Children birthday get together theme. There are lots of stores that make personalized Invites.

Check with attendees to reach ten - 15 minutes early. The majority of them is going to be just a little late, so Should you be confined by the due date, Make sure you put that on your own Invites. You can even place a ask for to RSVP and any Distinctive Guidance.

It's a smart idea to maintain a document of every one of the addresses so as to re-use them next yr. It is possible to enter them into your mobile phone, planner or an Excel spreadsheet.

four. Decide an excellent Birthday Lady Outfit

That is my most favourite Component of the procedure! You have got to pick a adorable birthday Woman outfit that coordinates together with your birthday bash theme. Several of my most beloved makes for adorable birthday outfits for ladies are Mustard Pie Garments, Giggle Moon outfits, Ooh La La Couture, Persnickety Garments apparel and Lemon Loves Lime.

Lemon Enjoys Lime models the cutest numbered birthday Female t-shirts that could be coordinated using a Lemon Loves Lime ruffle skort or perhaps a cute skirt. Ooh La La couture birthday dress is yet another adorable option for a birthday Female costume.

You can complete your cute birthday girl outfit using a set of lovely Joyfolie sneakers or Livie and Luca shoes.

If you would like to possess an Completely distinctive, a person-of-a-form outfit in your birthday Female, a good place to search is Etsy. You will discover many sellers who can design and create a perfect outfit for the girl. When you are planning to tailor made-purchase an outfit, get it done a handful of weeks beforehand.

five. Prepare Birthday Celebration Decorations

Determined by your girls birthday occasion concept and area, you need to plan declarations. When you are hosting the celebration in a park, you might want minimum decorations. So, all you will actually need is balloons and tablecloth that coordinate with your celebration theme. You can get more Inventive For anyone who is web hosting the bash at your house. If you need Strategies, Pinterest is a good spot to start out. Just try to find your get together topic to seek out photos of Many Children birthday events, cakes, decorations, crafts, foods plus more.

Helpful one-way links for DIY Youngsters events

twenty five Suggestions for Do-it-yourself Occasion

DIY Youngsters' Birthday Functions - Favors & Decorations

Should you be with a finances, you'll find lots of adorable DIY bash decoration Strategies and tutorials by undertaking a Google research or wanting on Pinterest. Strike your local dollar keep to fantastic inexpensive materials, social gathering favors and decorations. You can even find beautiful decorations on Etsy or at your neighborhood bash provides keep.

I hope you discover the following tips practical! Have a great time at your minor one's celebration and recall, it ought to be just as much fun for you as it is actually for her!

[mollymauk-teafleak]

Just like Me

Of course, Alexander Hamilton worried about his children.

Like all parents, he worried about them getting lost at the supermarket and wandering away from him, he worried about strangers trying to talk to them and take them, he worried about them crossing roads, about bullies at school and sharp objects hidden in the grass. His heart tightened just a little when he saw Philip wandering a little too close to the railing near the river, when he saw baby AJ slip on the stairs, still unsteady on his feet. He worried about a lot of things, the way all parents do.

But Alex also had a lot of other worries. Some that maybe other moms and dads wouldn’t even think of.

He tensed when he saw Eliza having to spend ten minutes getting Philip to leave his bed on Saturday mornings. He bit his lip so hard it bled a little whenever he saw Angie looking gloomy, lost in her own little world with her face set in a frown, while her brothers ran around and played. When his little namesake threw his toys and yelled and cried for no apparent reason, even with his parents best efforts to calm him down, Alex would realise he’d been holding his breath for a long time, that he was suddenly panting and gasping for air.

Alex wondered if his kids found it a little strange how often their Pops asked if they were okay, if they were happy. Why every glum mood seemed to have him at battle stations, offering piggy back rides and stories and pulling funny faces in a slightly desperate attempt to get their little smiles back. Why mama would come over and rest her hand on his shoulder and give him a hug and a kiss, like she was trying to reassure him that everything was okay.

