This is a squeal to "A Week with the Ross'", but it can be understood on its own. Unlike "A Week…" this won't be limited to seven days. Going by my current track record, it could be awhile between updates. Thanks to everyone for your support with "A Week…". I can't wait to hear what you have to say about this one.
"Kate, do you want to go outside?" Meg asked as she watched her sister defeat a giant frog on the computer.
"It's raining," Kate replied not looking away from her character's victory dance.
"Exactly," Meg told her.
Kate couldn't stop herself from smiling.
"Sure, you know what would be really fun?" Kate asked.
"What?" Meg questioned.
"We put on bathing suits and go puddle diving," Kate suggested.
"Yes, come on," Meg said pulling Kate's arm away from the computer.
Minutes later, Kate and Meg were standing under the covered porch watching the sheets of rain hit the ground.
Meg looked over at her sister and said, "Race you."
They sprinted out from under the porch and let the icy rain prick their skin.
"This is freezing," Kate yelled.
"I know," Meg shouted back gleefully.
Ten minutes later, Doug saw two small forms dancing on the sidewalk was he approached his house. He couldn't believe how these kids' parents just let them run around the neighborhood. He slowed to pull into his driveway and noticed the two forms were very familiar.
With the window rolled down, he shouted, "Get inside now!"
Meg and Kate ran into the house and to their respective rooms to change. Doug stood in the kitchen waiting for either of his darling children to appear. Realizing they had more than adequate time the get dressed, he walked over to the staircase. He spotted Kate and advised her to join him.
Kate sheepishly came downstairs.
"What were you thinking?" he demanded.
"We were bored. It has been raining none stop for a week," Kate explained.
"What about your sister's arm?" Doug questioned.
"That's her business," she stated.
"Your older than Meg. You need to look out for her," he lectured.
"I forgot, all right," Kate admitted.
"Well, you picked the wrong day. Ms. Davis is coming over to see our house today," he told her.
"How was I supposed to know the foster kid lady was coming over?" Kate asked.
"You weren't, but splashing around in the street half dressed is not exactly the image we were going for," Doug said. "Are you trying to sabotage this?"
"Yeah, that's it. In addition to wanting Meg to bust her arm up again, I decided to run around the neighborhood naked to stop you from bringing a foster kid here," she replied.
"I've had enough of your insolence," Doug told her.
"I don't even know what that means," Kate mumbled.
Doug turned away from her and yelled for Meg.
"What?" Meg asked innocently.
"Don't even try that, Miss Meg," he said. "You're supposed to be wearing the arm brace not running around without it."
"It itches," Meg replied.
"That's not an excuse. Go put it on," Doug told her.
Kate watched this conversation with her arms folded. "You couldn't possibly yell at the little princess," she said.
He couldn't take it anymore. "I AM SICK OF YOUR ATTITUDE!" he yelled.
"I hate you. You are such a jerk," Kate told him turning to run to her room.
Doug stopped her by grabbing her wrist.
"Let me go," Kate screamed.
"Not until you tell me why I'm always the bad guy," he told her.
"You don't even listen to me," Kate said between sobs.
"How so?" he asked.
"This. Today. Immediately, it's all my fault. Okay, I should have used better judgment, but you act like I was teaching Meg how to juggle butcher knifes," she explained.
Doug thought for a minute and released his grasp of Kate's wrist. Kate wasted no time hurrying off to her room.
Doug and Meg greeted Ms. Davis a half hour later as Carol and Tess had yet to return from the basketball game Tess was cheerleading at.
"Please come in," Doug told her.
Ms. Davis immediately caught sight of Meg's braced arm.
"What happened to that, dear?" Ms. Davis questioned Meg.
"I fell," Meg replied.
"How?" Ms. Davis continued her interrogation.
"I slipped off the shelf in the basement onto the floor," Meg explained.
"Where were your parents?" Ms. Davis asked.
"Upstairs," Meg told her wondering when this lady would leave her alone.
"Why don't we go talk in the kitchen until my wife gets home," Doug suggested.
"Sorry, we're late the game went into to overtime," Carol explained as she and a rather tired looking Tess made their entrance a half hour later.
