"Prudence! Piper! Time for lunch!"
Prue and Piper jumped up from their seats on the floor of the playroom, grinning at each other. Prue ran out of the room first and telekinetically moved a large ball in front of Piper. "Hey!" Piper yelled as she stepped around the around the ball before she tripped on it. "That's not fair! I can't use my power on you."
"Oh well," Prue giggled, running into the kitchen with Piper hot on her heels.
"Whoa! Girls, stop running in the house." Patty set the girls' peanut butter and jelly sandwiches down on the table. "Now sit up at the table and eat your lunch."
Prue climbed into her chair as Patty scooped Piper up and placed her in the booster seat on the chair across from Prue. "Ha, Piper still has to sit in the baby seat," Prue teased before taking a bite out of her sandwich.
"Shut up!" Piper yelled.
"Piper, we don't say that in this house," Patty gently scolded her daughter. "And Prue, you were still sitting in the booster seat when you were three, too."
Piper stuck her tongue out at Prue as if to say, "So there." Prue made a face back. Rolling her eyes, Piper focused her attention on eating her lunch. Peanut butter and jelly was her favorite meal and liked to savor every bite.
After a few minutes, Prue finished, but Piper was only halfway done. Getting antsy, Prue started kicking Piper's chair to get her to hurry up. "Stop!" Piper yelled.
"Girls . . ." Patty started with a sigh.
"Mama, she's kicking my chair and she won't stop!" Piper whined.
"She's bothering me," Prue countered, narrowing her eyes at her sister.
"I'm not doing anything!"
"Girls!" Patty slammed a frying pan down on the counter with a loud bang. Prue and Piper jumped at the sound. They both looked over, terrified. They had never seen their mother so angry. "Keep quiet and eat your lunch."
Piper finished her sandwich without another word. Prue, watching her, could tell she was trying not to cry. When Piper was done, Prue spoke up almost hesitantly. "Mom, we're done."
Patty wordlessly walked over to the table, lifted Piper out of the booster seat, and wiped her face. Prue collected her plate as well as Piper's and, standing on tiptoes, set them in the sink. "Thank you, Prue. Now, you two go back and play. If I hear any more fighting, one of you is going to be sent to your room and the other one's going to be sent to my room. You understand?"
"Yes, Mommy." Prue took Piper's hand and gently tugged her out of the kitchen and back into the playroom. Once they were alone, Piper looked up at Prue, tears glistening in her eyes. She seemed almost afraid to talk at all. "Oh, Piper, it's okay."
"Mama's never yelled at us before," she whispered.
"I know," Prue said, nodding. "I don't know why she did, but it's over. It's okay now."
Piper nodded and seated herself on the floor, playing with some wooden blocks. Even though Prue had eased Piper's mind, she herself was still worried. Piper was right; their mother had never yelled at them before and there was something about the look in her mother's eyes that had made Prue very uneasy. They weren't hers at all. Her mother's eyes were warm and inviting, but when she yelled at them, her eyes were almost cold.
Prue and Piper jumped up from their seats on the floor of the playroom, grinning at each other. Prue ran out of the room first and telekinetically moved a large ball in front of Piper. "Hey!" Piper yelled as she stepped around the around the ball before she tripped on it. "That's not fair! I can't use my power on you."
"Oh well," Prue giggled, running into the kitchen with Piper hot on her heels.
"Whoa! Girls, stop running in the house." Patty set the girls' peanut butter and jelly sandwiches down on the table. "Now sit up at the table and eat your lunch."
Prue climbed into her chair as Patty scooped Piper up and placed her in the booster seat on the chair across from Prue. "Ha, Piper still has to sit in the baby seat," Prue teased before taking a bite out of her sandwich.
"Shut up!" Piper yelled.
"Piper, we don't say that in this house," Patty gently scolded her daughter. "And Prue, you were still sitting in the booster seat when you were three, too."
Piper stuck her tongue out at Prue as if to say, "So there." Prue made a face back. Rolling her eyes, Piper focused her attention on eating her lunch. Peanut butter and jelly was her favorite meal and liked to savor every bite.
After a few minutes, Prue finished, but Piper was only halfway done. Getting antsy, Prue started kicking Piper's chair to get her to hurry up. "Stop!" Piper yelled.
"Girls . . ." Patty started with a sigh.
"Mama, she's kicking my chair and she won't stop!" Piper whined.
"She's bothering me," Prue countered, narrowing her eyes at her sister.
"I'm not doing anything!"
"Girls!" Patty slammed a frying pan down on the counter with a loud bang. Prue and Piper jumped at the sound. They both looked over, terrified. They had never seen their mother so angry. "Keep quiet and eat your lunch."
Piper finished her sandwich without another word. Prue, watching her, could tell she was trying not to cry. When Piper was done, Prue spoke up almost hesitantly. "Mom, we're done."
Patty wordlessly walked over to the table, lifted Piper out of the booster seat, and wiped her face. Prue collected her plate as well as Piper's and, standing on tiptoes, set them in the sink. "Thank you, Prue. Now, you two go back and play. If I hear any more fighting, one of you is going to be sent to your room and the other one's going to be sent to my room. You understand?"
"Yes, Mommy." Prue took Piper's hand and gently tugged her out of the kitchen and back into the playroom. Once they were alone, Piper looked up at Prue, tears glistening in her eyes. She seemed almost afraid to talk at all. "Oh, Piper, it's okay."
"Mama's never yelled at us before," she whispered.
"I know," Prue said, nodding. "I don't know why she did, but it's over. It's okay now."
Piper nodded and seated herself on the floor, playing with some wooden blocks. Even though Prue had eased Piper's mind, she herself was still worried. Piper was right; their mother had never yelled at them before and there was something about the look in her mother's eyes that had made Prue very uneasy. They weren't hers at all. Her mother's eyes were warm and inviting, but when she yelled at them, her eyes were almost cold.