Alex tried to dial it back, he really did. He didn’t want to frequently have nightmares where he’d be playing with his kids and they’d suddenly go quiet, they’d blur a little at the edges. He’d have to watch the colour suddenly drain out of their forms, leeching out onto his hands as he held them until it was like they couldn’t hear him calling their names. They’d just slip out of his reach without even moving. And suddenly they wouldn’t look like themselves any more, they’d look like a leaner, warier child, the sad and frightened little shadow he still remembered being even fifteen years later. He didn’t want to wake up panting and shaking, having to run to one of their bedrooms at the risk of waking them up but he just needed to know they were still here.

Eliza would always be waiting with her arms open and her eyes slightly sorrowful when he returned, folding herself around him in that way she knew he liked, holding him close against her until she felt his heartbeat settle to a normal pace.

“My poor Alex,” she’d murmur gently, kissing his temples, in the spot that always made him shiver, “They really are okay, baby, you don’t need to worry.”

Alex would blink back the inevitable tears, burying his face in her hair, “I know. But I do. I just…I just couldn’t stand it if any of them turned out like me.”

It always hurt Eliza to hear him say that, to hear in words how little he thought of himself, but she knew what he really meant. She knew he lived in fear of the struggles he’d faced, that he still faced in a way, somehow infecting their children, like his genetics held some kind of poison. Like along with their amber skin and dark curls and long noses, they’d inherited his anxieties and burdens.

There were some deep-rooted fears that Eliza was forced to realise couldn’t be taken away with hugs and whispered comforts and gentle kisses to the temple. But damn it, she could try and she did, every time they resurfaced.

But Alex was always going to worry.

 Alex liked to listen to music when he worked. Partly because it helped him find a rhythm, partly because it distracted the admittedly small and underused parts of his brain that would be crying boredom, weariness and hunger after three solid hours of work. Partly because he liked the ritual and ceremony of using the vinyl record player Eliza had bought him for their third anniversary, partly because it had been a fun excuse to annoy Burr back when they were junior lawyers, blasting the Rent soundtrack on repeat through their cramped little broom closet of an office.

But since becoming a father, he’d found a new element of necessity for his music. It drowned out the sounds of his children crashing through their small apartment, not enough that he couldn’t be said to be keeping an eye on them, but enough that their sounds of play and enjoyment didn’t tempt him away from his desk. As much as part of him ached to be with them, running away from the sounds of the ancient, creaking boiler, pretending it was an approaching monster or having lightsabre battles with taped together toilet roll tubes, he just turned the music up louder.

“You can do them way more good sat here,” Alex told himself firmly, pulling another spreadsheet towards him, “It’ll be worth it in the long run.”

That’s what he always told himself when his exponentially expanding political career dragged him away from his family. It was all for them, once he’d built them the future they deserved, then he’d make up for lost time. He just hadn’t done enough yet.

Still, his heart felt a little heavier as he started on this new run of statistics, as a new song kicked into gear.

Not enough yet.

Alex was lost in his own little word of numbers and figures and reports when the sound of the screams jolted him back to reality. He was halfway out of his chair when Pip came flying through the door (they were allowed to enter Pops’ office without asking as long as it was an emergency).

“Pops!” his seven year old looked damn near frantic, the cloud of hair that made him look like he should have difficulty keeping his head upright bouncing erratically as he hopped from foot to foot, “Angie! It’s Angie, she was on the fire escape- “

Philip didn’t get the chance to say any more as his father rocketed past him, eyes wild. He could hear his own heartbeat in his ears as a million terrifying scenarios flashed through his mind. Things only got worse as he sprinted into the kitchen and saw his only daughter, thankfully not suspended six storeys above a busy New York street, but hunched over and sobbing and wailing like she’d been stabbed in the heart. AJ was wailing too, his big sister’s tears infectious, but Theo Burr, bless her heart, had him in her lap, rocking him gently and soothing him as best a six year old could. But she was a particular favourite of AJ’s, he was already starting to quieten for her.  