"No problem," Ms. Davis. "Your husband and I were just discussing the importance of family togetherness."
Tess gave her mother a confused look having not been told of Ms. Davis or the reason for her visit.
"Tess, why don't you go take a shower," Carol suggested.
Tess eagerly made her exit and went to ask one of her sisters about the guest.
"So, Mrs. Ross, it says here you're a nurse," Ms. Davis said.
"Actually it's Hathaway-Ross, and yes, I am a nurse," Carol replied already disliking this woman.
"That's a very demanding job. How do expect to care for a preschooler and your other three children?" Ms. Davis asked saying the word children as if she had just taken a swig of vinegar.
"I work at a clinic with regular hours," Carol replied as politely as possible.
"Yes, I can read," Ms. Davis told her.
"Did you ask Doug about his schedule?" Carol questioned.
"No, I didn't need to," Ms. Davis answered.
"That's strange because his hours are more irregular than mine. And how many hours are you on call a week?" Carol asked him.
Doug finally realized that something was going on between Carol and Ms. Davis.
"It varies," he said. "It's almost Meg's bedtime. Why don't we show you around the house, and we can finish the questioning afterward."
"I don't have any more questions," Ms. Davis said.
"Doug and I have some questions," Carol explained.
"Yes, well why don't we do that," Ms. Davis replied.
About an hour later, Carol closed the front door behind Ms. Davis and said, "How stinging can one person be?"
"Obviously with our observation of Ms. Davis pretty as you said stinging," Doug told her.
"More like she has a stick up her ass," Carol corrected.
"Or that," he added with a smile.
"So how bad of a report do you think she is going to give our home?" Carol asked.
"Well, I believe it went downhill after you blasted her for her remarks about the dark green color of Kate's room being a cry for help," Doug answered.
"She was here to see if we were acceptable foster parents not tell us how bad our own kids are turning out," she told him.
"I agree that was uncalled for. Now, if only we could have coached the girls ahead of time. Kate could have been performing a ritual sacrifice, I could have slapped a few more braces on Megs other appendages, and Tess should have paraded in on the arm of her new live-in biker boyfriend," Doug said.
"Kate, do you want to go outside?" Meg asked as she watched her sister defeat a giant frog on the computer.
"It's raining," Kate replied not looking away from her character's victory dance.
"Exactly," Meg told her.
Kate couldn't stop herself from smiling.
"Sure, you know what would be really fun?" Kate asked.
"What?" Meg questioned.
"We put on bathing suits and go puddle diving," Kate suggested.
"Yes, come on," Meg said pulling Kate's arm away from the computer.
Minutes later, Kate and Meg were standing under the covered porch watching the sheets of rain hit the ground.
Meg looked over at her sister and said, "Race you."
They sprinted out from under the porch and let the icy rain prick their skin.
"This is freezing," Kate yelled.
"I know," Meg shouted back gleefully.
Ten minutes later, Doug saw two small forms dancing on the sidewalk was he approached his house. He couldn't believe how these kids' parents just let them run around the neighborhood. He slowed to pull into his driveway and noticed the two forms were very familiar.
With the window rolled down, he shouted, "Get inside now!"
Meg and Kate ran into the house and to their respective rooms to change. Doug stood in the kitchen waiting for either of his darling children to appear. Realizing they had more than adequate time the get dressed, he walked over to the staircase. He spotted Kate and advised her to join him.
Kate sheepishly came downstairs.
"What were you thinking?" he demanded.
"We were bored. It has been raining none stop for a week," Kate explained.
"What about your sister's arm?" Doug questioned.
"That's her business," she stated.
"Your older than Meg. You need to look out for her," he lectured.
"I forgot, all right," Kate admitted.
"Well, you picked the wrong day. Ms. Davis is coming over to see our house today," he told her.
"How was I supposed to know the foster kid lady was coming over?" Kate asked.
"You weren't, but splashing around in the street half dressed is not exactly the image we were going for," Doug said. "Are you trying to sabotage this?"
