It has been a really long time. No need for explanations, but this chapter is dedicated to Sarah, our little trooper.
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"When life gives you lemons, put them in your gross city water." -Me in a note to Sarah
The storm that had formed over Lake Michigan was now showing the greater Chicago area no mercy. John and Abby were looking around the nearly abandon circus grounds.
"How did they even have tickets?" John asked her as they looked around the side of a tent.
"Anna bought them with a credit card," Abby replied.
"And she didn't remember that she had until a few minutes ago?" he questioned.
"She didn't know what day they were for," Abby explained.
"They're not here," he stated.
"I know," she said as she sat down on a bench. "Where are they?"
"I'm sure they're fine," he assured Abby. Even though he had concerns of his own. Why hadn't they pulled the kids out of day camp right away? Carter rubbed his tired face and tired to pull himself together.
Hours later, Abby and Carter ran into a police headquarters. The desk clerk pointed them towards an office.
"Hi, Daddy," Molly called as she bounced across the room to greet her parents.
He lifted her for a kiss before returning her to the ground.
"Thank you for looking after them," he told the officer in the room.
"Not a problem, I have two little ones at home," the officer said.
"Where did you find them?" John asked.
"A patrol car checking the circus grounds for storm damage. One of them spotted the two younger ones under a bench," the officer explained.
"Thank you so much," Abby said snapping out of her trance.
Carter picked up Landon who was asleep in a chair, Abby took Molly's hand, and Ethan followed somberly. Inside the car, Ethan sat in silence while his mother and siblings slept in the backseat.
Finally Carter broke the silence by asking, "Ethan, what were you thinking?"
"It was all my fault don't punish Landon and Molly. I told them it was okay," Ethan told him.
"I'll deal with those two tomorrow; they know better. Do you have any idea what could have happened? What if you hadn't been picked up by the police?" Carter asked.
"I dunno," Ethan replied solemnly, "I didn't think about it."
"Obviously," John said as he pulled into the driveway. "Go upstairs and get into bed."
Ethan did just that not bothering to complain that it was only 8:00.
**** The Next Day ****
Anna stared out the car window at the puddles being disturbed by passing cars. Luka looked over at his daughter. She had a few of his features and few if Abby's. He pulled into the Carter driveway and opened the trunk to take out Anna's bags. To her surprise, Luka did not leave after taking the suitcases in the house.
"What are you doing?" Anna questioned. Her voice was softer than normal, and she sounded tired.
"I need to speak with your mother," Luka stated flatly.
Anna gave him a questioning look. Before Luka explained, Abby walked in the entrance hall.
She kissed Anna's forehead and brushed Anna hair back. "How are you feeling?" she asked.
"Bad," Anna replied.
Abby held back a smile and said, "Go upstairs, I'll be up later."
Anna walked up the stairs to the sound of her parents hushed voices.
"… I don't even want to think about this right now," Abby told Luka.
"Abby, I'm telling you now, so it won't come as a surprise," he explained.
"No, you want me think about how little time Anna has been spending with you lately," she replied.
"Yes, and I think she needs have new experiences," Luka told her.
"I'll think about it. Is there anything we need to discuss?" she questioned.
"Is is all right if I come see Anna while she is sick?" he asked.
"Of course," Abby said with a smile.
Before anything else could be said, the door opened to feet stomped through.
"Mom, look dinosaur shaped marshmallows," Landon said holding up a half empty bag.
"Wow, it looks like you have already had a few," she commented.
"Dad said we could if we didn't tell you about Vicki," Landon explained.
"Landon," Ethan said hitting his brother in the stomach with his forearm.
"Opps," Landon whispered.
John walked into the house with Molly in one and a bag of groceries in the other. "Hi," he said awkwardly to Luka.
"Hi," Molly echoed. "Do you want a marshmallow?"
"No, thank you," Luka told her.
"They're good try one," she suggested.
"All right, I'll try one," he said.
"Yay! Landon hand over the 'melllows," Molly exclaimed.
"Ethan, go bring in the other bag groceries please," Carter told his oldest son.
Ethan complied, and Molly and Landon were content with lining the remaining marshmallows up on the table.
"I'd better get going," Luka said making his exit.
