By the time Christy returns to the living room, Billy has settled on the couch next to his mother, and Arthur Snowden is leaving to buy milk for the next morning’s breakfast. Christy asks if he will also pick up some soda and potato chips for her party the coming weekend.
“Well, I will if I can, dear,†he says, “I don’t want to have to go to the automatic teller machine for more money.â€
“You better, Dad,†replies Christy, “or when I’m sworn in, I’ll throw you in a tiny, stinking, vermin-infested prison cell!â€
The entire family laughs; it is a longstanding joke between them. Christy rushes to hug her father, and in that moment it becomes clear that she truly is an ordinary teenager—an ordinary teenager who just happens to be the President-elect of the most populous nation in Central America.
