If Cars Could Think 9

Chapter 28

CHAPTER 28

"So you've dreamed of the dark rooms, too?" Robert met his daughter's gaze calmly.

"Yes," Cassie replied, turning the other way. "I don't see why it even matters." She was scrubbing at the floor of one of the larger garages in the main facility; he had her doing light jobs since the birth of her twins, Lincoln and Landon.

"It only matters to me because that means you and Casey are both the original Casey, just split into two separate beings. I think it's funny how that works."

"Some would just say you're crazy," she mumbled.

"That's very true." He shifted his wheels. "I guess I'll stop bugging you and your sister about it now. But, it solves a mystery from my past, and my weird dreams, so I'm content knowing that."

"Of course, Dad. Now let me finish with this garage so I can get back to my boys. Rose is keeping watch of them along with like, ten others."

There are twelve kids in the main facility now, thought Robert. Twelve, and somehow, we manage, sometimes even with just one babysitter! He backed out of the garage to go check on Rose. Casey had had her baby, a Ford Fusion named Cruze, recently, too, and she was taking some days of rest also.

"Hey Rose," he greeted, tenderly avoiding the swarm of little cars around her. "How's the babysitting going?"

"It's going," she giggled. "Omaira helps out so much now – don't you?"

"I can be a babysitter, too!" she said with a laugh. "The babies all listen to me because I'm more fun than all the grownups. Right, babies?"

They were all laughing and giggling too much to hear her. They loved to make games out of chasing each other in circles, and only some were small enough to dart under Rose and hide from the others.

Lincoln, Landon, and Cruze – the three youngest – couldn't roll around much yet; they were barely a week old, so they just sat around, watching everyone with bright little headlights.

"Oliver doesn't even believe me about all the babies," murmured Rose. "Or he's not interested." She met Robert's gaze. "I saw him, the other night."

She's saying that as if it doesn't happen often. I guess it probably doesn't. "What did you two talk about?"

"Babies," she said. "How there are twelve here now, and most are my nieces and nephews. I told him how I wished we could have had more, and he asked if Karina was enough for me. Of course she is, Robert, but you would understand wanting more, surely?"

Carey and Corrie had thumped themselves into one of his wheels now. "Absolutely," he said. These two Transit Connects are just a coincidence, I guess. They had nothing to do with the original Casey, because it's my other twins who share that soul. He wondered if Carey and Corrie's bond would flourish, or dwindle like Casey and Cassie's had. For now, they seemed to be best of friends, but he knew that may not last.

"Did you know Casey brings some of her little ones with her, on the nights she goes to see Jerry?" Rose asked suddenly. "I think it's sweet that she would do that."

"To the races?" Robert wondered aloud. "I hope not."

"Oh!" Rose's headlights brightened and she shifted her wheels.

She always parks right on the line instead of between the two, Robert thought. It was no wonder the bright white paint was fading so fast on the one spot she always sat in.

"Casey wouldn't bring her kids to those races," Rose concluded. "That's no place for tiny cars. It's illegal, and I hear they drink lots of premium, and burn up their tires. Plus, I think accidents happen there, too. It's a scary and dangerous place for such little things. Casey wouldn't allow that."