Chapter 1
Joan Girardi stood in her kitchen making pancakes. As she cooked, she checked her schedule.
"Breakfast is ready!" Joan shouted.
Joan's 8-year-old son, Brandon, came downstairs. He then sat at the table while Joan put freshly made pancakes on his plate.
"Here you go," Joan said.
"Thanks, Mom," Brandon said.
"You're welcome, sweetie," Joan said. "Now I have a meeting tonight with the other professors, so I need you to walk home with your sister after school. I'll leave money for food. You and your sister cannot have pizza."
"Okay," Brandon said.
"I mean it," Joan said.
"Yes, Mom," Brandon said.
"Joanie!" Joan shouted. "Pancakes are getting cold!"
"I'll be down in a minute!" Joanie, Joan's 13-year-old daughter shouted from upstairs.
Upstairs, Joanie fixed her hair and put on lipstick.
"Joanie!" Joan shouted from downstairs. "Breakfast is ready!"
"Just a second, Mom!" Joanie shouted. "I'm fixing my hair!"
After she finished, Joanie walked downstairs to see her mother and her brother eating pancakes. As she joined them, Joan looked at her daughter.
"There you are," Joan said. "What took you so long? Even I never took that long."
"I want to look good for picture day," Joanie replied.
"Today's school picture day?" Joan asked.
"Yes," Joanie replied.
"Go back upstairs and change," Joan told her daughter. "You need to wear that dress you wore to your uncle's wedding."
"No offense, Mom," Joanie said. "But I don't want to wear a dress. I just want to wear what I have on. I'm 13."
"Okay," Joan said. "I understand."
Joan looked at her phone.
"Okay, it is 7:40," Joan said. "You two need to get to school."
After Joanie and Brandon left, Joan turned on the TV and listened to the news as she got ready for work. As she grabbed her briefcase, she grabbed the remote.
"Don't turn of the TV yet, Joan," the male news anchor said.
"God?" Joan asked.
"Hello, Joan," God said.
"I haven't heard from you in a while," Joan said. "I was beginning to think you forgot about me."
"I'm God," God said. "I'm very busy watching over everyone in the world. But I'm always watching."
"I have to get to work, so can you make it quick?" Joan asked.
"Patience, Joan," God said. "You know that meeting you have tonight?"
"Yes," Joan replied.
"Skip it," God said. "Instead, I want you to go to Joey's Burger Barn."
"Can I take my kids?" Joan asked.
"Go alone," God replied.
"Why can't I bring my kids?" Joan asked.
"Goodbye, Joan," God said before a commercial came on.
"Why don't you ever just give me a verbal answer?" Joan asked.
