Destined Love

I am a player and I know it

"Lou, is mamma in jail?"

The question from little angel stunned Lou. She was expecting this day would come. But not so soon.

She was silent for a minute or so and Debbie's mini version was looking at her, waiting for an answer. Lou sighed.

"Baby, can I answer this question once we are home?"

"You will lie to me?"

"No honey. I won't"

"Promise?"

"Promise"

Lou drove slower than regular speed. Little Catie sensed it but didn't say anything. As the loft neared, Lou's hands around the steering clutched harder.

"Even if mamma is a criminal, I will love her, Lou. Her deeds won't matter to me. She is my mamma and she loves me. I love her", Catie said in soft voice.

Lou couldn't take any longer. She let her tears flow down the cheeks.

With tears masking her vision, she parked the car few feet ahead of regular parking spot.

She turned the engine off and unfastened the belt. Catie did the same.

"Let's go in. I will tell you everything"

Catie nodded and waited for Lou to get down, walk around to open the passenger seat door and take her in her arms. Catie's tiny arms were around Lou's shoulder. Lou kissed her forehead and then carried her inside the loft.

********
Catie was sitting on Lou's lap, Lou was feeding her fairy bread.

"Catie, you are too young to understand everything that I am about say. But trust me one thing. Debbie Ocean is a gem of the person. Her professional orientation is questionable..."

"Orion... Uh?"

"Well... Baby, let me simplify. Debbie Ocean is the best person in personal life. Her work might be questionable"

"Uhm"

"Your mommy was born in a family famous for cons"

"Cons. C-O-N-S cons?"

"Yes, C-O-N-S cons", Lou said chuckling at the kid's nerdy self. If Debbie saw this behaviour she would definitely laugh at both Catie and Lou. Catie was being mini Lou born from Debbie's genes.

"Cons. They would lie and manipulate people?"

"Well, yeah. Your grandfather Dennis Ocean was a con artist who had a bunch of similar people in his team, including his wife as in your grandmother. They would fix the casino games, trick the casino to buy fake coins and thereby loot them"

"That's illegal"

"Yes. And then came Danny Ocean and Debbie Ocean. The siblings. Your uncle Danny too had his own team and he would do the same"

"And mamma?"

"Well, mamma, when she started as a con, was helping Danny. But your uncle didn't respect or validate your mamma's work"

"Oh. But they are doing wrong anyway. Why validate or anything? It's morally wrong"

"I know. It is wrong and I won't endorse Debbie's or my own work. But you know why Debbie would con?"

"Why?"

"She sought thrill"

"Thrill?"

"Yup. She wanted that adrenaline rush that was offered with risky jobs"