“Mija?” his voice cracked with stress as he knelt by his shivering daughter, a cautious hand on her shoulder, “I’m here, baby girl, everything’s okay…”

But Angie only jerked away from his touch, curling in on herself tighter and sobbing too hard to make words.

Alex felt a sick kind of recognition, his vison going blurred around the edges. She was having a panic attack, he knew the signs and symptoms well enough from his own experience. God, this was what he’d always feared more than anything, the day one of his children flinched away from him, the way he’d turned in fear from his own father. His poor baby girl was having a panic attack and there was nothing he could do, she didn’t want him, she hated him, he’d tried so hard, he really had, what had he done wrong?

He clenched his teeth and gave himself a mental slap in the face. Eliza wasn’t here, she was at work. He was all Angie had right now, he couldn’t let himself slip away.

So what he did was he sat back, the cold metal of the fire escape floor digging into him through his sweatpants. He kept his arms by his sides, his voice as low and soothing as he could make it right now, leaning in while still giving his daughter some space.

“Angelica?” he murmured gently, “Angie, it’s me, it’s daddy. I’m here for you. I promise, I’m right here.”

Careful words, quiet voice, calm demeanour. Just like Eliza would do for him whenever he spiralled, just like his mother used to do so many years ago. Alex had to believe he could do this for her.

And sure enough, after a few moments his words sunk through the dark clouds that had gripped Angie, she unfurled a little, blinking at him through tearful eyes, still spilling over her sweet little face like waterfalls.

“P-Pops?” she squeaked, like she’d just realised he was there.

Alex felt tears spring to his own eyes. He always cried when he saw his little one’s crying, often before he knew the reason. He just couldn’t help it.

“Yeah, mija,” he spoke softly even as his breathing hitched, “I’m here. Baby girl, everything’s going to be okay.”

Angie’s face crumpled further, if that were even possible, a kind of gut wrenching sorrow flooding over it that Alex was very familiar with but had prayed he’d never see on a face so young. She opened up the hands that were still clasped to her heaving chest, revealing what she was holding.

“Oh,” Alex’s heart dropped to his shoes.

“He broke, daddy,” Angie wailed, her face set like one of those drama masks, “Fix him.”

Alex knew in an instant that the baby bird lying in his daughter’s shaking hands was beyond saving. There was blood spotting it’s pebble grey down, leaking onto Angie’s palm. It’s little dewdrop eyes were glassy and lifeless and its beak was open and slack.

God damn that cat to hell, Alex thought bitterly, thinking his first negative thoughts towards his wife’s beloved pet in years.

Angie’s best friends were the birds that perched on the railings of their flat’s fire escape. Eliza swore blind that when she was growing inside her, she’d always kick and jump excitedly at the sound of them twittering outside the window. Alex had felt it for himself, the feeling of that gentle nudging through Eliza’s taught skin chasing away his just woke up exhaustion every time. And then when she was a baby, she’d sit contentedly and watch them for hours, resting her chin on Alex’s shoulder, her sweet brown eyes wide with fascination. It was always a sure-fire way to lull her to sleep. She’d always crow and laugh with delight when they came to visit as they sat at the kitchen table, waving to them excitedly and, more often than not, sending oatmeal or porridge flying from her spoon as she did. ‘Birdie’ was one of her first words, after daddy and mama and Pip. And as she grew, they were all given names and distinct personalities and elaborate backstories. Whenever Angie couldn’t be found, whenever anyone asked where she was, the answer was almost always that she was out on the fire escape with the birds.

And most recently, she’d been even more engrossed, following the unfolding story of two pigeons nesting on the roof of the opposite apartment block. She’d been watching attentively, the hem of her dress and the slightly messy stray hairs in her braids ruffled by the wind since the day she first saw them. She’d even been allowed to miss bedtime one day to sit out there, perched on Eliza’s lap, shivering in her little nightdress and Alex’s coat, to watch as the only chick poked its way from the nest and took its first flight.

