Music & Lyrics by Savannah Kade

Author:Savannah Kade [Kade, Savannah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Griffyn Ink

Chapter 25

Dinner had been a tense affair, the four of them sitting around the table, the conversation moving in fits and starts. Mariliz had looked at both Olivia and Sophie and watched as the two girls watched the grown-ups, trying to figure out what to do.

Afterward, she scraped dishes while Olivia cleared the table. A good big sister, she gave Sophie one un-spillable, unbreakable item each trip and had the toddler "help" her do the job. Mari left everything piled in the sink, as she hadn't yet gotten a chance to ask the maid if she really did want it that way. Mari hoped she wasn't being a complete butthead to the woman.

Since Olivia had only come downstairs just before dinner, Mari first asked, "Did your homework get finished?"

When the girl nodded quickly, she didn't press. Didn't need an explanation that she'd been hiding out. She was smart enough to listen for the garage door and smart enough to know it hadn't opened and her mother hadn't returned.

Deciding she wasn't spending the evening waiting for the door to burst open, Mariliz clapped her hands, then started signing. "It's time for Trouble."

Olivia didn't understand. Sophie didn't either, but she looked to big sis before shrugging her chubby little shoulders. Mariliz fingerspelled the word and headed into the playroom where she was greeted by tiny mews as she opened the door. Both the kittens rushed past her, and Sophie gave chase.

Mariliz looked at Alex, confused. "Did they get stuck in there?"

It was Olivia who answered. "Mom is mad that we got cats. She moved the climbing post in there and keeps putting them in during the day."

Alex rubbed his hand down his face but tried to stop the action before he turned and knelt to his daughter. "I'm sorry, honey. I didn't know. Tell me these things."

She looked away, "I didn't want to make Mom mad."

"I'll handle it. It's not your fault. I said yes to getting kittens. This is between your mom and me."

Sophie toddled back in with Poof tucked under her arm. The tiny cat looked resigned; Sophie looked happy. Olivia nodded to her father then turned to Sophie. Without vocalizing at all, she asked, "Where's Lilac?"

"Pee." Sophie responded.

"Litter box?" Livie asked again.

A nod from her little sister and Livie went off to fetch her own kitty.

Mariliz pulled the game down off the shelf and started setting it up on the table. Sophie began "helping," but Alex didn't move. "Alex?"

"My girls just had a conversation. I don't think I've ever seen anything quite so damn cool."

She laughed. Things were definitely broken around here, but there were little miracles along the way, she thought.

Had Mariliz been playing the game with an adult, or even anyone of reasonable demeanor, it would have been finished and put away before the Beaumonts even got started. Sophie was too young, and mostly terrorized the board. Like a giant, she upended playing pieces and made left-field calls about what was an acceptable move. Mariliz had hoped they could work on counting skills .

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