"Moooooooooom" a long high-pitched whine emanated from the kitchen and floated through the patio doors. Nora sighed and closed her eyes, her book dropping to her lap. What was it now? Nora stood up off the sun lounger, in no hurry to get inside. If she thought it would work she would just ignore her kids and let them work it out for themselves but she knew from past experience that the sniping and complaining would one escalate into violence and that was the last thing she wanted.
"What is it Kitty?" She smiled as she approached the door, grinning through gritted teeth at the owner of the voice.
"I wanna watch TV and Kevin won't let meeeeeeeeee." A ten year old Kitty stood there with her arms folded.
"Normal voice please sweetie." Nora took a deep breath. "If he got there first then you just need to wait your turn."
"Buuuuuuuuuuut…" Kitty caught sight of Nora's glare and stopped the whiney voice at once. "He broke the rules Mom, he's not washed up his lunch plate."
"Have too!" A muffled yell came from the lounge. Nora was surprised her son could hear their conversation over the racket the TV was making.
"Have not!" Kitty yelled back, before looking back at her mom. "He's being so annoying!"
'What's new?' Nora thought, but suppressed it. "Kevn." No reply. "Kevin, I know you can hear me. I will not hold a conversation with you through a wall."
A moment later the six year old appeared at Nora's side and stood there in silence, waiting.
Nora sighed again. She seemed to be doing a lot of that at the moment. Where her kids had suddenly picked up such attitudes from she didn't know. She didn't have the energy to deal with sibling rivalry, all she wanted to do was lie peacefully in the sun.
"Kevin Walker, where's your plate?"
"On the draining board."
Nora snuck a look, rolling her eyes, then looked back at her son. "Show me."
Kevin huffed over to the sink in an over dramatic fashion and waved the china plate for his mother to see. All the while Kitty was standing there with a smug look on her face, relishing the prospect of getting one over on her brother.
Nora folded her arms in a way that said 'Do not mess with me.' The four Walker children were well used to that look and knew exactly what would come next if they continued to try it on. "That's not your plate is it, now tell the truth."
"It is my plate" Kevin announced, "see? K. W."
Nora's patience was wearing thin. "And since when did you like rainbows and pink love hearts?"
Kevin faulted, realising he was busted, but that didn't stop him giving it one last shot to worm his way out of trouble. And if he could turn it around and have Kitty get the telling off then that was just a bonus. "Erm… Always."
Nora smirked a little, knowing that was only half a lie. She remembered the fierce objections to having to paint his plate shades of blue and green to tell it apart from Kitty's, and the relentless teasing from Tommy. In the end he opted for a red plate. The very same one that Nora could see hidden under a pile of dish towels on the counter, very much not washed up.
"Mom, he's lying. Make him wash up." Kitty shot a sarcastic look to her little brother and stuck out her tongue. Thankfully Nora didn't see. Or that's what she let her daughter believe anyway. "Can I watch TV now?"
"My show's still on! I can wash my plate in the commercials!"
Kevin had realised well and truly that he wasn't going to get away with this so gave up the fight pretty quickly.
"You know the rules." She turned to Kitty. "Do you have to watch TV? It's a beautiful day out, take a dip in the pool or something."
Kitty's face lit up with a grin that only meant one thing. She was concocting a plan. "Can I throw Kevin in?"
"No!" For once Kevin and Nora agreed on something.
"Kids, please play nice. I don't want your Dad to come home to a riot."
"What's that about a riot?"
William Walker sauntered into the kitchen from the hallway, smiling having heard the whole conversation. He walked to Nora and gave her a peck on the cheek, while placing his bag on a stool.
"Hey honey. Please tell your darling children to enjoy each others company and behave for once."
William grinned. "Kevin, Kitty" he addressed each child in turn. "When are you going to learn to get along?"
"When Kevin stops being a pain!"
"When Kitty stops being… such a poop head!"
Kevin Walker, ever the wordsmith.
Kitty relented, ending the stare down with her brother. She'd learnt long ago that Kevin was far too stubborn and any attempt to beat him in a battle of wills, without getting a parent involved was bound to take a very very long time. "Fine" she said, "I'll play nice."
Nora wasn't convinced.
"But I'm still watching TV!" She shot one final look at Kevin before darting out of the room, with him in hot persuit.
Nora finally turned her attention to her husband. "Hi." She kissed him on the lips. "I thought your plate decorating idea was supposed to solve these arguments."
"That was the idea." He admitted. "If I recall you were the one who insisted on the name 'Kevin'. The initial idea would have worked perfectly if we'd used 'Michael', or 'Justin' or something."
Nora didn't care anymore. A temporary truce had settled over the house and that was good enough for her. "Do you want some ice tea?"
William nodded. "What sounds great." He leant on the counter and ran a hand through his hair, and watched his wife as the went to the refrigerator and lifted out a glass jug.
"Sometimes I despair, why can't our kids just get along?"
"Kids never do" William said, "don't pretend like you and Saul didn't fight."
"Of course we did." Nora replied, and got two glasses out of the cupboard. "But not like that. Saul never went looking for an argument like Kevin."
"You've got to give him props though" William said, a smile creeping onto his face. "He's still not washed his plate."
There was a giggle from the other side of the archway followed by the patter of footsteps along the hall floor and up the stairs. Nora rolled her eyes. Again.