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“Not just that, but yes.”
“Hell, Anita kills enough of what the Catholic Church thinks are monsters, shouldn’t that offset anything else she does?” Nicky said.
“What do you mean?” Dad asked.
“Killing my way out of hell,” I said.
“As long as it is self-defense and the slaying of evil, then she is clean in the eyes of the Church.”
“You sound like Grandma Blake,” I said.
“Your father has become more zealous over the years,” Judith said.
“My daughter is consorting with demons; how could I not be wondering how I’ve failed as a parent and as a Catholic?”
“Oh no, no, this is not my fault. You decided to get all holier-than-thou on your own, and I am not consorting with demons. If you’d ever seen one for real you wouldn’t use the term so loosely.”
“His mother is worse,” Judith said.
“Judith,” he said, sounding a little outraged.
“It’s the truth, Fredrick. You are zealous, but she is fanatical.”
“So you’re both just going to ignore the fact that Anita just said she’d seen real demons; that’s not important or interesting to either of you?” Nicky said.
“It’s like coming home bloodied from getting jumped in junior high because some kids got scared when a dead bird started following me around. Dad did first aid, but once they had the facts all they talked about was the church bake sale that week.”
“So they always did this?” he asked.
I nodded.
“That fight was one of the reasons I agreed to send you to your Grandmother Flores,” he said.
“Nice of you to tell me that at the time, Dad.”
“I didn’t want you to think that it was somehow your fault you were being sent away, just because you couldn’t defend yourself.”
“There were five of them.”
“I taught you how to box.”
“I’m small and a girl, Dad. Boxing isn’t the best self-defense for that combo.”
“I taught you what I knew, Anita.”
“You never said your dad boxed.”
“He was on his college boxing team.”
Judith said, “He still practices at home.”
“It’s how I stay fit,” he said.
“Demons,” Nicky said. “Anita has seen real demons and you’re super religious, but you don’t have any questions about that?”
“Do you want to talk about seeing real demons in your job?” Judith asked. Damn it, she was really trying. Sometimes family is likehaving a crush; the boy you like is never the one that wants to walk you home.
“No, thank you for asking, Judith. I’m depressed enough without talking about things that disturbing.”