The same baby bird that now lay dead in her hands.

Angie looked beyond distraught as she pleaded, “Daddy! He broke, he all in bits, fix him please! Put him back together!”

Alex felt his head break in two as he had to sigh gently, cover the broken form of the little bird with a hand and shake his head, “Oh mija, mi cielo, I am so, so sorry. I wish I could, I really do but…I can’t fix this.”

Angie wailed in distress, “No, no, please! Please fix!”

Alex groaned, reaching to take the corpse away from her, “Poppy must’ve got him, baby girl, I’m so sorry…”

But his daughter pressed the feathery little thing back to her chest, shaking her head and slipping back into uncontrollable panicked sobs. Alex could only watch in sorrow, his chest clenching hard in the most painful way, knowing there was nothing he could do.

But eventually, with more murmured comforts and gentle words, Angie’s grip slackened and she let the lifeless little bird go into Alex’s hands where he gingerly placed it on the steps. To his indescribable relief, Angie let him take her in his arms, rocking her softly as she soaked his t shirt through with mournful tears. He could only repeat in his own head that they never lasted forever, the storm always passed, it wouldn’t last forever. And, after nearly an hour, Angie ran out of tears, left with only soft, catching hiccups. But he had his little girl back.

Alex covered her damp cheeks with kisses, petting her curls, “Oh my angel, my poor girl…”

“Hurts, Pops,” Angie whimpered, tapping her chest, “Hurts in here.”

Alex bit his bottom lip, “I know, mija, I feel it too sometimes. But it won’t last forever. It always fades away, baby girl, I promise. And every time it comes back, I’ll be right here to hold you tight. Okay?”

“Okay,” Angie buried her face against him again, balling her little fists in his shirt. But she did believe him, she always believed her Pops.

“Can you work the magic?” she cheeps after a while, after she had regained her breath, “Really hurts.”

Alex closed his eyes for a moment. One day Angie would have to learn that this pain wasn’t a physical thing, it wasn’t something that was as easy to fight as a finger trapped in a door or a bump on the head. But for now, he was more than happy to keep that truth a secret.

“Of course I can, angel, you just let Pops do his thing, I’ll take care of it,” he nodded, rubbing his hands together quickly, like he was trying to ignite a spark between his palms.

Once there was a considerable heat built up on his skin, he lifted Angie’s shirt a little and placed his warm hands on her skin, right where she’d pointed.

“Okay,” Alex smiled through watery eyes, “Say the magic words and all the hurt with go out of you and into my hands. What’s the magic word, mija?”

“Wepa!” Angie brightened, reciting the magic word Alex taught all his kids to make this little trick work.

Alex grinned, “That’s right! So…ow! Oh gosh, you were right, baby girl, lots of hurt in there…”

He snatched his hand away and waved it in the air like there was some discomfort or pins and needles in it, like he was shaking off some irritating acid.

“But now it’s gone,” he finished the little ritual he played with his children to help them feel better when they were sick.

“Now it gone,” Angie repeated, nodding sincerely, believing every word with the heartfelt sincerity of all five year olds.

Alex didn’t let the storm of emotions that brought up show on his face. He just nodded back, scooping Angie into his arms to fix the rest of the damage with ice cream and cuddles and recorded episodes of Adventure Time, his pile of work and spreadsheets long forgotten. Like that would always be enough.

 Alex would cry that night, when Eliza got home and he had to relay the whole story to her. Eliza would cry a little too, as she held him through his tears and reassured him that it wasn’t his fault, it wasn’t anything bad. Their little girl was just going to need a bit of help and they’d give her that, no matter what it took.

And, after a little while, Alex would believe her. Because there was nothing he wouldn’t do to help his family.