"John," Abby said in a restrained voice, "Who is Vicki?"
"They weren't supposed to say anything," John began.
"Well, it slipped, now who is she?" Abby demanded.
"The nanny I hired," he stated.
"You hired a nanny without me?" she questioned.
"Abby, you told me to go ahead," he explained.
"I didn't think you would go out and hire the first one you interviewed. Did you even interview her?" Abby asked.
"Yes, she is highly qualified," he told her.
"I'm sorry," she said.
"Don't worry about, you are just concerned," he stated.
"Mom, Molly stuck a marshmallow up her nose," Ethan interrupted.
"Only 'cause you told me to," Molly retorted.
"I'll take care of it," Carter told her.
"Thank you," Abby replied.
**** Later the Day ****
"How much trouble are you in?" Anna asked Ethan. The pair were sitting on Anna's bed.
"I'm grounded for a month," he told her.
"Wow, I'm sure your dad was pissed," she commented.
"Oh yeah, he did the creepy quite thing," Ethan explained.
"That is the worst," Anna agreed.
"How would you know? Perfect Anna never does anything she isn't supposed to," he teased.
"Shut up, I do to, I'm just I'm smart enough not get caught," she responded.
"Anna, if were caught no one would have the heart to yell at you," Ethan explained.
"Whatever," she said. Anna stood up and poured the fish food flakes into the tank.
"We didn't kill your fish while you were away," he told her.
"I can tell," she said. "Guppy is getting so cute," she said, referring to her favorite fish.
"You are getting so lame," Ethan told her.
There was a knock on the door. It opened. Ethan and Anna looked up to see Carter standing in the doorway.
"Ethan, go get ready for bed," he said flatly.
Ethan jumped up and left the room.
"Anna, you should go to bed too," Carter suggested.
"I took a nap early, I'm good," she replied.
"Anna…" he started to say.
"I can take care of my self," Anna interrupted.
"I'm not going to argue with you. If you aren't in bed when I come back, no TV tomorrow," he said before closing the door.
"No TV tomorrow," she mocked.
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Reviews are appreciated. A special thanks to those who have been hounding me these past months.
~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~
"When life gives you lemons, put them in your gross city water." -Me in a note to Sarah
The storm that had formed over Lake Michigan was now showing the greater Chicago area no mercy. John and Abby were looking around the nearly abandon circus grounds.
"How did they even have tickets?" John asked her as they looked around the side of a tent.
"Anna bought them with a credit card," Abby replied.
"And she didn't remember that she had until a few minutes ago?" he questioned.
"She didn't know what day they were for," Abby explained.
"They're not here," he stated.
"I know," she said as she sat down on a bench. "Where are they?"
"I'm sure they're fine," he assured Abby. Even though he had concerns of his own. Why hadn't they pulled the kids out of day camp right away? Carter rubbed his tired face and tired to pull himself together.
Hours later, Abby and Carter ran into a police headquarters. The desk clerk pointed them towards an office.
"Hi, Daddy," Molly called as she bounced across the room to greet her parents.
He lifted her for a kiss before returning her to the ground.
"Thank you for looking after them," he told the officer in the room.
"Not a problem, I have two little ones at home," the officer said.
"Where did you find them?" John asked.
"A patrol car checking the circus grounds for storm damage. One of them spotted the two younger ones under a bench," the officer explained.
"Thank you so much," Abby said snapping out of her trance.
Carter picked up Landon who was asleep in a chair, Abby took Molly's hand, and Ethan followed somberly. Inside the car, Ethan sat in silence while his mother and siblings slept in the backseat.
Finally Carter broke the silence by asking, "Ethan, what were you thinking?"
"It was all my fault don't punish Landon and Molly. I told them it was okay," Ethan told him.
"I'll deal with those two tomorrow; they know better. Do you have any idea what could have happened? What if you hadn't been picked up by the police?" Carter asked.
"I dunno," Ethan replied solemnly, "I didn't think about it."
"Obviously," John said as he pulled into the driveway. "Go upstairs and get into bed."
Ethan did just that not bothering to complain that it was only 8:00.
