CAPTAIN | c.evans [1] ✓

sixteen.

real life.

CARMEN COULD HEAR her daughter squealing in her bedroom from the living room. All Carmen could do was laugh and shake her head, mostly at Chris and his reply to her tweet.

She couldn't lie anymore— she really enjoyed talking to Chris. Even after a bad day, she looked forward to being able to talk to him, even just for a few minutes. Anna and Bridget could tell that she was happier.

Anna came around the corner, popping a squat on the recliner with pop tart hanging out of her mouth. Carmen's lips twitched up into a smile and she shook her head, looking at her best friend.

"Which flavor is that one now?" Carmen mused, raising an eyebrow.

Anna rolled her eyes, allowing a scoff to leave her lips. "What do ya think? It's my favorite, loser, s'mores. Now, what's the little brat screaming about?"

"Chris' reply to my tweet," Carmen answered simply with a shrug of her shoulders.

Anna scoffed once more, taking a large bite of her pop tart. She shook her head as well as she swallowed her bite. "You're lucky, I oughta smack you for turning him down."

Carmen looked over at the pillow sitting on the couch next to her, before gripping in her hands. Without another thought, Carmen twisted around, hitting Anna with the throw pillow. Anna couldn't stop laughing as the pillow hit her stomach and almost choked on the last bite of her pop tart.

"He's a famous actor, Annabelle Kingsman! I have no experience with the man, nor am I in a relationship with the man." Carmen started, "Besides, I probably wouldn't be able to handle all the press that comes with being involved with a huge actor."

"He has feelings for you though," Anna stated in a sing-song voice, discreetly looking at the floor.

Carmen rolled her eyes, and muttered under her breath, "Doubt it."

Though her words were barely audible, Anna still heard her remark. Anna's head snapped around, glaring at the caramel-color brunette. She scrunched her nose, giving a death stare to her best friend.

"Why do you always say that?"

The words just slipped off her tongue. Anna was tired of seeing Carmen sad and alone.

"Why would anyone want me? Why would they want to wake up to me? I mean, who wants a single mother?" Carmen questioned.

Carmen knew the answers— she tried for nearly ten years to reverse the answers, but it never happened. No wanted to raise a child that wasn't their own. She was told that she wasn't pretty enough, or happy enough, or funny enough. Or that she wasn't what someone wanted.

Carmen knew the feeling all too well. Her mother abandoned her when she became pregnant at the age of 17, then her father cared for her until he became ill and died. By then, she was a college graduate and the mother of a gorgeous five-year-old girl. Then Anna moved in and helped— and for that, Carmen was forever grateful.

Anna smiled slightly, a little piece of hope in her eyes. "Maybe Chris is different."

A small sigh fell from Carmen's lips. "I don't know, maybe. I hope so. It's stupid, but I think I like him."

Anna couldn't help it; she grinned and giggled. She knew it— she's known it for a while, just watching her best friend's face light up when his name slid across her screen.

Though, now, it was up to Chris.