Title: The Conference
Author: The one, the only, AnaDi
Summary: A parent-teacher conference with Robbie's
kindergarten teacher
Disclaimers: if they were mine, I'd keep Bobby for myself. Jenny
and Mrs. Atkins are my own, though.
Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who responded to my request
for elements. I chose this list because it was the first that gave
me a story idea. Thanks to Flora for these elements!
~~THE CONFERENCE~~
Lindsay just barely had time to breeze through the grocery store
and grab a package of pork chops before she had to pick up
Robbie from his after school play group. She'd had a relatively
uneventful day, spending most of it helping Bec gather
information for their latest case.
She got out of her car in the driveway of the quaint ranch-style
home in a quiet neighborhood just outside of Boston's bustling
city limits. Strains of laughter from the five-year-olds in the back yard reached her ears as she strolled around the house to the back. Within the boundaries of the white picket fence, five
kindergarten children were playing exuberantly. Lindsay spied
her son on the swing set, pumping his legs valiantly in an effort
to swing faster and higher than his friend Eric on the swing next
to him.
"Lindsay!" Jenny waved to her from the porch, where she was
tying the shoe of a third little boy. Two little girls were in a
sandbox, adding onto a monstrous sandcastle which, as far as
Lindsay could tell, they had been working on since the last rain,
over a week ago. "OK, Greg, there you go." Jenny sent the little
boy back to his friends. She straightened up and motioned
Lindsay over. Lindsay came through the gate and onto the deck.
"How was he today?" Lindsay questioned her friend. Jenny's
exotic, oriental features looked tired, but she smiled. "He is
always a great kid. They were all better than usual today. But
their teacher has set up parent conferences." She handed
Lindsay Robbie's little backpack, which had a folded note
attached with a safety pin.
"Oh, wonderful. Bobby and I will have to find a time when we can
do this." Lindsay commented. She scanned the note from
Robbie's teacher. "She's giving us their report cards at the
conferences too. My son's first report card," she mused aloud,
more to herself than to Jenny.
"They grow up fast" Jenny sighed.
***
Home at their Beacon Street apartment, Lindsay waited for
Bobby to get home. He came in, handing her a bottle of Bath and
Body Works' Country Apple lotion.
"What's this for?" she asked in surprise.
"Oh, Lucy's boyfriend gave it to her, but she's allergic to it and said you could have it."
"I'll be sure to than her tomorrow. " Lindsay showed the letter to Bobby. "I think we should both go," she suggested.
"Why?"
"Just this time. It's the first parent-teacher conference. We'll alternate from now on, but for this one we should both be there."
"Agreed," Bobby said as he prepared the pork chops for dinner.
Lindsay examined the day planner that marked both of their
schedules. "We're both free the afternoon of the 18th," she offered, "That's next Tuesday. Mrs. Atkins wants to meet with all
the parents in the next two weeks, after school hours. I'll call her and set us up for 3 o'clock." She did so and confirmed the appointment.
***
at 2:45 on Tuesday the 18th, Lindsay and Bobby were seated in
the kindergarten classroom. The walls were covered with bight
crayon drawings. Mrs. Atkins was a pleasant-faced young
woman who smiled at them as they introduced themselves. "So
nice to see you. Robbie is a wonderful child." Bobby visibly
relaxed there.
"However," the teacher continued, "There's a drawing he did a
few weeks ago that I think you should see." She rummaged
through a stack of papers, pulling out one and handing it to
Lindsay. It was of a small, long haired gray animal which she
guessed was a dog. Something which looked familiar but which
she could not identify was in the sky, shooting a stream of green
at the dog-like creature. She handed it to Bobby to look at and
looked questioningly at the teacher.
"He said the dog's name was Hiller." Mrs. Atkins was trying not
to laugh. "Ms. Dole, my husband is a bailiff at the Suffolk County Courthouse. Needless to say, we both found this questionable but hilarious. We couldn't figure out what that is in the background, though."
Bobby snickered. "We rented Star Wars last month. It's the Death
Star." All three of them burst into helpless laughter. After several minutes, they calmed down.
"Here is Robbie's report card. He is extremely well-behaved
although he forgets about talking out of turn sometimes. He is a
joy to work with and learns fast. He is also quite creative, as you can see" she gestured to the drawing that Bobby still held.
Lindsay shook her head ruefully.
"I don't want to know what you said to him that might have
caused this," she said mock-threateningly to Bobby. He did his
best to look angelic but a smile tugged at the corners of his
mouth.
Mrs.. Atkins reached for her stapler and attached a small stack of papers together, then handed them to Bobby. "It was nice
meeting with you two. I look forward to future meetings."
"Think we should hang that on the refrigerator?" Bobby asked
jokingly on the way home.
"Don't even think about it, Buster," Lindsay replied.
THE END
The Elements were: a report card, pork chops, stapler, Star
Wars, and lotion.