**** The Next Day ****
Anna stared out the car window at the puddles being disturbed by passing cars. Luka looked over at his daughter. She had a few of his features and few if Abby's. He pulled into the Carter driveway and opened the trunk to take out Anna's bags. To her surprise, Luka did not leave after taking the suitcases in the house.
"What are you doing?" Anna questioned. Her voice was softer than normal, and she sounded tired.
"I need to speak with your mother," Luka stated flatly.
Anna gave him a questioning look. Before Luka explained, Abby walked in the entrance hall.
She kissed Anna's forehead and brushed Anna hair back. "How are you feeling?" she asked.
"Bad," Anna replied.
Abby held back a smile and said, "Go upstairs, I'll be up later."
Anna walked up the stairs to the sound of her parents hushed voices.
"… I don't even want to think about this right now," Abby told Luka.
"Abby, I'm telling you now, so it won't come as a surprise," he explained.
"No, you want me think about how little time Anna has been spending with you lately," she replied.
"Yes, and I think she needs have new experiences," Luka told her.
"I'll think about it. Is there anything we need to discuss?" she questioned.
"Is is all right if I come see Anna while she is sick?" he asked.
"Of course," Abby said with a smile.
Before anything else could be said, the door opened to feet stomped through.
"Mom, look dinosaur shaped marshmallows," Landon said holding up a half empty bag.
"Wow, it looks like you have already had a few," she commented.
"Dad said we could if we didn't tell you about Vicki," Landon explained.
"Landon," Ethan said hitting his brother in the stomach with his forearm.
"Opps," Landon whispered.
John walked into the house with Molly in one and a bag of groceries in the other. "Hi," he said awkwardly to Luka.
"Hi," Molly echoed. "Do you want a marshmallow?"
"No, thank you," Luka told her.
"They're good try one," she suggested.
"All right, I'll try one," he said.
"Yay! Landon hand over the 'melllows," Molly exclaimed.
"Ethan, go bring in the other bag groceries please," Carter told his oldest son.
Ethan complied, and Molly and Landon were content with lining the remaining marshmallows up on the table.
"I'd better get going," Luka said making his exit.
"John," Abby said in a restrained voice, "Who is Vicki?"
"They weren't supposed to say anything," John began.
"Well, it slipped, now who is she?" Abby demanded.
"The nanny I hired," he stated.
"You hired a nanny without me?" she questioned.
"Abby, you told me to go ahead," he explained.
"I didn't think you would go out and hire the first one you interviewed. Did you even interview her?" Abby asked.
"Yes, she is highly qualified," he told her.
"I'm sorry," she said.
"Don't worry about, you are just concerned," he stated.
"Mom, Molly stuck a marshmallow up her nose," Ethan interrupted.
"Only 'cause you told me to," Molly retorted.
"I'll take care of it," Carter told her.
"Thank you," Abby replied.
**** Later the Day ****
"How much trouble are you in?" Anna asked Ethan. The pair were sitting on Anna's bed.
"I'm grounded for a month," he told her.
"Wow, I'm sure your dad was pissed," she commented.
"Oh yeah, he did the creepy quite thing," Ethan explained.
"That is the worst," Anna agreed.
"How would you know? Perfect Anna never does anything she isn't supposed to," he teased.
"Shut up, I do to, I'm just I'm smart enough not get caught," she responded.
"Anna, if were caught no one would have the heart to yell at you," Ethan explained.
"Whatever," she said. Anna stood up and poured the fish food flakes into the tank.
"We didn't kill your fish while you were away," he told her.
"I can tell," she said. "Guppy is getting so cute," she said, referring to her favorite fish.
"You are getting so lame," Ethan told her.
There was a knock on the door. It opened. Ethan and Anna looked up to see Carter standing in the doorway.
"Ethan, go get ready for bed," he said flatly.
Ethan jumped up and left the room.
"Anna, you should go to bed too," Carter suggested.
"I took a nap early, I'm good," she replied.
"Anna…" he started to say.
"I can take care of my self," Anna interrupted.
"I'm not going to argue with you. If you aren't in bed when I come back, no TV tomorrow," he said before closing the door.
"No TV tomorrow," she mocked.
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Reviews are appreciated. A special thanks to those who have been hounding me these past months.