Explaining to Christine why they were moving out instead of investigating Omen's disappearance involved much less screaming than Vince expected.
Maybe it's because, by the time he entered the car, Christine had already calmed down, relatively speaking. But she took everything well. Surprisingly well.
Vince side-eyed Christine, who was looking outside the window with an impassive face.
"Hey Christy," Vince asked calmly. "Maybe I'm just looking into things, overanalyzing something that's not there, but…" His words trailed off.
Christine turned her head. "What is it, AJ?" Giving Vince a direct view of her eyes.
"Is there something you aren't telling me?" Vince asked, watching as her eyes shook ever-so-slightly.
Christine didn't deny it; she simply turned to the window again, "I don't want to talk about it."
"You know," Vince said, "it's not tough to repress your trauma and thoughts, right? That's just avoidance of facing your inner fears—"
"Can you just shut up and drive?" Christine said, her words filled with annoyance.
"Fine, okay?" Vince spoke softly, then continued, "Do you specifically not want to talk to me about it, or…?"
"...What?" Christine let out a confused frown. "Why wouldn't I want to talk to you about it?"
"When people suffer loss, two of the reasons they avoid talking about it are because of shame or fear," Vince explained slowly. "Shame from opening themselves to those they know, consequently revealing their vulnerabilities to someone who knows them, and thus, now have the capability to exploit them. Or fear of making unfavorable impressions of themselves to those they know."
He turned to Christine, letting out a small smile, "I want you to know that if either one is the case, we can stop by a church for a confession, or I can get you into anonymous therapy. Neither is problematic in any way whatsoever, Christy."
Christine's face relaxed at Vince's words. "It's–it's not that, I, um, I just need some time to think about things, you know? Sort out my thoughts, because what I think is so unbelievable and disrespectful that I can't say it without…" She smiled a little, "Just give me some time, okay?"
"Take as much time as you want, sister," Vince nodded solemnly and wordlessly kept driving.
Finding the silence uncomfortable, Christine turned to him after a while.
"Um. Hey, AJ," Christine said, "Where are we going exactly?"
Vince chuckled, "We're going to a small town in South Dakota."
"Huh?" Christine tilted her head. "Why?"
"Omen gave me a job there before disappearing. I have a hunch that this might be a lead disguised as a hunt," Vince said matter-of-factly.
"What?" Christine said in worry, "W-wait, are you implying that Mom might've known she was going to get kidnapped?"
Vince chewed his words, before nodding to him, "...Call me crazy, but I think she had a vague idea about what was going to happen to her."
"Why would you think that?" She asked with an indescribable expression.
"Not sure, but she said today is a special day." Vince said, "Now, I know every important day in mine, yours, and Omen's life, and today is none of those. It struck me as weird then, but I was just too busy flirting with Omen to care. Now, though… Assuming that was the alerting signal, the next major topics she brought up are likely of importance. In other words, this hunt."
As well as the business cards, but I'll keep that to myself for now, Vince thought.
"Oh, my God," Christine said before her voice cracked.
"What's the matter, Christy?" Vince asked.
"I-I have a confession to m-make, Vince," Christine said, her voice shaky from grief. She hesitantly looked towards the road, "Could you… Pull over?"
"Sure," Vince nodded. He slowed down his car and stopped beside the road.
In that time, Christine was in floods of tears. Sobbing, choking, and barely sitting straight. "Vince, I'm so s-sorry," she wept.
Christine, despite being as old as Vince, usually acted younger than her age, coupled with her belligerent, bratty tough-girl attitude, and it sometimes made Vince forget that—at the end of the day—she was just a simple young girl whose mother had disappeared less than an hour ago.
"Christy…" Vince couldn't bear the sight and raised his arms, "Come here."
Christine slid towards him, letting his arms wrap around her back and shoulders, placing her head on his bare, open-robed chest.
"I-it's fine," Vince said, as she hugged a bit too tightly. "Just let it all out, don't hold back."
"I-I," Christine looked up, "Mom gave me signs too."
Vince's eyes widened imperceptibly. This was news to him.
Even though he didn't say it out loud, he had—on more than one occasion—thought that this whole angle was his mind trying to see something that wasn't there. To cope.
After all, what could possibly be her motive for willingly disappearing while warning about it to her loved ones? There were none, and Vince knew that because he had known virtually everything there was to know about her.
That meant there must be something he was missing.
He leaned in on Christine slightly, "Mhmm."
"For months–hick–she had gotten more c-connected with m-me. Always giving me advice on things, and preparing me for something."
"I see, Christy." He gently placed one hand over her head, rubbing her hair slowly.
"A-at first, I thought she was just being cautious with the f-family business and all. But now... I think part of her knew this would happen, and I… a part of me knew that too, Vince." She sobbed pitifully, "I should've done something about it, Vince. I should've told you about it, or talked to her about it, or something! I didn't, and now she is gone…"
"It's not your fault," Vince held her firmly.
"I am sorry, V-Vince," Christine cried in pain. "I am so sorry."
"You couldn't have known any better," Vince consoled her by holding her in a tight hug as she kept crying.
Once he noticed her sobbing had lessened, he materialized a napkin in his hand. "Here you go," he said, handing it to her with a sober smile.
"T-thank you," Christine wiped her face.
Vince simply gave her a thin smile.
"What now, AJ?" She asked.
"Well, as I said, I will be heading for South Dakota." Vince calmly said, "I can buy you a house right now if you want, and you can stay here in Dallas under Manfred's protection. Or," Vince's lips curved slightly, "You can come with me to SD."
"What?" Christine asked, taken aback. "You're going to take me hunting with you?"
Vince sighed, "Things have… changed now. I don't feel comfortable staying apart from you, and I've to go to South Dakota. But, I understand that you have college studies and friends, and you've spent the better part of your life here, so if you need your friend's support or if you just want to stay here. I won't stop you."
"No!" Christine said vociferously. "This place will only remind me of Mom, and I want to do something, now more than ever… When the time comes, I want to be able to do something to help her instead of…" She inhaled sharply, "instead of…"
"I understand," Vince nodded, caressing her shoulder. He gave her a glass of water. "Is there anything you need right now? Have some water."
Christine held the glass in both hands, her eyes landing on Vince's, her chin quivering.
They stared into each other's eyes for a moment. Then she quietly raised her arms and broke down in tears again.
"There, there," Vince said, embracing her in a warm hug again.