"Yeah, that's it. In addition to wanting Meg to bust her arm up again, I decided to run around the neighborhood naked to stop you from bringing a foster kid here," she replied.
"I've had enough of your insolence," Doug told her.
"I don't even know what that means," Kate mumbled.
Doug turned away from her and yelled for Meg.
"What?" Meg asked innocently.
"Don't even try that, Miss Meg," he said. "You're supposed to be wearing the arm brace not running around without it."
"It itches," Meg replied.
"That's not an excuse. Go put it on," Doug told her.
Kate watched this conversation with her arms folded. "You couldn't possibly yell at the little princess," she said.
He couldn't take it anymore. "I AM SICK OF YOUR ATTITUDE!" he yelled.
"I hate you. You are such a jerk," Kate told him turning to run to her room.
Doug stopped her by grabbing her wrist.
"Let me go," Kate screamed.
"Not until you tell me why I'm always the bad guy," he told her.
"You don't even listen to me," Kate said between sobs.
"How so?" he asked.
"This. Today. Immediately, it's all my fault. Okay, I should have used better judgment, but you act like I was teaching Meg how to juggle butcher knifes," she explained.
Doug thought for a minute and released his grasp of Kate's wrist. Kate wasted no time hurrying off to her room.
Doug and Meg greeted Ms. Davis a half hour later as Carol and Tess had yet to return from the basketball game Tess was cheerleading at.
"Please come in," Doug told her.
Ms. Davis immediately caught sight of Meg's braced arm.
"What happened to that, dear?" Ms. Davis questioned Meg.
"I fell," Meg replied.
"How?" Ms. Davis continued her interrogation.
"I slipped off the shelf in the basement onto the floor," Meg explained.
"Where were your parents?" Ms. Davis asked.
"Upstairs," Meg told her wondering when this lady would leave her alone.
"Why don't we go talk in the kitchen until my wife gets home," Doug suggested.
"Sorry, we're late the game went into to overtime," Carol explained as she and a rather tired looking Tess made their entrance a half hour later.
"No problem," Ms. Davis. "Your husband and I were just discussing the importance of family togetherness."
Tess gave her mother a confused look having not been told of Ms. Davis or the reason for her visit.
"Tess, why don't you go take a shower," Carol suggested.
Tess eagerly made her exit and went to ask one of her sisters about the guest.
"So, Mrs. Ross, it says here you're a nurse," Ms. Davis said.
"Actually it's Hathaway-Ross, and yes, I am a nurse," Carol replied already disliking this woman.
"That's a very demanding job. How do expect to care for a preschooler and your other three children?" Ms. Davis asked saying the word children as if she had just taken a swig of vinegar.
"I work at a clinic with regular hours," Carol replied as politely as possible.
"Yes, I can read," Ms. Davis told her.
"Did you ask Doug about his schedule?" Carol questioned.
"No, I didn't need to," Ms. Davis answered.
"That's strange because his hours are more irregular than mine. And how many hours are you on call a week?" Carol asked him.
Doug finally realized that something was going on between Carol and Ms. Davis.
"It varies," he said. "It's almost Meg's bedtime. Why don't we show you around the house, and we can finish the questioning afterward."
"I don't have any more questions," Ms. Davis said.
"Doug and I have some questions," Carol explained.
"Yes, well why don't we do that," Ms. Davis replied.
About an hour later, Carol closed the front door behind Ms. Davis and said, "How stinging can one person be?"
"Obviously with our observation of Ms. Davis pretty as you said stinging," Doug told her.
"More like she has a stick up her ass," Carol corrected.
"Or that," he added with a smile.
"So how bad of a report do you think she is going to give our home?" Carol asked.
"Well, I believe it went downhill after you blasted her for her remarks about the dark green color of Kate's room being a cry for help," Doug answered.
"She was here to see if we were acceptable foster parents not tell us how bad our own kids are turning out," she told him.
"I agree that was uncalled for. Now, if only we could have coached the girls ahead of time. Kate could have been performing a ritual sacrifice, I could have slapped a few more braces on Megs other appendages, and Tess should have paraded in on the arm of her new live-in biker boyfriend," Doug said.