“Well, I need the money for two reasons, really. The first and foremost, is, well… my daughter.” he said, pausing slightly. “Mija is a year old now, though money is tight. Mi familia… we get by as best as we can, but they are quite old, and mi papa does not even work any more, as he isn’t able. Mija deserves a good, comfortable life, and if I win, I can provide that for her. God forbid anything happen to her medically, we wouldn’t… we wouldn’t have the finances to protect her or cover the necessary medications and procedures. It’s a scary and sobering thought.” he added, whispering the last sentence. His hazel eyes glanced down in somber silence.
“The second reason… well, it’s really an afterthought. It’s not worth mentioning, I mean.” he murmured, voice trailing off. “Yeah, it’s nothing worth saying.” he repeated, as if to convince himself of this.
((NOTE: “Mija” is a Spanish term of endearment, a meshed version of “mi hija”, or literally, “my daughter”. It’s commonplace for Spanish-speaking parents to refer to their daughter as mija and son as mijo. Cassius’ daughter’s name is actually Esperanza.))