Q & A #32
by Colleen Hillerup
The Snakes and Ladders board lay on the living room floor. Buffy rolled her dice and moved her playing piece. "Rats."
Meredith laughed. "You go all the way down. That's a big snake, Mommy."
"And Mommy so does not like big snakes. Your turn." She handed her daughter the dice.
"Okay." The child paused in mid-roll. "Oh, I forgot."
"Forgot what, honey?"
"Auntie Dawn." Meredith frowned with concentration. "She ran out this morning. She was late. She said that Mommy should clean Puppy's litter box 'cause she didn't have time." She smiled. "That's it. I remembered."
"I knew giving in on that kitten was a bad idea. 'Oh, no Buffy, I'll take care of it. Don't worry, Buffy, you won't have to do a thing.' Yeah, right." The phone rang, and Buffy pushed herself to her feet.
"Hello? Yes, this is Buffy Summers." She listened to the voice on the other end of the line. "Yes, I've been waiting." Her jaw dropped. "Excuse me, could you repeat that?" Shock blanketed her face. "Thank you. Really. Next week, yes, that's convenient. That will be fine. Let me write that down." She picked up paper and a pen from the phone table and scribbled something. "Thank you." A glow spread out from deep within her. "Thank you so much."
She dropped the phone onto the cradle. "Honey, where's daddy?"
"Mommy, Daddy's asleep. He always sleeps now. You know that." She watched her mother head towards the stairs. "Mommy, what about Puppy? Auntie Dawn says she's getting all stinky. Can I help you change the box?"
Buffy looked towards her daughter, her smile beatific. "No, honey. Dawnie will have to do it. Or maybe Daddy. I can't. You put the game away, and I'll be right back down." She flew up the stairs, calling, "Spike! Oh, god, Spike!"
Meredith bounced up and down, laughing and clapping her hands. "Yay!"
by Colleen Hillerup
The Snakes and Ladders board lay on the living room floor. Buffy rolled her dice and moved her playing piece. "Rats."
Meredith laughed. "You go all the way down. That's a big snake, Mommy."
"And Mommy so does not like big snakes. Your turn." She handed her daughter the dice.
"Okay." The child paused in mid-roll. "Oh, I forgot."
"Forgot what, honey?"
"Auntie Dawn." Meredith frowned with concentration. "She ran out this morning. She was late. She said that Mommy should clean Puppy's litter box 'cause she didn't have time." She smiled. "That's it. I remembered."
"I knew giving in on that kitten was a bad idea. 'Oh, no Buffy, I'll take care of it. Don't worry, Buffy, you won't have to do a thing.' Yeah, right." The phone rang, and Buffy pushed herself to her feet.
"Hello? Yes, this is Buffy Summers." She listened to the voice on the other end of the line. "Yes, I've been waiting." Her jaw dropped. "Excuse me, could you repeat that?" Shock blanketed her face. "Thank you. Really. Next week, yes, that's convenient. That will be fine. Let me write that down." She picked up paper and a pen from the phone table and scribbled something. "Thank you." A glow spread out from deep within her. "Thank you so much."
She dropped the phone onto the cradle. "Honey, where's daddy?"
"Mommy, Daddy's asleep. He always sleeps now. You know that." She watched her mother head towards the stairs. "Mommy, what about Puppy? Auntie Dawn says she's getting all stinky. Can I help you change the box?"
Buffy looked towards her daughter, her smile beatific. "No, honey. Dawnie will have to do it. Or maybe Daddy. I can't. You put the game away, and I'll be right back down." She flew up the stairs, calling, "Spike! Oh, god, Spike!"
Meredith bounced up and down, laughing and clapping her hands. "Yay!"